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Random Drift and Culture Change

Overview
Journal Proc Biol Sci
Specialty Biology
Date 2004 Aug 13
PMID 15306315
Citations 82
Authors
R Alexander Bentley
Matthew W Hahn
Stephen J Shennan
Affiliations
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Abstract

We show that the frequency distributions of cultural variants, in three different real-world examples--first names, archaeological pottery and applications for technology patents--follow power laws that can be explained by a simple model of random drift. We conclude that cultural and economic choices often reflect a decision process that is value-neutral; this result has far-reaching testable implications for social-science research.

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