Middle Childhood: An Evolutionary-Developmental Synthesis

Middle childhood is a crucial phase of human development characterized by a global shift in cognition, motivation, and social behavior. In this article, I review recent work on middle childhood from an evolutionary-developmental perspective and show how contributions from a range of disciplines can be synthesized into an integrated model of this life stage. I begin by reviewing the main evolved functions of middle childhood and the underlying hormonal mechanism of adrenarche. Then, I introduce the idea that the transition to middle childhood works as a switch point in the development of life history strategies. Finally, I discuss three insights into the nature of middle childhood that arise from an integrated approach.