Attachment security, environmental adversity, and fast life history behavioral profiles in human adolescents.
Hui Jing Lu, Jennifer E Lansford, Yuan Yuan Liu, Bin Bin Chen, Marc H Bornstein, Ann T Skinner, Kenneth A Dodge, Laurence Steinberg, Kirby Deater-Deckard, W Andrew Rothenberg, Dario Bacchini, Concetta Pastorelli, Liane Peña Alampay, Emma Sorbring, Sevtap Gurdal, Suha M Al-Hassan, Paul Oburu, Saengduean Yotanyamaneewong, Sombat Tapanya, Laura Di Giunta, Liliana Maria Uribe Tirado, Lei Chang
Author Information
Hui Jing Lu: The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, China.
Jennifer E Lansford: Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. ORCID
Yuan Yuan Liu: University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China.
Bin Bin Chen: Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Marc H Bornstein: Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA.
Ann T Skinner: Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Kenneth A Dodge: Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. ORCID
Laurence Steinberg: Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Kirby Deater-Deckard: University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, USA. ORCID
W Andrew Rothenberg: Duke University, Durham, NC, USA.
Dario Bacchini: University of Naples "Federico II," Naples, Italy.
Concetta Pastorelli: Università di Roma "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy.
Liane Peña Alampay: Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City, Philippines.
Emma Sorbring: University West, Trollhättan, Sweden.
Sevtap Gurdal: University West, Trollhättan, Sweden.
Suha M Al-Hassan: Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
Paul Oburu: Maseno University, Maseno, Kenya.
Saengduean Yotanyamaneewong: Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Sombat Tapanya: Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Laura Di Giunta: Università di Roma "La Sapienza," Rome, Italy.
Liliana Maria Uribe Tirado: Universidad de San Buenaventura, Medellín, Colombia.
Lei Chang: University of Macau, Taipa, Macau, China. ORCID
One species-general life history (LH) principle posits that challenging childhood environments are coupled with a fast or faster LH strategy and associated behaviors, while secure and stable childhood environments foster behaviors conducive to a slow or slower LH strategy. This coupling between environments and LH strategies is based on the assumption that individuals' internal traits and states are independent of their external surroundings. In reality, individuals respond to external environmental conditions in alignment with their intrinsic vitality, encompassing both physical and mental states. The present study investigated attachment as an internal mental state, examining its role in mediating and moderating the association between external environmental adversity and fast LH strategies. A sample of 1169 adolescents (51% girls) from 9 countries was tracked over 10 years, starting from age 8. The results confirm both mediation and moderation and, for moderation, secure attachment nullified and insecure attachment maintained the environment-LH coupling. These findings suggest that attachment could act as an internal regulator, disrupting the contingent coupling between environmental adversity and a faster pace of life, consequently decelerating human LH.
