Murray State Theses and Dissertations

Abstract

This study gathered data using archival clinical files from the Murray State University Psychological Center, which provides psychological services to students, faculty, staff, and community members. The majority of the participants for the sample consisted of Caucasian (93%) males (60%) seeking an assessment (N = 76). Measures of externalizing behaviors and attentional problems were gathered from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and a measure of general cognitive ability (GAI) was gathered from the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Fourth Edition (WISC-IV). It was hypothesized that the relationship between impulsivity and externalizing behaviors would be more pronounced when intelligence is lower. While a correlational analysis confirmed that attentional problems did predict externalizing behaviors in children (p< .001), the moderation analysis was not significant, indicating that intelligence did not play a significant role in the relationship between impulsivity and externalizing behaviors.

Keywords: Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Conduct Disorder (CD), Externalizing behaviors, Inattentive, Impulsivity, Intelligence, Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children- Fourth Edition (WISC-IV)

Year manuscript completed

2017

Year degree awarded

2017

Degree Awarded

Master of Science

Department

Psychology

College/School

College of Humanities and Fine Arts

Thesis Advisor

Michael J Bordieri

Committee Chair

Michael J Bordieri

Committee Member

Laura Liljequist

Committee Member

Marie Karlsson

Committee Member

Paul Lucko

Document Type

Thesis

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