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Sexual selection, conspicuous consumption and economic growth

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  • Jason Collins
  • Boris Baer
  • Ernst Weber

Abstract

We propose that the evolution by sexual selection of the male propensity to engage in conspicuous consumption contributed to the emergence of modern rates of economic growth. We develop a model in which males engage in conspicuous consumption to send an honest signal of their quality to females. Females prefer males who express the costly and honest signal, leading males who engage in conspicuous consumption to have higher reproductive success than those who do not, increasing the prevalence of signalling males in the population. As males fund their conspicuous consumption through participation in the labour force, an increase in the prevalence of signalling males gives rise to an increase in economic activity that leads to economic growth. Copyright Springer Science+Business Media New York 2015

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  • Jason Collins & Boris Baer & Ernst Weber, 2015. "Sexual selection, conspicuous consumption and economic growth," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 17(2), pages 189-206, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:kap:jbioec:v:17:y:2015:i:2:p:189-206
    DOI: 10.1007/s10818-015-9200-9
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    1. Sex & growth
      by chris dillow in Stumbling and Mumbling on 2012-10-10 18:14:39

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    2. Richters, Oliver & Siemoneit, Andreas, 2017. "How imperative are the Joneses? Economic growth between individual desire and social coercion," VÖÖ Discussion Papers 4/2017, Vereinigung für Ökologische Ökonomie e.V. (VÖÖ).
    3. Quamrul H. Ashraf & Oded Galor, 2018. "The Macrogenoeconomics of Comparative Development," Journal of Economic Literature, American Economic Association, vol. 56(3), pages 1119-1155, September.
    4. Enav, Friedmann & Daphna, Brueller, 2018. "Is stereotypical gender targeting effective for increasing service choice?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 44(C), pages 35-44.
    5. Ryan H. Murphy, 2019. "The rationality of literal Tide Pod consumption," Journal of Bioeconomics, Springer, vol. 21(2), pages 111-122, July.
    6. Jason Collins & Boris Baer & Ernst Juerg Weber, 2016. "Evolutionary Biology in Economics: A Review," The Economic Record, The Economic Society of Australia, vol. 92(297), pages 291-312, June.

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