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Investigation of a developmental pathway from infant anger reactivity to childhood inhibitory control and ADHD symptoms: interactive effects of early maternal caregiving
Author(s) -
Miller Natalie V.,
Hane Amie A.,
Degnan Kathryn A.,
Fox Nathan A.,
ChronisTuscano Andrea
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/jcpp.13047
Subject(s) - psychology , anger , inhibitory control , developmental psychology , reactivity (psychology) , inhibitory postsynaptic potential , clinical psychology , cognition , psychiatry , neuroscience , medicine , alternative medicine , pathology
Background ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder with a complex pathogenesis. Individual differences in temperamental reactivity – in particular, anger reactivity – are predictive of ADHD . The goal of this study was to examine the moderating (maternal caregiving behaviors; MCB ) and mediating (inhibitory control) variables of reactivity using a 9‐year multimethod prospective longitudinal design. Methods Participants included 291 children (135 male; 156 female) who participated in a larger study of temperament and social‐emotional development. Anger reactivity was assessed by observation of facial anger during an arm restraint task, and MCB were observed during a series of semi‐structured mother–infant tasks, both at 9 months of age. Inhibitory control was assessed by performance on a go/no‐go task at 5 years of age. ADHD symptoms were assessed by parent and teacher report questionnaires at 7 and 9 years, respectively. Results Anger reactivity and poor inhibitory control were predictive of later ADHD symptoms. Results supported a moderated mediation model, in which the indirect effects of anger reactivity on ADHD symptoms through inhibitory control were conditional on quality of early MCB . Inhibitory control mediated the effect of anger reactivity on ADHD symptoms, but only among children exposed to lower‐quality MCB . Conclusions Infant anger reactivity exerts a direct effect on later ADHD from infancy, suggesting anger reactivity as a very early indicator of ADHD risk. Higher‐quality caregiving did not buffer against the direct risk of anger reactivity on ADHD but did buffer against the indirect risk by reducing the negative effect of anger reactivity on inhibitory control. Thus, in the developmental pathway from anger reactivity to ADHD , more sensitive, less intrusive parenting supports the development of protective mechanisms (i.e. inhibitory control) to remediate ADHD risk.