When to stop social learning from a predecessor in an information-foraging task
Striking a balance between individual and social learning is one of the key capabilities that support adaptation under uncertainty. Although intergenerational transmission of information is ubiquitous, little is known about when and how newcomers switch from learning loyally from preceding models to...
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| Language: | English |
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Cambridge University Press
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Evolutionary Human Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2513843X2400029X/type/journal_article |
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| author | Hidezo Suganuma Aoi Naito Kentaro Katahira Tatsuya Kameda |
| author_facet | Hidezo Suganuma Aoi Naito Kentaro Katahira Tatsuya Kameda |
| author_sort | Hidezo Suganuma |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Striking a balance between individual and social learning is one of the key capabilities that support adaptation under uncertainty. Although intergenerational transmission of information is ubiquitous, little is known about when and how newcomers switch from learning loyally from preceding models to exploring independently. Using a behavioural experiment, we investigated how social information available from a preceding demonstrator affects the timing of becoming independent and individual performance thereafter. Participants worked on a 30-armed bandit task for 100 trials. For the first 15 trials, participants simply observed the choices of a demonstrator who had accumulated more knowledge about the environment and passively received rewards from the demonstrator's choices. Thereafter, participants could switch to making independent choices at any time. We had three conditions differing in the social information available from the demonstrator: choice only, reward only or both. Results showed that both participants’ strategies about when to stop observational learning and their behavioural patterns after independence depended on the available social information. Participants generally failed to make the best use of previously observed social information in their subsequent independent choices, suggesting the importance of direct communication beyond passive observation for better intergenerational transmission under uncertainty. Implications for cultural evolution are discussed. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-3afa5783ea6146908af4c79a1bd01df7 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2513-843X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Evolutionary Human Sciences |
| spelling | doaj-art-3afa5783ea6146908af4c79a1bd01df72025-01-20T11:24:57ZengCambridge University PressEvolutionary Human Sciences2513-843X2025-01-01710.1017/ehs.2024.29When to stop social learning from a predecessor in an information-foraging taskHidezo Suganuma0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7561-992XAoi Naito1https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4701-9123Kentaro Katahira2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2018-3938Tatsuya Kameda3https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6666-493XDepartment of Social Psychology, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033, JapanSchool of Environmental Society, Institute of Science Tokyo, 3-3-6 Shibaura, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-0023, Japan Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, JapanHuman Informatics and Interaction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8566, JapanFaculty of Mathematical Informatics, Meiji Gakuin University, 1518 Kamikuratachou, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama, 244-8539 Japan Center for Interdisciplinary Informatics, Meiji Gakuin University, 1-2-37 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8636, Japan Center for Experimental Research in Social Sciences, Hokkaido University, N10W7, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-0810, Japan Brain Science Institute, Tamagawa University, 6-1-1 Tamagawagakuen, Machida, Tokyo, 194-8610 JapanStriking a balance between individual and social learning is one of the key capabilities that support adaptation under uncertainty. Although intergenerational transmission of information is ubiquitous, little is known about when and how newcomers switch from learning loyally from preceding models to exploring independently. Using a behavioural experiment, we investigated how social information available from a preceding demonstrator affects the timing of becoming independent and individual performance thereafter. Participants worked on a 30-armed bandit task for 100 trials. For the first 15 trials, participants simply observed the choices of a demonstrator who had accumulated more knowledge about the environment and passively received rewards from the demonstrator's choices. Thereafter, participants could switch to making independent choices at any time. We had three conditions differing in the social information available from the demonstrator: choice only, reward only or both. Results showed that both participants’ strategies about when to stop observational learning and their behavioural patterns after independence depended on the available social information. Participants generally failed to make the best use of previously observed social information in their subsequent independent choices, suggesting the importance of direct communication beyond passive observation for better intergenerational transmission under uncertainty. Implications for cultural evolution are discussed.https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2513843X2400029X/type/journal_articlesocial learningexploration–exploitation trade-offinformation foragingintergenerational transmission |
| spellingShingle | Hidezo Suganuma Aoi Naito Kentaro Katahira Tatsuya Kameda When to stop social learning from a predecessor in an information-foraging task Evolutionary Human Sciences social learning exploration–exploitation trade-off information foraging intergenerational transmission |
| title | When to stop social learning from a predecessor in an information-foraging task |
| title_full | When to stop social learning from a predecessor in an information-foraging task |
| title_fullStr | When to stop social learning from a predecessor in an information-foraging task |
| title_full_unstemmed | When to stop social learning from a predecessor in an information-foraging task |
| title_short | When to stop social learning from a predecessor in an information-foraging task |
| title_sort | when to stop social learning from a predecessor in an information foraging task |
| topic | social learning exploration–exploitation trade-off information foraging intergenerational transmission |
| url | https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S2513843X2400029X/type/journal_article |
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