Running head: HUNGER, CHILDHOOD SES, AND FOOD In Press: Psychological Science Low Childhood Socioeconomic Status Promotes Eating in the Absence of Energy Need

Life history theory predicts that developmental exposure to conditions typical of low socioeconomic status (SES) should calibrate development in ways that promote survivability in harsh and unpredictable ecologies. Guided by these insights, the current research tested the hypothesis that low childhood SES would predict eating in the absence of energy need. Across three studies, we measured (Study 1) or manipulated (Studies 2 and 3) participants’ energy need and gave them the opportunity to eat provided snacks. Participants also reported their childhood and adult SES. Results revealed that people with higher childhood SES regulated food intake based on immediate energy need; they ate more when need was high than when need was low. This relationship was not observed among those with lower childhood SES. These individuals consumed comparably high amounts of food whether current energy need was high or low. Childhood SES may have a lasting impact on food regulation.