Cognitive Abilities, Social Adaptation, and Externalizing Behavior Problems in Childhood and Adolescence: Specific Cascade Effects Across Development

Overview

Journal J Youth Adolesc

Specialties Pediatrics
Psychology
Social Sciences

Date 2016 Nov 6

PMID 27815666

Citations 16

Authors

Sarah Jensen Racz

Diane L Putnick

Joan T D Suwalsky

Charlene Hendricks

Marc H Bornstein

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Children's and adolescents' cognitive abilities, social adaptation, and externalizing behaviors are broadly associated with each other at the bivariate level; however, the direction, ordering, and uniqueness of these associations have yet to be identified. Developmental cascade models are particularly well-suited to (1) discern unique pathways among psychological domains and (2) model stability in and covariation among constructs, allowing for conservative tests of longitudinal associations. The current study aimed to identify specific cascade effects among children's cognitive abilities, social adaptation, and externalizing behaviors, beginning in preschool and extending through adolescence. Children (46.2 % female) and mothers (N = 351 families) provided data when children were 4, 10, and 14 years old. Cascade effects highlighted significant stability in these domains. Unique longitudinal associations were identified between (1) age-10 cognitive abilities and age-14 social adaptation, (2) age-4 social adaptation and age-10 externalizing behavior, and (3) age-10 externalizing behavior and age-14 social adaptation. These findings suggest that children's social adaptation in preschool and externalizing behavior in middle childhood may be ideal intervention targets to enhance adolescent well-being.

Citing Articles

Cognitive abilities in a sample of young Swedish children.

Clausen Gull I, Stalnacke J, Eninger L, Ferrer-Wreder L, Eichas K Front Psychol. 2024; 15:1398398.

PMID: 39691667 PMC: 11649402. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1398398.

Exploring associations between ADHD symptoms and emotional problems from childhood to adulthood: shared aetiology or possible causal relationship?.

You Y, Oginni O, Rijsdijk F, Lim K, Zavos H, McAdams T Psychol Med. 2024; :1-12.

PMID: 39552389 PMC: 11650170. DOI: 10.1017/S0033291724002514.

A Multi-Method Approach for the Identification of Social Functioning Profiles in Autistic Adolescents and Young Adults Without Intellectual Disability.

Husmann J, Feller C, Ilen L, Schneider M J Autism Dev Disord. 2024; .

PMID: 39436515 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06607-9.

Relationship Between Neurodevelopmental Areas and Difficulties in Emotional-Behavioural Variables in Children With Typical Development Under 2 Years of Age: Sex Differences.

Castro M, Fernandez V, Martinez A, Alcantara M, Campillo A, Lopez-Soler C Psychol Belg. 2024; 64(1):129-144.

PMID: 39247396 PMC: 11378711. DOI: 10.5334/pb.1203.

Early executive functioning predicts externalizing problems in neurodiverse preschoolers.

All K, Chawarska K, Macari S Autism Res. 2024; 17(5):1053-1065.

PMID: 38476104 PMC: 11251695. DOI: 10.1002/aur.3109.

References

Almirall D, Chronis-Tuscano A . Adaptive Interventions in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2016; 45(4):383-95. PMC: 4930370. DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2016.1152555. View

Moffitt T . Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: a developmental taxonomy. Psychol Rev. 1993; 100(4):674-701. View

Nigg J, Quamma J, Greenberg M, Kusche C . A two-year longitudinal study of neuropsychological and cognitive performance in relation to behavioral problems and competencies in elementary school children. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1999; 27(1):51-63. DOI: 10.1023/a:1022614407893. View

Rudolph K, Clark A . Conceptions of relationships in children with depressive and aggressive symptoms: social-cognitive distortion or reality?. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2001; 29(1):41-56. DOI: 10.1023/a:1005299429060. View

Hughes C, Ensor R . Individual differences in growth in executive function across the transition to school predict externalizing and internalizing behaviors and self-perceived academic success at 6 years of age. J Exp Child Psychol. 2010; 108(3):663-76. DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2010.06.005. View

Compas B, Hinden B, Gerhardt C . Adolescent development: pathways and processes of risk and resilience. Annu Rev Psychol. 1995; 46:265-93. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.ps.46.020195.001405. View

Dodge K, Greenberg M, Malone P . Testing an idealized dynamic cascade model of the development of serious violence in adolescence. Child Dev. 2008; 79(6):1907-27. PMC: 2597335. DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2008.01233.x. View

Raine A, Yaralian P, Reynolds C, Venables P, Mednick S . Spatial but not verbal cognitive deficits at age 3 years in persistently antisocial individuals. Dev Psychopathol. 2002; 14(1):25-44. DOI: 10.1017/s0954579402001025. View

Lochman J . Screening of child behavior problems for prevention programs at school entry. The Conduct Problems Prevention Research Group. J Consult Clin Psychol. 1995; 63(4):549-59. DOI: 10.1037//0022-006x.63.4.549. View

10.

Cook E, Greenberg M, Kusche C . The relations between emotional understanding, intellectual functioning, and disruptive behavior problems in elementary-school-aged children. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 1994; 22(2):205-19. DOI: 10.1007/BF02167900. View

11.

Bornstein M, Hahn C, Suwalsky J . Developmental Pathways among Adaptive Functioning and Externalizing and Internalizing Behavioral Problems: Cascades from Childhood into Adolescence. Appl Dev Sci. 2013; 17(2):76-87. PMC: 3622712. DOI: 10.1080/10888691.2013.774875. View

12.

Spear L . The adolescent brain and age-related behavioral manifestations. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2000; 24(4):417-63. DOI: 10.1016/s0149-7634(00)00014-2. View

13.

Bradley R, Corwyn R . Socioeconomic status and child development. Annu Rev Psychol. 2001; 53:371-99. DOI: 10.1146/annurev.psych.53.100901.135233. View

14.

Lansford J, Malone P, Dodge K, Pettit G, Bates J . Developmental cascades of peer rejection, social information processing biases, and aggression during middle childhood. Dev Psychopathol. 2010; 22(3):593-602. PMC: 2892817. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579410000301. View

15.

Lochman J, Wells K . Contextual social-cognitive mediators and child outcome: a test of the theoretical model in the Coping Power program. Dev Psychopathol. 2003; 14(4):945-67. DOI: 10.1017/s0954579402004157. View

16.

Moilanen K, Shaw D, Maxwell K . Developmental cascades: externalizing, internalizing, and academic competence from middle childhood to early adolescence. Dev Psychopathol. 2010; 22(3):635-53. PMC: 3168570. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579410000337. View

17.

Burt K, Roisman G . Competence and psychopathology: cascade effects in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development. Dev Psychopathol. 2010; 22(3):557-67. DOI: 10.1017/S0954579410000271. View

18.

Blakemore S, Choudhury S . Development of the adolescent brain: implications for executive function and social cognition. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2006; 47(3-4):296-312. DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2006.01611.x. View

19.

van Goozen S, Fairchild G, Snoek H, Harold G . The evidence for a neurobiological model of childhood antisocial behavior. Psychol Bull. 2007; 133(1):149-82. DOI: 10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.149. View

20.

Lynam D, Moffitt T, Stouthamer-Loeber M . Explaining the relation between IQ and delinquency: class, race, test motivation, school failure, or self-control?. J Abnorm Psychol. 1993; 102(2):187-96. DOI: 10.1037//0021-843x.102.2.187. View