Jay Belsky

Synonyms

Developmental psychology; Evolutionary psychology; Father absence; Life history theory

Definition

Predictions about how cues to accelerated life history will be visible in maturation.

Introduction

Jay Belsky had a breakthrough moment – in his own words “the best idea I would ever have” – early in his career while teaching a graduate seminar. Having been trained in traditional developmental psychological theories (Freudian, attachment theory, and social learning theory) he was familiar with the idea that good developmental trajectories followed naturally from positive parental involvement. Parents who were responsive, financially and emotionally secure, and possessed of an acceptable level of intellectual and social skills would produce children who were similarly capable of love and social interaction in later life. A paper by colleague Pat Draper (Draper and Harpending 1988) changed all that. Viewed from the perspective of life history theory, human notions of good and bad...