Psychological Development and Education ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (3): 398-409.doi: 10.16187/j.cnki.issn1001-4918.2025.03.10

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Adolescent Fast Life History Strategy and Its Behavioral Outcomes under COVID-19-related Stressors

LUO Yuhan1, XU Zijing1, ZHOU Qing3, YANG Zhengqian1, KE Li2, WANG Yun1, CHEN Fumei2   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875;
    2. Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875;
    3. Department of Psychology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
  • Published:2025-05-20

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Abstract: Life history theory offers an evolutionary perspective to understand the different trade-offs of adolescents’ behaviors under COVID-19 pandemic. In this two-wave longitudinal study, a total of 1125 (male: 51.2%, age at T1: 14.30 ± 0.73) students in grades 8 and 9 from 3 middle schools were included using a convenience sampling method. The results showed: (1) Adolescent fast life history strategies in T2 were significantly higher than that in T1, and COVID-19-related stressors had a positive effect on fast life history strategies; (2) The level of fast life history strategies partially mediated the effect of COVID-19-related stressors on the level of internalizing problem behaviors and fully mediated the effect of COVID-19-related stressors on the level of externalizing problem behaviors and pro-social behaviors; changes in fast life history strategies fully mediated the effect of COVID-19-related stressors on all three types of behavioral changes. The study preliminarily revealed the mechanism of the fast life history strategy in the impact of COVID-19-related stressors on the social adaptation of adolescents.

Key words: life history strategies, COVID-19-related stressors, behavioral problems, prosocial behaviors, adolescent

CLC Number: 

  • B844
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