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Bifocal stance theory: An effort to broaden, extend, and clarify

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 November 2022

Robert Jagiello Open the ORCID record for Robert Jagiello [Opens in a new window] ,
Cecilia Heyes Open the ORCID record for Cecilia Heyes [Opens in a new window]  and
Harvey Whitehouse Open the ORCID record for Harvey Whitehouse [Opens in a new window]
Robert Jagiello
Affiliation:
Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6PE, UK robert.jagiello@anthro.ox.ac.uk harvey.whitehouse@anthro.ox.ac.uk
Cecilia Heyes
Affiliation:
All Souls College and Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 4AL, UK cecilia.heyes@all-souls.ox.ac.uk
Harvey Whitehouse
Affiliation:
Centre for the Study of Social Cohesion, School of Anthropology and Museum Ethnography, University of Oxford, Oxford OX2 6PE, UK robert.jagiello@anthro.ox.ac.uk harvey.whitehouse@anthro.ox.ac.uk
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Abstract

The bifocal stance theory (BST) of cultural evolution has prompted a wide-ranging discussion with broadly three aims: to apply the theory to novel contexts; to extend the conceptual framework; to offer critical feedback on various aspects of the theory. We first discuss BST's relevance to the diverse range of topics which emerged from the commentaries, followed by a consideration of how our framework can be supplemented by and compared to other theories. Lastly, the criticisms that were raised by a subset of commentaries allow us to clarify parts of our theory.

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Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 45 , 2022 , e275
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Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press

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