TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of harsh and unpredictable environments in adolescence on development of life history strategies
T2 - A Longitudinal Test of an Evolutionary Model
AU - Brumbach, Barbara Hagenah
AU - Figueredo, Aurelio José
AU - Ellis, Bruce J.
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments This research is based on Brumbach’s dissertation, which was submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for a degree at the University of Arizona. The research uses data from Add Health, a program project designed by J. Richard Udry, Peter S. Bearman, and Kathleen Mullan Harris, and funded by a grant P01-HD31921 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, with cooperative funding from 17 other agencies. Special acknowledgment is due Ronald R. Rindfuss and Barbara Entwisle for assistance in the original design. Persons interested in obtaining data files from Add Health should contact the Carolina Population Center, 123 W. Franklin Street, Chapel Hill, NC 27516-2524 ([email protected]).
PY - 2009/3
Y1 - 2009/3
N2 - The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health data were used to test predictions from life history theory. We hypothesized that (1) in young adulthood an emerging life history strategy would exist as a common factor underlying many life history traits (e.g., health, relationship stability, economic success), (2) both environmental harshness and unpredictability would account for unique variance in expression of adolescent and young adult life history strategies, and (3) adolescent life history traits would predict young adult life history strategy. These predictions were supported. The current findings suggest that the environmental parameters of harshness and unpredictability have concurrent effects on life history development in adolescence, as well as longitudinal effects into young adulthood. In addition, life history traits appear to be stable across developmental time from adolescence into young adulthood.
AB - The National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health data were used to test predictions from life history theory. We hypothesized that (1) in young adulthood an emerging life history strategy would exist as a common factor underlying many life history traits (e.g., health, relationship stability, economic success), (2) both environmental harshness and unpredictability would account for unique variance in expression of adolescent and young adult life history strategies, and (3) adolescent life history traits would predict young adult life history strategy. These predictions were supported. The current findings suggest that the environmental parameters of harshness and unpredictability have concurrent effects on life history development in adolescence, as well as longitudinal effects into young adulthood. In addition, life history traits appear to be stable across developmental time from adolescence into young adulthood.
KW - Add Health
KW - Adolescent health
KW - Environmental harshness
KW - Environmental unpredictability
KW - Life history theory
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U2 - 10.1007/s12110-009-9059-3
DO - 10.1007/s12110-009-9059-3
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:69549135421
SN - 1045-6767
VL - 20
SP - 25
EP - 51
JO - Human Nature
JF - Human Nature
IS - 1
ER -