Cognitive Innovation, Cumulative Cultural Evolution, and Enculturation

2017 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 375-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina E. Fabry
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Cognitive Sciences ◽  
Cognitive Capacities ◽  
Symbol Systems ◽  
Mathematical Symbol ◽  
Generational Transmission ◽  
Innovative Products ◽  
Cumulative Cultural Evolution ◽  
Conceptual Research

Abstract Cognitive innovation has shaped and transformed our cognitive capacities throughout history. Until recently, cognitive innovation has not received much attention by empirical and conceptual research in the cognitive sciences. This paper is a first attempt to help close this gap. It will be argued that cognitive innovation is best understood in connection with cumulative cultural evolution and enculturation. Cumulative cultural evolution plays a vital role for the inter-generational transmission of the products of cognitive innovation. Furthermore, there are at least two important functions of enculturation for cognitive innovation. First, enculturation is responsible for the ontogenetic acquisition of cognitive practices governing the interaction with innovative products. Second, successful processes of enculturation provide opportunities for subsequent innovative processes. The trans-generational trajectory of calculation from mathematical symbol systems to the first digital computers will serve as a paradigm example of the delicate interplay of cognitive innovation, cumulative cultural evolution, and enculturation.

Copy the In-group: Group Membership Trumps Perceived Reliability, Warmth, and Competence in a Social-Learning Task

2021 ◽  
pp. 095679762110322
Author(s):  
Marcel Montrey ◽  
Thomas R. Shultz
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Learning Strategy ◽  
Group Membership ◽  
Social Groups ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Minimal Group Paradigm ◽  
Learning Game ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Cumulative Cultural Evolution

Surprisingly little is known about how social groups influence social learning. Although several studies have shown that people prefer to copy in-group members, these studies have failed to resolve whether group membership genuinely affects who is copied or whether group membership merely correlates with other known factors, such as similarity and familiarity. Using the minimal-group paradigm, we disentangled these effects in an online social-learning game. In a sample of 540 adults, we found a robust in-group-copying bias that (a) was bolstered by a preference for observing in-group members; (b) overrode perceived reliability, warmth, and competence; (c) grew stronger when social information was scarce; and (d) even caused cultural divergence between intermixed groups. These results suggest that people genuinely employ a copy-the-in-group social-learning strategy, which could help explain how inefficient behaviors spread through social learning and how humans maintain the cultural diversity needed for cumulative cultural evolution.

scholarly journals Understanding cumulative cultural evolution

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (44) ◽  
pp. E6724-E6725 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Henrich ◽  
Robert Boyd ◽  
Maxime Derex ◽  
Michelle A. Kline ◽  
Alex Mesoudi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Cumulative Cultural Evolution

scholarly journals Cultural accumulation and improvement in online fan fiction

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Pianzola ◽  
Alberto Acerbi ◽  
Simone Rebora
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Harry Potter ◽  
Fan Fiction ◽  
Cumulative Culture ◽  
Cultural Systems ◽  
Cultural Traits ◽  
Cumulative Cultural Evolution ◽  
Cultural Evolution Theory ◽  
Digital Literary Studies

We analyse stories in Harry Potter fan fiction published on Archive of Our Own (AO3), using concepts from cultural evolution. In particular, we focus on cumulative cultural evolution, that is, the idea that cultural systems improve with time, drawing on previous innovations. In this study we examine two features of cumulative culture: accumulation and improvement. First, we show that stories in Harry Potter’s fan fiction accumulate cultural traits—unique tags, in our analysis—through time, both globally and at the level of single stories. Second, more recent stories are also liked more by readers than earlier stories. Our research illustrates the potential of the combination of cultural evolution theory and digital literary studies, and it paves the way for the study of the effects of online digital media on cultural cumulation.

Cumulation

2019 ◽  
pp. 186-212
Author(s):  
Alberto Acerbi
Keyword(s):  
Digital Media ◽  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Cultural Selection ◽  
Cultural Domain ◽  
Cumulative Cultural Evolution ◽  
Efficient Mechanisms

Chapter 8 considers what cultural evolutionists call cumulative cultural evolution, that is, the idea that culture increases in complexity. For a cultural domain being defined as cumulative, it needs to show accumulation (more traits), improvement (traits are more efficient), and ratcheting (new traits build on previous innovations). The author proposes that this is not a necessary outcome, and that different domains show different signs of cumulation. It is suggested that the fidelity and the hyper-availability provided by digital media allow for more cumulation in domains where it was limited before. Not surprisingly, they also allow for the retention of vast amounts of useless information—junk culture. A central challenge for the coming years is thus finding efficient mechanisms of online cultural selection. Algorithmic selection is finally discussed, along with how mainstream criticisms, such as the fact that algorithms are biased or opaque to users, are not decisive arguments against their efficacy and utility.

