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The Longitudinal Associations Between Motivation, Self-Regulatory Capacities, and Future-Oriented Cognition and Behavior Among Serious Young Offenders

NCJ Number
303468
Journal
Law and Human Behavior Volume: 44 Issue: 5 Dated: 2020 Pages: 424-436
Author(s)
D. M. Petrich; et al
Date Published
2020
Length
13 pages
Annotation

This study examined how changes in a set of motivational/self-regulatory factors were associated with subsequent change in future-oriented cognition and behavior.

Abstract

The study hypothesized that within-individual changes in aspirations, expectations, emotion regulation, resistance to peer influence, and impulse control would be positively associated with later change in future-oriented cognition and behavior. Researchers also predicted that between-individual effects would be larger in magnitude than within-individual effects. Serious young offenders (N = 1,318; M age = 16.04; 86 percent male) were followed over a 7-year period from adolescence to young adulthood during the Pathways to Desistance study. The analytical strategy incorporated both fixed and hybrid effects regression models to assess the time-ordered correlates of future-oriented cognition and behavior. The study found that net of controls, within-individual changes in aspirations and expectations about the future, emotion regulation, and impulse control had statistically significant, positive associations with subsequent change in future-oriented cognition and behavior; however, between-person effects were much larger in magnitude than within-individual effects. The study concluded that motivation and aspects of self-regulation are potentially important targets for correctional treatment and prevention efforts. Future orientation is an intermediate treatment mechanism worthy of further study. (publisher abstract modified)