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on Evolutionary Economics |
| By: | Oded Galor; Marc Klemp; Daniel C. Wainstock |
| Abstract: | This study reveals the pivotal impact of the prehistoric out-of-Africa migration on global variation in the degree of cultural diversity within ethnic and national populations. Drawing on novel diversity measures—encompassing folkloric and musical traditions among indigenous ethnic groups, as well as norms, values, and attitudes in modern societies—an intriguing pattern emerges: societies whose ancestors migrated farther from humanity's cradle in Africa exhibit lower cultural diversity. These striking findings underscore: (i) the profound role of cultural dynamics in shaping the enduring effects of the out-of-Africa migration on social cohesion, innovativeness, and living standards; (ii) the origins of persistent global variations in cultural expressions within an increasingly interconnected world; and (iii) the roots of variations in societal adaptability to evolving economic and technological landscapes. |
| Keywords: | diversity, culture, out-of-Africa, folkloric diversity, musical diversity, social norms |
| JEL: | O10 Z10 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11524 |
| By: | Chu, Angus C. |
| Abstract: | Early modern humans interbred with archaic humans. To explore this phenomenon, we develop a Malthusian growth model with hybridization in human evolution. Our hunting-gathering Malthusian economy features two initial human populations. We derive population dynamics and find that the more fertile population survives whereas the less fertile one eventually becomes extinct. During this natural-selection process, a hybrid human population emerges and survives in the long run. This finding explains why modern humans still carry DNA from archaic humans. A higher hybridization rate reduces long-run population size but raises long-run output per capita for the surviving populations in this Malthusian economy. |
| Keywords: | Ancient human interbreeding; natural selection; Malthusian growth theory |
| JEL: | N10 O13 Q56 |
| Date: | 2024–11 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:pra:mprapa:121218 |
| By: | Oded Galor |
| Abstract: | What sparked humanity’s leap from stagnation to prosperity? What lies at the core of inequality among nations? Unified Growth Theory explores the evolution of societies over the entire course of human history. It uncovers the universal wheels of change that have governed the journey of humanity, driven the growth process, and shaped inequality across the globe. The theory sheds light on two of the most fundamental mysteries surrounding this journey: (i) The Mystery of Growth—the origins of the dramatic transformation in human prosperity over the past two centuries, in the wake of millennia of near stagnation; and (ii) The Mystery of Inequality—the roots of the vast inequality in the wealth of nations. The theory suggests that forces operating in the distant past are central to the understanding of the uneven development across the globe and the design of effective policies that could promote economic growth and mitigate inequality. |
| Keywords: | growth, inequality, unified growth theory, human capital, demographic transition, Malthusian epoch |
| JEL: | I25 J10 O10 O40 Z10 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11571 |
| By: | Pablo Álvarez-Aragón (Development Finance and Public Policies, University of Namur) |
| Abstract: | This paper contributes to the explanation of the puzzle of persistently high fertility in sub-Saharan Africa. I focus on the impact of a belief system that emphasizes the role of ancestors, who influence people’s lives and have a strong interest in the continuation of their lineage into which they may be reincarnated. I combine first-hand data with original ethnographic information and both historical and contemporary surveys to show: 1) a strong, positive relationship between ancestral beliefs and fertility in different contexts and time periods; and 2) that this relationship is specifically driven by the motive to continue one’s lineage. I test the specific predictions of a simple model of fertility in which children area public good for a family with ancestral beliefs because they continue the family line. However, whether one’s children continue one’s lineage depends on the kinship system: while this is the case in a patrilineal system, children only continue the mother’s lineage in matrilineal societies. The model predicts that 1) ancestral beliefs have a stronger positive influence on fertility in patrilineal societies; and 2) in groups with ancestral beliefs, very specific free-riding behaviors emerge: in patrilineal societies, male fertility decreases with the number of brothers, whereas in matrilineal societies, female fertility decreases with the number of sisters (but not brothers). These predictions are supported by the data. |
| Date: | 2025–01 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:nam:defipp:2501 |
| By: | Hartley, Tilman |
| Abstract: | There are calls to better incorporate humans into Earth system models. Some have attempted this using the concept of ‘carrying capacity’. But the concept of carrying capacity has been subject to forceful critique, as it vastly simplifies the many complex factors which affect human populations. This includes factors related to human behaviour, which is so unpredictable that it seems to resist formalisation altogether. Nevertheless, I suggest that the usefulness of a simplified concept like ‘carrying capacity’ depends on the purposes for which it is used. In toy models intended to elucidate a complex phenomenon, a simplified concept might indeed be useful. On the other hand, in forecast models intended for theory testing, a more complex concept may better approximate observed reality. I illustrate this point by looking at two recent toy models which use the concept of carrying capacity to elucidate idealised population dynamics, and at a series of forecast models which instead aim to estimate the population density of real groups in real conditions. In short, the usefulness of concepts depends on modelling choices, which in turn depend upon the purpose for which a given model has been constructed. |
| Date: | 2024–12–17 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:socarx:e86bm |
| By: | Buskens, Vincent (Utrecht University); Corten, Rense; Przepiorka, Wojtek (Utrecht University) |
| Abstract: | Behavioral experiments are rarely used as an empirical strategy in computational social science, where empirical studies typically focus on analyzing large-scale digital trace data. We argue that behavioral experiments have a role in computational social science, in particular in combination with agent-based modeling – a key theoretical strategy in computational social science. We highlight three ways in which behavioral experiments can contribute to theory building in computational social science: by testing macro-level predictions from agent-based models, by evaluating behavioral assumptions on which these models are based, and by calibrating agent-based models. We illustrate these points through three examples from our work concerned with the emergence of conventions. |
| Date: | 2024–12–20 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:osf:osfxxx:9vm5t |
| By: | Simeon Schudy; Susanna Grundmann; Lisa Spantig |
| Abstract: | Contrary to the traditional economic view that individuals misreport private information to maximize material payoffs, recent evidence highlights robust preferences for truth-telling among many decision-makers. Theoretical models that align with aggregate behavioral patterns posit that these preferences arise from both an intrinsic motivation to be honest and a desire to be perceived as honest. We propose a novel incentivized measure to independently capture these two motives at the individual level for the first time. We validate the measure’s properties experimentally and show that it predicts behavior in other commonly studied situations that allow for (dis)honesty. The measure enables the classification of individual preference types, revealing systematic heterogeneity and fairly stable type distributions across different samples. Additionally, we propose an experimentally validated 2-minute survey module that proxies both motives and predicts behavior in a typical reporting task. Including this module in a large panel, we offer first insights into how early-life experiences may shape preferences for being and being seen as honest. |
| Keywords: | honesty, lying costs, social image concerns, intentions, individual preferences |
| JEL: | C91 D01 D82 D91 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11521 |
| By: | Philipp Doerrenberg; Christoph Feldhaus; Felix Kölle; Axel Ockenfels |
| Abstract: | Using a series of controlled laboratory experiments involving decisions to intervene in others’ choice opportunities; we find that groups grant more autonomy to others than individuals. This finding is robust across two decision contexts, one involving individual decision-making (Internality) and one involving social decision-making (Externality). Analyses of the group chat logs and two additional experiments show that participants tend to shy away from proposing interventions in social contexts, even when they intervene individually. We conclude that interventions differ systematically between individual and social contexts, and that transferring decision-making power to groups can lead to a “liberal shift”. |
| Keywords: | teams, decision making, autonomy, interventions, experiment |
| JEL: | C92 D70 D91 M21 |
| Date: | 2024 |
| URL: | https://d.repec.org/n?u=RePEc:ces:ceswps:_11575 |