eBook

Social learning

William Hoppitt, Kevin N. Laland

2013

Overview

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 areas of behavioral research and sits at the interface of many academic disciplines, including biology, experimental psychology, economics, and cognitive neuroscience.Social Learningprovides a comprehensive, practical guide to the research methods of this important emerging field. William Hoppitt and Kevin Laland define the mechanisms thought to underlie social learning and demonstrate how to distinguish them experimentally in the laboratory. They present techniques for detecting and quantifying social learning in nature, including statistical modeling of the spatial distribution of behavior traits. They also describe the latest theory and empirical findings on social learning strategies, and introduce readers to mathematical methods and models used in the study of cultural evolution. This book is an indispensable tool for researchers and an essential primer for students. Provides a comprehensive, practical guide to social learning researchCombines theoretical and empirical approachesDescribes techniques for the laboratory and the fieldCovers social learning mechanisms and strategies, statistical modeling techniques for field data, mathematical modeling of cultural evolution, and more

• Publisher: Princeton University Press
• Subject: Addition / Alternative hypothesis / Animal culture / Animals / Behavior / Biological Sciences / Biology / Biology- Nature / Capuchin monkey / Case study / Causal graph / Causality / Chimpanzee / Classical conditioning / Coefficient / Coevolution / Confidence interval / Conformity / Copying / Cultural evolution / Cultural learning / Culture / Decision-making / Ecology / Ecology & Evolutionary Biology / Estimation / Ethology / Evolution / Evolution- Ps- Psvp- Psaj / Evolutionary psychology / Experiment / Explanation / Field experiment / Field research / Foraging / General- Science / Human subject research / Imitation / Inference / Interaction / Learning / Learning in animals / Learning in animals -- Research -- Methodology / Life Sciences / Likelihood function / Linear regression / Methodology / Mirror neuron / Model selection / NATURE / NATURE / Animals / Null hypothesis / Observation / Observational learning / Observational study / Parameter / Prediction / Princeton University Press / Probability / Psychology / Psychology, Comparative / Psychology, Comparative -- Research -- Methodology / Regression analysis / Reinforcement / Reinforcement learning / Result / SCIENCE / SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Evolution / SCIENCE / Life Sciences / Biology / Shoaling and schooling / Simulation / Social behavior / Social cue / Social environment / Social facilitation / Social group / Social influence / Social learning / Social learning (social pedagogy) / Social learning -- Research -- Methodology / Social learning theory / Social relation / Social science / Statistical hypothesis testing / Statistics / Suggestion / Survival analysis / Trait theory / Vocal learning / Zoology
• ISBN: 9780691150703, 9780691150710, 0691150702, 0691150710, 9781400846504, 1400846501