A social trap is a particular psychological circumstance where people rationally pursue their own self-interests which results in detriment to the whole group. It showcases the clash between individualistic shortsightedness and the welfare of the collective in the long run. Most commonly, people overuse resources and cause environmental damage. Within social psychology, the framework of social traps provides an understanding of social dilemmas, such as cooperation and sustainability and group behavior. Avoiding social traps is achieved through communication, trust, and shared responsibility. For example, people overfishing for profit and eventually depleting the fish population are caught in a social trap.
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