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Methods for studying cultural attraction
Heintz,Christophe Blancke,Stefaan Scott-Phillips,Thom
Heintz,Christophe
Blancke,Stefaan
Scott-Phillips,Thom
Abstract
Cultural attraction theory (CAT) describes a general evolutionary process, cultural attraction, by which the spread and stability of cultural items (beliefs, practices, artifacts, etc.) result not just from differential reproduction, but also from transformations that systematically favor the reconstruction of cultural items of specific types. In this way, CAT aims to provide a general framework for the study of cultural evolution. In a thoughtful critical analysis, Buskell questions the ability of CAT to provide methodological guidance for research in cultural evolution. Can CAT be used to develop the sort of mid‐range theories and models that often drive empirical work? Here we argue that CAT can indeed be used in this way, and we outline the methodological practices that students of cultural attraction have used and are currently developing.
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Date
2019
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Keywords
CAT, attraction, cultural evolution, method
Citation
Heintz, C, Blancke, S & Scott-Phillips, T 2019, 'Methods for studying cultural attraction', Evolutionary Anthropology, vol. 28, no. 1, pp. 18-20. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.21764