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Sometimes we want to see how people change over time, as in studies of human development and lifespan. When we test the same group of individuals repeatedly over an extended period of time, we are conducting longitudinal research. Longitudinal research is a research design in which data-gathering is administered repeatedly over an extended period of time. For example, we may survey a group of individuals about their dietary habits at age 20, retest them a decade later at age 30, and then again...
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Daily Transfers, Archiving Populations, and Measuring Fitness in the Long-Term Evolution Experiment with Escherichia coli
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Experimental approaches to studying cumulative cultural evolution.

Christine A Caldwell1, Mark Atkinson1, Elizabeth Renner1

  • 1Behaviour and Evolution Research Group, Psychology, School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Stirling, United Kingdom.

Current Directions in Psychological Science
|July 12, 2016
PubMed
Summary

Human cultural traditions evolve cumulatively, improving efficiency and function over time. This unique human trait, cumulative culture, is increasingly studied to understand its underlying mechanisms and influences.

Keywords:
cultural evolutioncumulative cultureimitationmicrosocietiesratchet effect

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Anthropology
  • Evolutionary Biology

Background:

  • Human cultural traditions exhibit directional change, increasing efficiency and functionality.
  • This process, known as cumulative cultural evolution, involves preferential retention of beneficial traits.
  • Such directional change distinguishes human culture from animal behavioral traditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To provide a synopsis of recent studies on cumulative culture.
  • To explore the learning mechanisms implicated in cumulative cultural evolution.
  • To examine how factors like population structure influence cultural development.

Main Methods:

  • Controlled experimental studies investigating cumulative culture.
  • Analysis of learning mechanisms (e.g., social learning).
  • Examination of population structure effects on cultural transmission.

Main Results:

  • Cumulative culture is a pervasive human phenomenon.
  • Specific learning mechanisms contribute to cultural evolution.
  • Population structure significantly impacts the development of cultural traditions.

Conclusions:

  • Cumulative cultural evolution is a key differentiator of human behavior.
  • Further research is needed to fully understand the mechanisms and moderators of cumulative culture.
  • Controlled studies offer valuable insights into this complex adaptive system.