title: Structure emerges faster during cultural transmission in children than in adults.
abstract: How does children's limited processing capacity affect cultural transmission of complex information? We show that over the course of iterated reproduction of two-dimensional random dot patterns transmission accuracy increased to a similar extent in 5- to 8-year-old children and adults whereas algorithmic complexity decreased faster in children. Thus, children require more structure to render complex inputs learnable. In line with the Less-Is-More hypothesis, we interpret this as evidence that children's processing limitations affecting working memory capacity and executive control constrain the ability to represent and generate complexity, which, in turn, facilitates emergence of structure. This underscores the importance of investigating the role of children in the transmission of complex cultural traits.
authors.affiliation: Abertay University, United Kingdom. Electronic address: v.kempe@abertay.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kempe
authors.affiliation: CHART, University of Paris VIII and École Pratique des Hautes Études, France.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gauvrit
authors.affiliation: Abertay University, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Douglas
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Forsyth
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D032882:Comprehension / Q000502:physiology*; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term / Q000502:physiology
keywords: Algorithmic complexity; Children; Cultural transmission; Iterated learning; Random dot patterns; Serial reproduction