Milić, Aleksandra and Međedović, Janko (2025) Rethinking parenthood: Mechanisms mediating the negative link between openness and fertility. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. ISSN 2330-2933
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There are relatively consistent findings showing a negative association between the basic trait Openness to Experience and fertility. This research aimed to investigate this relationship, providing insights into possible selection processes affecting Openness and exploring mediating factors linking it to fertility (specifically the number of children). Participants were recruited online and completed the Openness scale from the Mini International Personality Item Pool-6 personality inventory, as well as scales measuring positive and negative childbearing motivations, the number of sexual partners, the duration of the longest romantic relationship, and the age of first reproduction. The sample comprised 1,024 individuals (53.22% females) with an average age of 32.3 years (SD = 9.25). A negative link between Openness and fertility was detected in the present data as well. Significant mediators of this association included a higher age of first reproduction, a shorter duration of the longest relationship, and lower positive childbearing motives. The observed data suggest that negative directional selection may act on Openness, potentially leading to a decrease in phenotypic levels of the trait over generations and a reduction in its variation. The relationship between Openness and fertility, as assessed in this research, reveals reproductive mechanisms that mediate their connection.
| Item Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Subjects: | H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) |
| Depositing User: | Ivana Kovačević |
| Date Deposited: | 23 Dec 2025 13:09 |
| Last Modified: | 23 Dec 2025 13:09 |
| URI: | http://institutecsr.iksi.ac.rs/id/eprint/1210 |
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