Psychological Mechanisms of Fertility Project

This project explores the evolutionary demography of human fertility, with a focus on understanding the psychological mechanisms that influence human reproductive timing and effort. The PI is Mary Shenk, Pennsylvania State University.

Work in the USA

In the USA we lead a team split across 14 campuses in exploring how psychological mechanisms perceive childhood and current social, economic and ecological environments; and how these perceptions influence reproductive preferences. This work is among 18-25 year old college students and the general public. We are also investigating how college and non-college populations differ, the validity of relying on data from WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich democratic) populations, and how methodological differences affect subject responses.

Work in Matlab, Bangladesh

In July 2019 we started data collection in Matlab, Bangladesh, with support from the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh. In Bangladesh we are exploring how childhood and current environments affect perceptions and fertility behaviors. Our work in Bangladesh is a pilot study for a cross-cultural and longitudinal project we are developing with colleagues that work in the Gambia, Poland, Tanzania, Nicaragua and Bolivia.

Conference Presentations

McAllister, L., Scofield, J., Zoeller, M., Manson, J., Geary, D., Shenk, M. (2019) Does the method of delivery affect the punchline? An evaluation of priming effects and survey responses across three methodological conditions. American Anthropological Association; Vancouver, Canada.

McAllister, L., Scofield, J., Zoeller, M., Manson, J., Geary, D., Shenk, M. (2019) Does the method of delivery affect the punchline? An evaluation of priming effects and survey responses across three methodological conditions. Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Boston, MA.

McAllister, L., Shenk, M. (2018) Blending anthropological and psychological methods amid a replication crisis in the sciences. American Anthropological Association; San Jose, CA.

McAllister, L., Shenk, M. (2017) Primes for mortality risk influence perceived life expectancy and some reproductive preferences. Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Boise, ID.

McAllister, L., Shenk, M., Tweed, D., Jaeggi, A. (2015) Mortality and Family Planning: using experimental methods to find a causative link between mortality and reproductive preferences. Human Behavior and Evolution Society, Columbia, MO.