scholarly journals Cultural complexity and demography: the case of folktales

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Acerbi

We investigate the relation between cultural complexity and population size in a non-technological cultural domain for which we have suitable quantitative records: folktales. We define three levels of complexity for folk narratives: the number of tale types, the number of narrative motifs, and, finally, the number of traits in variants of the same type, for two well known tales for which we have data from previous studies. We found a positive relationship between number of tale types and population size, a negative relationship for the number of narrative motifs, and no relationship for the number of traits. The absence of a consistent relation between population size and complexity in folktales provides a novel perspective on the current debates in cultural evolution. We propose that the link between cultural complexity and demography could be domain dependent: in some domains (e.g. technology) this link is important, whereas in others, such as folktales, complex traditions can be easily maintained in small populations as well as large ones, as they may appeal to universal cognitive biases.

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Carolina Ciampaglia Nardi ◽  
Evandro Marcos Saidel Ribeiro ◽  
José Lino Oliveira Bueno ◽  
Ishani Aggarwal

The objective of this study was to jointly analyze the importance of cognitive and financial factors in the accuracy of profit forecasting by analysts. Data from publicly traded Brazilian companies in 2019 were obtained. We used text analysis to assess the cognitive biases from the qualitative reports of analysts. Further, we analyzed the data using statistical regression learning methods and statistical classification learning methods, such as Multiple Linear Regression (MRL), k-dependence Bayesian (k-DB), and Random Forest (RF). The Bayesian inference and classification methods allow an expansion of the research line, especially in the area of machine learning, which can benefit from the examples of factors addressed in this research. The results indicated that, among cognitive biases, optimism had a negative relationship with forecasting accuracy while anchoring bias had a positive relationship. Commonality, to a lesser extent, also had a positive relationship with the analyst’s accuracy. Among financial factors, the most important aspects in the accuracy of analysts were volatility, indebtedness, and profitability. Age of the company, fair value, American Depositary Receipts (ADRs), performance, and loss were still important but on a smaller scale. The results of the RF models showed a greater explanatory power. This research sheds light on the cognitive as well as financial aspects that influence the analyst’s accuracy, jointly using text analysis and machine learning methods, capable of improving the explanatory power of predictive models, together with the use of training models followed by testing.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally Street ◽  
Tuomas Eerola ◽  
Jeremy Kendal

A positive correlation between population size and cultural complexity is perhaps one of the most consistent findings in the field of cultural evolution. However, previous findings are largely based on studies of technology and are not necessarily generalisable across diverse cultural domains. We investigate the relationship between population size and complexity in music using Irish folk session tunes as a case study. Using analyses of a large online folk tune dataset, we show that tunes played by larger communities of musicians have diversified into a greater number of different versions but are intermediate in melodic complexity. These results suggest that while larger populations create more frequent opportunities for musical innovation, they encourage convergence upon intermediate levels of melodic complexity due to a widespread inverse U-shaped relationship between complexity and aesthetic preference. Our results show that the relationship between population size and cultural complexity is domain-dependent, rather than universal.


2016 ◽  
Vol 44 (3) ◽  
pp. 509-517 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanhan Zhu

The 2 types of exchange relationship perceptions—social exchange relationship perceptions (SERPs) and economic exchange relationship perceptions (EERPs)—constitute the primary concept for understanding individual behavior in the workplace. Using a sample of 581 employees from Mainland China, I explored the effects of SERPs and EERPs on employee extrarole behavior (ERB), as well as the moderating effect of organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) on the relationships between SERPs and ERB, and between EERPs and ERB. The results revealed a significant positive relationship between SERPs and ERB, a significant negative relationship between EERPs and ERB, and a significant moderating effect for OBSE. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.


Author(s):  
Richard Frankham ◽  
Jonathan D. Ballou ◽  
Katherine Ralls ◽  
Mark D. B. Eldridge ◽  
Michele R. Dudash ◽  
...  

Genetic management of fragmented populations involves the application of evolutionary genetic theory and knowledge to alleviate problems due to inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity in small population fragments. Populations evolve through the effects of mutation, natural selection, chance (genetic drift) and gene flow (migration). Large outbreeding, sexually reproducing populations typically contain substantial genetic diversity, while small populations typically contain reduced levels. Genetic impacts of small population size on inbreeding, loss of genetic diversity and population differentiation are determined by the genetically effective population size, which is usually much smaller than the number of individuals.


