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Adolescence is a sensitive period for the neurodevelopment of social cognition (SC), and adverse childhood experiences (ACE) can alter these processes. This study investigated the relationship between ACE and SC in 157 adolescents (66 females, 54 males) from a school in Bogota. The level of EAN was assessed through the Adverse Childhood Experiences Scale. SC was assessed with mentalization, morality and self-control tasks. In addition, behavioral problems were probed with a scale based on DSM IV-R criteria. The accumulation of ACE was related to alterations in SC in a sex-dependent manner. Specifically: (a) women with high ACEs presented lower accuracy in mental inferences and instrumental moral decisions; (b) men under similar conditions presented self-control problems; (c) exposure to armed conflict correlated with higher latency in moral decisions; and (d) men with ACE accumulation, moral decisions based on immediate rewards and low self-control showed more externalizing behaviors. The social implications of these findings for the design of evidence-based, sectorized psychosocial interventions are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

La adolescencia es un periodo sensible para el neurodesarrollo de la cognición social (CS) y experiencias adversas en la niñez (EAN) pueden alterarlo. Este estudio indagó sobre la relación entre EAN y la CS en 157 adolescentes (66 mujeres, 54 hombres) de una escuela de Bogotá. El nivel de EAN fue valorado a través de la Escala de experiencias adversas durante la niñez. La CS se evaluó con tareas de mentalización, moralidad y autocontrol. Además, se indagaron problemas de conducta con una escala basada en criterios DSM IV-R. La acumulación de EAN se relacionó con alteraciones en la CS de una forma dependiente del sexo. Puntualmente: (a) mujeres con altos EAN presentan menor precisión en inferencias mentales y decisiones morales instrumentales; (b) hombres bajo condiciones similares presentan problemas de autocontrol; (c) la exposición al conflicto armado correlacionó con mayor latencia en las decisiones morales; y (d) hombres con acumulación de EAN, decisiones morales basadas en recompensas inmediatas y bajo autocontrol muestran más conductas externalizantes. Se discuten las implicancias sociales de estos resultados en el diseño de intervenciones psicosociales sectorizadas y basadas en evidencias.

The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between time perspective and self-control in young people and adults from Buenos Aires, Argentina. The study design was non-experimental, cross-sectional, inferential, and correlational. Snowball sampling—a nonprobability sampling technique— was used. Participants (n = 560; 65.5% women), aged 18 to 60 years (M = 30.32; SD = 13.17), completed a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Zimbardo Time Perspective Inventory, and the Brief Self-Control Scale. Group difference (Student's t), correlation (Pearson's linear r), multiple linear regression, and path analyses were performed. Mean self-control scores were higher in adults than in young people. Self-control covaried significantly and positively with future and age, covarying negatively with fatalistic present, negative past, and hedonistic present. Three dimensions of time perspective— future, hedonistic present, and negative past—and age explained 44.8% of the variability of self-control scores. Results provide empirical evidence of the relationship between the psychological processing of time and the capacity for self-control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El objetivo del estudio fue evaluar la relación entre la perspectiva temporal y el autocontrol en jóvenes y adultos de Buenos Aires, Argentina. El diseño de investigación fue no experimental, transversal, inferencial, con alcance correlacional. Se utilizó un muestreo no probabilístico de tipo bola de nieve. Los participantes (n = 560; 65,5% mujeres), con edades entre 18 y 60 años (M = 30,32; DE = 13,17), completaron un cuestionario de datos sociodemográficos, el Inventario de Perspectiva Temporal de Zimbardo y la Escala Breve de Autocontrol. Se realizaron análisis de diferencias de grupos (t de Student), de correlación (r lineal de Pearson), de regresión lineal múltiple y un análisis de senderos. Se halló que las puntuaciones medias de autocontrol fueron mayores en adultos que en jóvenes. El autocontrol covarió de manera significativa y positiva con el futuro y la edad y de manera negativa con el presente fatalista, pasado negativo y presente hedonista. Tres de las dimensiones de la perspectiva temporal —futuro, presente hedonista y pasado negativo— y la edad explicaron un 44,8% de la variabilidad de las puntuaciones del autocontrol. Los resultados aportan evidencia empírica sobre la relación que existe entre el procesamiento psicológico del tiempo y la capacidad de autocontrol.

Considering the theoretical, empirical, and practical importance of self-control assessment through valid and reliable instruments, the present study examined the psychometric properties of the original version of the Self-Control Scale (SCS). To this end, the rating scale model was used to estimate unidimensionality, the adequacy of response categories, and participant fit. These analyses were conducted using a convenience sample of 1072 Argentine university students. Among other findings, it was observed that the SCS makes it possible to assess the self-control construct unidimensionally and that a version of the scale with 3 response categories would be more adequate for measuring self-control than the original 5-category version. However, it was found that the new configuration of response categories led to differential functioning in 3 items depending on the participants' sex. Finally, the personitem distribution map showed a lack of elements at the top and bottom of the self-control continuum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]