Combining Conformist and Payoff Bias in Cultural Evolution An Integrated Model for Human Decision-Making

Most research on transmission biases in cultural evolution has treated different biases as distinct strategies. Here I present a model that combines both frequency dependent bias (including conformist bias) and payoff bias in a single decision-making calculus and show that such an integrated learning strategy may be superior to relying on either bias alone. Natural selection may operate on humans' relative dependence on frequency and payoff information, but both are likely to contribute to the spread of variants with high payoffs. Importantly, the magnitude of conformist bias affects the evolutionary dynamics, and I show that an intermediate level of conformity may be most adaptive and may spontaneously evolve as it resists the invasion of low-payoff variants yet enables the fixation of high-payoff variants in the population.

Automated summary

Research suggests that an integrated learning strategy combining frequency dependent bias and payoff bias may be more effective than relying on either bias alone. The magnitude of conformist bias affects evolutionary dynamics, with an intermediate level of conformity being most adaptive in resisting low-payoff variants while promoting the spread of high-payoff variants.