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If you presume relevance, you don't need a bifocal lens
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 November 2022
Abstract
We argue for a relevance-guided learning mechanism to account for both innovative reproduction and faithful imitation by focusing on the role of communication in knowledge transmission. Unlike bifocal stance theory, this mechanism does not require a strict divide between instrumental and ritual-like actions, and the goals they respectively fulfill (material vs. social/affiliative), to account for flexibility in action interpretation and reproduction.
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- Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press
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Target article
Tradition and invention: The bifocal stance theory of cultural evolution
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Author response
Bifocal stance theory: An effort to broaden, extend, and clarify