Trajectory Discontinuity and Morphogenesis: The Implications of Catastrophe Theory for Archaeology

1978 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 203-222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Colin Renfrew
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Catastrophe Theory ◽  
Social Evolution ◽  
Abrupt Change ◽  
Culture Systems ◽  
Causative Factors ◽  
The Social ◽  
René Thom ◽  
Discontinuity Problem

The problem of discontinuity in the behavior of culture systems-the last stronghold of the anti-processualists-is discussed. Abrupt change in behavior can now be described in terms of smooth changes in the underlying causative factors by means of Rene Thom"s Theory of Elementary Catastrophes. The theory suggests insights not only into discontinuities with respect to time ("sudden" changes) but into the differentiation of forms as the result of bifurcations (morphogenesis). Although existing applications of the Theory in the social sciences lack quantitative precision, they offer a deeper understanding of crucial mechanisms of social evolution and, it is suggested, go far toward solving the discontinuity problem in archaeology.

scholarly journals Catastrophe models and the expansion method: A review of issues and an application to the econometric modeling of economic growth

1997 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 185-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emilio Casetti
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Economic Growth ◽  
Catastrophe Theory ◽  
Expansion Method ◽  
Cusp Catastrophe ◽  
Econometric Modeling ◽  
Catastrophe Model ◽  
Cusp Catastrophe Model ◽  
The Social ◽  
Catastrophe Models

Many negative reactions to Catastrophe Theory have been triggered by overly simplistic applications unintended and unsuited for statistical-econometric estimation, inference, and testing. In this paper it is argued that stochastic catastrophe models constructed using the Expansion Method hold the most promise to widen the acceptance of Catastrophe Theory by analytically oriented scholars in the social sciences and elsewhere. The paper presents a typology of catastrophe models, and demonstrates the construction and estimation of an econometric expanded cusp catastrophe model of economic growth.

The New Human Science

2019 ◽  
pp. 117-156
Author(s):  
Joanne Souza ◽  
Paul M. Bingham
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Social Evolution ◽  
Conflicts Of Interest ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Human Origins ◽  
Coercion Theory ◽  
Ultimate Causation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Human Social Evolution ◽  
Social Coercion

All prior attempts to understand human origins, behavior, and history have led to paradoxes and dilemmas, highly resistant to resolution. This chapter reviews specific cases of failures to resolve these apparent paradoxes and dilemmas in human evolution and the social sciences. The authors argue that these failures are rooted in confusing proximate with ultimate causation. They further argue that a sound theory of human origins, behavior, and history (social coercion theory) can help to understand the human condition scientifically; specifically, this theory argues that all the unique properties of humans emerge from the unprecedented human social evolution, driven, in turn by the evolution of cost-effective coercive management of conflicts of interest. Finally, the authors argue that social coercion theory yields the first general theory of history, economics, and politics, which provides an approach to problems within the social sciences while armed with a grasp of ultimate causation. Consequently, formerly intractable scientific questions and social concerns become manageable and solvable.

What Can We Learn From Factorial Surveys About Human Behavior?

Methodology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 19-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Knut Petzold ◽  
Tobias Wolbring
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Behavioral Intentions ◽  
Actual Behavior ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Factorial Survey ◽  
Survey Experiment ◽  
Intended Behavior ◽  
The Social ◽  
Survey Experiments ◽  
High Level

Abstract. Factorial survey experiments are increasingly used in the social sciences to investigate behavioral intentions. The measurement of self-reported behavioral intentions with factorial survey experiments frequently assumes that the determinants of intended behavior affect actual behavior in a similar way. We critically investigate this fundamental assumption using the misdirected email technique. Student participants of a survey were randomly assigned to a field experiment or a survey experiment. The email informs the recipient about the reception of a scholarship with varying stakes (full-time vs. book) and recipient’s names (German vs. Arabic). In the survey experiment, respondents saw an image of the same email. This validation design ensured a high level of correspondence between units, settings, and treatments across both studies. Results reveal that while the frequencies of self-reported intentions and actual behavior deviate, treatments show similar relative effects. Hence, although further research on this topic is needed, this study suggests that determinants of behavior might be inferred from behavioral intentions measured with survey experiments.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document