Popularity Feedback Constrains Innovation in Cultural Markets
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arXiv
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| Autores principales: | , , , , , , , |
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| Formato: | Preprint |
| Publicado: |
2026
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| _version_ | 1866915788990971904 |
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| author | Gautheron, Lucas Marjieh, Raja Conley, Dalton C. Frey, Seth Rubin, Hannah Schneider, Mike D. Tchernichovski, Ofer Jacoby, Nori |
| author_facet | Gautheron, Lucas Marjieh, Raja Conley, Dalton C. Frey, Seth Rubin, Hannah Schneider, Mike D. Tchernichovski, Ofer Jacoby, Nori |
| contents | Real-world creative processes ranging from art to science rely on social feedback-loops between selection and creation. Yet, the effects of popularity feedback on collective creativity remain poorly understood. We investigate how popularity ratings influence cultural dynamics in a large-scale online experiment where participants ($N = 1\,008$) iteratively \textit{select} images from evolving markets and \textit{produce} their own modifications. Results show that exposing the popularity of images reduces cultural diversity and slows innovation, delaying aesthetic improvements. These findings are mediated by alterations of both selection and creation. During selection, popularity information triggers cumulative advantage, with participants preferentially building upon popular images, reducing diversity. During creation, participants make less disruptive changes, and are more likely to expand existing visual patterns. Feedback loops in cultural markets thus not only shape selection, but also, directly or indirectly, the form and direction of cultural innovation. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2602_09997 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Popularity Feedback Constrains Innovation in Cultural Markets Gautheron, Lucas Marjieh, Raja Conley, Dalton C. Frey, Seth Rubin, Hannah Schneider, Mike D. Tchernichovski, Ofer Jacoby, Nori Social and Information Networks Neurons and Cognition Populations and Evolution Real-world creative processes ranging from art to science rely on social feedback-loops between selection and creation. Yet, the effects of popularity feedback on collective creativity remain poorly understood. We investigate how popularity ratings influence cultural dynamics in a large-scale online experiment where participants ($N = 1\,008$) iteratively \textit{select} images from evolving markets and \textit{produce} their own modifications. Results show that exposing the popularity of images reduces cultural diversity and slows innovation, delaying aesthetic improvements. These findings are mediated by alterations of both selection and creation. During selection, popularity information triggers cumulative advantage, with participants preferentially building upon popular images, reducing diversity. During creation, participants make less disruptive changes, and are more likely to expand existing visual patterns. Feedback loops in cultural markets thus not only shape selection, but also, directly or indirectly, the form and direction of cultural innovation. |
| title | Popularity Feedback Constrains Innovation in Cultural Markets |
| topic | Social and Information Networks Neurons and Cognition Populations and Evolution |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2602.09997 |