2021 ◽  
pp. 009164712199240
Author(s):  
Noah S. Love ◽  
Cassidy A. Merlo ◽  
M. Elizabeth Lewis Hall ◽  
Peter C. Hill

The present study examined attachment to God and quest as potential moderators of the relationship between religious doubt and mental health. A sample of Christian participants ( N = 235) completed a survey which included measures of attachment to God, quest, religious doubt, and mental health. As hypothesized, attachment to God and quest significantly moderated an individual’s experience of religious doubt. Low avoidant attachment to God (i.e., a more secure attachment) was associated with a more negative relationship between cognitive religious doubt and positive mental health than high avoidant attachment. In contrast, low avoidant attachment to God also ameliorated the positive relationship between affective religious doubt and mental health problems. Low anxious attachment was associated with a stronger negative relationship between both measures of religious doubt (i.e., cognitive and affective) and positive mental health. In addition, high soft quest weakened all four of the relationships between measures of religious doubt and mental health. High hard quest ameliorated the positive relationship between both measures of religious doubt and mental health problems. These results indicate that an individual’s attachment to God and the way an individual is oriented toward religion each play a role in the mental health outcomes associated with religious doubt.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (12) ◽  
pp. 3404
Author(s):  
Dawid Szostek

The purpose of the article is to determine how personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness and openness to experience) affect organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment (OCBE), especially in the context of energy saving. The purpose is also to verify the hypothesis that this impact is significantly moderated by individuals’ demographic characteristic (sex, age, length of service, work type and economic sector of employment). To achieve the purposes, a survey was conducted in 2020 on 454 working people from Poland. The analysis was based on structural equation modeling (SEM). The research model assumed that particular types of personality affect direct and indirect OCBEs, including energy-saving patterns. The model also included the aforementioned demographic characteristics of respondents. I proved that personality traits have a significant impact on direct and indirect organizational citizenship behaviors for the environment. In the case of direct OCBEs, the energy-saving items that were most significantly affected by employee personality were: I am a person who turns off my lights when leaving my office for any reason; I am a person who turns off the lights in a vacant room; I am a person who makes sure all of the lights are turned off if I am the last to leave. The strongest predicators were Neuroticism (negative relationship) and Agreeableness (positive relationship) for direct OCBE, but Extraversion (positive relationship) and Agreeableness (negative relationship) for indirect OCBE. The impact of an individual’s personality on OCBE was significantly moderated mainly for indirect behaviors. This applied to all the analyzed demographic variables, but it was stronger for women, employees aged up to 40 years, those with 10 years or more experience, office/clerical workers, and public sector employees. The article discusses the theoretical framework, research limitations, future research directions and practical implications.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 3422-3434
Author(s):  
Michelle L. McLellan ◽  
Bruce N. McLellan ◽  
Rahel Sollmann ◽  
Heiko U. Wittmer

2017 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed S. Alamri ◽  
Thamir I. Al-Duhaim

The aim of this study is to examine employees perception of training provided by Saudi Industrial Development Fund (SIDF) and its relationship with organizational commitment. To achieve this aim, the study utilized a questionnaire consists of two validated, well established, international instruments: the first one is the perceived availability of training developed by Newman et al., (2011) and includes 22-item inventory that measures an individual on the training, the second instrument called commitment scale developed by Allen and Meyer, (1996) and includes 18-item inventory to identify a person’s commitment. This questionnaire has been distributed to a simple random sample consist of (200) employees of Saudi Industrial Development Fund. A total of (175) complete questionnaires has been received back at a response rate of (87%). After analyzing data and testing hypotheses, the main results of this study are:• There is a positive relationship between five training-related variables and affective commitment.• There is a positive relationship between two training-related variables (the perceived availability of training and perceived supervisor support for training) and two commitment-related variables (continuance and normative commitment).• There is a negative relationship between perceived co-worker support for training and two commitment-related variables (continuance and normative commitment).• There is no relationship between two training-related variables (the perceived benefits of training and motivation to learn) and two commitment-related variables (continuance and normative commitment).


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 69-82
Author(s):  
Sujan Chandra Paul ◽  
Md Harun Or Rosid ◽  
Mohammad Rakibul Islam ◽  
Refat Ferdous

This study investigates the relationship between Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and some macroeconomic variables such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP), Gross Capital Formation (GCF), Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing (AFF), Industry, Import, Export, Inflation and Unemployment rate. Panel Data of 14 regional alliances countries from 1990-2018 were collected from The World Bank website. Robust regression models are used in this study. This research found that GDP had significant positive relationship with FDI in all regions except Arab League, EU and G7 countries. GCF had significant positive relationship with FDI in Arab League, BRI, GATT, NAFTA countries & negative relationship in APEC, G7 countries. AFF had significant positive relationship with FDI in BRICS, GATT countries & negative relationship in African Union, ASEAN, BIMSTEC, BRI, BRICS, SAFTA countries. Industry had significant positive relationship with FDI in African Union, BRI, NAFTA, OECD countries and negative relationship in BRICS, G7, G20 countries. Import had significant positive relationship with FDI in African Union, APEC, Arab League, ASIAN, BRI, G7, G20, GATT countries and negative relationship in BRICS countries. Export had significant positive relationship with FDI in BRICS countries and negative relationship in African Union, ASEAN, BRI, G20, GATT, OECD, SAFTA countries. Inflation had significant positive relationship with FDI in GATT, SAFTA countries and negative relationship in African Union, APEC countries. Unemployment rate had significant positive relationship with FDI in African Union, BRI, BRICS, EU, G20, GATT, OECD, SAFTA countries and negative relationship in ASEAN countries.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document