The moderating role of behavioral self-regulation in relations between neighborhood connection and adolescents' positive adjustment

The current study directly and longitudinally tested relational-developmental systems theories by analyzing whether neighborhood connection facilitates school engagement, self-esteem, and prosocial behavior depending on adolescents' behavioral self-regulation. Participants included 500 U.S. adolescents age 12 at Time 1 and age 16 at Time 2 (67.2% White; 77% from two-parent households; 119,000 USD average household income). Neighborhood connection at age 12 predicted self-esteem at age 16 for adolescents who reported low behavioral self-regulation at age 12. Behavioral self-regulation did not moderate relations between neighborhood connection and self-esteem for those who reported moderate to high behavioral self-regulation. Behavioral self-regulation did not moderate relations between neighborhood connection and prosocial behavior or school engagement. Aligned with relation-developmental systems theories, neighborhood connection facilitated positive personal adjustment among adolescents at-risk due to low behavioral self-regulation. I contextualize my findings within the extant literature, discuss the present study's limitations, and suggest directions for future research.Includes bibliographical reference

Prosocial Behaviour and Psychopathology: An Eleven Year Longitudinal Study of Intra-Individual Reciprocal Relations Across Childhood and Adolescence

The current study investigated whether prosocial behaviour and multidimensional psychopathology are bidirectionally related at intra- and or inter-individual levels from early childhood through mid-adolescence. Parents in the United Kingdom reported their child’s prosocial behaviour, emotional problems, peer problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity and inattention problems at ages 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14 years (N = 16,984, 51% male, 83% white). Four random intercepts cross-lagged panel models were fitted. Higher levels of earlier prosocial behaviour were associated with greater than expected decrements in psychopathology. Higher levels of earlier psychopathology were associated with greater than expected decrements in prosocial behaviour. Therefore, prosocial behaviour was bidirectionally associated with multidimensional psychopathology. Additionally, children and adolescents who were more prosocial tended to experience lower levels of psychopathology. Therefore, engaging in prosocial behaviour can reduce psychopathological symptoms over time (and vice versa), and youth who are more prosocial also tend to experience fewer psychopathological symptoms. Most previously reported associations between prosocial behaviour and psychopathology confound intra- and inter-individual effects. The findings of the current study imply complex state and trait level relations between prosocial behaviour and psychopathology and provide further evidence for long-term longitudinal developmental cascades

Prosocial Behaviour and Psychopathology: An Eleven Year Longitudinal Study of Inter- and Intra-Individual Reciprocal Relations Across Childhood and Adolescence

The current study investigated whether prosocial behaviour and emotional problems, peer problems, conduct problems, and hyperactivity and inattention problems were long-term longitudinally and bidirectionally related at inter- and or intra-individual levels from early childhood through mid-adolescence. Parents in the United Kingdom reported their child’s prosocial behaviour and multidimensional psychopathology at ages 3, 5, 7, 11, and 14 years (N = 16,984, 51% male, 83% White). Four random intercepts cross-lagged panel models were fitted. Higher levels of earlier prosocial behaviour were associated with greater than expected decrements in psychopathology. At an intra-individual, within-person level, prosocial behaviour was negatively bidirectionally associated with peer, conduct, and hyperactivity and inattention problems. Also at an intra-individual, within-person level, prosocial behaviour was unidirectionally protective against emotional problems. At an inter-individual level, prosocial behaviour and each dimension of psychopathology were negatively associated. Therefore, engaging in prosocial behaviour can reduce psychopathological symptoms over time (and vice versa), and youth who are more prosocial also tend to experience fewer psychopathological symptoms. Intra-individual associations were small while inter-individual associations were moderate to large. Implications for theory, future research, and evidence-based interventions are discussed

Relations between stress, coping strategies, and prosocial behavior in U.S. Mexican college students.

Objective: We explored the explanatory roles of active and avoidant coping in the link between stress and emotional prosocial behavior in U.S. Mexican college students. Participants: Participants included 148 college students (Mage = 23 years, 67% female, 84% born in the U.S.) who self-identified as Mexican or U.S. Mexican or noted that their parents or grandparents were of Mexican or U.S. Mexican origin. Methods: Introduction to Psychology students at state universities in California and Texas completed a self-report survey packet and received class credit for their participation. Data were analyzed via path analysis using Mplus 8.1 software. Results: U.S. Mexican college students' stress was indirectly associated with their emotional prosocial behavior through both active and avoidant coping strategies. Conclusions: Relations between stress and adjustment (i.e., emotional prosocial behavior) is dependent upon individuals' coping tendencies. U.S. Mexicans may cope with their stress by engaging in emotional prosocial behavior