Cultural trait transmission and missing data as sources of bias in cross-cultural survey research: explanations of polygyny re-examined

Cross-Cultural Research • Vol/Iss. 43 • Published In • Pages: 134-151 •
By Dow, Malcolm M., Eff, E. Anthon

Abstract

This study retests the work by Ember, Ember and Low (2007) on male mortality and pathogen stress as predictors of nonsororal polygyny. The authors argue that the work of Ember, Ember, and Low is biased because it does not include a variable for cultural trait transmission. Restesting the original Ember, Ember and Low data, including a variable for cultural trait transmission, authors find that male mortality and pathogen stress loose their significance and cultural trait transmission is the only significant predictor of nonsororal polygyny.
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