The Relationship between Creativity, Imitation, and Cultural Diversity

TL;DR

This paper investigates how cultural diversity arises and persists using a computational model, showing that higher creator proportions and creation rates lead to greater idea diversity in populations.

Contribution

It introduces a neural network-based model of cultural evolution that explores the factors influencing cultural diversity through invention and imitation dynamics.

Findings

Diversity correlates positively with creator proportion.

Higher creation rates increase idea diversity.

Diversity peaks at certain invention and imitation balances.

Abstract

There are both benefits and drawbacks to cultural diversity. It can lead to friction and exacerbate differences. However, as with biological diversity, cultural diversity is valuable in times of upheaval; if a previously effective solution no longer works, it is good to have alternatives available. What factors give rise to cultural diversity? This paper describes a preliminary investigation of this question using a computational model of cultural evolution. The model is composed of neural network based agents that evolve fitter ideas for actions by (1) inventing new ideas through modification of existing ones, and (2) imitating neighbors' ideas. Numerical simulations indicate that the diversity of ideas in a population is positively correlated with both the proportion of creators to imitators in the population, and the rate at which creators create. This is the case for both minimum and peak diversity of actions over the duration of a run.