Austin Health

Title
Are Expectations the Missing Link between Life History Strategies and Psychopathology?
Publication Date
2018-02
Author(s)
Kavanagh, Phillip S
Kahl, Bianca L
Subject
evolutionary psychology
expectations
life history theory
mismatch
predicative adaptive responses
psychopathology
Type of document
Journal Article
DOI
10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00089
Abstract
Despite advances in knowledge and thinking about using life history theory to explain psychopathology there is still a missing link. That is, we all have a life history strategy, but not all of us develop mental health problems. We propose that the missing link is expectations - a mismatch between expected environmental conditions (including social) set by variations in life history strategies and the current environmental conditions. The mismatch hypothesis has been applied at the biological level in terms of health and disease and we believe that it can also be applied more broadly at the psychological level in terms of perceived expectations in the social environment and the resulting distress-psychopathology-that manifests when our expectations are not met.
Link
Citation
Frontiers in psychology 2018; 9: 89
Jornal Title
Frontiers in psychology
ISSN
1664-1078

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