Sexual Selection, Conspicuous Consumption and Economic Growth

Jason Collins, Boris Baer and Ernst Weber ()
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Boris Baer: Centre for Integrative Bee Research (CIBER) ARC CoE in Plant Energy Biology, University of Western Australia

No 12-15, Economics Discussion / Working Papers from The University of Western Australia, Department of Economics

Abstract: 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. Males who engage in conspicuous consumption have higher reproductive success than those who do not, as females respond to the costly and honest signal, increasing the prevalence of signalling males in the population over time. As males fund conspicuous consumption through participation in the labour force, the increase in the prevalence of signalling males who engage in conspicuous consumption gives rise to an increase in economic activity that leads to economic growth.

Pages: 71 pages
Date: 2012
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem and nep-evo
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Journal Article: Sexual selection, conspicuous consumption and economic growth (2015)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:uwa:wpaper:12-15

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