Positive correlation between high mate value and slow life history strategy is moderated by trait heritability.

Abstract

Life history theory - which considers the influence of environmental factors that occur over the course of an organism's life in determining patterns of development and behavior - has been used to provide insight into the cause and interpretation of a wide variety of individual differences traits. Recent research has added individual differences in mate value to this list, such that high mate value has been correlated with a slow life history strategy. The current research replicated and further explored this relationship across two studies. Consistent with previous research, Study 1 demonstrated a moderate correlation between life-history strategy and a general assessment of self-perceived mate value. Study 2 expanded this investigation to include a multifactor assessment of self-perceived mate value and provided evidence that the relationship between mate value and life history strategy may be moderated by mate value trait heritability. Specifically, the relationship between mate value and life history strategy was found to be significantly stronger for those mate value traits with the lowest heritability estimates. Results are interpreted and discussed in terms of facultative calibration of evolved psychological mechanisms and conditional behavioral strategies.