Abstract:
Why are some people more prosocial than others? To address this question we
conducted one exploratory study (N = 154) and two confirmatory studies (Ns
= 1,239 & 846), investigating if prosocial preferences, as measured by
social value orientation (SVO) and HEXACO Honesty-Humility (HH), are
related to scales associated with life-history theory, such as socio-sexual
orientation (SOI) and risk-taking. SVO and HH were related to SOI with
prosocials reporting a more restricted mating strategy, while less
prosocial individuals engage in a less restrictive mating strategy, with
the effect only being present in males for SVO, and both genders for HH.
Both measures were associated with risk-taking for ethical and social
risks, but not for non-social risks. We propose that prosocial preferences
and personality reflect extended mating strategies, such that one’s optimal
prosocial strategy may be dependent on the amount of mating competition an
individual faces. In other words, the more investment one puts into mating,
the less one invests in cooperation. We will also present a mathematical
model based on game theory as proof of concept for this theory, which
demonstrates that as the amount of mating competition increases, the payoff
for cooperation decreases.