Social learning
can be adaptive, but little
is known about the underlying mechanisms. Many researchers have
focused on imitation but this may have led to simpler mechanisms
being underestimated. We demonstrate in simulation that imitative
learning is not always the best strategy for a group-living animal,
and that the effectiveness of any such strategy will depend on
details of the environment and the animal's lifestyle. We show that
observations of behavioural convergence or
``traditions''
might suggest effective social
learning, but are meaningless considered alone.