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Unpredictable benefits of social information can lead to the evolution of individual differences in social learning

Author

Listed:
  • Pieter Berg

    (Department of Biology
    Department of Microbial and Molecular Systems)

  • TuongVan Vu

    (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam)

  • Lucas Molleman

    (University of Amsterdam)

Abstract

Human ecological success is often attributed to our capacity for social learning, which facilitates the spread of adaptive behaviours through populations. All humans rely on social learning to acquire culture, but there is substantial variation across societies, between individuals and over developmental time. However, it is unclear why these differences exist. Here, we present an evolutionary model showing that individual variation in social learning can emerge if the benefits of social learning are unpredictable. Unpredictability selects for flexible developmental programmes that allow individuals to update their reliance on social learning based on previous experiences. This developmental flexibility, in turn, causes some individuals in a population to end up consistently relying more heavily on social learning than others. We demonstrate this core evolutionary mechanism across three scenarios of increasing complexity, investigating the impact of different sources of uncertainty about the usefulness of social learning. Our results show how evolution can shape how individuals learn to learn from others, with potentially profound effects on cultural diversity.

Suggested Citation

  • Pieter Berg & TuongVan Vu & Lucas Molleman, 2024. "Unpredictable benefits of social information can lead to the evolution of individual differences in social learning," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-49530-4
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49530-4
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
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