Received: by alpheratz.cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk id SAA19752 (8.6.9/5.3[ref pg@gmsl.co.uk] for cpm.aca.mmu.ac.uk from b.edmonds@mmu.ac.uk); Wed, 2 May 2001 18:04:24 +0100 Message-ID: <3AF03D90.B8D48D44@mmu.ac.uk> Date: Wed, 02 May 2001 18:02:08 +0100 From: Bruce Edmonds <b.edmonds@mmu.ac.uk> Organization: Centre for Policy Modelling X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.77 [en] (WinNT; U) X-Accept-Language: en To: JOM announcements list <jom-emit-ann@mmu.ac.uk> Subject: Jom-emit paper: "Towards a Cognitive Memetics" by Castelfranchi Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Sender: b.edmonds@mmu.ac.uk Precedence: bulk Reply-To: JOM-EMIT@sepa.tudelft.nl
Towards a Cognitive Memetics:
Socio-Cognitive Mechanisms for
Memes Selection and Spreading
Cristiano Castelfranchi
University of Siena - Dep. of Communication Sciences
Siena - Italy
castel@ip.rm.cnr.it
Abstract
Introduction
1 - Cognitive Autonomy and Mediation in Cultural Transmission
1.1 - Limits of these 'cognitive' approach and representations
1.2 - Diffusion vs. Tradition
1.3 - A basic model of replication in cognitive agents
1.4 - Three mechanisms for meme adoption and replication
2 - Instrumental Adoption: the 'practical problem-solving' mechanism
3 - Normative Adoption: The normative character of cultural
transmission
3.1 - Norms & Memes
4 - Identity/Membership: the Social Identity Mechanism
4.1 - Identity Differentiation or Hostility
4.2 - Cooperation and conflict between the practical, normative,
and
identity-based adoption mechanisms
5 - Perceived Diffusion and Actual Diffusion
6 - Belief Adoption and its Constraints
6.1 - To accept and to reject; storing vs. believing
6.2 - The decision to believe
6.3 - Infra-psychic memetic competition
6.4 - Why Sharing Beliefs
7 - A more general and sophisticated model: Two crucial 'decisions'
and
their emergent effects
7.1 - Macro-layer effects
8 - Concluding remarks
Notes
Acknowledgments
References
Appendix
Abstract
After stressing the autonomy of a cognitive agent relative to social
influence, and the importance of cognitive constraints in accepting a
given meme, we discuss three specific micro-mechanisms for
adopting a given behaviour; they differ in the interpretation of the
observed behaviour and in the motives for replicating it. Tomasello's
model of cultural transmission is discussed. Special attention is
paid
to the role of norms in meme spreading, to the role of social
identity
and membership, and to inter-group differentiation. Principles
supporting the diffusion of know how are different from principles
supporting the diffusion of know that.. Cognitive constraints for
beliefs acceptance are examined. Not only the adoption of a meme
but also its diffusion can be the result of a decision by the
cognitive
agent; different socio-cognitive micro-mechanisms have different
macro-results in meme propagation. Those examples and models are
aimed at claiming that the agents' minds are the most relevant
selective environment for memes. To understand cultural evolution
it is necessary to identify the cognitive principles of the success
or
selection of memes within minds. Memetics can only be cognitive,
otherwise it is contradictory and non explanatory.
Keywords: memes, cognitive memetics, culture, beliefs, norms,
social identity
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