Adaptive Inheritance Theory II: Operationalizing Inheritance Capacity, Friction Processing, Prestige Alignment, and Social Decoherence

This paper develops an operational framework for the empirical evaluation of Adaptive Inheritance Theory. Previous work introduced civilization as a distributed system for preserving and transmitting adaptive learning across generations. The present paper extends that framework by addressing the problem of measurement. Four primary constructs are developed: Inheritance Capacity, Friction Processing Capacity, Prestige Alignment, and Social Decoherence. For each construct, conceptual definitions, theoretical foundations, potential indicators, and preliminary measurement strategies are proposed. The paper further introduces the Adaptive Inheritance Index (AII), a conceptual framework intended to support comparative analysis across institutions, organizations, societies, and historical periods. Drawing upon research in cultural evolution, collective memory, organizational learning, institutional theory, systems theory, and information theory, the paper outlines multiple research designs through which the framework may be empirically evaluated. Illustrative applications demonstrate how the proposed dimensions may be integrated into comparative analysis while acknowledging the preliminary nature of the measurement model. The objective is not to provide definitive metrics, but to establish a foundation for future empirical investigation. By translating key theoretical concepts into measurable dimensions, the paper seeks to advance Adaptive Inheritance Theory from conceptual architecture toward systematic scientific evaluation.