Does Preschool Self-Regulation Predict Later Behavior Problems in General or Specific Problem Behaviors? Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Findings from prior research have consistently indicated significant associations between self-regulation and externalizing behaviors. Significant associations have also been reported between children's language skills and both externalizing behaviors and self-regulation. Few studies to date, however, have examined these relations longitudinally, simultaneously, or with respect to unique clusters of externalizing problems. The current study examined the influence of preschool self-regulation on general and specific externalizing behavior problems in early elementary school and whether these relations were independent of associations between language, self-regulation, and externalizing behaviors in a sample of 815 children (44% female). Additionally, given a general pattern of sex differences in the presentations of externalizing behavior problems, self-regulation, and language skills, sex differences for these associations were examined. Results indicated unique relations of preschool self-regulation and language with both general externalizing behavior problems and specific problems of inattention. In general, self-regulation was a stronger longitudinal correlate of externalizing behavior for boys than it was for girls, and language was a stronger longitudinal predictor of hyperactive/impulsive behavior for girls than it was for boys.

published proceedings

  • J Abnorm Child Psychol

altmetric score

  • 12.45

author list (cited authors)

  • Lonigan, C. J., Spiegel, J. A., Goodrich, J. M., Morris, B. M., Osborne, C. M., Lerner, M. D., & Phillips, B. M.

citation count

  • 42

complete list of authors

  • Lonigan, Christopher J||Spiegel, Jamie A||Goodrich, J Marc||Morris, Brittany M||Osborne, Colleen M||Lerner, Matthew D||Phillips, Beth M

publication date

  • November 2017