Episodic memory gives us the ability to mentally travel back in time to revisit and relive past experiences. In recent years, there has been an increased interest in the function of episodic memory. According to the orthodox view, episodic memory should be considered a part of a constructive system that simulates the future for sophisticated foresight and flexible planning. In this paper, I offer a novel alternative view. I argue that episodic memory provides invaluable information about the past behavior of others, allowing us to identify reliable and trustworthy partners while avoiding dealing with cheaters. Theoretical models demonstrate that cooperation in groups can be maintained if potential partners use information about an individual’s past behavior to guide their behavior toward that individual. In these reputation-based models of human cooperation, individuals with a history of cheating are ostracized, whereas those with a history of cooperative behavior flourish. Against this theoretical background, it is possible to see a function of episodic memory in facilitating information exchange about others, helping group members make effective partner choices, and avoiding the risk of interacting with cheaters. If correct, episodic memory may have played a significant role in the evolution of human cooperation.

情景记忆使我们能够在精神上回到过去，重温和重温过去的经历。近年来，人们对情景记忆的功能越来越感兴趣。根据正统观点，情景记忆应该被视为模拟未来的建设性系统的一部分，以实现复杂的远见和灵活的规划。在本文中，我提出了一种新颖的替代观点。我认为情景记忆提供了有关他人过去行为的宝贵信息，使我们能够识别可靠且值得信赖的合作伙伴，同时避免与作弊者打交道。理论模型表明，如果潜在合作伙伴使用有关个人过去行为的信息来指导他们对该个人的行为，则可以维持群体合作。在这些基于声誉的人类合作模型中，有欺骗历史的个体会被排斥，而有合作行为历史的个体则会蓬勃发展。在此理论背景下，我们可以看到情景记忆在促进其他人的信息交流、帮助群体成员做出有效的合作伙伴选择以及避免与作弊者互动的风险方面的功能。如果正确的话，情景记忆可能在人类合作的进化中发挥了重要作用。