Humans copy spontaneously and automatically far more than chimpanzees do.

Evidence

The reason is that we humans are rather inclined to copy—spontaneously, automatically, and often unconsciously. Chimpanzees don’t appear to suffer from this cognitive “bug,” at least not nearly to the same degree. — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 100

Categorization

• recurring: this claim recurs 2 times within its source
• XREF: connects to: Social learning is toddlers’ only cognitive edge over great apes. — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 78; Children, unlike chimps, overimitate even when causality is transparent — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success: How Culture…, 362; Overimitation grows with the ability to model others’ minds — Brian Christian, The Alignment Problem, 950 (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Information loss from imperfect copying is a constant drag on cultural transmission #qualifies (0.80) — Joseph Henrich, The Secret of Our Success, 713
• Overimitation grows with the ability to model others’ minds #expands (0.75) — Brian Christian, The Alignment Problem, 950