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Transaction between impulsivity and family conflict among children: An empirical examination of the biosocial model of emotion regulation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 March 2025

Qingqing Yin Open the ORCID record for Qingqing Yin [Opens in a new window] ,
Simone I. Boyd Open the ORCID record for Simone I. Boyd [Opens in a new window] ,
Jessica L. Hamilton Open the ORCID record for Jessica L. Hamilton [Opens in a new window]  and
Shireen L. Rizvi Open the ORCID record for Shireen L. Rizvi [Opens in a new window]
Qingqing Yin*
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Simone I. Boyd
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Jessica L. Hamilton
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
Shireen L. Rizvi
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ, USA
*
Corresponding author; Qingqing Yin; Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Difficulty with emotion regulation is a transdiagnostic problem associated with a variety of psychological disorders. The biosocial model suggests that early biological vulnerability, including impulsivity, may potentiate across development by transacting with environmental risk factors leading to the development of emotional dysregulation. During transition from late childhood to early adolescence, family may be a prominent source of environmental influences. The primary aim of this study was to examine whether trait impulsivity and family conflict influence each other in a transactional fashion over the span of two years (from age 9–10 to 11–12) using data collected from 6112 children and their caregivers through the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study. In an exploratory manner, the study also aimed to test whether the transactional process was different among children with high, moderate, or low levels of emotion regulation difficulties at age 12–13. Results supported a cross lagged transaction between trait impulsivity and family conflict among this sample of children but a lack of reciprocal paths among those with higher levels of emotion dysregulation. These results provided partial support for the biosocial model.

Keywords

biosocial modelemotion dysregulationfamily conflicttrait impulsivity
Type
Regular Article
Information
Development and Psychopathology , First View , pp. 1 - 8
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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