Life history theory suggests that fundamentally limited resources in life—time, energy, and effort—force tradeoffs among essential life functions (i.e., growth, reproduction, and parenting; reviewed in Stearns, 1992).
Relatively fast life histories are generally characterized by an emphasis on reproduction at the expense of growth and parenting effort.
Growing research has linked life history relevant traits and circumstances (e.g., age, gender, parenting status, subjective and objective life expectancy, economic inequality, perceived competitive disadvantage, the Dark Triad) with risk-taking
examined whether life history orientation is associated with (a) individual differences in personality traits associated with risk (i.e., impulsivity, sensation-seeking, low self-control); (b) risk attitudes in multiple domains, (c) general gambling behavior and problem gambling
favoring of parental effort over mating effort.
reduced future orientation, earlier maturation, an earlier sexual debut, having children at a younger age, and behaviors such as risk taking and drug use
