Group-level benefit of unconditional imitation
Human, as well as other intelligent animals, are capable of imitating other subjects. The imitating behavior is often unconditional, which means that the subject behavior of imitation does not necessarily have to be profitable to the imitator. Yet, the fact that the unconditional imitation is observed in these animals suggests that it has some benefits to it. In this research, the unconditional imitation is thought to benefit a whole group or society of imitators, for instance, by increasing the overall lifespan or efficiency of the group. The underlying mechanism of this effect is studied using a multi-agent simulation.
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