Social Learning

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 Learning provides a comprehensive, practical guide to the research methods of this important emerging field. William Hoppitt and Kevin N. Lala 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 research


• Combines theoretical and empirical approaches


• Describes techniques for the laboratory and the field


• Covers social learning mechanisms and strategies, statistical modeling techniques for field data, mathematical modeling of cultural evolution, and more

"Social Learning provides the first compelling synthesis of the social-learning literature and is of value not only to newcomers seeking an introduction to a complex, multidisciplinary field, but also to established researchers looking for challenging views on familiar topics. A copy should not only be on the bookshelf of but also read by anyone interested in the study of social learning."---Bennett G. Galef, Quarterly Review of Biology

"[R]eaders will find food for thought in this book especially in the ninth chapter, Modeling Social Learning and Culture, which begins by operationalizing culture and establishing parallels between biological and cultural evolution. A complete theoretical approach to social learning and culture is then introduced and the modeling methods are described. I highly recommended this chapter to researchers . . . and I also encourage them to take a look at the whole textbook."---Francesc S. Beltran, Journal of Artificial Societies and Social Simulation

"This excellent volume provides a thorough introduction to research and issues in this field, and also serves as a handbook of methods and techniques for studying social learning. . . . Detailed tables and figures throughout add to the volume's usefulness. A valuable introductory resource for students and an essential handbook for investigators."

"The pragmatic approach makes the book a great starting point for researchers who wish to plan a study or to look for ways to analyze data. Students will find it accessible, and the analytical tools can be used by anyone having a basic understanding of statistical methods. . . . Hoppitt and Lala's accessible writing and the book's clear graphics support its effectiveness. We predict a long and useful life for this welcome volume."---Dorothy Fragaszy and Yonat Eshchar, Science

"The recent explosion of theoretical developments and methodologies in the study of social learning and the evolution of culture has resulted in a daunting accumulation of new terms, definitions, and analytical techniques. Hoppitt and Lala, both leaders in this field, have taken up the challenge of integrating all of this information from multiple disciplines into a single volume, designed to aid researchers and students in evaluating and advancing the current state of the field."—Susan Perry, coeditor of The Biology of Traditions

"Hoppitt and Lala's book provides a coherent synthesis that is long overdue. Comprehensive, up-to-date, and accessible, Social Learning is a must-read for students embarking on a social learning research project and for anyone seeking mastery of the subject, from historical considerations to strategic models of social information use."—Luc-Alain Giraldeau, coauthor of Social Foraging Theory

"This book is a very valuable contribution to the field of social learning. I applaud Hoppitt and Lala for compiling such a wealth of information. Social Learning promises to become a standard reference work."—Stefano Ghirlanda, coauthor of Neural Networks and Animal Behavior

"This excellent book provides a comprehensive overview of the methods and concepts used in social learning research, and also represents a rich source of information about many of the empirical findings available in the literature. It will be useful to both specialists and nonspecialists interested in social learning. I know of no other book like this."—Josep Call, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology