image: On the right are depicted the actions in the agent's repertoire, together with the fitness payoff associated with each. In any given round, an agent may Exploit one of these actions and accrue the points, or acquire new actions through copying others (playing Observe) or learning for themselves (playing Innovate). Players must decide how best to combine these three moves, and the rules they deploy constitute their strategy. If a strategy is successful it accrues high points and spreads throughout the population. This is represented here by the strategy taking over the terrain depicted on the left. This image relates to an article that appeared in the April 9, 2010, issue of Science, published by AAAS. The study, by Dr. L. Rendell of University of St. Andrews in St. Andrews, UK, was titled, "Why Copy Others? Insights from the Social Learning Strategies Tournament." view more
Credit: Image © Science/AAAS