Temperament and Affective and Behavioral ODD Problems in Emerging Adults: Moderation by Gender and Perceived Parental Psychopathology

Low neurocognitive performance and problematic contexts: interaction influences in predicting adolescent externalizing behaviors within a community sample

Research has identified neurocognitive and contextual risk factors of externalizing behaviors. However, fewer studies have examined the interaction among neurocognitive and other risk factors in predicting externalizing behaviors. The goal of the current study was to examine the relation between neurocognitive and contextual factors in predicting externalizing behaviors in a community sample of adolescents. Participants were 84 adolescents, aged 11-17 (M = 13.39, SD = 1.82), recruited as part of a larger study. Separate moderated multiple regression models were utilized in which neurocognitive variables (intellectual functioning, short-term memory/attention, disinhibition) were added as predictors and contextual variables (family dysfunction and parental depression, anxiety, and stress) were added as moderators in step 1, and their interaction was added in step 2. Externalizing behaviors served as criterion variables (hyperactivity/impulsivity and oppositional defiant disorder symptom severity, reactive and proactive aggression). Overall, results suggest that higher levels of problematic contextual factors exacerbate the significant negative associations among neurocognitive functioning and externalizing behaviors. Importantly, this pattern was shown across neurocognitive domains and contextual factors. Findings suggest that contextual factors should be targeted for the treatment or prevention of youth externalizing behaviors, particularly for adolescents with neurocognitive vulnerabilities.

Parental Psychopathology and Oppositional Defiant Problems in Emerging Adults: Moderated Mediation by Temperament and Gender

Previous studies have indicated that prenatal maternal depressive symptoms predicted toddler temperament, which led to childhood irritability, an important component to ODD problems. In addition, children with ODD problems continue to have difficulties as they transition into emerging adulthood. The current study examined whether present-day emerging adult temperament mediated the relationship between perceived parental psychopathology (e.g., depressive, anxiety, and antisocial problems) and emerging adult ODD problems (e.g., affective and behavioral components). Further, emerging adult and parent gender was examined as a moderator (i.e., moderated mediation). The current study asked a sample of 973 emerging adults to report upon the psychological problems of their parents as well as their own temperament and ODD problems. Negative affect and effortful control mediated the relationship between maternal anxiety problems and female affective and behavioral ODD problems. Similarly, effortful control mediated the relationship between paternal antisocial problems and male behavioral ODD problems. Significant indirect effects occurred for the mother-daughter and father-son dyads only, suggesting moderated mediation by child and parent gender. Thus, temperament may be one process which explains the relationship between parental psychopathology and emerging adult ODD problems, and this process differed by parent and child gender.