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Social Learning Strategies and Cooperative Behaviour: Evidence of Payoff Bias, but Not Prestige or Conformity, in a Social Dilemma Game

Author

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  • Robin Watson

    (Durham Cultural Evolution Research Centre, Anthropology Department, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
    Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK)

  • Thomas J. H. Morgan

    (School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, 900 South Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
    Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, 951 South Cady Mall, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA)

  • Rachel L. Kendal

    (Durham Cultural Evolution Research Centre, Anthropology Department, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
    Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK)

  • Julie Van de Vyver

    (Psychology Department, Durham University, Upper Mountjoy, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK)

  • Jeremy Kendal

    (Durham Cultural Evolution Research Centre, Anthropology Department, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
    Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Dawson Building, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
    Durham Research Methods Centre, Faculty of Social Sciences & Health Arthur Holmes Building, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK)

Abstract

Human cooperation, occurring without reciprocation and between unrelated individuals in large populations, represents an evolutionary puzzle. One potential explanation is that cooperative behaviour may be transmitted between individuals via social learning. Using an online social dilemma experiment, we find evidence that participants’ contributions were more consistent with payoff-biased transmission than prestige-biased transmission or conformity. We also found some evidence for lower cooperation (i) when exposed to social information about peer cooperation levels than without such information, and (ii) in the prisoners’ dilemma game compared to the snowdrift game. A simulation model established that the observed cooperation was more likely to be caused by participants’ general propensity to cooperate than by the effect of social learning strategies employed within the experiment, but that this cooperative propensity could be reduced through selection. Overall, our results support previous experimental evidence indicating the role of payoff-biased transmission in explaining cooperative behaviour, but we find that this effect was small and was overwhelmed by participants’ general propensity for cooperation.

Suggested Citation

  • Robin Watson & Thomas J. H. Morgan & Rachel L. Kendal & Julie Van de Vyver & Jeremy Kendal, 2021. "Social Learning Strategies and Cooperative Behaviour: Evidence of Payoff Bias, but Not Prestige or Conformity, in a Social Dilemma Game," Games, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-26, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jgames:v:12:y:2021:i:4:p:89-:d:685954
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    References listed on IDEAS

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