Article ID: CBB879941853

Which Evolutionary Model Best Explains the Culture of Honour? (2015)

unapi

The culture of honour hypothesis offers a compelling example of how human psychology differentially adapts to pastoral and horticultural environments. However, there is disagreement over whether this pattern is best explained by a memetic, evolutionary psychological, dual inheritance, or niche construction model. I argue that this disagreement stems from two shortcomings: lack of clarity about the theoretical commitments of these models and inadequate comparative data for testing them. To resolve the first problem, I offer a theoretical framework for deriving competing predictions from each of the four models. In particular, this involves a novel interpretation of the difference between dual inheritance theory and cultural niche construction. I then illustrate a strategy for testing their predictions using data from the Human Relations Area File. Empirical results suggest that the aggressive psychological phenotype typically associated with honour culture is more common among pastoral societies than among horticultural societies. Theoretical considerations suggest that this pattern is best explained as a case of cultural niche construction.

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Authors & Contributors
Eugene, Earnshaw-Whyte
Gissis, Snait B.
Nielsen, Rasmus
Edge, Michael D.
Giordano, Ryan
Price, Justin
Concepts
Biology
Models and modeling in science
Evolution
Psychology
Philosophy of science
Philosophy of biology
Time Periods
19th century
20th century
20th century, early
18th century
Places
Great Britain
Singapore
Scotland
North America
France
Australia
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