Cognitive culture: theoretical and empirical insights into social learning strategies
Abstract
Research into social learning (learning from others) has expanded significantly in recent years, not least because of productive interactions between theoretical and empirical approaches. This has been coupled with a new emphasis on learning strategies, which places social learning within a cognitive decision-making framework. Understanding when, how and why individuals learn from others is a significant challenge, but one that is critical to numerous fields in multiple academic disciplines, including the study of social cognition.
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People are strategic social learners-they are highly selective in deciding whom to learn from.
“People are strategic social learners—they are highly selective in deciding whom to learn from (Hoppitt & Laland, 2013; Laland, 2004; Rendell et al., 2011).”
From Stories in Action. (2022) · cites this paper as Rendell et al., 2011
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“People are strategic social learners— they are highly selective in deciding whom to learn from (Hoppitt & Laland, 2013; Laland, 2004; Rendell et al., 2011).”
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“Social observational learning is a powerful mechanism by which individuals acquire knowledge, skills, and behaviors by observing and interacting with others (1–8).”
- Authors
- Rendell, L., Fogarty, L., Hoppitt, W. J. E., Morgan, T. J. H., Webster, M. M., & Laland, K. N.
- Affiliations
- University of St Andrews (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Rendell, Luke
- ORCID
- Venue
- Trends in Cognitive Sciences
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-02
- Volume
- 15
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 68-76
- ISSN
- 1364-6613 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2111968380
- Cited by
- 549
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 43 · 2023: 29 · 2022: 49 · 2021: 52 · 2020: 41 · 2019: 45 · 2018: 47 · 2017: 29 · 2016: 48 · 2015: 41 · 2014: 35 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 29
- FWCI
- 6.02
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Trends in Cognitive Sciences (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BB/I007997/1)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Language and cultural evolution
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
- Keywords
- social learning, learning strategies, cognitive decision-making, social cognition, learning from others, cultural evolution
- MeSH terms
- Adaptation, Psychological, Cultural Evolution, Humans, Imitative Behavior, Learning, Models, Psychological, Psychological Theory, Social Facilitation
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