Parental Investment and Mate Value Measure

Stressors in the childhood environment, such as decreased parental investment (PI) regulates an individual’s reproductive behaviors. The effect of these behaviors on fitness is partly determined by individual mate value (MV). We tested whether PI during childhood is associated to MV in adulthood. Adult men and women (N = 1244) reported received maternal and paternal investment, and also current MV. We found that high PI in childhood was associated with increased MV in adulthood. Additionally, there was a positive correlation between maternal and paternal investment and the association between paternal investment and MV was mediated through maternal investment. We conclude that PI, especially maternal investment, might influence MV in offspring.

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Musical improvisation skill in a prospective partner is associated with mate value and preferences, consistent with sexual selection and parental investment theory: Implications for the origin of music

Evolution and Human Behavior ◽

10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2017.10.005 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 39 (1) ◽

pp. 120-129 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Guy Madison ◽

Jakob Holmquist ◽

Mattias Vestin

Keyword(s):

Sexual Selection ◽

Parental Investment ◽

Mate Value ◽

Investment Theory ◽

Parental Investment Theory ◽

Musical Improvisation

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Perceived Mate Value Measure

PsycTESTS Dataset ◽

10.1037/t30888-000 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Attila Szücs ◽

Simon Schindler ◽

Marc-André Reinhard ◽

Dagmar Stahlberg

Keyword(s):

Mate Value ◽

Value Measure

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Adult sex ratio and social status predict mating and parenting strategies in Northern Ireland

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2016.0318 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 372 (1729) ◽

pp. 20160318 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Caroline Uggla ◽

Ruth Mace

Keyword(s):

Social Class ◽

Northern Ireland ◽

Sex Ratio ◽

Parental Investment ◽

Pair Bond ◽

Mate Value ◽

Stable Pair ◽

Highly Educated ◽

Bond Stability ◽

Adult Sex Ratio

Evidence from animal species indicates that a male-biased adult sex ratio (ASR) can lead to higher levels of male parental investment and that there is heterogeneity in behavioural responses to mate scarcity depending on mate value. In humans, however, there is little consistent evidence of the effect of the ASR on pair-bond stability and parental investment and even less of how it varies by an individual's mate value. In this paper we use detailed census data from Northern Ireland to test the association between the ASR and pair-bond stability and parental investment by social status (education and social class) as a proxy for mate value. We find evidence that female, but not male, cohabitation is associated with the ASR. In female-biased areas women with low education are less likely to be in a stable pair-bond than highly educated women, but in male-biased areas women with the lowest education are as likely to be in a stable pair-bond as their most highly educated peers. For both sexes risk of separation is greater at female-biased sex ratios. Lastly, our data show a weak relationship between parental investment and the ASR that depends on social class. We discuss these results in the light of recent reformulations of parental investment theory. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Adult sex ratios and reproductive decisions: a critical re-examination of sex differences in human and animal societies’.

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