Exploring collective behavior dynamics through evolutionary game theory

Understanding the fundamental mechanisms underlying collective behaviour is pivotal in the study of collective behaviour. Classical models, such as the Vicsek or Couzin models, often neglect psychological influences, operating on the assumption that each individual strictly adheres to predefined rules. These models then add noise to account for the variations observed in collective formations. However, in the natural world, agents—be they animals or humans—do not always act rationally or in line with these rules. There are instances where individuals might disregard a rule, even if adherence would yield optimal collective outcomes. In this study, we employ evolutionary game theory to investigate how the psychology of individuals impacts collective intelligence. Specifically, we simplify psychological effects into two categories: collaborators, who follow the rules, and defectors, who do not. Our aim is to determine if the presence of defectors can, in certain contexts, benefit the collective.