Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA in Psychology

Department

Psychology

First Advisor

Melissa Peckins

Abstract

Adolescent externalizing behavior, including aggression and rule-breaking, is linked to negative academic, social, and behavioral outcomes across development (Bos et al., 2018). Therefore, it is important to understand the mechanisms that explain why some youth go on to develop such behaviors. Research suggests that caregiver–child relationship quality and positive social development may protect against the development of externalizing behaviors during adolescence (Bornstein et al., 2010). However, it is unclear whether positive social development mediates the association between caregiver-child relationship quality and externalizing behavior. Therefore, the present study examined whether positive social development at age 9 explains the association between caregiver–child relationship quality at age 9 and externalizing behavior at age 15. Data were obtained from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study and included a racially and socioeconomically diverse sample of 3,012 adolescents (1,456 females; 1,556 males) and their primary caregivers. Regression analyses indicated that higher-quality caregiver–child relationships were associated with greater positive social development, which in turn predicted lower levels of adolescent externalizing behavior. Furthermore, the indirect effect from caregiver-child relationship quality to externalizing behavior via positive social development was significant. These findings highlight the importance of supportive caregiver–child relationships and early positive social development in reducing risk for externalizing behavior during adolescence.

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