The Role Of Executive Functions And Maternal Characteristics In Externalizing Problems Among Young Children
Abstract
Externalizing problems, such as hyperactivity, inattention, and defiance, that emerge early in life put children on a path toward numerous adverse outcomes, including delinquency, academic failure, and substance abuse. Using a family study design, the current investigation sought to identify predictors of externalizing problems in preschool-aged children, with a specific focus on early executive functioning skills and maternal depression and education. Families with two children between the ages of 2.5 and 5.5 were recruited from the Dallas/Fort-Worth Metroplex and participated in a lab visit at The University of Texas at Arlington. The current study included 196 children (males = 102; mean age = 45.93 months, SD = 12.40) and their mothers (mean age = 34.13, SD = 5.13). Early executive functioning, specifically inhibitory control, predicted externalizing problems. Furthermore, maternal depression symptoms were positively related to children's externalizing problems, particularly among mothers with higher levels of education. Future research should examine the potentially positive impact of increasing inhibitory control on lowering child externalizing problems.