A Perspective on Evolutionary Models of Learning Strategies

Abstract

Many theoretical works using mathematical models or computer simulations have been performed. Although these studies have yielded some important achievements in theoretical aspects of evolution of learning strategies, they are described in mathematics and are not necessarily easily accessible to all empirical researchers. To facilitate more collaboration, here we verbally, without equations, review the simplest type of models of cultural evolution to acquaint empirical researchers with the common motivations of and questions asked by theoretical researchers in this field. Then we evaluate the assumptions of the simplest type of models in detail. This reviewing process might serve to make explicit the motivations or interests which have been considered as important by empirical researchers but never modeled by theoretical researchers.