We investigated to which extent aggression between opponents after competition is triggered by preemptive retaliation or spite. To disentangle motives, we introduced a credible self-binding signal. In constrast to previous studies, we found that aggression against a defenceless subject plays an important role. Preemptive retaliation proofed to be another dominant motive. The role of self-binding signals to mitigate preemptive retaliation is ambivalent. They do lead to an overall de-escalation in our setting. Still, a considerable number of subjects left the self-binding device on the table, which constitutes a danger: If two unbound subjects meet, the knowingly unused signal leads to an escalation of conflict compared to a situation in which no self-binding device exists.      «

We investigated to which extent aggression between opponents after competition is triggered by preemptive retaliation or spite. To disentangle motives, we introduced a credible self-binding signal. In constrast to previous studies, we found that aggression against a defenceless subject plays an important role. Preemptive retaliation proofed to be another dominant motive. The role of self-binding signals to mitigate preemptive retaliation is ambivalent. They do lead to an overall de-escalation in...     »