Although acculturation psychology is extensively studied in the social sciences, research progress has slowed due to overused methodologies and theories and emerging challenges to core conceptual tenets. Here, we seek to stimulate scientific inquiry into acculturation by integrating underutilized cultural evolutionary perspectives. We propose that cultural evolutionary mechanisms, such as (anti)conformity, prestige bias, payoff bias, and vertical transmission are instrumental in understanding when, why, and how minority- and majority-group members acculturate. The direction and potency of these mechanisms are proposed to be modulated by a combination of contextual and individual factors, resulting in acculturation strategies that at the population level form “cultural evolutionary equilibria.” These equilibria in turn have consequences for the long-term, population-level dynamics of cultural evolution. We outline how our integration of perspectives can allow researchers to model the dynamics of large-scale cultural change, increasing our understanding of the complex challenges faced by today’s diverse societies.Public AbstractAcculturation describes the cultural and psychological changes resulting from intercultural contact. Here, we use concepts from “cultural evolution” to better understand the processes of acculturation. Cultural evolution researchers view cultural change as an evolutionary process, allowing them to borrow tools and methods from biology. Cultural evolutionary mechanisms such as conformity (copying the numerical majority), anti-conformity (copying the numerical minority), prestige bias (copying famous individuals), payoff bias (copying successful people), and vertical cultural transmission (copying your parents) can cause people to adopt elements from other cultures and/or conserve their cultural heritage. We explore how these transmission mechanisms might create distinct acculturation strategies, shaping cultural change and diversity over the long-term. This theoretical integration can pave the way for a more sophisticated understanding of the pervasive cultural shifts occurring in many ethnically diverse societies, notably by identifying conditions that empower minority-group members, often marginalized, to significantly influence the majority group and society.

中文翻译：

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解读文化变迁的动力：文化适应心理学的文化进化方法


尽管文化适应心理学在社会科学中得到了广泛的研究，但由于方法论和理论的过度使用以及对核心概念原则的新挑战，研究进展已经放缓。在这里，我们寻求通过整合未充分利用的文化进化观点来激发对文化适应的科学探究。我们提出，文化进化机制，例如（反）从众、声望偏见、回报偏见和垂直传播，有助于理解少数群体和多数群体成员何时、为何以及如何适应文化。这些机制的方向和效力被认为是通过环境和个人因素的组合来调节的，从而产生在人口层面形成“文化进化平衡”的文化适应策略。这些平衡反过来又会对文化进化的长期、人口层面的动态产生影响。我们概述了我们的观点整合如何使研究人员能够模拟大规模文化变革的动态，从而增加我们对当今多元化社会所面临的复杂挑战的理解。公共摘要文化适应描述了跨文化接触所导致的文化和心理变化。在这里，我们使用“文化进化”的概念来更好地理解文化适应的过程。文化进化研究人员将文化变迁视为一个进化过程，使他们能够借用生物学的工具和方法。 文化进化机制，如从众（复制多数人）、反从众（复制少数人）、声望偏见（复制名人）、回报偏见（复制成功人士）和垂直文化传播（复制你的父母）可能会导致文化进化。人们采用其他文化的元素和/或保护他们的文化遗产。我们探讨这些传播机制如何创造独特的文化适应策略，从而长期塑造文化变革和多样性。这种理论整合可以为更深入地理解许多种族多元化社会中普遍存在的文化转变铺平道路，特别是通过确定使少数群体成员（通常被边缘化）能够显着影响多数群体和社会的条件。