What Makes Inventions Become Traditions?

Perry, Seymour; Carter, Alecia J.; Foster, Jacob G.; Nöbel, Sabine; Smolla, Marco

doi:10.1146/annurev-anthro-012121-012127

Cited by 5 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 105 publications

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“…They are also are at risk of being lost by chance. CCE typically results in larger cultural repertoires and more complex artefacts and institutions, but the master criterion is greater utility not size and complexity per se [19,20]. General introductions to CCE include [21][22][23][24][25].…”

Section: The Evolution Of the Anthropocenementioning

confidence: 99%

Agentic processes in cultural evolution: relevance to Anthropocene sustainability

Richerson,

Boyd,

Efferson

2023

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Humans have evolved culturally and perhaps genetically to be unsustainable. We exhibit a deep and consistent pattern of short-term resource exploitation behaviours and institutions. We distinguish agentic and naturally selective forces in cultural evolution. Agentic forces are quite important compared to the blind forces (random variation and natural selection) in cultural evolution and gene-culture coevolution. We need to use the agentic policy-making processes to evade the impact of blind natural selection. We argue that agentic forces became important during our Pleistocene history and into the Anthropocene present. Human creativity in the form of deliberate innovations and the deliberate selective diffusion of technical and social advances drove this process forward for a long time before planetary limits became a serious issue. We review models with multiple positive feedbacks that roughly fit this observed pattern. Policy changes in the case of large-scale existential threats like climate change are made by political and diplomatic agents grasping and moving levers of institutional power in order to avoid the operation of blind natural selection and agentic forces driven by narrow or short-term goals. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Evolution and sustainability: gathering the strands for an Anthropocene synthesis’.

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Section: The Evolution Of the Anthropocenementioning

confidence: 99%

Agentic processes in cultural evolution: relevance to Anthropocene sustainability

Richerson,

Boyd,

Efferson

2023

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…Researchers who study cultural evolutionary theory frequently use analytical or simulated models to test a wide range of parameters and scenarios, and to generate new hypotheses when counterintuitive results are produced (Perry et al, 2022). One prominent line of research has focused on the adaptiveness of social versus individual learning (Enquist et al, 2007).…”

Section: Peer Learning In Cultural Evolutionary Theorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer learning and cultural evolution

Lew‐Levy

Bos

Corriveau

et al. 2023

Child Dev Perspectives

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In this article, we integrate cultural evolutionary theory with empirical research from developmental psychology, cultural anthropology, and primatology to explore the role of peer learning in the development of complex instrumental skills and behavioral norms. We show that instrumental imitation, contingent teaching, generative collaboration, and selective copying contribute to domain‐specific transmission of knowledge between peers. Stages of development and characteristics inherent to the learner and model influence how and when children learn from each other. Peer learning is persistent across societies despite cultural beliefs that favor adult–child transmission in some settings. Comparative research hints at the possibility that children's greater motivation to interact with and learn from each other may set humans apart from other primates. We conclude by outlining avenues for future research, including how individual characteristics and developmental changes in social networks, motivation, and cognition may contribute to cultural evolution.

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Section: Peer Lea R N I Ng I N C U Lt U R a L Evolu T Iona Ry T H Eorymentioning

confidence: 99%

Peer learning and cultural evolution

Lew‐Levy¹,

Bos²,

Corriveau³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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In this article, we integrate cultural evolutionary theory with empirical research from developmental psychology, cultural anthropology, and primatology to outline the role of peer learning in the development of complex instrumental skills and behavioural norms. We show that instrumental imitation, contingent teaching, generative collaboration, and the application of selective social learning biases contribute to high-fidelity domain-specific transmission of knowledge between peers. Further, peer learning is persistent across cultures despite norms which favour adult-child transmission in some settings. Comparative research further suggests that children’s greater motivation to interact with and learn from each other sets us apart from other primates. We conclude by outlining avenues for future research, including how individual characteristics, social networks, motivation, cognition, and developmental changes in these may contribute to cultural evolution.

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What Makes Inventions Become Traditions?

Cited by 5 publications

References 105 publications

Agentic processes in cultural evolution: relevance to Anthropocene sustainability

Agentic processes in cultural evolution: relevance to Anthropocene sustainability

Peer learning and cultural evolution

Peer learning and cultural evolution

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