Pace of Life Test
Life Speed theory suggests that since resources – such as time, energy, and effort – are fundamentally limited in life, this creates forced tradeoffs with regard to life strategies. Some people have a fast life strategy, meaning they mature and peak early in life, are present-oriented, seek out risk, and have more sexual partners. On the other hand, people with a slow life strategy mature and peak later in life, are future-oriented, avoid risk, and have fewer sexual partners.
This Pace of Life Test is based on research from the University of Arizona, which has produced a compilation of psychometric indicators related to the measurement of life strategies.
What is your life strategy? For each of the following statements, indicate how well it describes you below.
Question 1 of 40
I contribute a great deal to the welfare and well-being of my blood relatives in the present.
| Disagree | Agree |
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The IDRlabs Life History test is inspired by the K-SF-42 authored by Figueredo et al. at the University of Arizona. IDRlabs is not affiliated with either author or the University of Arizona or any other institution.
The test provides feedback such as the following:
Total Pace of Life: Reflects personal placing on the slow-fast pace continuum of life history in relation to life choices and behavioral strategizing, i.e., life history strategy. A life history strategy refers to the stage and age-specific behavioral patterns and timing of events that constitute the life of an individual.
A high score indicates a slow life history strategy which is associated with a longer life span, sympathetic and predictable early-life conditions, later sexual maturation, delayed reproduction, lower mating effort, and more parenting effort with a smaller number of offspring. A slow life history thus reflects a tendency toward an adaptive interpersonal style, mature emotional functioning and awareness, secure attachments, self-control, prosocial behavior, and relationship stability.
On the other hand, a low score indicates a fast life history strategy which is associated with a shorter life span, harsh and unpredictable childhood conditions, early sexual maturity, early reproduction, promiscuity, and less parenting effort with a larger number of offspring. A fast life history denotes a tendency toward interpersonal distrustfulness, maladaptive emotional functioning and awareness, insecure attachments, lack of self-control, self-interested behavior, and instability in relationships.
Insight, Planning, and Control: Indicates tendency to engage in reflective cognition in order to sustain effortful and adaptive psychosocial resource investment aligning with a slow-fast life history strategy.
- General Altruism: Reflects motivation to increase the welfare of others.
- Altruism towards own kin: Indicates tendency to increase the welfare of family members.
- Altruism towards friends: Indicates the tendency to increase the welfare of friends and close relationships.
- Altruism towards community: Indicates tendency to increase communal welfare.
- Religiosity: Denotes religious tendencies and commitment to beliefs.
- Romantic partner attachment: Reflects attachment security in intimate relationships.
- Parental relationship quality: Reflects the overall quality of a mother-father relationship.
- Mother relationship quality: Indicates the quality of mother relationship.
- Father relationship quality: Indicates the quality of father relationship.
- Friends and Family contact and support: Reflects overall quality of immediate support systems.
- Family contact and support: Indicates the quality of supportive networks related to family.
- Friends contact and support: Indicates the quality of supportive networks related to friends.
The IDRlabs Pace of Life Test is inspired by the K-SF-42 short-form questionnaire, which was developed by Aurelio José Figueredo at the University of Arizona. The K-SF-42 test was developed as a short-form alternative to the Arizona Life History Battery. While the IDRlabs Pace of Life Test is based on the K-SF-42 test, it cannot be used to provide clinical assessments or accurate evaluation of your personality. Clinical assessments should always be done in cooperation with a mental health professional. For more information about any of our online tests and quizzes, please consult our Terms of Service.
Why Use This Test?
1. Free. The Pace of life Test is provided to you free of charge and allows you to obtain your scores related to autism in several different domains.
2. Scholarly oriented. Feedback derived from this test is based on the research of professionals in the field of life history theory with the intent of delivering a clear picture of the respondent’s characteristics indicating pace of life as measured according to standardized items in a self-report questionnaire format.
3. Acceptable validity and reliability. The K-SF-42 provides good reliability as measured using Cronbach’s alpha (α of .86).
4. Statistical controls. Test scores are logged into an anonymized database. Statistical analysis of the test is conducted to ensure maximum accuracy and validity of the test scores.
5. Made by professionals. The present test has been made with the input of people who work professionally with psychology and individual differences research.