Social Disadvantage and Self-Regulation in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health

• In Event: Poster Session

Abstract

Self control theory suggests that self-control is a contributing factor for later delinquency (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 2019; Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990). Longitudinal studies have found lower self-control ratings to be significantly associated with worse adult behavioral outcomes including physical health, substance dependence, personal finance, and criminal offending (Moffitt et al., 2011). There is a substantial amount of research on how parents can influence self-regulatory behavior, (Karreman et al., 2006) though this is generally influenced by deficit model characterizations. More broadly, research shows that exposure to violence in homes and communities can have direct implications on child development of self-regulation (McCoy, 2013). Additionally, high levels of family instability has been significantly related to lower scores in impulse and effortful control (McCoy & Raver, 2014). Overall, adverse environments have been identified as having a significant effect on psychobiological factors that support self-regulation (Blair & Raver, 2012). Further, development of supportive cognitive mechanisms such as executive functioning and stress reactivity are negatively impacted in chronically adverse environments (McCoy, 2013). Using multiple waves of data from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health) the current research examines how instability and chronic adversity in local communities can influence the development of self-regulation.

Authors

• Corbett Bufton, University of Colorado Denver

• Jorge Chavez, University of Colorado Denver