Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to historical farming and threat

Robert Thomson; Masaki Yuki; Thomas Talhelm; Joanna Schug; Mie Kito; Arin H. Ayanian; Julia C. Becker; Maja Becker; Chi yue Chiu; Hoon Seok Choi; Carolina M. Ferreira; Marta Fülöp; Pelin Gul; Ana Maria Houghton-Illera; Mihkel Joasoo; Jonathan Jong; Christopher M. Kavanagh; Dmytro Khutkyy; Claudia Manzi; Urszula M. Marcinkowska; Taciano L. Milfont; Félix Neto; Timo Von Oertzen; Ruthie Pliskin; Alvaro San Martin; Purnima Singh; Mariko L. Visserman

doi:10.1073/pnas.1713191115

Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to historical farming and threat

Robert Thomson, Masaki Yuki, Thomas Talhelm, Joanna Schug, Mie Kito, Arin H. Ayanian, Julia C. Becker, Maja Becker, Chi yue Chiu, Hoon Seok Choi, Carolina M. Ferreira, Marta Fülöp, Pelin Gul, Ana Maria Houghton-Illera, Mihkel Joasoo, Jonathan Jong, Christopher M. Kavanagh, Dmytro Khutkyy, Claudia Manzi, Urszula M. MarcinkowskaTaciano L. Milfont, Félix Neto, Timo Von Oertzen, Ruthie Pliskin, Alvaro San Martin, Purnima Singh, Mariko L. Visserman

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Abstract

Biologists and social scientists have long tried to understand why some societies have more fluid and open interpersonal relationships and how those differences influence culture. This study measures relational mobility, a socioecological variable quantifying voluntary (high relational mobility) vs. fixed (low relational mobility) interpersonal relationships. We measure relational mobility in 39 societies and test whether it predicts social behavior. People in societies with higher relational mobility report more proactive interpersonal behaviors (e.g., self-disclosure and social support) and psychological tendencies that help them build and retain relationships (e.g., general trust, intimacy, self-esteem). Finally, we explore ecological factors that could explain relational mobility differences across societies. Relational mobility was lower in societies that practiced settled, interdependent subsistence styles, such as rice farming, and in societies that had stronger ecological and historical threats.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	7521-7526
Number of pages	6
Journal	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume	115
Issue number	29
Early online date	29 Jun 2018
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1713191115
Publication status	Published - 17 Jul 2018

Keywords

Culture
Interpersonal relationships
Multicountry
Relational mobility
Socioecology

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General

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10.1073/pnas.1713191115Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Thomson_et_al_Relational_mobility_predicts_PNASFinal published version, 872 KBLicence: CC BY-NC-ND

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Thomson, R., Yuki, M., Talhelm, T., Schug, J., Kito, M., Ayanian, A. H., Becker, J. C., Becker, M., Chiu, C. Y., Choi, H. S., Ferreira, C. M., Fülöp, M., Gul, P., Houghton-Illera, A. M., Joasoo, M., Jong, J., Kavanagh, C. M., Khutkyy, D., Manzi, C., ... Visserman, M. L. (2018). Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to historical farming and threat. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 115(29), 7521-7526. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1713191115

Thomson, R, Yuki, M, Talhelm, T, Schug, J, Kito, M, Ayanian, AH, Becker, JC, Becker, M, Chiu, CY, Choi, HS, Ferreira, CM, Fülöp, M, Gul, P, Houghton-Illera, AM, Joasoo, M, Jong, J, Kavanagh, CM, Khutkyy, D, Manzi, C, Marcinkowska, UM, Milfont, TL, Neto, F, Von Oertzen, T, Pliskin, R, Martin, AS, Singh, P & Visserman, ML 2018, 'Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to historical farming and threat', Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, vol. 115, no. 29, pp. 7521-7526. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1713191115

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abstract = "Biologists and social scientists have long tried to understand why some societies have more fluid and open interpersonal relationships and how those differences influence culture. This study measures relational mobility, a socioecological variable quantifying voluntary (high relational mobility) vs. fixed (low relational mobility) interpersonal relationships. We measure relational mobility in 39 societies and test whether it predicts social behavior. People in societies with higher relational mobility report more proactive interpersonal behaviors (e.g., self-disclosure and social support) and psychological tendencies that help them build and retain relationships (e.g., general trust, intimacy, self-esteem). Finally, we explore ecological factors that could explain relational mobility differences across societies. Relational mobility was lower in societies that practiced settled, interdependent subsistence styles, such as rice farming, and in societies that had stronger ecological and historical threats.",

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AU - Jong, Jonathan

AU - Kavanagh, Christopher M.

AU - Khutkyy, Dmytro

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AU - Marcinkowska, Urszula M.

AU - Milfont, Taciano L.

AU - Neto, Félix

AU - Von Oertzen, Timo

AU - Pliskin, Ruthie

AU - Martin, Alvaro San

AU - Singh, Purnima

AU - Visserman, Mariko L.

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Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to historical farming and threat

Abstract

Keywords

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Correction to Supporting Information for Thomson et al. Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to historical farming and threat

Jonathan Jong

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Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to historical farming and threat

Abstract

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Research output

Correction to Supporting Information for Thomson et al. Relational mobility predicts social behaviors in 39 countries and is tied to historical farming and threat

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Jonathan Jong

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