Slow Life History Strategies and Increases in Externalizing and Internalizing Problems During the COVID‐19 Pandemic

The COVID‐19 pandemic is but one of many instances of environmental adversities that have recurred in human history. Biobehavioral resource allocation strategies, known as fast (reproduction‐focused) versus slow (development‐focused) life history (LH) tradeoff strategies, evolved to deal with environmental challenges such as infectious diseases. Based on 141 young people and their mothers observed prior to (ages 9 and 13) and during (age 20) COVID‐19, we investigated longitudinal relations involving slow LH strategies. The results support the adaptive role of slow LH strategies in reducing COVID‐related increases in externalizing problems. In addition, the effect of early adversity on COVID‐related increases in externalizing was mediated, and the effect on COVID‐related increases in internalizing was moderated, by slow LH strategies.