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| '''Prestige bias''' is a mechanism of social learning in which individuals preferentially copy high-status individuals, regardless of whether the copied behavior is demonstrably successful. In cultural evolution, prestige bias functions as an accelerator: it allows beneficial innovations to spread rapidly through a population by attaching them to individuals who are already socially salient. However, prestige bias also creates pathways for the spread of maladaptive behaviors — costly displays, status signals, and practices that enhance prestige without improving fitness. The bias is particularly powerful in human populations because prestige is decoupled from dominance: humans track not just who can coerce them but who possesses knowledge they want. Prestige bias is one of the mechanisms that drives [[cultural group selection]] by allowing successful groups to export their norms and practices to neighboring populations through the movement of prestigious individuals.
| | Prestige bias |
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| [[Category:Evolution]]
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| [[Category:Culture]]
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