The crowded life is a slow life: Population density and life history strategy.

Sng, Oliver; Neuberg, Steven L.; Varnum, Michael E. W.; Kenrick, Douglas T.

doi:10.1037/pspi0000086

Cited by 108 publications

(127 citation statements)

References 84 publications

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“…Education is a key predictor of positive later life outcomes in the UK, and our finding of a causal effect of earlier age at menarche on increased educational attainment provides important information for determinants of educational attainment which should be independent from confounding (40). Investing in education can be seen as a slow life history trait with delayed benefits (43). The effect of age at menarche on educational attainment may be due to variation in cognition following variation in age at menarche and gonadal hormones, due to menarche, that may influence behaviour during schooling (40,44).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

The effects of age at menarche and first sexual intercourse on reproductive and behavioural outcomes: a Mendelian randomization study

Lawn

Sallis

Wootton

et al. 2018

Preprint

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There is substantial variation in the timing of significant reproductive life events such as menarche and first sexual intercourse. Life history theory explains this variation as an adaptive response to the developmental environment. In environments characterized by harsh conditions, adopting a fast life history strategy may increase fitness. In line with this, there is evidence demonstrating that greater childhood adversity is associated with earlier age at menarche. Here we applied Mendelian randomization (MR) methods to investigate whether there is a causal effect of variation in age at menarche and age at first sexual intercourse on outcomes related to reproduction, education and risky behaviour in UK Biobank (N = 114883-181,255). Our results suggest that earlier age at menarche affects some traits that characterize life history strategies including earlier age at first and last birth, decreased educational attainment, and decreased age at leaving education (for example, we found evidence for a 0.26 year decrease in age at first birth per year decrease in age at menarche, 95% confidence interval: -0.34 to -0.17; p < 0.0001). We find no clear evidence of effects of age at menarche on other outcomes, such as risk taking behaviour. Age at first sexual intercourse was also related to many life history outcomes, although there was evidence of horizontal pleiotropy which violates an assumption of MR and results should be treated with caution. Taken together, these results highlight how MR can be applied to test predictions of life history theory and to better understand determinants of health and social behaviour.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 77%

The effects of age at menarche and first sexual intercourse on reproductive and behavioural outcomes: a Mendelian randomization study

Lawn

Sallis

Wootton

et al. 2018

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Model 5 tested the effect of population density, because densely populated places could be more competitive (46). Density was marginally significant in the "right" direction, γ = 3.34, SE = 1.80, P = 0.063.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ingroup vigilance in collectivistic cultures

Liu

Morris

Talhelm

et al. 2019

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

106

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Collectivistic cultures have been characterized as having harmonious, cooperative ingroup relationships. However, we find evidence that people in collectivistic cultures are more vigilant toward ingroup members, mindful of their possible unethical intentions. Study 1 found that Chinese participants were more vigilant than Americans in within-group competitions, anticipating more unethical behaviors from their peers. Study 2 replicated this finding by comparing areas within China, finding that people from China’s collectivistic rice-farming regions exhibit greater ingroup vigilance than people from the less collectivistic wheat-farming regions. The rice/wheat difference was mediated by greater perceived within-group competition. Study 3 found that Chinese participants were more likely than Americans to interpret a peer’s friendly behavior as sabotage in disguise. We also manipulated within-group competition and found that it increased ingroup vigilance in both cultures. Finally, study 3 identified two boundary conditions where cultural differences in ingroup vigilance decrease: an unambiguously competitive win–lose situation where Americans also exhibit vigilance, and an unambiguously cooperative win–win situation where Chinese participants relax their vigilance. This research contributes to a more balanced view of collectivism, revealing its interpersonal tensions in the forms of within-group competition and ingroup vigilance.

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“…Somewhat paradoxically, in addition to having tighter cultures, inhabitants of more densely populated countries also show a host of traits corresponding to a slower life-history strategy (Sng, Neuberg, Varnum, & Kenrick, 2017). For example, they favor long-term relationships, prefer to marry later and have fewer children, and are more likely to invest in the future of their children.…”

Section: Intermediate Predictorsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Latitudinal Psychology: An Ecological Perspective on Creativity, Aggression, Happiness, and Beyond

Vliert

Lange

2019

Perspect Psychol Sci

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Are there systematic trends around the world in levels of creativity, aggressiveness, life satisfaction, individualism, trust, and suicidality? This article suggests a new field, latitudinal psychology, that delineates differences in such culturally shared features along northern and southern rather than eastern and western locations. In addition to geographical, ecological, and other explanations, we offer three metric foundations of latitudinal variations: replicability (latitudinal gradient repeatability across hemispheres), reversibility (north-south gradient reversal near the equator), and gradient strength (degree of replicability and reversibility). We show that aggressiveness decreases whereas creativity, life satisfaction, and individualism increase as one moves closer to either the North or South Pole. We also discuss the replicability, reversibility, and gradient strength of (a) temperatures and rainfall as remote predictors and (b) pathogen prevalence, national wealth, population density, and income inequality as more proximate predictors of latitudinal gradients in human functioning. Preliminary analyses suggest that cultural and psychological diversity often need to be partially understood in terms of latitudinal variations in integrated exposure to climate-induced demands and wealth-based resources. We conclude with broader implications, emphasizing the importance of north-south replications in samples that are not from Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (WEIRD) societies.

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The crowded life is a slow life: Population density and life history strategy.

Cited by 108 publications

References 84 publications

The effects of age at menarche and first sexual intercourse on reproductive and behavioural outcomes: a Mendelian randomization study

The effects of age at menarche and first sexual intercourse on reproductive and behavioural outcomes: a Mendelian randomization study

Ingroup vigilance in collectivistic cultures

Latitudinal Psychology: An Ecological Perspective on Creativity, Aggression, Happiness, and Beyond

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