The effect of early childhood intervention on risk-taking, mental health, and cognitive ability: The mediating role of life history strategy.

Curtis S. Dunkel*, Jonathan J. Hammersley, Micheal L. Waters, Dimitri van der Linden, Laureon A. Merrie, Amy L. Walen

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Data from the Carolina Abecedarian Project (N = 104) was used to test the hypothesis that infants deemed at-risk who received an intensive and individualized intervention would develop a slower life history (LH) strategy as measured in young adulthood. Additionally, it was predicted that this effect on life history strategy would mediate several effects of the intervention. This possibility was tested in the areas of risk-taking, mental health, and cognitive ability. Results supported the hypothesis that the intervention caused a slowing of LH strategy and that LH strategy mediated the effect of the intervention on risk-taking, mental health, and cognitive ability. Lastly, it was predicted that any effects would be strongest at the most molar level of measurement. This was found for a composite trait and cognitive ability, but not for risk-taking and mental health. The results have several significant implications, but given the small sample size, replication is especially important. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved)Public Significance Statement: The Carolina Abecedarian Project is a renowned early childhood intervention that produced broad and lasting effects in a sample of at-risk children. However, to date, no ultimate explanation has been given as to what mechanism may have produced these results. Support was found for the hypothesis that the intervention acted to slow the life history strategy of the intervention group.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)27-41
Number of pages15
JournalEvolutionary Behavioral Sciences
Volume15
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 American Psychological Association

Research programs

  • ESSB PED

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