Childhood Violence Exposure and Social Information Processing in Young Adults: Does Relationship With the Perpetrator Matter?

Abstract

Humans are generally biased to show implicit favoritism for in-group over out-group members, but developmental experiences may alter this process in important ways. Prior work has elucidated associations of family (i.e., in-group) violence exposure in childhood with risk for internalizing symptoms through weakened implicit favoritism for novel in-group members. In the present study, we probe whether childhood violence exposure influences implicit bias and psychopathology differentially depending on the participant’s relationship with the perpetrator (i.e., in-group vs. out-group member) at the time of exposure. We administered a minimal group-assignment paradigm and implicit-association test to 455 young adults ages 18 to 25. Young adults who experienced out-group violence in childhood showed stronger implicit in-group favoritism compared with participants who experienced in-group violence or no violence. Implicit out-group favoritism was associated with increased alcohol use. Early life experiences may shape innate preferences for novel in-group members versus out-group members in ways that have lasting implications for mental health.