The relations of effortful control and impulsivity to children's resiliency and adjustment.
The unique relations of effortful control and impulsivity to resiliency and adjustment were examined when children were 4.5 to 8 years old, and 2 years later. Parents and teachers reported on all constructs and children's attentional persistence was observed. In concurrent structural equation models, effortful control and impulsivity uniquely and directly predicted resiliency and externalizing problems and indirectly predicted internalizing problems (through resiliency). Teacher-reported anger moderated the relations of effortful control and impulsivity to externalizing problems. In the longitudinal model, all relations held at T2 except for the path from impulsivity to externalizing problems. Evidence of bidirectional effects also was obtained. The results indicate that effortful control and impulsivity are distinct constructs with some unique prediction of resiliency and adjustment.
Eisenberg
Nancy
N
Department of Psychology, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-1104, USA. nancy.eisenberg@asu.edu
Spinrad
Tracy L
TL
Fabes
Richard A
RA
Reiser
Mark
M
Cumberland
Amanda
A
Shepard
Stephanie A
SA
Valiente
Carlos
C
Losoya
Sandra H
SH
Guthrie
Ivanna K
IK
Thompson
Marilyn
M
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000786:Anger; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D002653:Child Behavior Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002667:Child Reactive Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000523:psychology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007175:Impulsive Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D007389:Internal-External Control; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009042:Motivation; D010552:Personality Assessment; D011594:Psychometrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013223:Statistics as Topic