Social selection and social plasticity in virtual ecosystems

Project Information

INTERACTIVE

Grant agreement ID: 101023262

DOI

10.3030/101023262

Project closed

EC signature date 7 June 2021

Start date 1 September 2022

End date 31 August 2024

Funded under

• EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Total cost

€ 212 933,76

EU contribution

€ 212 933,76

Coordinated by

THE UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
United Kingdom

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - INTERACTIVE (Social selection and social plasticity in virtual ecosystems)

Reporting period: 2022-09-01 to 2024-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

• What is the problem/issue being addressed?
A fundamental yet challenging goal in behavioural and evolutionary ecology is to understand the evolution and maintenance of behavioural diversity. INTERACTIVE explored the role of social interactions in the expression of behavior and its evolution. In natural ecosystems, behaviors such as cooperation, competition, and predator-prey dynamics shape individual survival and species adaptation. However, studying these interactions in real-world animal populations is difficult due to the complexity of natural environments and logistical challenges. INTERACTIVE overcame these challenges by using data from multiplayer videogames, which simulate realistic ecological scenarios and allow for the detailed observation of interactions among millions of players over time and contexts, and their consequences on behavioural responses and survival.
• Why is it important for society?
Ultimately, the results of INTERACTIVE improved our understanding of how social interactions maintain behavioural variation and shape the evolution of animal societies - including our own.
• What are the overall objectives?
The project aimed to answer three key questions:
1. How do social interactions affect individual success?
2. How do individuals adapt their behavior in response to others (social plasticity)?
3. How does experience shape these responses over time?

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

results and their exploitation and dissemination)
Throughout the project, the Researcher analyzed large and detailed datasets comprising millions of player interactions in a videogame where a group of prey players repeatedly interact to achieve a common goal and escape the predator player. She applied state-of-the-art statistical models and further developed the theoretical framework to deliver fundamental insights into social behavior. Key findings include:
1. Social interactions and fitness: An individual’s success depends not just on their own behavior but also on how they interact with others. The selection patterns generated by social interactions are complex and can help understanding the evolution of behaviours such as cooperation, selfishness, and altruism.
2. Behavioral flexibility: Individuals adjust their actions based on group dynamics and types of predator threats, highlighting the importance of behavioral adaptability to different ecological factors (conspecifics and predators ) for survival.
3. Role of experience: Predators improved their hunting strategies with experience, but prey behaviors influenced how quickly they adapted and their success.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

By leveraging large datasets from multiplayer videogames, INTERACTIVE advanced our understanding of how social interactions shape behaviors, testing with an unprecedented level of detail central hypotheses developed in ecology and evolution. The innovative use of realistic virtual ecosystems as research tools overcomes logistic limits of natural settings and bridges gaps between ecology, evolution, and computational sciences.
The findings of INTERACTIVE have important implications for both academic research and practical applications. In science, they enhance our understanding of the role of interactions in the evolution of behaviours, while in society, they inform us on virtual social interactions and help the design of inclusive and engaging virtual environments. These insights can also support the videogame industry in designing better quality products and improving player experiences through understanding user behaviour.

Conceptual overview of INTERACTIVE