Daniel Kruger is a researcher in the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan. He applies evolutionary principles to advance the understanding of a wide range of areas in human psychology and behavior. Much of his work is founded on Life History Theory, which provides a powerful framework for understanding individual variation and adaptation to developmental conditions. Dr. Kruger conducts both basic research to advance theory as well as applied projects to promote human well-being and sustainability. He is involved in several community-university research collaborations to promote the understanding of and improve social and health conditions. His work has been funded by the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Housing and Urban Development, Michigan Department of Community Health, and local foundations and agencies. He has written nearly two hundred articles and book chapters in the peer-reviewed scientific literature. He is a co-author of the book Graphing Jane Austen: The Evolutionary Basis for Literary Meaning (2012). See his website here: www-personal.umich.edu/~kruger
Life history theory suggests that displays of luxury items provide signals with social goals.