Poster #30 - Longitudinal Predictions From Early Executive Functions to Adolescent Risk-Taking and Protective Social Contexts

• In Event: Poster Session 17

Abstract

Adolescence is a period characterized by heightened risk-taking and increased peer influence (Blakemore & Mills, 2014; Patton et al., 2016; Steinberg et al., 2018). For some adolescents, increases in substance use and risky sexual activity are accompanied by deviant peer affiliation, antisocial activities, and school disengagement, signaling risk for negative health consequences including future substance use disorders and early mortality (Kann et al., 2018). Researchers have speculated that early childhood self-regulation, especially weak executive function (EF) skills, are associated with adolescent risk-taking. Theoretically, delayed EF skill development in early childhood reduces social competence and undermines decision-making skills. Over time, low EF skills and accompanying prosocial skill deficits impede social integration and push children toward marginalized adolescent social contexts where reward-seeking and rule-breaking behaviors are modeled and reinforced (Bierman et al., 2015; Blair & Raver, 2015; Eisenberg et al., 2010; Powers & Bierman, 2013). Conversely, early high EF skills help children form positive social relationships, thereby facilitating school engagement and protective adolescent social contexts characterized by broad networks of prosocial peer affiliations and extracurricular activities that reduce risk-taking opportunities (Griffiths et al., 2012; Li-Grining et al., 2019; Zorza et al., 2016).
Despite the documented importance of social influence on adolescent risk-taking (Bayly & Vasilenko, 2021; Chein et al., 2011; Trujillo et al., 2019), research examining profiles of adolescent risk-taking typically focus on problem behaviors without considering the social contexts in which the behaviors occur. In addition, the hypothesized connections between early EF skills and adolescent risks and social protections remain largely speculative and are based upon cross-sectional or short-term longitudinal studies (Kim-Spoon et al., 2017; Otten et al., 2019; Petraitis et al., 1995). Delayed EF development and adolescent risk-taking occur at elevated rates among children growing up in poverty, making it especially important to understand processes of developmental risk and resilience among children growing up in economically disadvantaged families.
Following a sample of 356 children (58% White, 17% Latinx, 25% Black; 54% girls) from low-income backgrounds, the current study examined predictive associations between childhood EF (Grade 3) and latent profiles representing adolescent risk-taking (Grades 9 and 11), which included risky behaviors (early initiation of substance use and sexual activity) and protective social contexts (positive peer affiliation, deviant peer affiliation, school engagement, and extracurricular participation). Analyses addressed two aims: 1) to identify distinct profiles of youths who vary in risk-taking and social protection and 2) to examine predictive associations between early EF and such profiles.
Latent profile analyses revealed four distinct profiles of adolescent risky behavior and protective social contexts: 1) early adolescent risk initiation and low social protection; 2) late adolescent risk initiation and moderately low social protection; 3) abstinence from risk initiation and moderately high social protection; and 4) later adolescent risk initiation in contexts of high social protection. High levels of EF in elementary school predicted membership in adolescent profile 4 (late adolescent risk initiation in contexts of high social protection) compared to each of the other profiles. Implications for early intervention and prevention program design are discussed.

Authors

• Michael Thomas Sanders, Pennsylvania State University, University Park
  Presenting Author

• Karen L Bierman, Pennsylvania State University, University Park