Early-Life Stressors, Personality Development, and Fast Life Strategies: An Evolutionary Perspective on Malevolent Personality Features

Abstract

Life history theory posits that behavioral adaptation to various environmental (ecological and/or social) conditions encountered during childhood is regulated by a wide variety of different traits resulting in various behavioral strategies. Unpredictable and harsh conditions tend to produce fast life history strategies, characterized by early maturation, a higher number of sexual partners to whom one is less attached, and less parenting of offspring. Unpredictability and harshness not only affects dispositional social and emotional functioning, but may also promote the development of personality traits linked to higher rates of instability in social relationships or more self-interested behavior. Similarly, detrimental childhood experiences, such as poor parental care or high parent-child conflict, affect personality development and may create a more distrustful, malicious interpersonal style. The aim of this brief review is to survey and summarize findings on the impact of negative early-life experiences on the development of personality and fast life history strategies. By demonstrating that there are parallels in adaptations to adversity in these two domains, we hope to lend weight to current and future attempts to provide a comprehensive insight of personality traits and functions at the ultimate and proximate levels.

Human Capital and Administrative Burden: The Role of Cognitive Resources in Citizen‐State Interactions

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Reflections on self‐determination theory as an organizing framework for personality psychology: Interfaces, integrations, issues, and unfinished business

“…Psychological need satisfactions and contextual influences on the needs are likely to play a role in the development of individuals’ traits over time. Most evidence for such longer term influences comes from research on dysfunctional personality traits (Csathó & Birkás, ). For instance, cold, rejecting, and controlling (i.e., need‐thwarting) parenting has been shown to be involved in the development of various traits such as Machiavellianism (Láng & Birkás, ), borderline personality disorder (Fruzzetti, Shenk, & Hoffman, ; Ryan, ; Stepp et al, ), and self‐critical perfectionism (Koestner, Zuroff, & Powers, ; Kopala‐Sibley & Zuroff, ; Soenens et al, ).…”

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