02.09 introduction to signaling
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This week we will be looking at the definition, structure and dynamics signals of. We'll look at the different mechanisms that make signals reliable and at how the form and the meaning of signals are connected. This material is the conceptual basis for the rest of the course; it is these models that we will be applying to various daily phenomena. | |||||||||||||
readings |
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assignment |
1. Read the papers. My chapter and the Animal
Signals chapter will provide you with an introduction to
signaling theory. The Grafen paper is important because it
reframed Zahavi's concept of handicaps as game theory nd made it
credible to a wide array of scientists. The Dawkins and Guilford
paper introduces the notion of conventional signals and shows the
importance of looking at signaling as a communication system
rather than just focusing on the signal itself.
2. Answer the following questions:
3. Describe two examples of signals in human society - one that is an example of an assessment signal and one that is a conventional signal. For the first (assessment): how is the signal related to the quality? Is the signal costly? If so, how? Is it entirely reliable or are there deceptive forms of the signal? For the second (conventional): how is the signal related to the quality? Is this convention widespread or local to a small group? Is the signal frequently made deceptively? Is there a sanction against it? For both - what are the costs to the receiver in assessing the signal? Is the signal ambiguous - is there likely to be a mismatch between the sender's intent and the receiver's impression - or is there general agreement abou the meaning of the signal? Please link your essays by midday on Tuesday. |