Open AccessConception of parental investment as a useful explanation of diverse human parental behaviour
Author(s) -
Elżbieta Cieplak
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
anthropological review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.262
H-Index - 12
eISSN - 2083-4594
pISSN - 1898-6773
DOI - 10.18778/1898-6773.62.11
Subject(s) - parental investment , investment (military) , developmental psychology , birth order , psychology , order (exchange) , differential (mechanical device) , demography , pregnancy , sociology , economics , biology , genetics , political science , finance , population , engineering , politics , offspring , law , aerospace engineering
Parental investment is differentiated on prenatal or postnatal stage (e.g., child neglecting, infanticide, or differences in financial support given to children). Differential treatment of children with reference to their sex is influenced by factors such as the sex ratio, parents’ status, number of children in the family, birth order, sex of siblings and children’s contribution to family resources. Numerous studies on traditional and historical societies have been conducted but there is a need for research of contemporary, industrial societies.