Browsing by Subject "myöntyväisyys"

Earlier studies have found some evidence of associations between childhood noncompliance and externalizing problems. The association of noncompliance with internalizing problems is instead less studied. In both cases the results have been controversial and are based on relatively small samples. The purpose of this study was to examine the association of lower childhood compliance with later-onset externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Further, the study examined the association of child's cognitive skills and mother's socioeconomic status (income and educational level) with behavior problems, and their interaction effects with compliance. The sample consisted of children and their mothers from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth. The subjects belonged to three different groups based on their follow-up lengths; the follow-ups varied between 0-2 years (n=787), 4 years (n=1441) and 6-10 years (n=1569). Statistical analyses were conducted using linear regression model. The models were built separately for each follow-up group. The results showed that lower compliance predicted overall amount of behavior problems, externalizing and internalizing problems on every follow-up. Child's cognitive skills also predicted externalizing and internalizing problems. Mother's level of income or education did not predict behavior problems. However, the level of income moderated the association between compliance and externalizing problems on the shortest follow-up. Also the mother's educational level moderated the association between compliance and externalizing problems on the shortest follow-up and internalizing problems on the longest follow-up. The results provide support for previous theoretical models examining the association between compliance and behavior problems. Moreover, the results emphasize the role of both individual (e.g., compliance and cognitive skills) and environmental factors (e.g., socioeconomic status) in the etiology of behavior problems.