Early and later susceptibility to effects of parenting: Exploring Frankenhuis and Panchanathan's (2011) evolutionary commitment hypothesis.

Abstract

This study tests Frankenhuis and Panchanathan's (2011) evolutionary commitment hypothesis by examining individual differences in susceptibility to the effects of parenting during early and late childhood. Drawing from the Future of Families and Child Well-Being Study ( N = 4,898; 2,342 girls; White/Black/Latinx/other = 590/1,601/813/261) and the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development ( N = 1,364; 659 girls; White/non-Hispanic = 1,097, Black = 176, other = 91), we investigated whether the consistency of early-life conditions affects later susceptibility to parenting with respect to children's cognitive functioning and problem behavior. We hypothesized that children with more consistent early-life experiences of threat will show decreased susceptibility to later parenting (H1), whereas those exposed to greater unpredictability of income will demonstrate increased susceptibility (H2). Susceptibility was measured using influence statistics. While empirical support was not forthcoming in the case of the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study, there was evidence in the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study consistent with H2 (but not H1). Despite the limited evidence for the evolutionary commitment hypothesis, more research is needed before strong conclusions can be drawn about the evolutionary commitment hypothesis. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved).