Social structure as a form of collective intelligence: a new framework

Collective intelligence arises when group-level cognition exceeds the capabilities of individual members, enabling more effective learning, decision-making and problem-solving. While sociality underpins collective behaviour across taxa, the structural dimensions of social organization remain underexamined as active components of this phenomenon. Here, we propose that social structure-the patterned distribution of relationships and interactions within a group-is not only a context in which cognition unfolds, but also a core mechanism through which collective intelligence is enabled and sustained. Specifically, we argue that social structure emerges from cognition at the individual level, while simultaneously shaping cognition by influencing how information is distributed and applied across the group. Empirical evidence suggests that variations in network connectivity, stability and cohesion in social animals mediate problem-solving at the individual and collective levels. By examining these dynamics, we may come to understand how individuals engage in heuristic and rational decision-making and how social structures support or hinder collective cognition. Our framework situates social structure at the centre of collective cognition, offering a unified model that links individual decision-making with emergent group behaviour. This perspective expands current approaches to distributed cognition and sheds light on the organizational foundations of intelligence across diverse taxa. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of collective intelligence'.