Two Different Mismatches: Integrating the Developmental and the Evolutionary-Mismatch Hypothesis

Abstract

Evolutionary psychology aims to understand the origins of the human mind, including disease. Several theories about the origins of disease have been proposed. One concerns a developmental mismatch-a mismatch might occur at the individual level between the environment experienced during childhood and the environment the adult finds herself in, possibly resulting in disease. A second theory concerns the idea of an evolutionary mismatch-humans are adapted to ancestral conditions so they might now experience a mismatch with their modern environment, possibly resulting in disease. A third theory-differential susceptibility-outlines how genetic and epigenetic differences influence the extent to which humans are susceptible to rearing, including positive and negative experiences. Because of these differences, some individuals are more prone to develop disease than others. We review empirical studies that substantiate these theories and argue that an overarching theory that integrates these three lines into one provides a more accurate understanding of disease from an evolutionary perspective.

Keywords: developmental mismatch; differential susceptibility; evolutionary mismatch; origins of depression; origins of disease; origins of psychopathology.

Fig. 1.

The developmental-mismatch hypothesis. When there is a match between the early environment and adulthood (blue arrows), a decreased risk for disease is expected. When there is a mismatch between the two periods (red arrows), an increased risk for disease is expected (Schmidt, 2011).