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Early Environmental Unpredictability: Implications for Youth's Perceptions and Social Functioning
Kelli L Dickerson1, Helen M Milojevich2, Jodi A Quas3
1Department of Psychological Science, 4201 Social and Behavioral Sciences Gateway, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA.
Journal of Youth and Adolescence
|June 24, 2019
Summary
Youth experiencing environmental unpredictability, especially from maltreatment, perceive their lives as uncertain. This perception is linked to increased aggression and conduct problems, highlighting a pathway to risky social behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Evolutionary Psychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Early environmental unpredictability can shape youth expectations of an uncertain future.
- This can increase the likelihood of opportunistic, impulsive, and aggressive behaviors in adolescents.
- Limited research exists on how youth in volatile environments perceive their lives and its behavioral correlates.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how youth perceive unpredictability in their lives.
- To examine the relationship between perceived unpredictability and social functioning in adolescents.
- To compare perceptions and behaviors between maltreated and non-maltreated youth.
Main Methods:
- Two samples of adolescents (10-17 years old) were studied: one with a history of maltreatment (n=90) and a comparison group (n=80).
- Participants reported on their perceptions of environmental unpredictability and social functioning.
- Statistical analyses examined associations between perceived unpredictability, aggression, conduct problems, and prosociality.
Main Results:
- Maltreated youth reported significantly higher perceptions of unpredictability compared to non-maltreated youth.
- Across both groups, greater perceived unpredictability was associated with increased aggression and conduct problems.
- Perceived unpredictability was also linked to decreased prosocial behavior in adolescents.
Conclusions:
- Perceptions of unpredictability are heightened in maltreated youth.
- Perceived unpredictability is a significant factor associated with negative social functioning, including aggression and conduct issues.
- Understanding these perceptions offers insight into developmental pathways contributing to risky social behaviors in youth.
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