Abstract
Recent theoretical work suggests that emotional awareness (EA) depends on the harshness/predictability of early social interactions—and that low EA may in fact be adaptive in harsh environments that lack predictable interpersonal interactions. In evolutionary psychology, this process of psychological “calibration” to early environments corresponds to life history strategy (LHS). In this article, we tested the relationship between EA and LHS in 177 (40 male) individuals who completed the Levels of Emotional Awareness Scale (LEAS), Arizona Life History Battery (short form: K-SF-42), and 2 measures of early abuse/neglect. Significantly lower EA was observed in those with faster LHS and who had experienced greater early adversity. Notably, LEAS was associated with differences in (a) general reflective cognition, and (b) emotional support from parents during childhood.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 1-15 |
Number of pages | 15 |
Journal | Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences |
Volume | 17 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - Feb 24 2022 |
Keywords
- Development
- Early childhood adversity
- Emotional awareness
- Life history strategy
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Social Psychology
- Experimental and Cognitive Psychology