caa a22 4500 605542538 CHVBK 20210128100922.0 cr unu---uuuuu 210128e20150901xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/s10071-015-0877-x doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/s10071-015-0877-x The learning of action sequences through social transmission [Elektronische Daten] [Andrew Whalen, Daniel Cownden, Kevin Laland] Previous empirical work on animal social learning has found that many species lack the ability to learn entire action sequences solely through reliance on social information. Conversely, acquiring action sequences through asocial learning can be difficult due to the large number of potential sequences arising from even a small number of base actions. In spite of this, several studies report that some primates use action sequences in the wild. We investigate how social information can be integrated with asocial learning to facilitate the learning of action sequences. We formalize this problem by examining how learners using temporal difference learning, a widely applicable model of reinforcement learning, can combine social cues with their own experiences to acquire action sequences. The learning problem is modeled as a Markov decision process. The learning of nettle processing by mountain gorillas serves as a focal example. Through simulations, we find that the social facilitation of component actions can combine with individual learning to facilitate the acquisition of action sequences. Our analysis illustrates that how even simple forms of social learning, combined with asocial learning, generate substantially faster learning of action sequences compared to asocial processes alone, and that the benefits of social information increase with the length of the action sequence and the number of base actions. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2015 Social learning nationallicence Sequence learning nationallicence Temporal difference learning nationallicence Markov decision process nationallicence Chaining nationallicence Whalen Andrew School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchel Building, KY16 9TH, St Andrews, Fife, UK aut Cownden Daniel School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchel Building, KY16 9TH, St Andrews, Fife, UK aut Laland Kevin School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchel Building, KY16 9TH, St Andrews, Fife, UK aut Animal Cognition Springer Berlin Heidelberg 18/5(2015-09-01), 1093-1103 1435-9448 18:5<1093 2015 18 10071 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-015-0877-x text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-015-0877-x text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Whalen Andrew School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchel Building, KY16 9TH, St Andrews, Fife, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Cownden Daniel School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchel Building, KY16 9TH, St Andrews, Fife, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Laland Kevin School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchel Building, KY16 9TH, St Andrews, Fife, UK aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Animal Cognition Springer Berlin Heidelberg 18/5(2015-09-01), 1093-1103 1435-9448 18:5<1093 2015 18 10071