Development and malleability of self-regulation across generations: Do better regulated children become better parents?

• In Event: 3-025 - Breaking the cycle: The role of intergenerational studies in child development

Integrative Statement

Introduction: The proposed study leverages an existing two-generation cohort of predominately low/middle income African American families in Baltimore (G1, G2). It extends the investigation to a third generation (G3) to advance fundamental understandings of the development and malleability of self-regulation (SR) across the life course and across generations. Previous studies have established that adults with better SR demonstrate more optimal parenting and that parenting is a key context for child SR development. Poor SR in childhood (e.g., poor attention and emotion regulation, impulsivity, aggressive behavior) is a common antecedent of outcomes with high public health and societal burden including lower educational and occupational attainment, problem substance use, depression, obesity, and antisocial behavior. Thus, SR in childhood anchors generation-to-generation cascades of adaptive or maladaptive functioning, fueling health disparities. Despite the potential public health importance of efforts to optimize SR across the life course, and the potential for benefits to be amplified across generations, critical gaps in our knowledge remain, including whether better SR in childhood facilitates better parenting in adulthood.
Hypotheses: Based on prior work, we hypothesize: 1) Self-regulation in childhood predicts adult parenting behaviors; and 2) Better self-regulation in childhood is associated with better parenting at age 30, mediated by better psychosocial adjustment (e.g., less problem substance use, justice system involvement, unintended pregnancy) from ages 19 to 26.
Study Population: This study leverages an existing two-generation cohort of predominately low-/middle-income African American families in Baltimore (G1, G2), adding a third generation (G3). G2 (n=678) participated in a randomized universal preventive trial in first grade (1993-95) and was followed until age ~26.
Method: Teacher reported self-regulation was measured annually in middle and high school, along with self-reported measures of substance misuse, on-time graduation, college attendance, property ownership, and use of government subsidies all measured in adulthood. Criminal justice system involvement was collected via government records. We will survey all G2 members, who are now, on average, 29.86 years (SD: 0.55) regarding their family structure and adjustment to adult roles including parenting practices.
Results: Results of a longitudinal latent profile analysis of impulsivity identified 2 profiles across middle and high school: a low and decreasing impulsivity class (68% of sample) and a high but decreasing (32%). A latent class analysis of adult success identified 2 classes: a low success class (35%) and moderate success class (65%). Results indicated that youth who were members in the low and decreasing were significantly more likely to be in the moderate adult success class (Est.=2.235, SE=0.33, p<.001) compared to youth in the high but decreasing class. Findings highlight the impact of early self-regulation problems can having lasting impacts on adult functioning. Results exploring the impact of these impulsivity classes on parenting will also be presented.

Authors

• Rashelle Jean Musci, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
  Presenting Author

• Kristin Voegtline, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine
  Non-Presenting Author

• Nicholas S. Lalongo, Johns Hopkins University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Sara Johnson, Johns Hopkins University
  Non-Presenting Author