Trade-off

Trade-off (English trade off " exchange " ) or exchange relationship generally describes an opposite dependency: If the one better, is at the same time the other worse ( see also inverse proportionality ).

Furthermore, the term also describes efforts well balanced. Translated trade-off is in this context with cost - benefit analysis, compromise and balance the conflicting goals.

Economics

In economics trade-off for example, describes the opposite function of cost and quality or, in economic policy, the magic square: In order to obtain a high quality, one has to take into account high costs. If one lowers costs, decreases the quality. Between these two properties so there is a trade-off that one always has to take a new decision in a particular case. You try to find the best possible combination (see also resource allocation ).

Ecology

In ecology, the term fitness disadvantages suffered by the organism in better adaptation to a particular environmental factor necessarily in relation to other environmental factors. The advantage is in a region that is "bought" by an unavoidable disadvantage in another area.

For example, the properties that enable a plant species, particularly in the competition between different types (technical term: Interspecific competition ) to exist (investment especially in supporting tissues to achieve greater plant height ) of a disadvantage when it comes to Kolonisierungsgeschwindigkeit in new created habitats is (investment especially in seeds). A species that can grow very quickly under nutrient-rich conditions and thus displace competitors, is under nutrient-poor conditions, possibly due to exactly the same features at a disadvantage due to higher nutrient loss rates. A larger species, a smaller displace in direct competition, but its just because of their size vulnerable to predators ( predators ). A translation of the term is not common in ecology.

Sociobiology

In sociobiology, the term by Eckart Voland is translated as ' balance '. Accordingly, the individuals try to solve their social behavior adjustment problems. In this it comes with decisions about the investment of time, energy and life risks to increase reproductive fitness. It is in the solution of balancing problems waived by the social behavior of a possibility of improving reproductive fitness, while another is perceived. The underlying model of explanation of social behavior is an economic one. Balance problems are based allocation conflicts.

An example of an alignment problem that arises in the life history of an individual, for example, the decision on whether it wants to continue to invest in themselves, or whether it should proceed to procreate. Another is whether it is ever to reproduce itself, or whether it should instead support the reproduction Bemühungenen his relatives. For the particular solution, which is an individual of this type of balance problems, results in individual life histories and evolutionary regarded tierliche and human personalities who have interests and characteristic feature profiles.