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Evolutionary theories concerning the origins of human intelligence suggest that cultural transmission might be biased toward social over non-social information. This was tested by passing social and non-social information along multiple chains of participants. Experiment 1 found that gossip, defined as information about intense third-party social relationships, was transmitted with significantly greater accuracy and in significantly greater quantity than equivalent non-social information concerning individual behaviour or the physical environment. Experiment 2 replicated this finding controlling for narrative coherence, and additionally found that information concerning everyday non-gossip social interactions was transmitted just as well as the intense gossip interactions. It was therefore concluded that human cultural transmission is biased toward information concerning social interactions over equivalent non-social information.

Original publication

DOI

10.1348/000712605X85871

Type

Journal article

Journal

Br J Psychol

Publication Date

08/2006

Volume

97

Pages

405 - 423

Keywords

Adult, Communication, Cultural Characteristics, Cultural Evolution, Female, Humans, Information Dissemination, Intelligence, Interpersonal Relations, Machiavellianism, Male, Social Values, Socialization