This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Chapple, C. L. Articles by Johnson, K. A. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Gender Differences in Impulsivity

University of Cincinnati

Katherine A. Johnson

University of Nebraska, Lincoln

Criminological theories have often stressed the importance of impulsivity in the etiology of delinquency. Whether this construct is termed impulsivity, self-control, or low constraint/ negative emotionality, the theoretical importance of impulsivity is clear. What is also clear is that boys and girls differ significantly on impulsivity; however, research is ambiguous on why this occurs. Some researchers suggest that socialization and parenting create different levels of impulsivity, whereas others suggest that cognitive and/or motor deficits early in life may be the source. Using longitudinal National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NLSY79)–Child data and variables derived from past research on impulsivity, the authors investigate whether biological, structural, and familial predictors of impulsivity differ by gender. Through multiple group path analysis, the authors find that the relationships between discipline and impulsivity and attachment and impulsivity differ significantly by gender. The authors discuss the implications of this finding for the etiology of impulsivity.

Key Words: impulsivity • self-control • neurocognitive deficits • gender differences

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?