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Individual development and evolution: experiential canalization of self-regulation
1Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA. clancy.blair@nyu.edu
Developmental Psychology
|February 15, 2012
Summary
Individual development in risky environments is shaped by gene-environment interactions, not solely by evolutionary adaptation. Early life experiences, like poverty, influence stress response and self-regulation, impacting behavior across generations.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Evolutionary biology
- Psychophysiology
Background:
- Traditional evolutionary models may oversimplify individual development in adverse environments.
- Probabilistic epigenesis suggests development arises from gene-environment interplay, preceding evolutionary shifts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To contrast evolutionary and psychobiological models of development.
- To explore how early experiences shape stress response and self-regulation.
- To examine the role of poverty in developmental adaptation.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of a longitudinal dataset of 1,292 children and caregivers.
- Focus on stress response physiology and behavioral self-regulation.
- Investigating gene-environment interactions in development.
Main Results:
- Poverty significantly impacts stress response physiology in children.
- Early life adversity influences the development of self-regulation.
- Experiential canalization explains how environments shape developmental trajectories.
Conclusions:
- Individual development is a product of probabilistic epigenesis, not just evolutionary adaptation.
- Early life experiences can lead to reactive phenotypes with intergenerational implications.
- Understanding developmental pathways is crucial for addressing risk behaviors.
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