ArticleHuman nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.)2018
Measuring the Unmeasurable : The Psychometrics of Life History Strategy.
Article in Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers.
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Who cites it
19 citing papers in PubMed.
- Moving beyond attraction, compassion, and competence: evidence for compatibility as a distinct component of mate preferences.Frontiers in psychology · 2026Article
- Are Higher-Order Constructs in Evolutionary Psychology Attributable to Omitted Cross-Loading Bias? An Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling Approach.Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.) · 2025Article
- Article
- Life-history strategy, adverse environment, and justification of life-ending decisions.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Distinct roles of early life deprivation and unpredictability in shaping mating-related behaviours and sexual harassment perceptions.Frontiers in psychology · 2025Article
- Measuring the unmeasurable multidimensional poverty for economic development: Datasets, algorithms, and models from the poorest region of Luzon, Philippines.Data in brief · 2024Article
- A psychosocial network approach studying biomedical HIV prevention uptake between 2017 and 2019.Scientific reports · 2023Article
- The relationship between childhood adversity and problem behavior of new street corner youth on campus: A moderate mediation model.Frontiers in psychology · 2022Article
- Advancing the Psychometric Study of Human Life History Indicators : K Does Not Measure Life History Speed, but Theory and Evidence Suggest It Deserves Further Attention.Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.) · 2021Article
- Borderline Personality Disorder in a "Life History Theory" Perspective: Evidence for a Fast "Pace-of-Life-Syndrome".Frontiers in psychology · 2021Article
- Do Criminals Live Faster Than Soldiers and Firefighters? : A Comparison of Biodemographic and Psychosocial Dimensions of Life History Theory.Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.) · 2020Article
- On the Incongruence between Psychometric and Psychosocial-Biodemographic Measures of Life History.Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.) · 2020Article
- The Structure of the Mini-K and K-SF-42 : A Psychological Network Approach.Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.) · 2020Article
- Life-history theory in psychology and evolutionary biology: one research programme or two?Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences · 2020Review
- Network approach in health behavior research: how can we explore new questions?Health psychology and behavioral medicine · 2019Article
- Life History in a Postconflict Society : Violent Intergroup Conflict Facilitates Fast Life-History Strategy.Human nature (Hawthorne, N.Y.) · 2019Article
- Life History, Attachment and Romantic Relationship Outcomes in an Eastern European Adult Sample.Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behaviorArticle
- Sexual Desire of Women With Fast and Slow Life History Throughout the Ovulatory Cycle.Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behaviorArticle
- Retrospective Self-Reported Childhood Experiences in Enriched Environments Uniquely Predict Prosocial Behavior and Personality Traits in Adulthood.Evolutionary psychology : an international journal of evolutionary approaches to psychology and behaviorArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Within evolutionary biology, life-history theory is used to explain cross-species differences in allocation strategies regarding reproduction, maturation, and survival. Behavioral scientists have recently begun to conceptualize such strategies as a within-species individual characteristic that is predictive of behavior. Although life history theory provides an important framework for behavioral scientists, the psychometric approach to life-history strategy measurement-as operationalized by K-factors-involves conceptual entanglements. We argue that current psychometric approaches attempting to identify K-factors are based on an unwarranted conflation of functional descriptions and proximate mechanisms-a conceptual mix-up that may generate unviable hypotheses and invites misinterpretation of empirical findings. The assumptions underlying generic psychometric methodology do not allow measurement of functionally defined variables; rather these methods are confined to Mayr's proximate causal realm. We therefore conclude that K-factor scales lack validity, and that life history strategy cannot be identified with psychometrics as usual. To align theory with methodology, suggestions for alternative methods and new avenues are proposed.
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