The psychometric assessment of human life history strategy: A meta-analytic construct validation.

Figueredo, Aurelio José; Wolf, Pedro S. A.; Olderbak, Sally; Gladden, Paul R.; Fernandes, Heitor B. F.; Wenner, Christopher J.; Hill, Dawn; Andrzejczak, Dok J.; Sisco, Melissa M.; Jacobs, W. Jake; Hohman, Zachary J.; Sefcek, Jon A.; Kruger, Daniel J.; Howrigan, Daniel P.; MacDonald, Kevin; Rushton, J. Philippe

doi:10.1037/h0099837

Cited by 116 publications

(124 citation statements)

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“…The current investigation was undertaken to explore the possibility for further refinement by testing the hypothesis that parental influence in the developing LH strategy extends into late adolescence. Importantly, longitudinal data employing a psychometric measure of LH strategy (Figueredo et al, 2014) were used to examine this possibility. This is important because longitudinal research employing a psychometric based measure of LH has not been used to examine even the fundamental aspects of Belsky et al (1991) approach (e.g., parental sensitivity is predictive of future LH strategy).…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In modern environments psychometric and behavioral based measures may often be superior (Figueredo et al, 2014). For example, the disaggregation of sexual intercourse and reproduction due to modern contraception makes LH indices like total number of conceptions more difficult to place as an indicator of a slow or fast LH strategy.…”

Section: A Short Note On Measurementmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…To date longitudinal studies on the development of LH strategy have relied upon what Figueredo et al (2014) refer to as biometric measures (e.g., pubertal timing). In modern environments psychometric and behavioral based measures may often be superior (Figueredo et al, 2014).…”

Section: A Short Note On Measurementmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Parenting influence on the development of life history strategy

Dunkel¹,

Mathes²,

Kesselring³

et al. 2015

Evolution and Human Behavior

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: A Short Note On Measurementmentioning

confidence: 98%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Parenting influence on the development of life history strategy

Dunkel¹,

Mathes²,

Kesselring³

et al. 2015

Evolution and Human Behavior

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“…To assess participants' life-history strategy, each participant completed the 20-item Mini-K scale which assesses a single factor that differentiates between fast (low-K) and slow (high-K) life-history strategies (e.g., "I avoid taking risks," "I would rather have one than several sexual relationships at a time": 1 = strongly disagree, 7 = strongly agree; α = 0.84, mean = 4.74, SD = 0.87) (37). The Mini-K shows good internal consistency and convergent validity with other measures aimed at assessing life-history strategy (38,39).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Implications of life-history strategies for obesity

Maner

Dittmann

Meltzer

et al. 2017

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

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The association between low socioeconomic status (SES) and obesity is well documented. In the current research, a life history theory (LHT) framework provided an explanation for this association. Derived from evolutionary behavioral science, LHT emphasizes how variability in exposure to unpredictability during childhood gives rise to individual differences in a range of social psychological processes across the life course. Consistent with previous LHT research, the current findings suggest that exposure to unpredictability during childhood (a characteristic common to low SES environments) is associated with the adoption of a fast life-history strategy, one marked by impulsivity and a focus on short-term goals. We demonstrate that a fast life-history strategy, in turn, was associated with dysregulated weight-management behaviors (i.e., eating even in the absence of hunger), which were predictive of having a high body mass index (BMI) and being obese. In both studies, findings held while controlling for participants' current socioeconomic status, suggesting that obesity is rooted in childhood experiences. A serial mediation model in study 2 confirmed that effects of childhood SES on adult BMI and obesity can be explained in part by exposure to unpredictability, the adoption of a fast life-history strategy, and dysregulated-eating behaviors. These findings suggest that weight problems in adulthood may be rooted partially in early childhood exposure to unpredictable events and environments. LHT provides a valuable explanatory framework for understanding the root causes of obesity.evolutionary psychology | evolutionary medicine | life history theory | health behavior | obesity M ore than one third of American adults and about one third of children and adolescents are currently obese, and an even greater number are overweight (1). Obesity is a risk factor for many negative health outcomes including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, liver disease, cancer, and stroke (2). Consequently, identifying the behavioral factors that increase obesity is a key goal for research.This article provides an evolutionary perspective on obesity by using a life history theory (LHT) approach. Derived from evolutionary biology, LHT suggests that adaptive psychological processes are calibrated early in life to help people maximize their reproductive potential across the lifespan, given the contingencies they encounter in their local childhood environment (3, 4).Although existing epidemiological research has used a lifecourse perspective to understand how childhood psychosocial variables contribute to adult disease (5), no studies to our knowledge have adopted a LHT approach. Recognizing developmental factors suggested by LHT not only enhances our theoretical understanding of obesity but also generates insight into possible interventions.Work in the LHT tradition finds that the degree of unpredictability in an organism's early-life environment influences behavior in a variety of domains throughout the life course (6). LHT is roo...

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“…mini-k is a shortened version of the K-scale, with fewer questions and shown to be similarly valid as, and convergent with, the larger K-scale measure (see Figueredo, Vásquez, Brumbach, Sefcek, Kirsner, & Jacobs, 2005); mini-k has also been demonstrated to be valid crossculturally (Figueredo et al, 2006). The mini-k scale has received extensive validation (Figueredo et al, 2014;Figueredo & Wolf, 2009;Gladden, Figueredo, & Jacobs, 2008;Gladden, Sisco, & Figueredo, 2008), (α=.74). mini-k assesses individual differences in endorsement of items related to (slow-paced) life history strategy.…”

Section: Measures Mini-k Scalementioning

confidence: 99%