Facets of Trait Impulsivity and Their Relationships to Developmental Trajectories of Externalizing Behaviors from Childhood into Adolescence

Abstract

Impulsivity is a risk factor for externalizing behaviors, although the unique relationships between specific impulsivity facets and externalizing behavior development are less clear. We used Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study data (N=9,613) to examine whether child-reported UPPS-P impulsivity facets (9–10 years old) predicted parent-reported externalizing behaviors from childhood to early adolescence (11–12 years old). Results showed that externalizing behaviors decreased over time. Higher negative urgency and lack of premeditation predicted greater externalizing behaviors in both childhood and early adolescence, as well as steeper declines in externalizing behaviors across time. Among the UPPS-P impulsivity facets, negative urgency and lack of premeditation may represent the most prominent indicators of externalizing behavior risk and development, highlighting their importance for targeted interventions.

Keywords: externalizing behaviors, impulsivity, children, adolescents, development