City Research Online

Abstract

The behavioral approach system (BAS) has been shown to be important in everyday life. However, its putative evolutionary origins have not been extensively studied. The purpose of this study was to explore relationships between BAS processes and life history strategies, or lifestyles, within life history theory. The BAS scales were assessed by the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ) and Sensitivity to Punishment and Sensitivity to Reward Questionnaire (SPSRQ-20), while lifestyles were measured by the Mini-K. Data from 457 participants (173 males) were analyzed by structural equation modelling, followed by set correlation to examine personality and Mini-K relationships. The structural model showed that RST-PQ Reward Interest, Goal-Drive Persistence and Reward Reactivity correlated with a slow lifestyle, while RST-PQ Impulsivity and (SPSRQ) Sensitivity to Reward (SR) did not correlate with the Mini-K. However, set correlation analysis revealed that SR correlated negatively with the Mini-K subscale Experience in romantic relationship and highlighted the importance of Insight, planning, and control in explaining the role of the BAS within slow lifestyle strategy. The findings are discussed in terms of possible evolutionary origins of the BAS.

Publication Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Journal of Individual Differences 39(2). © 2018 by Hogrefe & Huber. This version of the article may not completely replicate the final version published in 'Journal of Individual Differences'. It is not the version of record and is therefore not suitable for citation.
Publisher Keywords:	reinforcement sensitivity theory, evolution, life history theory, behavioral approach system
Departments:	School of Health & Psychological Sciences > Psychology
SWORD Depositor:	Symplectic Administrator

Export

Downloads