Abstract
Life history theory implies the trade-off mechanisms of allocating resources among organisms. As a result of different trade-off decisions, organisms generate different life history strategies (LHS). Impulsivity, sensation seeking and unrestricted sociosexual orientation have been found to be related to fast LHS. Sociosexual orientation is regarded as a behavioral indicator of life history strategies. Although considerable attention has been paid to these factors individually, the relationship among impulsivity, sensation seeking, and sociosexual orientation is unclear. Therefore, the current study explored the intercorrelation among these psychological traits and hypothesized that impulsivity has an indirect effect on sociosexuality through sensation seeking. This study also investigated whether gender moderates the relationship between impulsivity and sociosexuality. The study's analysis utilized 311 participants’ data gathered in Germany from the Personality Interaction Laboratory Study (PILS) online survey. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to analyze the data. Results show that sensation seeking mediated the relationship between impulsivity and sociosexual orientation. However, gender did not change the relationship between sensation seeking and sociosexual orientation. The current study exemplifies the application of life history theory and enhances our comprehension of the linkages between impulsivity, sensation seeking and sociosexuality.