Effect of individual differences on diversity and efficacy of knowledge in a society

Abstract

In the present study, we simulated concept formation processes that take place at both individual and social levels. At the individual level, people learned about a concept by themselves with corrective feedback, while at the social level people shared knowledge about the concept with others.  The result of simulations showed that when a society had a Small-World-like structure where different clusters had different briefs about what constitutes ”good” concepts, then the society as a whole acquired pareto-optimal knowledge or concepts.