Empathy and mentalization as mediators between childhood maltreatment and social decision-making during adulthood.

Childhood maltreatment is a highly prevalent form of early adversity with long-lasting consequences for social and emotional functioning. While previous work has established links between maltreatment, empathy, and mentalization, little is known about how these processes shape adult social decision-making. In this study, 327 adults completed validated self-report measures of childhood maltreatment, empathy, and mentalization, along with a series of economic games designed to assess cooperation and punishment. We found that greater severity of childhood maltreatment was selectively associated with two decision-making patterns: reduced cooperation when observed by a third party and increased punishment of cooperative partners, a paradoxical behavior known as antisocial punishment. Mediation analyses revealed that these associations were explained by affective components of empathy. Specifically, diminished affective resonance (congruent emotional responses) mediated the link between maltreatment and reduced cooperation, while heightened affective dissonance (incongruent emotional responses) mediated the link between maltreatment and antisocial punishment. Mentalization did not uniquely mediate these relationships when considered alongside empathy. These findings highlight empathy disruptions as a key pathway through which early adversity may shape adult social behavior. By identifying specific affective mechanisms, this work points to potential targets for interventions aimed at improving social functioning in individuals with histories of maltreatment.