Optimal investment in social signals
Résumé
This study is an attempt to determine how much individuals should invest in social communication, depending on the type of
relationships they may form. Two simple models of social relationships are considered. In bothmodels, individuals emit costly signals
to advertise their “quality” as potential friends. Relationships are asymmetrical or symmetrical. In the asymmetrical condition (first
model), we observe that low-quality individuals are discouraged from signaling. In the symmetrical condition (second model), all
individuals invest in communication. In both models, high-quality individuals (elite) do not compete and signal uniformly. The
level of this uniform signal and the size of the “elite” turn out to be controlled by the accuracy of signals. The two models may be
relevant to several aspects of animal and human social communication.