Abstract
The large scientific literature on human values produced prior to the recent publication of the parasite-stress theory of values is reviewed and analyzed. The major causal frameworks in that literature—climate and wealth—are not alternatives to the parasite stress of values—they are complementary, proximate causes of values. The parasite-stress theory of values is a synthetic theory of values encompassing both proximate and evolutionary causation of values. Traditional research effort in the investigation of values has focused on the unidimensional value system of collectivism–individualism because of its ability to capture differences in values across regions. The values that correlate with collectivism and individualism are reviewed. The great similarity of the values dimension of collectivism–individualism to the values dimension of conservatism–liberalism is documented. Additional studies are discussed that reported differences between conservatives and liberals, but did not measure collectivism–individualism per se. These additional studies also support the high correspondence between collectivism–individualism and conservatism–liberalism. Conservative/collectivist values and liberal/individualist values differ in many ways that correspond to differences in authoritarianism, social prejudices, equalitarianism, social hierarchy, self-concept, reasoning style, linguistic behavior, personality, religiosity, the structure of social networks, in-group and out-group transactions, economics, governmental systems, dispersal, family relationships, violence, warfare, adherence to tradition, norm adherence, honor ideology, sexual behavior, and marriage. According to the parasite-stress theory of values, the form that each of these features takes in a region is caused proximately by the region’s level of parasite adversity and associated evoked values.
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Thornhill, R., Fincher, C.L. (2014). Human Values Research Prior to the Parasite-Stress Theory. In: The Parasite-Stress Theory of Values and Sociality. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-08040-6_4
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