YOU are physically stronger than Jeff, but Rob is stronger than you. So you know where you stand in the pecking order. Then along comes Harry and gives Rob a beating. Should you take him on?
Deferring to Harry is the best option and requires a cognitive ability called transitive inference. Even though you don’t know from direct experience that Harry is stronger than you, you can infer it from seeing him beat up Rob.
Scientists believe that this mental trick is an important part of social living, as it reduces conflict in a social group. But while the ability…
