Externalizing behaviors across development

Question 1

What are externalizing behaviors?

Answer 1

A series or set of actions that are at odds with and/or directed towards one’s environment

Question 2

What negative impacts do externalizing behaviors have?

Answer 2

• Higher high school drop out and employment rates
• More family conflict
• Increased risk of internalizing
• Disproportionate use of public health services

Question 3

What is the HiTOP model?

Answer 3

Dimensional model of psychopathology that looks at externalizing behaviors (look this up)

Question 4

What is Moffit’s Developmental Taxonomy?

Answer 4

To pathways of antisocial behaviors
- Adolescence limited: High levels of antisocial behaviors in adolescence that decline in early adulthood
- Life-course persistent: Consistent levels of antisocial behaviors from adolescence and into adulthood

Question 5

What is one way we can test Moffitt’s Developmental Taxonomy?

Answer 5

Longitudinal studies

Question 6

What trajectories are being considered in relation to externalizing behaviors?

Answer 6

Antagonism (antisocial behaviors) and disinhibition (substance use behaviors)

Question 7

What do the Latent Trajectories of Antisocial Behavior show? Does this support what Moffitt was hypothesizing?

Answer 7

• Yes, it supports his hypothesis
• Low group: No antisocial behavior
• Moderate groups: Steady over time
• Adolescence peaked group: In adolescence exhibited high levels of antisocial behaviors and it begins to decline around 20
• High decline: They did decline significantly but reasons might be they dropped out of the study or they fell prey to substance use as well

Question 8

What do the Latent Trajectories of Substance Use show?

Answer 8

• Substance use is more normative in this population than antisocial behaviors because the low group is 16.3% and the high-stable group is 28.9%
• Generally, substance use declined over time with age
• People who were in the highest level of antisocial behaviors also happened to fall in the high level of substance use behaviors

Question 8

What do the Latent Trajectories of Substance Use show?

Answer 8

• Substance use is more normative in this population than antisocial behaviors because the low group is 16.3% and the high-stable group is 28.9%
• Generally, substance use declined over time with age
• People who were in the highest level of antisocial behaviors also happened to fall in the high level of substance use behaviors

Question 9

Why is it important to know that different trajectories of EXT behaviors exist?

Answer 9

Understand, predict, and treat behaviors

Question 10

What is the heritability of externalizing behaviors?

Answer 10

80% (higher in children)

Question 11

What can tell us what genes are involved in heritability studies?

Answer 11

Genome-wide association studies (GWAS): this is a correlational study that scans the genome for associations between genetic variants and a trait of interest

Question 12

What can you take from significant genes from a GWAS?

Answer 12

Polygenic score which is a weighted composite score that indicates one’s level of genetic liability for a particular trait

Question 13

How are polygenic scores calculated?

Answer 13

Results from GWAS and a separate population

Question 14

Are polygenic scores probabilistic or deterministic?

Answer 14

Probabilistic

Question 15

Does EXT PGS predict only certain trajectories of antagonism and disinhibition?

Answer 15

The PGS for antisocial behavior and substance use were only predictive for the high decline group –> they were more predictive of persistent trajectories of EXT

Question 16

What levels of parental warmth are associated with lower levels of externalizing behaviors?

Answer 16

Higher levels

Question 17

What type of control are associated with more externalizing problems?

Answer 17

Harsh

Question 18

Youth who experienced maltreatment were how many times more likely to exhibit adult EXT behaviors?

Answer 18

2x