Calibration, not maladaptation: Beyond “fast life history trajectories” in the prediction of adult psychological dysfunction

Consistent with adaptive calibration models, the current study provides evidence that levels of unpredictability in childhood (assessed via disruptive changes in maternal employment, residence, and cohabitation) are associated with autism spectrum traits and borderline personality traits in adulthood. Although both sets of traits reflect vulnerabilities that, in the extreme range, underlie forms of psychopathology, borderline personality traits were associated with higher levels of childhood unpredictability (partial r = .28, p < .001), whereas autism spectrum traits were associated with lower levels of childhood unpredictability (partial r = −.12, p < .01). Findings highlight the fact that not all potentially dysfunctional psychological traits are associated with high levels of child adversity or “fast” life history trajectories. Even developmental trajectories that reflect long-term investment in psychosocial resources can prove dysfunctional in the extreme range. Perceptions of childhood unpredictability statistically mediated associations with both sets of adult traits, suggesting that subjective perceptions of the environment may play a crucial role in translating childhood experiences into long-term developmental outcomes. Models of adaptive calibration provide a valuable theoretical framework for understanding potential developmental roots of adult mental dysfunction. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved) (Source: journal abstract)