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Intrinsic motivation is key to understanding peer cultures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 July 2026

Jérémy Perez Open the ORCID record for Jérémy Perez [Opens in a new window] ,
Maxime Derex Open the ORCID record for Maxime Derex [Opens in a new window] ,
Pierre-Yves Oudeyer Open the ORCID record for Pierre-Yves Oudeyer [Opens in a new window]  and
Clément Moulin-Frier Open the ORCID record for Clément Moulin-Frier [Opens in a new window]
Jérémy Perez*
Affiliation:
Flowers AI & CogSci Lab, Centre INRIA de l’université de Bordeaux, Talence, France jeremy.perez@inria.fr pierre-yves.oudeyer@inria.fr clement.moulin-frier@inria.fr
Maxime Derex
Affiliation:
Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, Toulouse, France maxime.derex@iast.fr
Pierre-Yves Oudeyer
Affiliation:
Flowers AI & CogSci Lab, Centre INRIA de l’université de Bordeaux, Talence, France jeremy.perez@inria.fr pierre-yves.oudeyer@inria.fr clement.moulin-frier@inria.fr
Clément Moulin-Frier
Affiliation:
Flowers AI & CogSci Lab, Centre INRIA de l’université de Bordeaux, Talence, France jeremy.perez@inria.fr pierre-yves.oudeyer@inria.fr clement.moulin-frier@inria.fr
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

The authors make an intriguing case that peer cultures could play a key role in cultural adaptation by generating qualitatively different cultural variation compared to adult cultures. However, the mechanisms responsible for this distinction remain unclear. We here discuss how accounting for the role of intrinsic motivation in shaping the content of peer cultures may help explain their evolutionary dynamics.

Information

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 49 , 2026 , e245
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2026. Published by Cambridge University Press

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