Life History Strategy (K-SF-42)

Life history theory borrows a question from biology: does an organism put its energy into living fast, reproducing early and often, or into a slower strategy of growth, maintenance and long-term investment? Applied to people, a slow strategy shows up as planning and self-control, close ties with parents, relatives and friends, a stable romantic attachment, generosity and involvement in community and religion. The K-SF-42 (Figueredo et al., 2017) is the 42-item short form of the Arizona Life History Battery, with six items on each of seven facets. Higher scores mean a slower strategy. Percentiles compare you with 1,440 Japanese adults aged 20 to 59 (Kawamoto et al., 2022), the only adult sample with published norms; Japan is one of the least religious countries, so expect to look high on Religiosity. Critics note that self-report life history scales largely track agreeableness, conscientiousness and secure attachment rather than a verified biological trait; read the facets as a profile of long-term investment.