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Timing is everything: Evaluating behavioural causal theories of Britain's industrialisation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 November 2019

Judy Z. Stephenson
Judy Z. Stephenson*
Affiliation:
Bartlett School, University College London, London WC1H 0QB, United Kingdom. j.stephenson@ucl.ac.uk
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Abstract

Baumard's thesis that the English Industrial Revolution can be explained by Life History Theory's predictions for psychological development is a progression of much literature in economic and social history. However, the theory suffers from its reliance on increasingly fragile data indicators for “wealth” and its focus on “innovation” as new research begins to explore sectoral dynamics in long run growth.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 42 , 2019 , e208
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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 

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