Cargando…

On randomly changing conformity bias in cultural transmission

Humans and nonhuman animals display conformist as well as anticonformist biases in cultural transmission. Whereas many previous mathematical models have incorporated constant conformity coefficients, empirical research suggests that the extent of (anti)conformity in populations can change over time....

Descripción completa

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Denton, Kaleda K., Liberman, Uri, Feldman, Marcus W.
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: National Academy of Sciences 2021
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8403876/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34417299
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2107204118
_version_ 1783746068643577856
author Denton, Kaleda K.
Liberman, Uri
Feldman, Marcus W.
author_facet Denton, Kaleda K.
Liberman, Uri
Feldman, Marcus W.
author_sort Denton, Kaleda K.
collection PubMed
description Humans and nonhuman animals display conformist as well as anticonformist biases in cultural transmission. Whereas many previous mathematical models have incorporated constant conformity coefficients, empirical research suggests that the extent of (anti)conformity in populations can change over time. We incorporate stochastic time-varying conformity coefficients into a widely used conformity model, which assumes a fixed number [Formula: see text] of “role models” sampled by each individual. We also allow the number of role models to vary over time ([Formula: see text]). Under anticonformity, nonconvergence can occur in deterministic and stochastic models with different parameter values. Even if strong anticonformity may occur, if conformity or random copying (i.e., neither conformity nor anticonformity) is expected, there is convergence to one of the three equilibria seen in previous deterministic models of conformity. Moreover, this result is robust to stochastic variation in [Formula: see text]. However, dynamic properties of these equilibria may be different from those in deterministic models. For example, with random conformity coefficients, all equilibria can be stochastically locally stable simultaneously. Finally, we study the effect of randomly changing weak selection. Allowing the level of conformity, the number of role models, and selection to vary stochastically may produce a more realistic representation of the wide range of group-level properties that can emerge under (anti)conformist biases. This promises to make interpretation of the effect of conformity on differences between populations, for example those connected by migration, rather difficult. Future research incorporating finite population sizes and migration would contribute added realism to these models.
format Online
Article
Text
id pubmed-8403876
institution National Center for Biotechnology Information
language English
publishDate 2021
publisher National Academy of Sciences
record_format MEDLINE/PubMed
spelling pubmed-84038762021-09-14 On randomly changing conformity bias in cultural transmission Denton, Kaleda K. Liberman, Uri Feldman, Marcus W. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Biological Sciences Humans and nonhuman animals display conformist as well as anticonformist biases in cultural transmission. Whereas many previous mathematical models have incorporated constant conformity coefficients, empirical research suggests that the extent of (anti)conformity in populations can change over time. We incorporate stochastic time-varying conformity coefficients into a widely used conformity model, which assumes a fixed number [Formula: see text] of “role models” sampled by each individual. We also allow the number of role models to vary over time ([Formula: see text]). Under anticonformity, nonconvergence can occur in deterministic and stochastic models with different parameter values. Even if strong anticonformity may occur, if conformity or random copying (i.e., neither conformity nor anticonformity) is expected, there is convergence to one of the three equilibria seen in previous deterministic models of conformity. Moreover, this result is robust to stochastic variation in [Formula: see text]. However, dynamic properties of these equilibria may be different from those in deterministic models. For example, with random conformity coefficients, all equilibria can be stochastically locally stable simultaneously. Finally, we study the effect of randomly changing weak selection. Allowing the level of conformity, the number of role models, and selection to vary stochastically may produce a more realistic representation of the wide range of group-level properties that can emerge under (anti)conformist biases. This promises to make interpretation of the effect of conformity on differences between populations, for example those connected by migration, rather difficult. Future research incorporating finite population sizes and migration would contribute added realism to these models. National Academy of Sciences 2021-08-24 2021-08-20 /pmc/articles/PMC8403876/ /pubmed/34417299 http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2107204118 Text en Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by PNAS. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/This open access article is distributed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License 4.0 (CC BY-NC-ND) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) .
spellingShingle Biological Sciences
Denton, Kaleda K.
Liberman, Uri
Feldman, Marcus W.
On randomly changing conformity bias in cultural transmission
title On randomly changing conformity bias in cultural transmission
title_full On randomly changing conformity bias in cultural transmission
title_fullStr On randomly changing conformity bias in cultural transmission
title_full_unstemmed On randomly changing conformity bias in cultural transmission
title_short On randomly changing conformity bias in cultural transmission
title_sort on randomly changing conformity bias in cultural transmission
topic Biological Sciences
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8403876/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/34417299
http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2107204118
work_keys_str_mv AT dentonkaledak onrandomlychangingconformitybiasinculturaltransmission
AT libermanuri onrandomlychangingconformitybiasinculturaltransmission
AT feldmanmarcusw onrandomlychangingconformitybiasinculturaltransmission