cultural diffusion and social learning strategies
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Cultural Diffusion and Social Learning Strategies. Advance of a leaned trait. Population: (N 0 , N + ), (Naïve, Informed) Individual Learning (IL) vs Social Learning (SL). Advance of a learned trait. Transition (N 0 , N + ) (N 0 – 1, N + + 1) IL : Rate Constant, Independent of N + - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Cultural Diffusionand
Social Learning Strategies
Advance of a leaned trait
Population: (N0, N+), (Naïve, Informed)
Individual Learning (IL) vs Social Learning (SL)
Advance of a learned trait
Transition (N0, N+) (N0 – 1, N+ + 1)
IL: Rate Constant, Independent of N+
SL: Rate, per N0, Increases with N+
SL: Signature of Cultural Diffusion
Individual learning: Cumulative
Social learning: Cumulative
Cultural diffusion: Human examples
End of 11th Century:St Robert Founded First Cistercian Abbey
Slow Growth in Number1115: St. Bernard, Abbey at ClairvauxGrowth Accelerated1155: 400 Monasteries
Cistercians in Europe (Grubler 1997)
Cistercians in Europe: Cultural diffusion
Monasteries Communicated
Advanced innovationsWater millWool manufactureAgriculture/Land clearing (Deforestation)
Cultural Change/Evolution
Opposition to change: Luddites
Fear of new technologies
1811-1816: Luddites destroyed textile machinery
1830: Captain Swing, opposition to threshing machines
Rapidly advancing cultural values
Captain Swing movement: Social learning
Social learning of technology (Grubler 1997)
Cultural diffusion: Non-human examplesReader & Laland (2000) Anim Behav 60:175
Gupppies: Learn Route to Rich Food Patch
SL: Following Past Opaque Partition
Reader & Laland (2000)Not signature of social learning?
Females copied, and learned faster than did males.
Males mixed SL and IL.
Social learning, cultural evolution
Common in HumansDemonstrated in Other Species
Chimpanzees, MacaquesWhale, Bird Song
Cultural Adaptation:Change in culture increases survival, fecundityNot as common
Social learning strategies
Laland, K. (2004) Learning & Behavior 32:4.
Commonly assumed: Capacity for social learning adaptive
Gain InformationAvoid Cost of Direct Interaction with Environment
Laland, K. (2004)
Model, Mimic Producer, Scrounger (Information)
More Social Learners Reduced InnovationInformation on Environment Not as Current
More Social Learners Fewer Individuals Interact Directly with Environment
Laland, K. (2004)
Use Social Learning SelectivelyMix with Direct Sampling, Trial & Error
Need Strategy for Social LearningWhen?
Circumstances for Social Learning?Whom?
Which Individuals “Best” Information?
Laland, K. (2004): When?
When Established Behavior (No behavior) Unproductive
Pigeons: Food in Cartons, Opened by Tearing Paper
Initially, Most Scrounge FoodScrounging So Common, UnproductiveThen, Individuals Learn Socially to Open Cartons
Laland, K. (2004)
When Cost of Asocial Learning High
Searching for Resource Patches (vs Following)Risk of Acquiring Poor InformationIndividual Learning Hazardous
Gorillas: Elaborate Processing of Food Plants
Avoid Physical Defenses, Chemical DefensesIndividual Learning Costly
Laland, K. (2004)
When Uncertain
Within-Generation Temporal VariationMatch Behavior to Current EnvironmentNo Obvious Cue to Environment
Rats: 2 Novel Foods – Copy Food Choice by BreathFamiliar Foods – Little Social Influence on ChoiceUncertainty Prompts Social Mimicry
Laland, K. (2004)
Copy Whom?
Directed Social LearningIdentity/Phenotype of Demonstrator
Affects Pr[Social Learning]
Social Rank Age Association Relatedness Niche
Laland, K. (2004)
Copy the Majority (Conformity)
Mate Choice Copying (Female Choice)Increase Variance in Rep Success of Other Sex
Copy Rare BehaviorStarlings, Parrots: Copy Song of Other SpeciesFemales Favor Complex Song Repertoire
Laland, K. (2004)
Copy Successful Individuals (vs Successful Behavior)
Easy; Which Traits Imply Success?
Red-Winged Blackbirds: Socially Learn Food Preference,Demonstrator Becomes Sick/Stays Well
If Strategy Works, Neutral/Maladaptive Trait May “Hitchhike” with Successful Trait
Laland, K. (2004)
Copy Dominants? Lacks Study
Copy Best vs Copy BetterCardinal vs Ordinal
Copy Good Social Learners (?)
Copy Kin – Common in NatureSame Alleles, Same RequirementsAdvantage