Physiological Self-Regulation Buffers the Relationship between Impulsivity and Externalizing Behaviors among Nonclinical Adolescents

Abstract

Trait impulsivity is a risk factor for rule breaking and aggressive (externalizing) behaviors among nonclinical youth. Buffers of trait-based risk are of practical interest to preventing externalizing behaviors. One such buffer may be the capacity and efforts of a child to self-regulate their physiology. Youth who possess baseline physiological self-regulatory capacities are more likely to maintain adaptive engagement with their environment and may be less prone to impulsively rule break or be aggressive. Similarly, youth who are able to use self-regulatory skills to calm their physiology in times of stress may be less likely to externalize distress. This study examined self-regulatory capacity and efforts as a moderator of the relationship between trait impulsivity and externalizing behaviors, cross-sectionally and prospectively. We hypothesized that the effect of trait impulsivity on externalizing behaviors would depend on the presence of baseline self-regulatory capacity and/or self-regulatory efforts during stress. Participants were 134 nonclinical adolescents (M = 12.59, SD = 1.20 51.9% female, 71% Caucasian). Trait impulsivity was measured using a parental report questionnaire. Physiological self-regulatory capacity and efforts were measured through collection of electrocardiogram data during a resting baseline and a stressful, unsolvable anagram task, respectively. Physiological self-regulation was quantified by calculating respiratory sinus arrhythmia scores across baseline and stress tasks. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is the change in heart rate across the breathing cycle, and is hypothesized to index physiological self-regulation capacity and efforts under specific conditions. The results indicated that physiological self-regulation capacity, but not efforts, moderated the effect of trait impulsivity on externalizing behaviors prospectively. Stronger physiological self-regulatory capacity buffered the effect of greater trait impulsivity. Implications of these findings among typically developing youth are discussed.

Biological sensitivity to context: A test of the hypothesized U-shaped relation between early adversity and stress responsivity

“…The null results for PNS reactivity regarding family environmental factors may be usefully considered in light of controversies regarding measurement of PNS reactivity. Some laboratories have operationalized PNS reactivity in terms of vagal withdrawal (e.g., Bush, Alkon, et al, 2011; Fox, Hammond, & Mezulis, 2018; Obradović et al, 2010), while other laboratories have operationalized PNS reactivity in terms of any change from baseline (withdrawal or augmentation; Beauchaine, Gatz-Kopp, & Mead, 2007; El-Sheikh et al, 2009; Kuhn, Ahles, Aldrich, Wielgus, & Mezulis, 2018; Zhang, Fagan, & Gao, 2017). The current signal detection analyses employed both vagal withdrawal (conceptualized here as high PNS reactivity) and vagal augmentation (conceptualized here as low PNS reactivity) as dependent variables.…”

Psychosocial Intervention for Youth With High Externalizing Behaviors and Aggression Is Associated With Improvement in Impulsivity and Brain Gray Matter Volume Changes

“…Self-control can also be expressed by choosing the smaller, certain reward versus the temptation of gambling and selecting the larger, uncertain reward ( 19 ). Interestingly, longitudinal analysis revealed that physiological self-regulation or control moderated the effect of trait impulsivity on externalizing behaviors ( 20 ) in a non-clinical sample of adolescents, while another study of a community sample concluded that the effects of stress on self-control were mediated by impulsivity ( 18 ).…”

Conscientiousness and perceived physical symptoms: Mediating effect of life events stress and moderating role of resting respiratory sinus arrhythmia

“…Accumulative empirical studies have explored the moderating role of resting RSA as a physiological marker related to self-regulation in the relationship between individual variables and outcomes. Low resting RSA was found to magnify the association between trait impulsivity and externalizing behaviors (Kuhn et al, 2018), as well as the relation between psychosocial stress exposure and internalizing psychopathology in adolescents (McLaughlin et al, 2015). Whereas, high resting RSA was found to protect highly rejection-sensitive individuals against hostile conflict behaviors (Gyurak and Ayduk, 2008), and buffer the negative impact of marital conflict on children’s increased internalizing, externalizing and health problems (El-Sheikh et al, 2001).…”