The aim of this study was to examine the relation between child hot and cool inhibitory control (IC) at the beginning of the school year and... Show moreThe aim of this study was to examine the relation between child hot and cool inhibitory control (IC) at the beginning of the school year and externalizing behaviors at the end of the year, and to determine if teacher support moderates this relation in early elementary school. Participants included a diverse sample of 138 children in grades 1 (n = 62) and 2 (n = 76), with a mean age of 7.2 years (SD = 10.1 months), about half of whom were male. Hot IC was assessed with the Puzzle Box Task and cool IC with the Happy-Sad Stroop Task. Teacher support was rated by independent observers using the Adapted Teaching Style Rating Scale. A composite teacher-report score based on ratings on subscales from two measures, the Strengths and Weaknesses of Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder Symptoms and Normal Behavior and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, was used to assess externalizing behavior at both time points. Results of hierarchical regression analyses revealed that, contrary to expectation, neither hot nor cool IC significantly predicted child externalizing behavior at the end of the school year. A moderation analysis also failed to show a significant moderating effect for teacher support. The only variable that significantly predicted externalizing behavior at the end of the year was externalizing behavior at the beginning of the year. There were significant concurrent associations between hot IC and externalizing behaviors at both the beginning and end of the school year. These findings suggest that externalizing behaviors in early elementary school are relatively stable. Thus, early and comprehensive intervention may be critical for implementing prevention strategies designed to increase self-regulation and thereby decrease externalizing behaviors after formal school entry. Show less
