Evidence for Mixed Rationalities in Preference Formation
Understanding the mechanisms underlying the formation of cultural traits is an open challenge. This is intimately connected to cultural dynamics, which has been the focus of a variety of quantitative models. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of connecting those models to empirically acce...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2018-01-01
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| Series: | Complexity |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/3615476 |
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| author | Alexandru-Ionuț Băbeanu Diego Garlaschelli |
| author_facet | Alexandru-Ionuț Băbeanu Diego Garlaschelli |
| author_sort | Alexandru-Ionuț Băbeanu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Understanding the mechanisms underlying the formation of cultural traits is an open challenge. This is intimately connected to cultural dynamics, which has been the focus of a variety of quantitative models. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of connecting those models to empirically accessible snapshots of cultural dynamics. In particular, it has been suggested that empirical cultural states, which differ systematically from randomized counterparts, exhibit properties that are universally present. Hence, a question about the mechanism responsible for the observed patterns naturally arises. This study proposes a stochastic structural model for generating cultural states that retain those robust empirical properties. One ingredient of the model assumes that every individual’s set of traits is partly dictated by one of several universal “rationalities,” informally postulated by several social science theories. The second, new ingredient assumes that, apart from a dominant rationality, each individual also has a certain exposure to the other rationalities. It is shown that both ingredients are required for reproducing the empirical regularities. This suggests that the effects of cultural dynamics in the real world can be described as an interplay of multiple, mixing rationalities, providing indirect evidence for the class of social science theories postulating such a mixing. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-265e3eca0a264e2db1a39c58d7b7978a |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1076-2787 1099-0526 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Complexity |
| spelling | doaj-art-265e3eca0a264e2db1a39c58d7b7978a2025-08-20T03:54:51ZengWileyComplexity1076-27871099-05262018-01-01201810.1155/2018/36154763615476Evidence for Mixed Rationalities in Preference FormationAlexandru-Ionuț Băbeanu0Diego Garlaschelli1Lorentz Institute for Theoretical Physics, Leiden University, Leiden, NetherlandsLorentz Institute for Theoretical Physics, Leiden University, Leiden, NetherlandsUnderstanding the mechanisms underlying the formation of cultural traits is an open challenge. This is intimately connected to cultural dynamics, which has been the focus of a variety of quantitative models. Recent studies have emphasized the importance of connecting those models to empirically accessible snapshots of cultural dynamics. In particular, it has been suggested that empirical cultural states, which differ systematically from randomized counterparts, exhibit properties that are universally present. Hence, a question about the mechanism responsible for the observed patterns naturally arises. This study proposes a stochastic structural model for generating cultural states that retain those robust empirical properties. One ingredient of the model assumes that every individual’s set of traits is partly dictated by one of several universal “rationalities,” informally postulated by several social science theories. The second, new ingredient assumes that, apart from a dominant rationality, each individual also has a certain exposure to the other rationalities. It is shown that both ingredients are required for reproducing the empirical regularities. This suggests that the effects of cultural dynamics in the real world can be described as an interplay of multiple, mixing rationalities, providing indirect evidence for the class of social science theories postulating such a mixing.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/3615476 |
| spellingShingle | Alexandru-Ionuț Băbeanu Diego Garlaschelli Evidence for Mixed Rationalities in Preference Formation Complexity |
| title | Evidence for Mixed Rationalities in Preference Formation |
| title_full | Evidence for Mixed Rationalities in Preference Formation |
| title_fullStr | Evidence for Mixed Rationalities in Preference Formation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Evidence for Mixed Rationalities in Preference Formation |
| title_short | Evidence for Mixed Rationalities in Preference Formation |
| title_sort | evidence for mixed rationalities in preference formation |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2018/3615476 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT alexandruionutbabeanu evidenceformixedrationalitiesinpreferenceformation AT diegogarlaschelli evidenceformixedrationalitiesinpreferenceformation |