One Mate or Two? Life History Traits and Reproductive Variation in Low-Income Women

We contrasted the long-term mate preferences, reported developmental experiences, life history traits, and current personal traits of low-income women who reproduced with a single man (n = 222), two or more men (n = 145), or had not yet reproduced (n = 106). The mate preferences of the three groups were more similar than different, suggesting that group differences in reproductive strategy may be more strongly related to developmental experiences and current circumstances than to explicit preferences for one type of reproductive partner or another. Path analytic models revealed that the only direct predictor of number of reproductive mates was age of first reproduction, which in turn was predicted by level of education and age of first sexual intercourse. Age of first intercourse, in turn, was predicted by time spent with father. The pattern suggests paternal investment influences timing of adolescent sexual activity, and timing of this activity can set in motion a long-term reproductive trajectory.