Title |
Love Influences Reproductive Success in Humans
|
---|---|
Published in |
Frontiers in Psychology, November 2017
|
DOI | 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01922 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Piotr Sorokowski, Agnieszka Sorokowska, Marina Butovskaya, Maciej Karwowski, Agata Groyecka, Bogdan Wojciszke, Bogusław Pawłowski |
Abstract |
As love seems to be universal, researchers have attempted to find its biological basis. However, no studies till date have shown its direct association with reproductive success, which is broadly known to be a good measure of fitness. Here, we show links between love, as defined by the Sternberg Triangular Theory of Love, and reproductive success among the Hadza-traditional hunter-gatherer population. We found that commitment and reproductive success were positively and consistently related in both sexes, with number of children showing negative and positive associations with intimacy and passion, respectively, only among women. Our study may shed new light on the meaning of love in humans' evolutionary past, especially in traditional hunter-gatherer societies in which individuals, not their parents, were responsible for partner choice. We suggest that passion and commitment may be the key factors that increase fitness, and therefore, that selection promoted love in human evolution. However, further studies in this area are recommended. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United Kingdom | 3 | 8% |
Canada | 2 | 5% |
Netherlands | 1 | 3% |
Georgia | 1 | 3% |
Austria | 1 | 3% |
Bulgaria | 1 | 3% |
United States | 1 | 3% |
Unknown | 27 | 73% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 31 | 84% |
Scientists | 3 | 8% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 2 | 5% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 1 | 3% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 50 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Bachelor | 11 | 22% |
Researcher | 7 | 14% |
Other | 4 | 8% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 3 | 6% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 3 | 6% |
Other | 11 | 22% |
Unknown | 11 | 22% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Psychology | 19 | 38% |
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 5 | 10% |
Nursing and Health Professions | 2 | 4% |
Social Sciences | 2 | 4% |
Neuroscience | 2 | 4% |
Other | 4 | 8% |
Unknown | 16 | 32% |