Cognition in harsh and unpredictable environments

•In harsh environments, people become more present-oriented.•Present-orientation increases vigilance, impulsivity, and future discounting.•Present-orientation reflects biological adaptations to harsh environments.•Growing up in a harsh environment may enhance certain mental abilities.

In environments that are harsh and unpredictable, people are typically more vigilant, act more impulsively, and discount the future more. In this paper, we argue that these behaviors reflect a present-orientation produced by biological adaptations, despite potential harm to health and wellbeing. We review recent studies showing that people in stressful environments have a stronger preference for immediate over delayed rewards, have children at a younger age, and develop enhanced cognition for dealing with threat and rapidly changing conditions, compared with people from supportive environments. Moreover, people from supportive environments, when exposed to harsh-unpredictable environmental cues, shift toward a present-orientation. These findings underscore the benefits of integrating evolutionary and developmental psychology.