Dimensions of temperament in preschoolers predict risk taking and externalizing behaviors in adolescents

The present research examines the relation between measures of childhood temperament at 54 months and adolescent risk taking and externalizing problems. Three temperament factors were calculated from maternal reports: negative affectivity, surgency, and effortful control. At Age 15, data was gathered on risk taking and externalizing problems using self- and maternal reports. Analyses indicated that effortful control predicted self-reported risk taking. Different dimensions of temperament were related to externalizing behaviors, depending on the identity of the reporter. Maternal reports of externaliz-ing problems were predicted by all three dimensions, whereas self-reports of externalizing problems were predicted only by surgency. Additional analyses demonstrated that the prospective associations between childhood effortful control and adolescent risk taking and externalizing behaviors were partially mediated by adolescent measures of self-regulation: impulse control and future planning. Collectively, these findings underscore the importance of early emerging personality differences for understanding problem behaviors during the teen years. Keyword