CENTENNIAL HONORS COLLEGE
Western Illinois University
Undergraduate Research Day 2016
PosterPresentation
DoesPersonalityDetermineMatingPatterns?TheBigFiveandLifeHistoryTheory
SarahElizabethNielsen
FacultyMentor:EugeneMathes
Psychology
ThisstudyaimstodiscoverarelationshipincollegestudentsbetweentheBigFivepersonalitytraitsand
preferredmatingstrategyaccordingtoRushton’sLifeHistoryTheory.Thistheorypositsthatmembers
of a species choose one of two mating strategies. A fast strategy involves mating early and
promiscuously,investingverylittleinone’sselfandoffspring,andfocusingonimmediategratification
and selfish behaviors. A slow strategy involves waiting to mate until a monogamous relationship is
establishedandthecoupleisabletoinvestheavilyinboththemselvesandanyresultingoffspring.There
is also a focus on delaying gratification and engaging in prosocial behaviors. A slow strategy is
hypothesized to be positively correlated with openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, and
agreeablenessandnegativelycorrelatedwithneuroticism.ThesefivetraitsmakeuptheBigFivesetof
personality traits. 399 college-aged participants completed two questionnaires. The Mini-K provides
questions regarding life history strategy preference on a 7-point scale. Participants then completed a
follow-up questionnaire that tested Big-Five personality traits on a 5-point scale measuring openness,
conscientiousness,extraversion,agreeableness,andneuroticism.Thesemeasureswerethencorrelated
toascertainanyexistingrelationships.TheMini-Kcorrelatedpositivelywithalltraits,withtheexception
of neuroticism. The findings of this study conclude that personality traits may serve as indicators of
whether a person will choose a fast or slow life history strategy. They may also help explain
compatibilitybetweenmates,notonlyduetopersonalitytraitsbutalsoinchoiceoflifehistorystrategy.