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The interaction between social factors and biological factors: supplementary reflections on the two-tiered life history model

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 November 2025

Dingsheng Zhong Open the ORCID record for Dingsheng Zhong [Opens in a new window]
Dingsheng Zhong*
Affiliation:
School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, China zhongds@ujs.edu.cn
*
*Corresponding author.
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Abstract

The two-tiered life history model remains inadequate in addressing how social factors (particularly cultural norms and religious beliefs) interact with biological determinants to shape life history strategies. This limitation significantly constrains the model’s explanatory power when applied to certain historical demographic phenomena. We recommend introducing a third explanatory framework (the cultural-institutional tier) to augment the two-tiered model.

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Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 48 , 2025 , e128
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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