Childhood Exposure to Unpredictable Environments Is Associated with Altered Threat-Related Perceptual Decision-Making in Adults

We validated an online threat-related perceptual decision-making task and examined associations with childhood exposure to unpredictable environments and anxiety in adulthood. Self-reported childhood unpredictability was associated with improved discrimination between threatening and neutral faces after a fear cue, a possibly adaptive response to unpredictably threatening early environments.