Do early caregiving experiences leave an enduring or transient mark on developmental adaptation?

•People enter close relationships with different competencies and expectations.•These competencies are assumed to be rooted in people's early caregiving experiences.•Early experiences may play a transient or enduring role in shaping outcomes.•Studies suggest that early experiences may play an enduring role in some outcomes.

There are vast individual differences in the ways in which people approach close relationships. Where do these differences come from? According to developmental perspectives, including attachment theory, these differences are rooted in people's interpersonal experiences, starting with their earliest relationships. In the present review we outline alternative models on whether and how early experiences with primary caregivers shape developmental adaptation. We also review recent empirical data which suggests that, at least in some domains, early experiences can leave an enduring mark on psychological development.