From maladaptation to competition to cooperation in the evolution of musical behaviour

Abstract

We propose a model of how a maladaptive and competitive system of musical interaction, based on a notion of enchantment, can evolve towards a cooperative system. This model supports our position that social competitive models comprise an important domain of theoretical investigation in the evolution of musical behaviour, and that this area deserves more attention. The model is based on the biocultural theory of Boyd and Richerson (1985), which provides a basis for runaway cultural evolutionary processes, and we argue that our model offers an alternative runaway process to the sexual selection theory of the evolution of human musical behaviour. We present computer simulations in which a population of artificial agents engage in a competitive game of interaction in a context in which fitness is socially determined. These simulations demonstrate cases of the genetic evolution of perceptual systems and increasing susceptibility to manipulation by stimuli generated by other individuals. However, this latter outcome generally reduces to a standard kin selection model. We discuss these results and propose ways in which the model could be developed to consider more complex contexts and modes of interaction.