Vogt, P. (2009) Modelling interactions between language evolution and demography Human Biology 81(2-3): 237-258

Abstract This article reviews studies that have modelled interactions between language evolution and demographic processes. The models are classified in terms of three different approaches: analytical modelling, agent-based analytical modelling and agent-based cognitive modelling. It will be shown that these approaches differ in the complexity of interactions that they can handle, and that the agent-based cognitive models allow for the most detailed and realistic simulations. The purpose of the article is provide the reader a guideline for selecting which approach to use, should he/she wish to investigate a certain problem. The paper concludes by stating that the analytical models are useful to study interactions between demography and language evolution in terms of high level processes; the agent-based analytical models are good to study such interactions in terms of social dynamics without bothering too much about the cognitive mechanisms of language processing; and the agent-based cognitive models are best to study the interactions between the complex socio-cognitive mechanisms underlying language evolution.