Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science pp 1–4Cite as

Level of Grandparental Investment

  • Living reference work entry
  • First Online:

  • 553 Accesses

Synonyms

Discriminative grandparental solicitude; Grandparent investment; Paternity uncertainty; Preferential investment in more certain kin

Definition

Any investment by grandparents that increases or contributes to a biological grandchild’s survival and/or reproductive fitness at an opportunity cost to the grandparent.

Introduction

Human grandparents often invest heavily in their grandchildren. Enjoying a long post-reproductive period, human grandparents are afforded many opportunities to direct time and resources to their grandchildren. Grandchildren who receive such an investment are relatively more likely to survive and reach reproductive maturity (Gibson and Mace 2005; Sear and Mace 2008). According to kin selection theory (Hamilton 1964), humans can increase their inclusive fitness directly through reproduction or indirectlyby helping their genetic relatives. Since grandparents share (on average) 25% of their genes with their grandchildren (over and above the large proportion...

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

References

  • Bishop, D. I., Meyer, B. C., Schmidt, T. M., & Gray, B. R. (2009). Differential investment behavior between grandparents and grandchildren: The role of paternity uncertainty. Evolutionary Psychology, 7, 66–77.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Coall, D. A., & Hertwig, R. (2010). Grandparental investment: Past, present, and future. Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 33, 1–59.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Danielsbacka, M., Tanskanen, A. O., Jokela, M., & Rotkirch, A. (2011). Grandparental child care in Europe: Evidence for preferential investment in more certain kin. Evolutionary Psychology, 9, 3–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dawkins, R. (1989/1976). The selfish gene. New York: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Euler, H. A., & Michalski, R. L. (2007). Grandparental and extended kin relationships. In C. Salmon & T. K. Shackelford (Eds.), Family relationships: An evolutionary perspective (pp. 185–204). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Euler, H. A., & Weitzel, B. (1996). Discriminative grandparental solicitude as reproductive strategy. Human Nature, 7, 39–50.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fisher, R. A. (1930). The genetical theory of natural selection. Oxford: Clarendon Press.

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Gibson, M. A., & Mace, R. (2005). Helpful grandmothers in rural Ethiopia: A study of the effect of kin on child survival and growth. Evolution and Human Behavior, 26, 469–482.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton, W. D. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behaviour (I and II). Journal of Theoretical Biology, 7, 1–52.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hughes, A. (1988). Evolution and human kinship. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Laham, S. M., Gonsalkorale, K., & von Hippel, W. (2005). Darwinian grandparenting: Preferential investment in more certain kin. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 31, 63–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pashos, A. (2000). Does paternity uncertainty explain discriminative grandparental solicitude? A cross-cultural study in Greece and Germany. Evolution and Human Behavior, 21, 97–109.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pollet, T. V., Nettle, D., & Nelissen, M. (2006). Contact frequencies between grandparents and grandchildren in a modern society: Estimates of the impact of paternity uncertainty. Journal of Cultural and Evolutionary Psychology, 4, 203–213.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sear, R., & Mace, R. (2008). Who keeps children alive? A review of the effects of kin on child survival. Evolution and Human Behavior, 29, 1–18.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Smith, M. S. (1988). Research in developmental sociobiology: Parenting and family behavior. In K. B. MacDonald (Ed.), Sociobiological perspectives on human development (pp. 271–292). New York: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Luther College, Decorah, IA, 52101, USA

    David Bishop

Authors
  1. David Bishop
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to David Bishop .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Oakland Univ Dept of Psycholgy, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana Weekes-Shackelford

  2. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Todd K. Shackelford

  3. Rochester, Michigan, USA

    Viviana A. Weekes-Shackelford

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Psychology, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA

    Nicole Barbaro

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2016 Springer International Publishing AG

About this entry

Cite this entry

Bishop, D. (2016). Level of Grandparental Investment. In: Weekes-Shackelford, V., Shackelford, T., Weekes-Shackelford, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Evolutionary Psychological Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1186-1

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-16999-6_1186-1

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-16999-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Behavioral Science and PsychologyReference Module Humanities and Social SciencesReference Module Business, Economics and Social Sciences

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation