Evolving Motivations? Cross-Cultural Data Show Links Between Fundamental Social Motives and Fertility

Međedović, Janko (2024) Evolving Motivations? Cross-Cultural Data Show Links Between Fundamental Social Motives and Fertility. Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences. ISSN 2330-2925

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Abstract

Fundamental social motives represent an evolutionary-informed taxonomy of human motivational forces; however, it is still unknown if these motives are currently related to fitness. We used publicly available cross-cultural data to provide an answer to this question. Generalized linear mixed models with random slopes were built to estimate the relations between motives and reproductive success (i.e., number of children) as a measure of evolutionary fitness; socioeconomic status was analyzed as a predictor as well (sample size varied from Nmin = 2,036 to Nmax = 13,555 for different analyses due to data structure). The results showed positive associations between reproductive success, care for family members and biological children in particular, and negative associations between reproductive success and mate-finding to a lesser degree. Self-protection and a motive to retain long-term romantic partner were significant positive predictors of reproductive success only in participants with the lowest socioeconomic status, thus suggesting that they may elevate fitness in harsh environmental conditions. Care for biological children was positively associated with fertility, especially in female participants. Obtained results suggest that fundamental social motives may still evolve in contemporary humans, with an emphasis on kin care, long-term mating, and self-protection in dangerous environments. The data provide new incentives for a behavioral ecological analysis of the motivational forces in humans.

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