Concern About COVID-19 Mediates the Relationship Between Life-History Strategy and Stockpiling Food

Abstract

Life-history theory (LHT) charts the relationship of environmental conditions to resource allocation trade-offs made by organisms to either reproduce or invest in somatic maintenance. Hazardous environments in which resources are unreliable should prompt adoption of a “fast” life-history strategy in which short-term gains are favoured. The COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to examine whether an increase in existential threat as signalled by a shift in environmental status impacted people's decision making in LHT-relevant domains. In this online psychometric study (N = 274 individuals), we examined whether concerns about COVID-19 mediated the relationship between life-history strategy and the desire to have or have more children, and stockpiling food and household groceries. Contrasting results emerged. COVID-19 concern mediated the relationship between LHS and stockpiling food and household groceries but not LHS and reproduction. These findings highlight potential differences in decision consequences or the type of shift in environmental conditions needed to prompt particular responses.