Nicholas C Jacobson1, Michael J Roche2. 1. Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, The Pennsylvania State University, United States. Electronic address: njacobson88@gmail.com. 2. Penn State Altoona, United States.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Although recent research has begun to examine the impact of elevated anxiety on evolutionary fitness, no prior research has examined anxiety across a continuum. Such research is important as the effect of traits across a continuum on fertility hold important implications for the levels and distribution of the traits in later generations. METHOD: In a three-generational sample (N = 2657) the linear and quadratic relationship between anxiety and the number of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren 15 years later was examined. RESULTS: The findings suggested that anxiety had a positive quadratic relationship with the number of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren 15 years later. These relationships were not significantly moderated by sex. Moreover, most of the variance between anxiety and the number of great-grandchildren was explained by anxiety's influence on the number of children and grandchildren, as opposed to anxiety having an independent direct impact on the number of great-grandchildren. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that extreme values from the mean anxiety are associated with increased evolutionary fitness within the modern environment.
OBJECTIVE: Although recent research has begun to examine the impact of elevated anxiety on evolutionary fitness, no prior research has examined anxiety across a continuum. Such research is important as the effect of traits across a continuum on fertility hold important implications for the levels and distribution of the traits in later generations. METHOD: In a three-generational sample (N = 2657) the linear and quadratic relationship between anxiety and the number of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren 15 years later was examined. RESULTS: The findings suggested that anxiety had a positive quadratic relationship with the number of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren 15 years later. These relationships were not significantly moderated by sex. Moreover, most of the variance between anxiety and the number of great-grandchildren was explained by anxiety's influence on the number of children and grandchildren, as opposed to anxiety having an independent direct impact on the number of great-grandchildren. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that extreme values from the mean anxiety are associated with increased evolutionary fitness within the modern environment.
Authors: Thalia C Eley; Derek Bolton; Thomas G O'Connor; Sean Perrin; Patrick Smith; Robert Plomin Journal: J Child Psychol Psychiatry Date: 2003-10 Impact factor: 8.982
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