On optimal arrangements in some social learning situations

Abstract

The problem of social learning has been studied by psychologists and sociologists in the laboratory and the real world. We first consider the special, somewhat timely, problem of teaching a group of men to be good paratroopers. Some mathematical models are developed for a simple social learning situation, and necessary and sufficient conditions are then given for obtaining the “best” learning results or “most” learning for these models. The results are then generalized to cover other social learning situations; for example, classroom teaching, possibly.