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An evolutionary psychological perspective on social capital

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  • Kanazawa, Satoshi
  • Savage, Joanne

Abstract

We present an evolutionary psychological perspective on social capital. We first suggest that evolutionary psychology provides the most ultimate (as opposed to proximate) theoretical definition and most theoretically driven measures of social capital, by providing a theory of values and specifying what human actors value and want. We then suggest that evolutionary psychology can illuminate certain cognitive constraints and biases to which human actors are subject in their attempt to seek the most efficient means to achieve their ultimate goal of reproductive success. We illustrate the utility of an evolutionary psychological perspective on social capital with its application to some empirical puzzles: Why women have more kin in their personal relationships than men do, and why we are closer to our maternal grandmothers than to our paternal grandfathers.

Suggested Citation

  • Kanazawa, Satoshi & Savage, Joanne, 2009. "An evolutionary psychological perspective on social capital," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 30(6), pages 873-883, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joepsy:v:30:y:2009:i:6:p:873-883
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Hector Oscar Nigro & Sandra Elizabeth Gonzalez Cisaro, 2017. "Nexus between Human Values and Overall Satisfaction with the Urban Environment. A Non-Lineal Partial Least Square Path Modeling. Argentine Cities Case," Journal of Social Science Studies, Macrothink Institute, vol. 4(2), pages 132-164, July.
    2. Brandes, Leif & Brechot, Marc & Franck, Egon, 2015. "Managers’ external social ties at work: Blessing or curse for the firm?," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 203-216.
    3. Waleed Omri & Audrey Becuwe, 2014. "Managerial characteristics and entrepreneurial internationalization: A study of Tunisian SMEs," Journal of International Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 8-42, March.
    4. Rusch, Hannes, 2018. "Ancestral kinship patterns substantially reduce the negative effect of increasing group size on incentives for public goods provision," Journal of Economic Psychology, Elsevier, vol. 64(C), pages 105-115.
    5. Diosey Ramon Lugo-Morin & Ivan Gerardo Deance Bravo y Troncoso & Luis Roberto Canto Valdez & Jorge Luis Mendoza Valladares & Jose Santiago Francisco, 2022. "The World of Reciprocity: Forms of Social Capital among the Indigenous Totonacs of the Sierra Norte de Puebla," Social Sciences, MDPI, vol. 11(10), pages 1-11, September.

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