Influences on communication about reproduction: the cultural evolution of low fertility

Newson, Lesley; Postmes, Tom; Lea, Stephen E. G.; Webley, Paul; Richerson, Peter J.; McElreath, Richard

doi:10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2007.01.003

Cited by 72 publications

(98 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The percentage of papers using each of these theories is shown in figure 1 by lead author discipline. Note, beyond the scope of this paper, numerous other theoretical frameworks have been applied to fertility motivation and behaviours including the kin influence hypothesis [12], famine syndrome [13], replacement/insurance theory [14,15], purposive action [16] and theory of commitment [17].…”

Section: Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The evolved psychological mechanisms of fertility motivation: hunting for causation in a sea of correlation

McAllister

Pepper

Virgo

et al. 2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Cultural, ecological, familial and physiological factors consistently influence fertility behaviours, however, the proximate psychological mechanisms underlying fertility decisions in humans are poorly understood. Understanding the psychological mechanisms underlying human fertility may illuminate the final processes by which some of these known predictors have their influence. To date, research into the psychological mechanisms underlying fertility has been fragmented. Aspects of reproductive psychology have been examined by researchers in a range of fields, but the findings have not been systematically integrated in one review. We provide such a review, examining current theories and research on psychological mechanisms of fertility. We examine the methods and populations used in the research, as well as the disciplines and theoretical perspectives from which the work has come. Much of the work that has been done to date is methodologically limited to examining correlations between ecological, social and economic factors and fertility. We propose, and support with examples, the use of experimental methods to differentiate causal factors from correlates. We also discuss weaknesses in the experimental research, including limited work with non-WEIRD (western, educated, industrialized, rich and democratic) populations.

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Section: Theoriesmentioning

confidence: 99%

The evolved psychological mechanisms of fertility motivation: hunting for causation in a sea of correlation

McAllister

Pepper

Virgo

et al. 2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…I formalize a general model that characterizes evolutionarily stable behaviors. The proposed model replicates the theory of Newson et al (2007) that fertility decline is caused by increasing role of oblique cultural transmission. Second, if social activity is a rational choice rather than a culturally inherited trait, and if cultural transmission acts on preferences rather than behaviors, which preferences survive the process of cultural evolution?…”

mentioning

confidence: 57%

“…rate of interaction between non-relatives q. This is a mathematical formalization of the idea by Newson et al (2007) that fertility decline is caused by an exogenous increase in such interaction.…”

Section: Proofmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The model should be viewed as a mathematical formalization of the idea by Newson et al (2007), that fertility decline is caused by changing patterns of social interaction. According to their theory, fertility is high when individuals are surrounded mainly by close relatives; in such environments, children primarily pick up the traits of their parents, and high fertility cultural traits dominate because low-fertility communities become physically extinct.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Nothing else matters: Evolution of preference for social prestige

Zakharenko

2016

Mathematical Social Sciences

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This paper seeks answers to two questions. First, if a greater social activity of an individual enhances oblique (i.e. to non-relatives) transmission of her cultural traits at the expense of vertical (i.e. to children) transmission as well as family size, which behavior is optimal from cultural evolution standpoint? I formalize a general model that characterizes evolutionarily stable behaviors. The proposed model replicates the theory of Newson et al. (2007) that fertility decline is caused by increasing role of oblique cultural transmission. Second, if social activity is a rational choice rather than a culturally inherited trait, and if cultural transmission acts on preferences rather than behaviors, which preferences survive the process of cultural evolution? I arrive at a very simple yet powerful result: under mild assumptions on model structure, only preferences which emphasize exclusively the concern for social prestige, i.e. extent to which one's cultural trait has been picked up by others, survive.

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“…There have been few empirical investigations of such kin-priming effects. A notable exception used experimental manipulation of roleplaying scenarios to demonstrate that individuals gave more pro-natal advice to a hypothetical relative than to a hypothetical non-relative, but only in conditions favourable to reproduction (Newson et al 2007). …”

Section: Proximate Mechanisms Through Which Kin May Influence Fertilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Does the kin orientation of a British womans social network influence her entry into motherhood?

Mathews¹,

Sear²

2013

DemRes

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Influences on communication about reproduction: the cultural evolution of low fertility

Cited by 72 publications

References 34 publications

The evolved psychological mechanisms of fertility motivation: hunting for causation in a sea of correlation

The evolved psychological mechanisms of fertility motivation: hunting for causation in a sea of correlation

Nothing else matters: Evolution of preference for social prestige

Does the kin orientation of a British womans social network influence her entry into motherhood?

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Influences on communication about reproduction: the cultural evolution of low fertility

Cited by 72 publications

References 34 publications

The evolved psychological mechanisms of fertility motivation: hunting for causation in a sea of correlation

The evolved psychological mechanisms of fertility motivation: hunting for causation in a sea of correlation

Nothing else matters: Evolution of preference for social prestige

Does the kin orientation of a British womans social network influence her entry into motherhood?

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Does the kin orientation of a British womans social network influence her entry into motherhood?