THE HUMAN MALE SOCIALIZATION STRATEGY SET - COOPERATION, DEFECTION, INDIVIDUALISM, AND SCHIZOTYPY

It may be useful to regard variation in behavior as representing alter native strategies in one or more strategy sets, These may throw light both on normal variation and on psychopathology, A simple scheme consi ders four strategies in a ''socialization strategy set.'' In the ''coa litional'' strategy, men band together for hunting and warfare; to ach ieve this they internalize the norms of the group and live an extrover ted existence, Similar to this but without internalization of norms is the ''defector'' strategy, recognized clinically as the sociopath and from the genetic point of view as a free-rider. Leading to geographic dispersion is the individualistic or ''homesteader'' strategy in whic h there is preference for a single family unit and the lifestyle is on e of introversion. The schizotypal strategy leads to the formation of a cult with an ideology at variance with that of the parent group and thus to groups splitting. Orthogonal to this strategy set is the high/ low self-esteem strategy set, which is responsible for the variation i n the personality trait of neuroticism, The schizotypal strategy is se en in the context of previous ideas about the adaptive value of the ge netic predisposition to psychotic illness, Some implications of the mo del for research and treatment are discussed. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc e Inc.