Principle of the least effort
The principle of least effort ( Engl. Principle of least effort ) is a theory which states that living things tend to take the easiest way to achieve a goal. Esther Bierbaum called the theory a “ deterministic description of human behavior”. This principle can be found both in biological evolution and in human developments. One application in linguistics is linguistic economics , which follows the principle of least collaborative effort by Paul Grice .
history
The principle of least effort was first introduced by the librarian and author Thomas Mann in his influential book "A Guide to Library Research Methods". mentioned. Mann counted the principle of the least effort among the principles of research behavior he established. The term “principle of least effort” does not come from him, however, but was introduced by Harvard linguist George Kingsley Zipf .
In 2004, Zao Liu and Zheng Ye (Lan) Lang published a study that looked at what sources Mexican distance students use for research and why they use them. It turned out that the Internet is used the most, and only then the libraries for further research. The study explained this by the fact that the students use the Internet because it enables them to access the information quickly in their home. The study therefore regarded the principle of least effort as an important model for describing the behavior of distance students.
Individual evidence
- ^ Esther Bierbaum: A Paradigm for the '90s , American Libraries
- ^ Mann, Thomas, 1948-: The Oxford guide to library research . Fourth ed. Oxford, ISBN 978-0-19-993104-0 .
- ^ Zipf, George Kingsley, 1902-1950 .: Human behavior and the principle of least effort: an introduction to human ecology . Martino Pub, Mansfield Center, CT 2012, ISBN 978-1-61427-312-7 .