Determinants of Excessive Reassurance-Seeking: Adolescents' Internalized Distress, Friendship Conflict, and Inhibitory Control as Prospective Predictors. Issue 1 (2nd January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Clayton, Matthew G.; Giletta, Matteo; Boettiger, Charlotte A.; Prinstein, Mitchell J.
• Is Part Of: Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology. Volume 50:Issue 1(2021)
• Page Start: 88
• Page End: 96
• Publication Date: 2021-01-02
• Subjects: Child psychology -- Periodicals; Child psychiatry -- Periodicals; Adolescent psychology -- Periodicals; Adolescent psychiatry -- Periodicals; Adolescent Psychology -- Periodicals; Child Psychology -- Periodicals; Psychology, Clinical -- Periodicals; Adolescent psychiatry; Adolescent psychology; Child psychiatry; Child psychology; Periodicals; 155.4
• DOI: 10.1080/15374416.2019.1604234
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1537-4416

Abstract

Abstract : Substantial research suggests that excessive reassurance-seeking behavior is associated with exacerbations in depressive symptoms and later interpersonal rejection, yet remarkably few studies have examined predictors of this maladaptive social behavior. This study proposed and examined a diathesis stress model suggesting that beyond the effects of prior internalized distress, a combination of poor inhibitory control and dyadic friendship conflict may be especially relevant predictors of adolescents' excessive reassurance-seeking behavior. Longitudinal associations were examined in a sample of 865 adolescents (54.5% female, 22.2% African American, 23.1% Latinx) who completed self-reported measures of depressive rumination/intrusive thoughts, depressive symptoms, loneliness, friendship conflict, and a performance-based measure of inhibitory control at baseline, as well as a measure of excessive reassurance-seeking at baseline and 2 years later. Results initially revealed a prospective effect of depressive rumination/intrusive thoughts on later excessive reassurance-seeking, consistent with prior work. Final results yielded only a significant interaction effect, revealing that higher levels of friendship conflict coupled with low levels of inhibitory control were associated longitudinally with higher levels of excessive reassurance-seeking. Findings suggest that inhibitory control may moderate the association between adolescents' interpersonal conflict and their excessive reassurance-seeking.