TY - JOUR
T1 - The K-factor
T2 - Individual differences in life history strategy
AU - Figueredo, Aurelio José
AU - Vásquez, Geneva
AU - Brumbach, Barbara Hagenah
AU - Sefcek, Jon Adam
AU - Kirsner, Beth R.
AU - Jacobs, W. Jake
PY - 2005/12
Y1 - 2005/12
N2 - Until recently, variations in life history strategy were studied exclusively at the species level. Although this domain of study has been extended to examine systematic differences in life history strategy among various human ethnic groupings, more recent evolutionary theories of human development and related behavioral genetic work imply substantial within-group individual variation in life history strategy. We constructed a latent variable model identifying a single common factor, denoted as K, which underlies a variety of otherwise disparate life history parameters. This "K-Factor" loaded 0.36 on childhood attachment to the biological father, -0.36 on childhood attachment to any non-biological father figure, 0.38 on adult romantic partner attachment, -0.51 on mating effort, -0.58 on Machiavellianism, and -0.41 on risk propensity. The bivariate correlations of the K-factor with higher-order personality factors were statistically significant, -0.24 with "Big Neuroticism" and -0.67 with "Big Psychoticism", and approached significance, correlating 0.12, with "Big Extraversion". The K-factor appears to be an underappreciated individual difference variable of major importance to human development.
AB - Until recently, variations in life history strategy were studied exclusively at the species level. Although this domain of study has been extended to examine systematic differences in life history strategy among various human ethnic groupings, more recent evolutionary theories of human development and related behavioral genetic work imply substantial within-group individual variation in life history strategy. We constructed a latent variable model identifying a single common factor, denoted as K, which underlies a variety of otherwise disparate life history parameters. This "K-Factor" loaded 0.36 on childhood attachment to the biological father, -0.36 on childhood attachment to any non-biological father figure, 0.38 on adult romantic partner attachment, -0.51 on mating effort, -0.58 on Machiavellianism, and -0.41 on risk propensity. The bivariate correlations of the K-factor with higher-order personality factors were statistically significant, -0.24 with "Big Neuroticism" and -0.67 with "Big Psychoticism", and approached significance, correlating 0.12, with "Big Extraversion". The K-factor appears to be an underappreciated individual difference variable of major importance to human development.
KW - Evolutionary psychology
KW - Frequency-dependent selection
KW - Life History Theory
KW - Personality
KW - Reproductive strategy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=27744574104&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=27744574104&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.paid.2005.06.009
DO - 10.1016/j.paid.2005.06.009
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:27744574104
SN - 0191-8869
VL - 39
SP - 1349
EP - 1360
JO - Personality and Individual Differences
JF - Personality and Individual Differences
IS - 8
ER -