Fig. 1.

From social learning to culture. (A-C) Social learning may lead to different types of cultures, which vary in their stability. In a stable monolithic culture strong convergence can lead to high conformity (A). In stable polymorphic cultures, individuals show different combinations of cultural traits, however, at the population level those traits remain stable (B). In drifting cultures (C) cultural traits are unstable at both individual and population levels. (D) Converging and diverging social forces may combine to shape cultures of different stability levels.