Wataru Toyokawa

Wataru Toyokawa serves as Unit Leader at the Computational Group Dynamics Collaboration Unit, BTCC, RIKEN CBS, Tokyo, and Research Scientist at the University of Konstanz's Department of Psychology. His interdisciplinary work integrates computational modelling, Bayesian statistics, and real-time behavioural experimentation to investigate human social dynamics and collective intelligence.

His academic background includes:

• PhD in Behavioural Science, Hokkaido University (2015)
• M.Sc. in Behavioural Science, Hokkaido University (2012)
• B.Sc. in Fisheries Science, Hokkaido University (2010)

Toyokawa's research centers on complex systems and social psychology, examining how individual learning strategies shape collective phenomena like cultural evolution and group decision-making. Using mathematical analysis and online experiments, he explores how social learning mitigates cognitive biases and resolves social dilemmas through computational frameworks. His work bridges evolutionary game theory with real-world behavioural data.

Recent publications reveal consistent focus on the tension between individual exploration and social information use in collective intelligence. His studies demonstrate how conformity prevents suboptimal decision cascades and how risk tolerance modulates cooperative behavior in social dilemmas, advancing understanding of human group dynamics in complex environments.

His scientific recognition includes:

• Japan Society for Promotion of Science Fellowships (2012-2019)
• Multiple Young Researcher Awards from Human Behavior & Evolution Society Japan
• Best-Poster Award from Japan Ethological Society (2012)
• EHBEA student travel award (2014)

Toyokawa secures competitive funding including Association of Psychological Science Estes Fund grants (2022-2023) for COSMOS summer schools and CASCB Large Project grants for collective foraging research. He mentors postdoctoral researchers while teaching experimental methods, R programming, and seminars on social learning at Konstanz.

He leads the Computational Group Dynamics (COGNAC) Unit at RIKEN CBS, developing real-time online experiments using Mechanical Turk and computational tools (R, Stan, JavaScript). The unit's research combines evolutionary game theory with human behavioral data to model cultural transmission and collective problem-solving in dynamic environments.