While social learning is widespread, indiscriminate copying of others is rarely beneficial.
Theory suggests that individuals should be selective in what, when, and whom they copy, by …

Social animals including humans share a range of social mechanisms that are automatic
and implicit and enable learning by observation. Learning from others includes imitation of …

“This is an important book and likely the most thoughtful of the year in the social sciences...
Highly recommended, it is likely to prove one of the most thought-provoking books of the …

Humans are a puzzling species. On the one hand, we struggle to survive on our own in the
wild, often failing to overcome even basic challenges, like obtaining food, building shelters …

Cumulative technological culture (CTC) refers to the increase in the efficiency and
complexity of tools and techniques in human populations over generations. A fascinating …

Many animals, including humans, acquire valuable skills and knowledge by copying others.
Scientists refer to this as social learning. It is one of the most exciting and rapidly developing …

Introduction How do the network positions of the first individuals in a society to receive
information about a new product affect its eventual diffusion? To answer this question, we …

Complex technologies used in most human societies are beyond the inventive capacities of
individuals. Instead, they result from a cumulative process in which innovations are …

Research into social learning (learning from others) has expanded significantly in recent
years, not least because of productive interactions between theoretical and empirical …

In low-and middle-income countries (LMICs), naturally occurring social networks may be
particularly vital to health outcomes as extended webs of social ties often are the principal …