Distinct Roles of Early Life Deprivation and Unpredictability in Shaping Mating-Related Behaviors and Sexual Harassment Perceptions

Chen Xu ¹ Shijin Sun ¹ Xiaoyan Zhang ² Zhechen Wang ^1,3*

• ¹ School of Social Development and Public Policy, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
• ² School of Humanities, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
• ³ School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia

Evolutionary-developmental theories propose that early life adversity (ELA) shapes mating patterns. However, evidence is mixed, and the extent to which ELA influences attitudes and perceptions remains underexplored. This research adopted a dimensional approach to examine how different forms of ELA are linked to mating outcomes and social perceptions in men, using two distinct samples. Study 1 analysed a U.S. sample (N = 1036) and found that childhood financial deprivation was associated with more partner pregnancies and live births, but not with the number of sexual partners. Study 2, conducted with a Chinese sample (N = 292), revealed that childhood unpredictability was positively associated with misperceptions of sexual interest, defined as the perception of mutual romantic interest even when one party experiences unwanted sexual attention, while childhood SES was positively associated with misperceptions of sexual interest but negatively associated with recognition of boundary violations. These findings suggest that ELA may influence mating-related outcomes through distinct pathways, with childhood unpredictability shaping sociosexual orientation, while deprivation-based adversity involves more multifaceted mechanisms, such as cognitive socialisation processes. This research underscores the need for more nuanced predictions within life history theory and highlights the importance of integrating frameworks that account for the cognitive and developmental consequences of deprivation.