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) versus 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 pro-active 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.
Thomson, Robert and Yuki, Masaki and Talhelm, Thomas and Schug, Joanna and Kito, Mie and Ayanian, Arin and Becker, Julia and Becker, Maja and Chiu, Chi-yue and Choi, Hoon-Seok and Ferreira, Carolina M. and Fülöp, Marta and Gul, Pelin and Houghton-Illera, Ana Maria and Joasoo, Mihkel and Jong, Jonathan and Kavanagh, Christopher and Khutkyy, Dmytro and Manzi, Claudia and Marcinkowska, Urszula M. and Milfont, Taciano L. and Neto, Félix and Von Oertzen, Timo and Pliskin, Ruthie and San Martin, Alvaro and Singh, Purnima and Visserman, Mariko L., Relational Mobility Predicts Social Behaviors in 39 Countries and Is Tied to Historical Farming and Threat (May 21, 2018). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3769543 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3769543
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