Jansson, Fredrik Enquist, Magnus; Ghirlanda, Stefano & Jérôme Michaud | 2024
Proceedings of the royal society Biological Sciences
Cultural evolution typically studies how ideas and behaviours spread and change depending on how we learn and from whom. A new model suggests that transmissible sender characteristics, such as the ability to persuade people and communicate effectively, might play a more significant role in cultural evolution. Such traits are effective at promoting themselves, and can also help other traits spread. This model bridges the gap to developmental psychology, offering new insights into how lifelong learning impacts individuals. The findings indicate a shift in perspective from receiver biases to webs of traits where sender traits are driving forces of cultural evolution.
