Life History Theory
Validated psychometric assessments of Mating Effort and Parenting Effort

The Mating Effort and Parenting Effort items below are presented in a random order in a matrix table, average scores are computed for each scale. Participants rate each item on a 0-100 sliding scale, initially set at 50. When participants clicked on the scale, a value is displayed. Participants can re-click each item’s scale until they chose to advance the survey page. This generates continuous data on a true ratio scale with a range from 0 to 100. The items can also be used with a "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree" 5 or 7-point rating scale.

Third-person ratings

'Please think of this (wo)man and rate her/him on the following characteristics. 0 = as low as possible, 100 = as high as possible'

First-person self-report

'Please indicate how strongly you agree or disagree with each of the statements as a description of yourself and what you would do.'

Mating Effort (Cronbach's alpha = .906)

Flirts often
Knowingly flirts with someone else’s partner
Interested in gaining social status
Interested in brief sexual relationships
Competitive with peers
Takes risks to get ahead
Would date more than one person at a time
Wears clothing that attracts attention

Parenting Effort (Cronbach's alpha = .910)

Devotes most resources to supporting family
Good at taking care of children
Would sacrifice his/her own well being to help his/her children
Reliable when needed by others
Prefers to spend time with family
A loyal partner
Caring and emotionally supportive
Enjoys interacting with infants

Validation papers:

Kruger, D.J. (2017). Brief self-report scales assessing life history dimensions of mating and parenting effort. Evolutionary Psychology, 17, 1-9.

Kruger, D.J., Fisher, M.L., De Backer, C., Kardum, I., Tetaz, M., & Tifferet, S. (2015). Human life history dimensions in reproductive strategies are intuitive across cultures. Human Ethology Bulletin, 30, 109-120.

Other projects utilizing these scales:

Kruger, D.J., & Jonsson, E. (2019). The Viking and The Farmer: Alternative male life histories portrayed in the Romantic poetry of Erik Gustaf Geijer. Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture, 3, 17-38.

Kruger, D.J., & Kruger, J.S. (2018). What do economically costly signals signal?: A life history framework for interpreting conspicuous consumption. Evolutionary Psychological Science, 4, 420–427.

Kruger, D.J., Fisher, M.L., Strout, S.L., Clark, S., Lewis, S., & Wehbe, M. (2014). Pride and Prejudice or Family and Flirtation? Jane Austen's depiction of women's mating strategies. Philosophy and Literature, 38, A114-A128.

Kruger, D.J., & Piglowski, J.S. (2012). The effect of eyelid constriction on perceptions of mating strategy: Beware of the squinty-eyed guy! Personality and Individual Differences, 52, 576-580.

Kruger, D.J., & Fitzgerald, C.J. (2011). Reproductive strategies and relationship preferences associated with prestigious and dominant men. Personality and Individual Differences, 50, 365-369.

To what extent do the following describe your (or your family's) experiences during your childhood?

Moved quite often
Had everything they really needed [reverse scored]
Father was not around
Lived in an area with high rates of violence and theft
Experienced harsh parenting
Life was highly unpredictable
Male parental figures frequently moved in and out
Were often short on money

These items are presented in a random order in a matrix table, average scores are computed for each individual. The items load on one dimension. Participants rate each item on a 0-100 sliding scale, initially set at 50. When participants clicked on the scale, a value is displayed. Participants can re-click each item’s scale until they chose to advance the survey page. This generates continuous data on a true ratio scale with a range from 0 to 100. The items can also be used with a "Strongly Disagree" to "Strongly Agree" 5 or 7-point rating scale.

Validation papers:

Kruger, D.J., & Jonsson, E. (2019). The Viking and The Farmer: Alternative male life histories portrayed in the Romantic poetry of Erik Gustaf Geijer. Evolutionary Studies in Imaginative Culture, 3, 17-38.

Kruger, D.J. (2021). Phenotypic mimicry distinguishes cues of mating competition from paternal investment in men’s conspicuous consumption. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin.