Of Ants and Men: Political Polarization Might Mirror Ant Behavior (IMAGE)
Caption
Princeton's Chris Tokita and Corina Tarnita found that division of labor and political polarization -- two social phenomena not typically considered together -- may be driven by the same processes. They found that 'social influence,' the tendency of individuals to become similar to those they interact with, and 'interaction bias,' which leads us to interact with others who are already like us, are both necessary for division of labor and polarized social networks to emerge. When only social influence is present (top), individuals interact randomly and become similar, ultimately causing the group members to tend to perform the same task. When only interaction bias is present (bottom), individuals cannot differentiate, and the society remains homogenous. When both social forces are present, feedback between them results in both division of labor and polarized social networks.
Credit
Chris Tokita, Princeton University
Usage Restrictions
Editorial use only
License
Licensed content