Overview
I am a postdoctoral research associate working with Alex Mesoudi on the effects and formation of prestige and dominance based social hierarchies in humans and their impacts upon social information use. Along with PhD student Angel Jimenez, we are working on a series of studies to address how social learning unfolds within, and may itself generate, social hierarchies in humans. I have previously worked on sex differences in social learning, and how these may be underpinned by individual differences in risk-taking and confidence. I have also explored the implications of using Bayesian versus frequentist methods of analysis for how a field of research accumulates certainty over time.
Qualifications
2013-2017: PhD Psychology, University of St Andrews, UK
2012-2013: MSc Evolutionary & Comparative Psychology, Univerisy of St Andrews, UK
2009-2012: BSc Human Sciences, University College London, UK
Research group links
Research
Research interests
- Evolution of Human Behaviour
- Cultural Evolution
- Social Learning
Research projects
We are working on a series of studies to address how social learning unfolds within, and may itself generate, social hierarchies in humans. I am particularly interested in how individuals gain prestige or dominance within social groups, and if confidence or personality differences have a role to play. I am also keen to explore how dominant and prestigious individuals influence the transmission of social information in real world scenarios such as how people make political, health and career choices.
Funding Body: Leverhulme Trust
Publications
Key publications | Publications by category | Publications by year
Publications by category
Journal articles
Brand CO, Heap S, Morgan TJH, Mesoudi A (2020). The emergence and adaptive use of prestige in an online social learning task.
Sci Rep,
10(1).
Abstract:
The emergence and adaptive use of prestige in an online social learning task.
Prestige-biased social learning occurs when individuals preferentially learn from others who are highly respected, admired, copied, or attended to in their group. This form of social learning is argued to reflect novel forms of social hierarchy in human societies, and, by providing an efficient short-cut to acquiring adaptive information, underpin the cumulative cultural evolution that has contributed to our species' ecological success. Despite these potentially important consequences, little empirical work to date has tested the basic predictions of prestige-biased social learning. Here we provide evidence supporting the key predictions that prestige-biased social learning is used when it constitutes an indirect cue of success, and when success-biased social learning is unavailable. We ran an online experiment (n = 269) in which participants could copy each other in real-time to score points on a general-knowledge quiz. Our implementation of 'prestige' was the number of times someone had previously been copied by others. Importantly, prestige was an emergent property of participants' behaviour during the experiment; no deception or manipulation of prestige was employed at any time. We found that, as predicted, participants used prestige-biased social learning when the prestige cue was an indirect cue of success, and when direct success information was unavailable. This highlights how people flexibly and adaptively employ social learning strategies based on the reliability of the information that such strategies provide.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Full text.
Griffiths AGF, Modinou I, Heslop C, Brand C, Weatherill A, Baker K, Hughes AE, Lewis J, de Mora L, Mynott, S, et al (2019). AccessLab: Workshops to broaden access to scientific research.
PLoS Biology,
17(5).
Full text.
Brand CO, Acerbi A, Mesoudi A (2019). Cultural evolution of emotional expression in 50 years of song lyrics.
Evolutionary Human Sciences,
1Abstract:
Cultural evolution of emotional expression in 50 years of song lyrics
Abstract
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Abstract.
Full text.
Brand CO, Mesoudi A (2019). Prestige and dominance-based hierarchies exist in naturally occurring human groups, but are unrelated to task-specific knowledge.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE,
6(5).
Author URL.
Full text.
Brown GR, Cross CP, Street SE, Brand CO (2014). Comment: Beyond “Evolutionary versus Social”: Moving the Cycle Shift Debate Forward. Emotion Review, 6(3), 250-251.
Brand C, Eguma R, Zuberbühler K, Hobaiter C (2014). First report of prey capture from human laid snare-traps by wild chimpanzees. Primates, 55(3), 437-440.
Conferences
Holden E, Brand C, Grund C, Samuni L, Zuberbuhler K, Hobaiter C (2017). The Structure and Function of Female Chimpanzee Pant-Hoots.
Author URL.
Publications by year
2020
Brand CO, Heap S, Morgan TJH, Mesoudi A (2020). The emergence and adaptive use of prestige in an online social learning task.
Sci Rep,
10(1).
Abstract:
The emergence and adaptive use of prestige in an online social learning task.
Prestige-biased social learning occurs when individuals preferentially learn from others who are highly respected, admired, copied, or attended to in their group. This form of social learning is argued to reflect novel forms of social hierarchy in human societies, and, by providing an efficient short-cut to acquiring adaptive information, underpin the cumulative cultural evolution that has contributed to our species' ecological success. Despite these potentially important consequences, little empirical work to date has tested the basic predictions of prestige-biased social learning. Here we provide evidence supporting the key predictions that prestige-biased social learning is used when it constitutes an indirect cue of success, and when success-biased social learning is unavailable. We ran an online experiment (n = 269) in which participants could copy each other in real-time to score points on a general-knowledge quiz. Our implementation of 'prestige' was the number of times someone had previously been copied by others. Importantly, prestige was an emergent property of participants' behaviour during the experiment; no deception or manipulation of prestige was employed at any time. We found that, as predicted, participants used prestige-biased social learning when the prestige cue was an indirect cue of success, and when direct success information was unavailable. This highlights how people flexibly and adaptively employ social learning strategies based on the reliability of the information that such strategies provide.
Abstract.
Author URL.
Full text.
2019
Griffiths AGF, Modinou I, Heslop C, Brand C, Weatherill A, Baker K, Hughes AE, Lewis J, de Mora L, Mynott, S, et al (2019). AccessLab: Workshops to broaden access to scientific research.
PLoS Biology,
17(5).
Full text.
Brand CO, Acerbi A, Mesoudi A (2019). Cultural evolution of emotional expression in 50 years of song lyrics.
Evolutionary Human Sciences,
1Abstract:
Cultural evolution of emotional expression in 50 years of song lyrics
Abstract
.
.
.
.
.
Abstract.
Full text.
Brand CO, Mesoudi A (2019). Prestige and dominance-based hierarchies exist in naturally occurring human groups, but are unrelated to task-specific knowledge.
ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE,
6(5).
Author URL.
Full text.
2017
Holden E, Brand C, Grund C, Samuni L, Zuberbuhler K, Hobaiter C (2017). The Structure and Function of Female Chimpanzee Pant-Hoots.
Author URL.
2014
Brown GR, Cross CP, Street SE, Brand CO (2014). Comment: Beyond “Evolutionary versus Social”: Moving the Cycle Shift Debate Forward. Emotion Review, 6(3), 250-251.
Brand C, Eguma R, Zuberbühler K, Hobaiter C (2014). First report of prey capture from human laid snare-traps by wild chimpanzees. Primates, 55(3), 437-440.
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