Seminar: Cognitive challenges in human cumulative cultural evolution

The Global Research Centre for Diverse Intelligences (GRCDI) will host a  research seminar on Cognitive challenges in human cumulative cultural evolution by Prof Christine A Caldwell (University of Stirling).

Abstract:
Human evolutionary success has been attributed to the capacity to accumulate knowledge and skills over generations via cultural transmission, but explanations for the distinctiveness of human culture remain heavily debated. Some accounts posit that human transmission processes implicate cognitive capacities not available to other species, sometimes proposing these capacities to be specialised adaptations. I will present a series of studies carried out within my research group, investigating relationships between cognitive development and behaviours associated with both acquiring and passing on social information. In most of our experimental work we have endeavoured to capture the kinds of challenges likely to be present in real world cases of cumulative cultural evolution in humans. We find that there are indeed significant cognitive challenges associated with effective accumulation of knowledge via social learning, illustrated by striking differences in performance between children from different age groups, with competency continuing to build relatively late into childhood. This late development supports the view that human cultural transmission may implicate advanced cognitive abilities unavailable to other species. However, the cognitive resources required may not be specific to cultural transmission, likely including general-purpose cognitive abilities as well as broader socio-cognitive skills used in other contexts such as communication and cooperation.

Speaker bio:
Christine Caldwell is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Stirling. Her research focusses on human and animal learning and cognition, with particular interests in social learning and cultural evolution. Christine’s research combines methods and techniques from experimental psychology with theoretical frameworks from the field of cultural evolution. Her past research has included developing experimental methods for testing hypotheses about human cumulative cultural evolution. She is particularly interested in the distinctiveness of human culture, and the distinctiveness of human cognition, and how these impact upon one another. To address these questions, she has carried out research with a wide range of different study populations, including human adults and children, and nonhuman primates.

The event is open to all and will be accessible both in-person and online. Tea, coffee and cakes will be available for our in-person participants from 13:30.

As part of our commitment to make events run by the GRCDI accessible to our global members, this event will also be open to join online. Please register for event indicating whether you will attend in-person or online. More details of how to access the stream and participate will be shared closer to the event.