Social learning strategies modify the effect of network structure on group performance.

Daniel Barkoczi,Mirta Galesic

doi:10.1038/ncomms13109

Daniel Barkoczi, Mirta Galesic

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms13109

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Abstract

The structure of communication networks is an important determinant of the capacity of teams, organizations and societies to solve policy, business and science problems. Yet, previous studies reached contradictory results about the relationship between network structure and performance, finding support for the superiority of both well-connected efficient and poorly connected inefficient network structures. Here we argue that understanding how communication networks affect group performance requires taking into consideration the social learning strategies of individual team members. We show that efficient networks outperform inefficient networks when individuals rely on conformity by copying the most frequent solution among their contacts. However, inefficient networks are superior when individuals follow the best member by copying the group member with the highest payoff. In addition, groups relying on conformity based on a small sample of others excel at complex tasks, while groups following the best member achieve greatest performance for simple tasks. Our findings reconcile contradictory results in the literature and have broad implications for the study of social learning across disciplines.

Highlights

The structure of communication networks is an important determinant of the capacity of teams, organizations and societies to solve policy, business and science problems
A number of studies have found that network structures that promote slower information diffusion enhance group performance because they lead to higher levels of exploration and increase the chance of finding better solutions in the population[8,15,18,21]
Inefficient network structures outperform efficient ones when individuals rely on the best member strategy, while efficient networks outperform inefficient ones when individuals rely on the conformity strategy

Summary

Introduction

The structure of communication networks is an important determinant of the capacity of teams, organizations and societies to solve policy, business and science problems. We study how groups of individuals using different strategies perform in task environments characterized by different levels of complexity, while embedded in social networks varying in structural properties that have been shown to affect the ease of information flow in communities[8,15,16,17,18,19,20]. We clarify and reconcile seemingly contradictory results in the literature by showing how social learning strategies and network structure interact to affect group performance. A number of studies have found that network structures that promote slower information diffusion (are less efficient) enhance group performance because they lead to higher levels of exploration and increase the chance of finding better solutions in the population[8,15,18,21]. We focus on two different environments, a simple one with a single optimum and a complex one with several locally optimal solutions (see Methods for further details)

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