UVM Theses and Dissertations
Format:
Print
Author:
Copeland, William E.
Dept./Program:
Psychology
Year:
2004
Degree:
Ph. D.
Abstract:
The present study investigated the relations between executive inhibition and coping responses to family conflict for children and adolescents. A recent theory of self-regulation suggests inhibitory control may be necessary for the generation and implementation of effective coping responses. It was hypothesized engagement coping responses included primary control and secondary control, would be related to higher levels of inhibition, whereas disengagement coping was predicted to be related to less inhibitory control. In addition, coping behavior was hypothesized to mediate relations between inhibition and behavioral functioning. Participants were 69 children recruited from a family study of attention and aggressive behavior problems to oversample externalizing behavior problems as previous studies suggest a strong negative relation between inhibition and externalizing behavior. An additional 10 children were recruited through peers of the family study participants.
Both participants and their parents completed questionnaires on the child's coping and behavioral/emotional functioning. In addition, participants completed three inhibition tasks and one interview on problemsolving skills. Hierarchical regression analyses, run separately for parent and self report coping, tested inhibition scores as predictors of coping behavior, while controlling for age and gender. Mediation analyses tested whether coping accounts for part of the association between inhibition and attention problems or aggressive behavior. The regression findings indicated engagement coping strategies, including both primary and secondary control, were related to higher levels of inhibitory control, whereas disengagement coping was related to poorer performance on measures of inhibition. Inhibition measures, in addition to demographic variables, accounted for an average of 43% of the variance in primary control engagement coping, and 27% of the variance in secondary control engagement across informants.
Inhibition and demographic: variables accounted for 48% of the variance in self report disengagement coping, but did not significantly predict parent report disengagement coping. Mediation analyses supported coping behavior as a mediator between inhibition and attention or aggressive behavior in some instances. Overall, inhibitory control appears to display moderate relations to coping. Inhibitory control may be an important cognitive mechanism for understanding self-regulatory strategies under stressful situations. Implications for directions in future research in the relations between executive inhibition and coping are discussed.
Both participants and their parents completed questionnaires on the child's coping and behavioral/emotional functioning. In addition, participants completed three inhibition tasks and one interview on problemsolving skills. Hierarchical regression analyses, run separately for parent and self report coping, tested inhibition scores as predictors of coping behavior, while controlling for age and gender. Mediation analyses tested whether coping accounts for part of the association between inhibition and attention problems or aggressive behavior. The regression findings indicated engagement coping strategies, including both primary and secondary control, were related to higher levels of inhibitory control, whereas disengagement coping was related to poorer performance on measures of inhibition. Inhibition measures, in addition to demographic variables, accounted for an average of 43% of the variance in primary control engagement coping, and 27% of the variance in secondary control engagement across informants.
Inhibition and demographic: variables accounted for 48% of the variance in self report disengagement coping, but did not significantly predict parent report disengagement coping. Mediation analyses supported coping behavior as a mediator between inhibition and attention or aggressive behavior in some instances. Overall, inhibitory control appears to display moderate relations to coping. Inhibitory control may be an important cognitive mechanism for understanding self-regulatory strategies under stressful situations. Implications for directions in future research in the relations between executive inhibition and coping are discussed.