Abstract
Theoretical models predict that the cumulative number of individuals displaying a socially learned novel behavior will follow an accelerating pattern over time, whereas asocial processes have been associated with linear or decelerating functions. This raises the possibility that the shape of the diffusion curve may reveal something about the learning processes involved. If true, this would be particularly useful for identifying social transmission in observational field studies. Published data are reviewed and are found to provide limited support for this view. The use of accelerating curves as a diagnostic is challenging because (1) alternative theoretical models make similar predictions, (2) clear supporting empirical data are lacking, and (3) practical considerations frequently make accurate construction of the diffusion curve difficult.
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I thank the BBSRC, the Royal Society, and the Bellairs Foundation for funding, J. R. Kendal, K. N. Laland, G. de Jong, J. J. Bolhuis, D. Sol, and L. Lefebvre for helpful discussions, and J. R. Kendal, B. G. Galef, Jr., and an anonymous referee for valuable comments on the manuscript.
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Reader, S.M. Distinguishing social and asocial learning using diffusion dynamics. Animal Learning & Behavior 32, 90–104 (2004). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196010
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3758/BF03196010