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The collaborative emergence of group cognition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 June 2014

Georg Theiner  and
John Sutton
Georg Theiner
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, Villanova University, Villanova, PA 19085. georg.theiner@villanova.eduhttp://villanova.academia.edu/GeorgTheiner
John Sutton
Affiliation:
Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia. john.sutton@mq.edu.auhttp://www.johnsutton.net
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Abstract

We extend Smaldino's approach to collaboration and social organization in cultural evolution to include cognition. By showing how recent work on emergent group-level cognition can be incorporated within Smaldino's framework, we extend that framework's scope to encompass collaborative memory, decision making, and intelligent action. We argue that beneficial effects arise only in certain forms of cognitive interdependence, in surprisingly fragile conditions.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 37 , Issue 3 , June 2014 , pp. 277 - 278
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2014 

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