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Family Functioning and Intraindividual Reaction Time Variability Interactively Predict Children’s Externalizing Problems

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Abstract

Family functioning including family adaptability and family cohesion, and intraindividual reaction time variability (IIV) which serves as an index of attentional control has been found to relate to children’s externalizing problems. However, it remains unknown whether family functioning interacts with children’s IIV to predict their externalizing problems based on the diathesis-stress model. The present study examined this concern. Participants included 168 (Mage = 7.35 years, SD = 0.48; 48% boys) and 155 (Mage = 8.32 years, SD = 0.45; 49% boys) children at the first (T1) and second (after one year, T2) measurements, respectively. At T1, a flanker task was used to assess children’s IIV. Mothers reported family functioning using the Chinese version of the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Scales, and children’s externalizing problems using the Chinese version of the Child Behavior Checklist. At T2, mothers reported children’s externalizing problems again. Results indicated that family functioning negatively and IIV positively correlated with children’s externalizing problems. Furthermore, family functioning interacted with children’s IIV to predict their externalizing problems concurrently and longitudinally. Specifically, low family functioning combined with greater IIV predicted prospective externalizing problems. Findings suggested that better attentional control (indexed by lower IIV) may buffer the negative effect of poor family functioning.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Notes

  1. The family adaptability and cohesion measure does not contain items with inattention-like content.

  2. The findings were consistent when congruent/incongruent IIV were examined separately.

  3. The findings were consistent when congruent/incongruent IIV were examined separately.

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Funding

This research was supported by MOE (Ministry of Education in China) Project of Humanities and Social Sciences (22XJC190002), the Natural Science Basic Research Plan in Shaanxi Province of China (2022JQ-193) and **’an Social Science Planning Fund (2021ZDZT16).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. **’an university, No. 1, KeJi 6th Road, **’an, China

    Yuan Peng & Yanli Hao

  2. NO.23 Primary School, **’an Gaoxin, **’an, China

    **aoxiao Wang

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  1. Yuan Peng
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  2. **aoxiao Wang
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  3. Yanli Hao
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Contributions

**aoxiao Wang and Yanli Hao carried out data collection, and critical revision of the article. Yuan Peng carried out conception and design of the study, data analysis and interpretation, drafting of the article, and critical revision of the article. All authors have approved the final article.

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Correspondence to Yuan Peng.

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The present study was approved by **’an University’s Ethics Committee. All participating provided written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.

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Authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Peng, Y., Wang, X. & Hao, Y. Family Functioning and Intraindividual Reaction Time Variability Interactively Predict Children’s Externalizing Problems. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-023-01533-w

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