CeDEx Brown Bag Seminar - Eugene Malthouse

Title: How does early life experience shape social preferences?

Abstract: Human beings evolved an intensive caregiving system to help children develop and mature. This system, known as the evolved developmental niche (or ‘evolved nest’), includes practices such as extensive positive touch, responsive care, and free play in the natural world with multi-aged mates. Early life experience of the evolved nest has been shown to influence well-being and moral capacities in adulthood but its relationship with social preferences has not been investigated. This study explores this relationship using the Evolved Developmental Niche History (EDN-H) questionnaire and a series of incentivised and self-reported measures of social preferences including trust, cooperation, altruism, reciprocity, honesty, personal relationships, and civic engagement.