An Insight on the Association of Psychological Studies, Cognitive Sciences and Meditation in Treating Depression

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 177-193
Author(s):  
Rashmi S. Pal ◽  
Nikita Saraswat ◽  
Pranay Wal ◽  
Ankita Wal ◽  
Yogendra Pal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Web Of Science ◽  
Antidepressant Drugs ◽  
Psychomotor Retardation ◽  
Vital Role ◽  
Interpersonal Therapy ◽  
Cognitive Sciences ◽  
Problem Solving Therapy ◽  
Episodic Events ◽  
Associated Symptoms ◽  
Psychological Studies

Background: Depression is the neuropsychiatric disorder that can lead to the disruption of brain nerves by elevating different mechanisms and neurotransmitters such as serotonin, noradrenaline, dopamine. It can have a series of episodic events that can cross one episodic depression to another and manifest various symptoms such as agitation, melancholia, deep sadness, psychomotor retardation, mood swings and suicidal deaths. Objective: This paper gives information about the various factors such as psychological, genetic, biological and environmental factors that play a vital role in the pathogenesis of depression and its associated symptoms. In spite of usage of antidepressant drugs, many clinicians and physicians follow other therapies and interventions or certain medications such as psychological studies, cognitive sciences, and meditation and yoga that help in the ailment of depression. Method: The data was collected by studying combination of research and review papers from different databases like PubMed, Medline, and Web of science by using search keywords like “depression”, “cognitive sciences”, “meditation”, “yoga”, “psychotherapies”, “mindfulness activities”, “factors associated with depression and its episodes”. Result: It was found that besides the use of antidepressants, a considerable number of studies and researches on therapies exhibit the examined effects of different psychotherapies, psychological studies, cognitive sciences and yoga-based interventions show potential effects in the ailments of depression and its associated symptoms. Result: It was found that besides the use of antidepressants, a considerable number of studies and researches on therapies exhibit the examined effects of different psychotherapies, psychological studies, cognitive sciences and yoga-based interventions show potential effects in the ailments of depression and its associated symptoms. Conclusion: Based on this paper, we have concluded that with the use of psychotherapies such as interpersonal therapy, problem-solving therapy, MBCT, MBSR, DBT, ACT, yoga and its different techniques are more effective than other medication therapies.

scholarly journals The evolution of high-fidelity social learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 287 (1928) ◽  
pp. 20200090
Author(s):  
Marcel Montrey ◽  
Thomas R. Shultz
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Bayesian Model ◽  
Individual Learning ◽  
High Fidelity ◽  
Human Culture ◽  
Cumulative Cultural Evolution ◽  
Over Time

A defining feature of human culture is that knowledge and technology continually improve over time. Such cumulative cultural evolution (CCE) probably depends far more heavily on how reliably information is preserved than on how efficiently it is refined. Therefore, one possible reason that CCE appears diminished or absent in other species is that it requires accurate but specialized forms of social learning at which humans are uniquely adept. Here, we develop a Bayesian model to contrast the evolution of high-fidelity social learning, which supports CCE, against low-fidelity social learning, which does not. We find that high-fidelity transmission evolves when (1) social and (2) individual learning are inexpensive, (3) traits are complex, (4) individual learning is abundant, (5) adaptive problems are difficult and (6) behaviour is flexible. Low-fidelity transmission differs in many respects. It not only evolves when (2) individual learning is costly and (4) infrequent but also proves more robust when (3) traits are simple and (5) adaptive problems are easy. If conditions favouring the evolution of high-fidelity transmission are stricter (3 and 5) or harder to meet (2 and 4), this could explain why social learning is common, but CCE is rare.

Cumulative cultural evolution: The role of teaching

2014 ◽  
Vol 347 ◽  
pp. 74-83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laureano Castro ◽  
Miguel A. Toro
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Evolution ◽  
Cumulative Cultural Evolution
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