Blanchard, Alyson, E and Keenan, Gregory S. (2024) Concern about COVID-19 mediates the relationship between life-history strategy and stockpiling food but not wanting children. Social Sciences Research Network.
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Abstract
Life-history theory charts the relationship of environmental conditions to resource allocation trade-offs made by organisms to either reproduction or somatic investment. Hazardous environments in which resources are unreliable should prompt adoption of a “fast” life-history strategy in which short-term gains are favoured. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to examine whether an increase in existential threat as signalled by a shift in environmental status impacted on people’s decision making in LHT relevant domains. In this online psychometric study (N = 274) we examined whether concerns about COVID-19 mediated the relationship between life-history strategy and the desire to have or have more children, and stockpiling food. Contrasting results emerged – COVID-19 concern mediated the relationship between LHS and stockpiling food but not LHS and reproduction specifically. Findings highlight potential differences in decision consequences or the type of shift in environmental conditions needed to prompt particular responses.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Additional Information and Comments: | This preprint research paper has not been peer reviewed. Electronic copy available at: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4750365 |
| Faculty / Department: | Faculty of Human and Digital Sciences > School of Psychology |
| Depositing User: | Greg Keenan |
| Date Deposited: | 16 May 2024 13:09 |
| Last Modified: | 16 May 2024 13:09 |
| URI: | https://hira.hope.ac.uk/id/eprint/4243 |
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