Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Describing and predicting developmental profiles of externalizing problems from childhood to adulthood.

Publication ,  Journal Article
Petersen, IT; Bates, JE; Dodge, KA; Lansford, JE; Pettit, GS
Published in: Development and psychopathology
August 2015

This longitudinal study considers externalizing behavior problems from ages 5 to 27 (N = 585). Externalizing problem ratings by mothers, fathers, teachers, peers, and self-report were modeled with growth curves. Risk and protective factors across many different domains and time frames were included as predictors of the trajectories. A major contribution of the study is in demonstrating how heterotypic continuity and changing measures can be handled in modeling changes in externalizing behavior over long developmental periods. On average, externalizing problems decreased from early childhood to preadolescence, increased during adolescence, and decreased from late adolescence to adulthood. There was strong nonlinear continuity in externalizing problems over time. Family process, peer process, stress, and individual characteristics predicted externalizing problems beyond the strong continuity of externalizing problems. The model accounted for 70% of the variability in the development of externalizing problems. The model's predicted values showed moderate sensitivity and specificity in prediction of arrests, illegal drug use, and drunk driving. Overall, the study showed that by using changing, developmentally relevant measures and simultaneously taking into account numerous characteristics of children and their living situations, research can model lengthy spans of development and improve predictions of the development of later, severe externalizing problems.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Development and psychopathology

DOI

EISSN

1469-2198

ISSN

0954-5794

Publication Date

August 2015

Volume

27

Issue

3

Start / End Page

791 / 818

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Problem Behavior
  • Peer Group
  • Parenting
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Humans
  • Human Development
  • Female
  • Developmental & Child Psychology
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Petersen, I. T., Bates, J. E., Dodge, K. A., Lansford, J. E., & Pettit, G. S. (2015). Describing and predicting developmental profiles of externalizing problems from childhood to adulthood. Development and Psychopathology, 27(3), 791–818. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579414000789
Petersen, Isaac T., John E. Bates, Kenneth A. Dodge, Jennifer E. Lansford, and Gregory S. Pettit. “Describing and predicting developmental profiles of externalizing problems from childhood to adulthood.Development and Psychopathology 27, no. 3 (August 2015): 791–818. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0954579414000789.
Petersen IT, Bates JE, Dodge KA, Lansford JE, Pettit GS. Describing and predicting developmental profiles of externalizing problems from childhood to adulthood. Development and psychopathology. 2015 Aug;27(3):791–818.
Petersen, Isaac T., et al. “Describing and predicting developmental profiles of externalizing problems from childhood to adulthood.Development and Psychopathology, vol. 27, no. 3, Aug. 2015, pp. 791–818. Epmc, doi:10.1017/s0954579414000789.
Petersen IT, Bates JE, Dodge KA, Lansford JE, Pettit GS. Describing and predicting developmental profiles of externalizing problems from childhood to adulthood. Development and psychopathology. 2015 Aug;27(3):791–818.
Journal cover image

Published In

Development and psychopathology

DOI

EISSN

1469-2198

ISSN

0954-5794

Publication Date

August 2015

Volume

27

Issue

3

Start / End Page

791 / 818

Related Subject Headings

  • Young Adult
  • Problem Behavior
  • Peer Group
  • Parenting
  • Male
  • Longitudinal Studies
  • Humans
  • Human Development
  • Female
  • Developmental & Child Psychology