Big Five traits as (mal)adaptive behavioural responses to harsh and unpredictable environment: Further evidence for the state-dependent evolution of personality

State-dependent behaviour models of personality predict that fitness consequences of personality depend on various states. Hence, personality traits may be adaptive only in certain conditions. In the present research, we tested the state-dependent personality model of Big Five personality traits usi...

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Main Author: Međedović Janko M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: University of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of Psychology 2020-01-01
Series:Psihološka Istraživanja
Subjects:
Online Access:https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0352-7379/2020/0352-73792001023M.pdf
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author Međedović Janko M.
author_facet Međedović Janko M.
author_sort Međedović Janko M.
collection DOAJ
description State-dependent behaviour models of personality predict that fitness consequences of personality depend on various states. Hence, personality traits may be adaptive only in certain conditions. In the present research, we tested the state-dependent personality model of Big Five personality traits using harsh and unpredictable environments as the extrinsic states. The data were collected on a community sample (N=221). We extracted the fitness factor from a broader set of indicators related to reproduction and mating. It consisted of higher reproductive success, the longest romantic relationship duration, and earlier age of first reproduction. The only personality trait which significantly predicted fitness was low Openness to experience. However, three interactions between environmental conditions and personality in the prediction of fitness were detected: Low Agreeableness and Extraversion decreased fitness in highly unstable environments; low Openness elevated fitness, especially in harsh environments. The data are in accordance with the previous findings regarding the relations between personality and evolutionary fitness. Furthermore, current findings suggest that state-dependent models of personality are not only valid explanations of evolutionary forces which maintain personality variation, but that they are quite robust as well, since they can be detected in a relatively small sample of reproductively active individuals.
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spelling doaj.art-54af4922320c43aba7ee751300dcc8562022-12-21T18:19:59ZengUniversity of Belgrade, Faculty of Philosophy, Institute of PsychologyPsihološka Istraživanja0352-73792560-306X2020-01-0123123410352-73792001023MBig Five traits as (mal)adaptive behavioural responses to harsh and unpredictable environment: Further evidence for the state-dependent evolution of personalityMeđedović Janko M.0Institut za kriminološka i sociološka istraživanja, SerbiaState-dependent behaviour models of personality predict that fitness consequences of personality depend on various states. Hence, personality traits may be adaptive only in certain conditions. In the present research, we tested the state-dependent personality model of Big Five personality traits using harsh and unpredictable environments as the extrinsic states. The data were collected on a community sample (N=221). We extracted the fitness factor from a broader set of indicators related to reproduction and mating. It consisted of higher reproductive success, the longest romantic relationship duration, and earlier age of first reproduction. The only personality trait which significantly predicted fitness was low Openness to experience. However, three interactions between environmental conditions and personality in the prediction of fitness were detected: Low Agreeableness and Extraversion decreased fitness in highly unstable environments; low Openness elevated fitness, especially in harsh environments. The data are in accordance with the previous findings regarding the relations between personality and evolutionary fitness. Furthermore, current findings suggest that state-dependent models of personality are not only valid explanations of evolutionary forces which maintain personality variation, but that they are quite robust as well, since they can be detected in a relatively small sample of reproductively active individuals.https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0352-7379/2020/0352-73792001023M.pdfstate-dependent behaviourbig five personality traitsenvironmentfitnesshuman behavioural ecology
spellingShingle Međedović Janko M.
Big Five traits as (mal)adaptive behavioural responses to harsh and unpredictable environment: Further evidence for the state-dependent evolution of personality
Psihološka Istraživanja
state-dependent behaviour
big five personality traits
environment
fitness
human behavioural ecology
title Big Five traits as (mal)adaptive behavioural responses to harsh and unpredictable environment: Further evidence for the state-dependent evolution of personality
title_full Big Five traits as (mal)adaptive behavioural responses to harsh and unpredictable environment: Further evidence for the state-dependent evolution of personality
title_fullStr Big Five traits as (mal)adaptive behavioural responses to harsh and unpredictable environment: Further evidence for the state-dependent evolution of personality
title_full_unstemmed Big Five traits as (mal)adaptive behavioural responses to harsh and unpredictable environment: Further evidence for the state-dependent evolution of personality
title_short Big Five traits as (mal)adaptive behavioural responses to harsh and unpredictable environment: Further evidence for the state-dependent evolution of personality
title_sort big five traits as mal adaptive behavioural responses to harsh and unpredictable environment further evidence for the state dependent evolution of personality
topic state-dependent behaviour
big five personality traits
environment
fitness
human behavioural ecology
url https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/0352-7379/2020/0352-73792001023M.pdf
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