Exploring the impact of early life experiences on the development of inhibitory control and impulsiveness using the dimensional model of adversity.

Abstract

This doctoral thesis holds together two interrelated works in the field of early childhood development. Parenting is a foundational element of a young child’s developmental environment, impacting the development of early self-regulatory skills. Through a previous meta-analysis, Karreman et al. (2006) found that parenting correlated with inhibitory control (IC) development but acknowledged this relationship warranted further study. A systematic literature review was used to address the question ‘how does positive parenting impact the development of inhibitory control in early development?’. Aspects of positive parenting were found to significantly predict increased IC both cross-sectionally and over time, with effect sizes ranging from small to moderate, and evidence for bidirectional effects was also found. Having found hopeful evidence highlighting key practices that support positive self-regulatory development in early life, it is important to consider what happens in the absence of these positive experiences.
Early life trauma experiences have been demonstrated to correlate with negative life outcomes across several domains, potentially mediated by the development of poor inhibitory control. In the present study the researcher aimed to explore the relationship between early life trauma, using the dimensional model of adversity (McLaughlin et al., 2014), adolescent impulsivity and inhibitory control, and substance use. Seventy-two participants aged 16 to 19 in mainstream education completed a series of self-report measures covering early life experience, perceived impulsivity, and current drug and alcohol use. Following this, they completed three experimental measures of inhibitory control, including one novel measure of associative inhibition. Experiences of threat and deprivation were found to differently impact development. Deprivation significantly predicted greater impulsivity, and threat significantly predicted difficulties with associative inhibition. Greater experience of trauma during development was found to predict increased adolescent substance abuse, explained by variance in threat experience but not deprivation. These results support the use of the dimensional model of adversity when considering the impact of early life experiences on development, challenging the traditionally held cumulative ACEs model. They also highlight areas for timely educational psychology support and intervention and present a framework for understanding young people’s developmental context when supporting presenting needs. Held together, the two research chapters highlight a shift in how we should view children’s early experiences and present several avenues for targeted support and allocation of resources.

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Identifiers

ORCID for Thomas Oliver Hoppe: orcid.org/0000-0001-6911-7125

ORCID for Steven Glautier: orcid.org/0000-0001-8852-3268

ORCID for Dennis Golm: orcid.org/0000-0002-2950-7935

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