Between Dec 19, 2024 and Jan 2, 2025, datasets can be submitted to DRUM but will not be processed until after the break. Staff will not be available to answer email during this period, and will not be able to provide DOIs until after Jan 2. If you are in need of a DOI during this period, consider Dryad or OpenICPSR. Submission responses to the UDC may also be delayed during this time.
 

Can an Unpredictable Childhood Environment Enhance Working Memory? Testing the Sensitized-Specialization Hypothesis

Loading...
Thumbnail Image

Persistent link to this item

Statistics
View Statistics

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Title

Can an Unpredictable Childhood Environment Enhance Working Memory? Testing the Sensitized-Specialization Hypothesis

Published Date

2017-05

Publisher

Type

Thesis or Dissertation

Abstract

Although growing up in an adverse childhood environment tends to impair cognitive functions, evolutionary-developmental theory suggests otherwise. In particular, a person’s mind may become developmentally specialized and potentially enhanced for solving problems in the types of environments in which the person grew up. In the current studies, we tested whether these specialized advantages in cognitive function might be sensitized to emerge in currently uncertain contexts. We refer to this as the sensitized-specialization hypothesis. We conducted experimental tests of this hypothesis in the domain of working memory, examining how growing up in unpredictable versus predictable environments affects different facets of working memory. Although growing up in an unpredictable environment typically impairs working memory, we show that this type of environment has positive effects on those aspects of working memory that are useful in rapidly changing environments. We also show that growing up in predictable environments enhances those aspects of working memory that are useful in stable environments. Both of these effects emerged only when the current context was uncertain. These theoretically-derived findings suggest that childhood environments shape, rather than uniformly impair, cognitive functions.

Description

University of Minnesota M.A. thesis. May 2017. Major: Psychology. Advisor: Jeffry Simpson. 1 computer file (PDF); v, 72 pages.

Related to

Replaces

License

Series/Report Number

Funding information

Isbn identifier

Doi identifier

Previously Published Citation

Other identifiers

Suggested citation

Young, Ethan. (2017). Can an Unpredictable Childhood Environment Enhance Working Memory? Testing the Sensitized-Specialization Hypothesis. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/190575.

Content distributed via the University Digital Conservancy may be subject to additional license and use restrictions applied by the depositor. By using these files, users agree to the Terms of Use. Materials in the UDC may contain content that is disturbing and/or harmful. For more information, please see our statement on harmful content in digital repositories.