Theory · 2001

The evolution of prestige: Freely conferred deference as a mechanism for enhancing the benefits of cultural transmission

J. Henrich, F. J. Gil-White. Evolution and Human Behavior.

Splits status into dominance (force) and prestige (freely conferred deference to those worth copying). Without this split, every T paper gets over-interpreted as an aggression paper.

Open source doi:10.1016/S1090-5138(00)00071-4

Edges that cite this paper

If people follow you because you are worth copying, the group gets coordination without fear. That is a different hormone story.
Dominance is a means. Status is the end. Folklore treats them as synonyms.

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What Causes What. “The evolution of prestige: Freely conferred deference as a mechanism for enhancing the benefits of cultural transmission.” https://whatcauseswhat.org/papers/p-henrich-2001 (atlas updated 2026-08-31).

https://whatcauseswhat.org/papers/p-henrich-2001