Slowing life history (K) can account for increasing micro-innovation rates and GDP growth, but not macro-innovation rates, which declined following the end of the Industrial Revolution

Michael A. Woodley Of Menie, Aurelio José Figueredo, Matthew A. Sarraf

Research output: Contribution to journalComment/debatepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Baumard proposes that life history slowing in populations over time is the principal driver of innovation rates. We show that this is only true of micro-innovation rates, which reflect cognitive and economic specialization as an adaptation to high population density, and not macro-innovation rates, which relate more to a population's level of general intelligence.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)e213
JournalThe Behavioral and brain sciences
Volume42
DOIs
StatePublished - Nov 20 2019

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology
  • Physiology
  • Behavioral Neuroscience

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