Cultural Psychology by S.J. Heine (third edition) – Summary chapter 2

Imitation saves the cost of individual learning (1), requires the ability to identify models who stand-out (2) and leads to individuals attempting to increase frequency and intimacy with the model (3).

The social brain hypothesis states that humans have developed a large brain in order to facilitate growth and more complex social relationships. A large brain requires more energy and it is possible that this was possible by a shorter but more efficient gut (1) and having fewer muscles (2). It is also possible that humans developed a large brain due to eating vitamin-rich fruits or food sources requiring ingenuity to obtain.

Cultural learning requires a theory of mind (1) and language (2). Both aspects lead to the accumulation of cultural information. Together with innovation, this leads to the ratchet effect; cultural information growing in complexity and utility over time. A large brain facilitates cultural learning.

A large population will lead to quicker cultural learning and more innovation because a large population ensures the presence of a large number of models to copy. A loss of cultural knowledge tends to occur when a small group of people is cut off from a larger population due to there being a shortage of models to copy from.