Behavioral disinhibition and cortisol reactivity as a function of psychosocial stress and personality in adolescents

Although the developmental period of adolescence is characterized by impulsive and risk-taking behaviors, explanations for the range of behavioral disinhibition across adolescents that include biological, personality, and environmental factors have not been fully elucidated. Additionally, these factors may affect changes in stress responses that occur during this period. To inform this area of research, we examined the interaction between psychosocial stress exposure and the personality traits of Negative Emotionality (NEM) and Constraint (CON) on behavioral disinhibition (as indexed by impulsivity and riskiness tasks) and salivary cortisol reactivity in a sample of 88 adolescents. Results demonstrated that NEM and CON were protective of impulsivity and riskiness, respectively, for adolescents in the no-stress condition. Importantly, low CON adolescents in the no-stress condition were more risky than low CON adolescents in the stress condition, while there was no effect of Stress Group for high CON adolescents. Further, low CON adolescents exposed to psychosocial stress exhibited greater cortisol reactivity compared to high CON adolescents, suggesting that individuals low in CON may mobilize greater resources (e.g., cortisol reactivity, cognitive control) in stressful relative to non-stressful situations. Results suggest that distinct facets of behavioral disinhibition are differentially affected by stress and personality traits in adolescents.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2012

Author dc:creator

• Finy, M. Sima

Contributors dc:contributor

• Verona, Edelyn

• Impulsivity
• risk-taking
• Cortisol
• Constraint (CON)
• Negative Emotionality (NEM)
• Multidimensional Personality Questionnaire (MPQ)
• Stress
• Adolescents
• Behavioral Disinhibition
• Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C)

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2012 M Sima Finy

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/34576

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/34576