Figure 4: Effect of diversity in social learning strategies on the outcome of cultural evolution.

For each of the four contexts, we simulated groups of eight individuals that were allowed to update their behaviour using payoff-based or frequency-based learning (tendencies to copy either successful or popular behaviour, respectively). Pairs of bars present the state of the groups after 160 iterations (corresponding to the 20 rounds of our experiments) when initialized with one B player in a group of A players (10⁵ replicates each). The top row of bars shows the outcome in homogeneous groups, where each individual uses either form of learning with equal probability. The bottom row of bars shows the outcome in case of heterogeneous groups, where four individuals always use payoff-based learning, while the four others always use frequency-based learning. Individual variation can cause groups to adopt superior technologies (option B) more readily in a best choice context, but cooperation (option A) tends to be less stable in a social dilemma. Moreover, in heterogeneous groups, A and B coexist more stably in an evasion game.