Adverse and Benevolent Childhood Experiences in University Students and Their Affective Forecasting and Event Predictions During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This study investigated whether adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and benevolent childhood experiences (BCEs) were associated with predictions of one’s future emotional states (affective forecasting) and future events (event prediction) during the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that adults’ higher ACEs and lower BCEs would be independently associated with adults’ (a) more negative affective forecasting and (b) predictions that the pandemic would last longer. Participants were undergraduate and graduate students ( N = 502) who completed online questionnaires in May 2020 about ACEs and BCEs, current mental health, and experiences during and predictions about the COVID-19 pandemic. Results indicated that adults reporting more BCEs reported less affective forecasting of negative emotions in the future, though the association became nonsignificant after controlling for depressive symptoms. ACEs were not associated with affective forecasting nor with prediction about the pandemic’s duration. Among those with fewer BCEs, however, higher levels of ACEs were associated with predicting a faster return to normal life following the pandemic. Additionally, among those with fewer ACEs, higher levels of BCEs were also associated with predicting a faster return to normal life, suggesting nuanced and non-linear associations by which ACEs and BCEs relate to expectations about the future during global crises. Implications for ongoing and future global stressors are discussed.