creators_name: Ghirlanda, Stefano
creators_name: Enquist, Magnus
creators_name: Nakamaru, Mayuko
type: journalp
datestamp: 2006-12-12
lastmod: 2011-03-11 08:56:43
metadata_visibility: show
title: Cultural evolution developing its own rules: The rise of conservatism and persuasion

ispublished: pub
subjects: bio-socio
subjects: bio-evo
subjects: evol-psy
subjects: bio-theory
subjects: soc-psy
full_text_status: public
keywords: cultural evolution, personality changes, tabula rasa
abstract: In the human sciences, cultural evolution is often viewed as an autonomous process free of genetic influence. A question that follows is, If culture is not influenced by genes, can it take any path? Employing a simple mathematical model of cultural transmission in which individuals may copy each other's traits, we show that cultural evolution favors individuals who are weakly influenced by others and able to influence others. The model suggests that the cultural evolution of rules of cultural transmission tends to create populations that evolve rapidly toward conservatism, and that bias in cultural transmission may result purely from cultural dynamics. Freedom from genetic influence is not freedom to take any direction.

date: 2006
date_type: published
publication: Current Anthropology
volume: 47
pagerange: 1027-1034
refereed: TRUE
citation:   Ghirlanda, Stefano and Enquist, Magnus and Nakamaru, Mayuko  (2006) Cultural evolution developing its own rules: The rise of conservatism and persuasion.  [Journal (Paginated)]     
document_url: http://cogprints.org/5296/1/ghirlanda_enquist_nakamaru06.pdf