What is cultural learning?

What is cultural learning?

• A. The genetic transmission of traits.
• B. The process through which individuals learn information from others in their species.
• C. The invention of new technologies.
• D. The tendency to imitate only in infancy.

Answer: (B)

Cultural learning refers to how people learn information, skills, norms, and beliefs from others in their social group, through observing, imitating, listening, and being taught. This process lets cultures pass knowledge across generations without changes to the genetic code, enabling complex practices to accumulate over time. It isn’t about genetic transmission, which is biological inheritance, nor is it simply about inventing new technologies. And it isn’t limited to infancy—people learn from others throughout life, continually adapting to new situations.

Cultural learning refers to how people learn information, skills, norms, and beliefs from others in their social group, through observing, imitating, listening, and being taught. This process lets cultures pass knowledge across generations without changes to the genetic code, enabling complex practices to accumulate over time. It isn’t about genetic transmission, which is biological inheritance, nor is it simply about inventing new technologies. And it isn’t limited to infancy—people learn from others throughout life, continually adapting to new situations.