The crowded life is a slow life: Population density and life history strategy.

摘要: The world population has doubled over the last half century. Yet, research on psychological effects of human density, once a popular topic, decreased past few decades. Applying fresh perspective to an old we draw upon life history theory examine density. Across nations and across U.S. states (Studies 1 2), find that dense populations exhibit behaviors corresponding slower strategy, including greater future-orientation, investment in education, more long-term mating orientation, later marriage age, lower fertility, parental investment. In Studies 3 4, experimentally manipulating perceptions high density led individuals become future-oriented. Finally, 5 6, seemed lead life-stage-specific strategies, with college students preferring invest fewer rather than relationship partners, older MTurk sample children. This sheds new insight its implications for cultural variation society at large. (PsycINFO Database Record