We have Willem Frankenhuis from Radboud University Nijmegen visiting us this week and giving a talk in the Social, Economic, and Decision Psychology colloquium (Thursday 13 October, at 13:00 in Seminarraum 00.008, Missionsstrasse 64a).

Cognitive Adaptation to Harsh Environments

Growing up in a harsh environment has a profound impact on cognition. People from such environments typically score lower on assessments of cognitive abilities, which predict significant life outcomes (e.g., health, wealth, longevity). The predominant view in psychology is thus that chronic exposure to harsh conditions impairs cognition. I recently challenged this consensus by proposing that harsh environments do not only impair cognition; people also developmentally adapt (‘specialize’) their minds for solving problems that are ecologically relevant in such environments. These problems require different mental skills from those assessed on conventional tests. The hypothesis predicts that harsh-adapted people will show enhanced performance on tasks that match recurrent problems in their environments, compared with safe-adapted people. I will present results of two studies conducted in people (N=128) from diverse social-economic backgrounds testing their abilities to predict conflict outcomes (i.e., whether or not an altercation will result in a physical fight).  The better we understand harsh-adapted minds—including their strengths—the more effective we can tailor education, policy, and interventions to fit their needs and potentials.