Different content biases affect fidelity of disease transmission along experimental diffusion chains

Although many theoretical studies have investigated which social learning biases are involved in the diffusion of information human groups, these still unknown. We investigated, for first time, whether factors such as ancestry, regularity evolutionary current environment, and previous experience with health conditions act along experimental transmission chains. performed an experiment based on recall products from 80 chains four generations each (N = 320). The content transmitted between participants fictional stories containing about different diseases (causes, symptoms, forms treatment) grouped according to their time (acute or chronic), environment (high incidence low incidence), period origin (ancestral modern), (yes no). were passed linear who read recalled them, product was next participant within chain. As predicted, we found that ancestral more regularly affecting throughout (acute) history acted biases, guiding accurate information. In contrast, no evidence support influence context (high-incidence diseases) experiences when simulated argue bias may driven biased dissemination acute diseases. Acute illnesses regular over generated greater selective pressure cognition. Furthermore, our behavioral immune systems evolved respond efficiently clues faced thousands years ago than recent illnesses. This fact led becoming memorable better diffused cultural