This study should come with a warning ‘don’t try this at home’, and no, tiger moms, do sit down. This new study indicates that early experiences of environmental harshness, in combination with a child’s temperament, can influence later problem-solving abilities. But do know that other studies also show negative effects, no really.
From the press release:
Following early exposure to harsh environments, children with higher levels of hawk traits at age 2 — meaning that they exhibited heightened levels of aggressiveness, boldness, activity, and approach — developed enhanced problem-solving for rewards by age 4. Furthermore, these children displayed worse performance on a standardized visual problem-solving task with low motivational significance, regardless of environmental harshness.
“Our study’s findings provide support for emerging views that early environmental experiences in combination with temperament characteristics shape children’s cognitive functioning towards what is most salient in their environments,” said Jennifer Suor, lead author…
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