For many people, impulsiveness in preteens is a natural consequence of growing up and there's nothing you can do about it. However, despite this being a common feature of this phase, this does not mean that there are no serious consequences to impulsive behavior.
In fact, such consequences can be serious, according to this study. Check out!
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How did the study go?
Seeking to understand the consequences of impulsivity in preadolescents, a group of researchers recruited 364 adolescents and preadolescents for an experiment. According to the study, which was published in Journal of Adolescent Health, impulsivity has an effect on the development of alcoholism and, later on, on antisocial behavior.
In this case, the scientists divided the research participants into three groups, the first being preteens, the second of “middle-aged” teens, and the third of teens about to enter adulthood. These adolescents were recruited from schools and came from different social backgrounds.
Then, interviews were carried out in which they sought to map the history of impulsivity in pre-adolescence in the last two groups, as well as alcohol use and antisocial behavior. In the first group, we sought to find impulsive behavior and the tendency to develop the other two behaviors.
Cascade effect
The result showed that, in fact, there is a relationship between pre-adolescent impulsivity with the development of alcohol consumption and antisocial behavior. But what surprised the researchers was the mapping of a “ripple effect”, as there is a more common behavior for each stage of adolescence as a result of the previous one.
For example, teenagers in “middle Ages” who developed alcohol consumption had been more impulsive preteens. Likewise, adolescents who were about to enter adulthood and considered themselves antisocial had a history of alcohol consumption.
In this way, it was possible to perceive that impulsivity in the first moment of adolescence can be crucial for this individual to consume alcohol later on and become an adult antisocial. Therefore, it is thought about the need to impose certain limits on impulsiveness at first to ensure a healthy adult life.
