matthew effect

is the idea that those in power gain more power (be it wealth or status or credit or scientific clout behind an idea) and those who have none receive none.

The phenomenon was coined by Robert K. Merton in 1968, based on the biblical passage 'Matthew 25:29'. It reads 'For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken even that which he hath.' In short it refers to the fact that, 'Because of preferential attachment, a node that acquires more connections than another one will increase its connectivity at a higher rate, and thus an initial difference in the connectivity between two nodes will increase further as the network grows, while the degree of individual nodes will grow proportional with the square root of time.'

is the phenomenon of cumulative advantage, where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.

In sociology, the Matthew effect (or accumulated advantage) is the phenomenon where 'the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.' In both its original and typical usage it is meant metaphorically to refer to issues of fame or status, but it may also be used literally to refer to cumulative advantage of economic capital. The term was first coined by sociologist Robert K. Merton in 1968 and takes its name from the parable of the talents in the biblical Gospel of Matthew. (wikipedia)

is the phenomenon whereby eminent scientist get the credit or are thought to be the originators of ideas thought by lesser known individuals.

In sociology, 'Matthew effect' was a term coined by Robert K. Merton to describe how, among other things, eminent scientist will often get more credit than a comparatively unknown researcher, even if their work is similar... it also means that credit will usually be given to researchers who are already famous: for example, a prize will almost always be awarded to the most senior researcher involved in a project, even if all the work was done by a graduate student.' (wikipedia)

matthew effect, n.All

matthew effect