著者

蔵 研也

出版者

岐阜聖徳学園大学

雑誌

Review of economics and information studies (ISSN:13453998)

巻号頁・発行日

vol.1, no.3, pp.293-300, 1999-10

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As evolutionary process has shaped the general human psychology (Buss 1989; Tooby & Cosmides 1990), natural selection should have also shaped individual behavioral differences. The evolutionary r/K theory states that, in human population, K-selected individuals are those who exhibit higher IQ together with slower sexual maturity and mating-stability, while r-selected ones vice versa (Rushton 1985, 1987). If this is actually the case, it is postulated that in order to maximize individual fitness, males with higher IQ should prefer younger females than those with lower IQ. This is because if marriage is only once and permanent, males should value the potential reproductive value of females rather than instantaneous fertility. On the other hand, when males expect that marriage is not long-lasting, they should value more of females current fertility than future reproductive value. Using Japanese college-students, I found that males with higher academic achievements prefer much younger females and those with lower achievements prefer sexually more mature females. This result is statistically very significant and implies a successful application of the biological r/K theory to an important human behavioral difference.