%0 Journal Article
%T Early adversity and the development of explore-exploit tradeoffs.
%A Frankenhuis WE
%A Gopnik A
%J Trends Cogn Sci
%V 27
%N 7
%D 2023 07 2
%M 37142526
%F 24.482
%R 10.1016/j.tics.2023.04.001
%X Childhood adversity can have wide-ranging and long-lasting effects on later life. But what are the mechanisms that are responsible for these effects? This article brings together the cognitive science literature on explore-exploit tradeoffs, the empirical literature on early adversity, and the literature in evolutionary biology on 'life history' to explain how early experience influences later life. We propose one potential mechanism: early experiences influence 'hyperparameters' that determine the balance between exploration and exploitation. Adversity might accelerate a shift from exploration to exploitation, with broad and enduring effects on the adult brain and mind. These effects may be produced by life-history adaptations that use early experience to tailor development and learning to the likely future states of an organism and its environment.