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Life History Theory

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Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences

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r-K selection theory

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Life history theory:

A framework for understanding between- and within-species differences in the strategic allocation of bioenergetic and material resources toward competing goals, such as somatic effort, mating effort, and parental effort. Approaches to the study of life history strategies initially focused on biodemographic markers of life history strategies (growth rates, pubertal timing, age at first birth, interbirth interval). Over the last two decades, an increasing body of research has also examined life history using a psychological perspective in efforts to identify additional motivations, attitudes, feelings, and behaviors that may reflect life history strategies (desire to delay reproduction, trade-offs between long-term goals and short-term goals, interpersonal relationships, sociosexuality).

Somatic effort:

Allocation of resources toward one’s own growth, development, and maintenance.

Mating effort:

Allocation of resources toward...

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Correspondence to Candace Jasmine Black .

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Black, C.J., Figueredo, A.J., Jacobs, W.J. (2019). Life History Theory. In: Zeigler-Hill, V., Shackelford, T. (eds) Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1542-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1542-2

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-28099-8

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

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Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Life History Theory
    Published:
    20 February 2019

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1542-2

  2. Original

    Life History Theory
    Published:
    26 July 2018

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-28099-8_1542-1