Short‐term mindsets show co‐development with adolescent delinquency, but not with adolescent cannabis use

Journal of Research on Adolescence, vol. 34, pp. 857–870

Abstract

Abstract Guided by General Theory of Crime and Psychosocial Maturity Hypothesis, we investigated co‐development between short‐term mindsets (impulsivity and future orientation) and risk behaviors (cannabis use and delinquency). Parallel process latent growth modeling on three‐wave data from ethnically diverse Swiss adolescents (N = 1365; Mage 13.67 years, 48.6% female), showed baseline‐level associations between short‐term mindsets and risk behaviors, and between the two risk behaviors. Additionally, correlated change (co‐development) existed between short‐term mindsets—particularly impulsivity—and delinquency, but not between short‐term mindsets and cannabis use. These results support the above‐mentioned theories and emphasize the importance of investigating the correlates of change in delinquency and cannabis use separately, as divergent findings might emerge. These divergent findings could partially stem from Switzerland's liberal views on cannabis use.

Authors 4

1. Ivy N. Defoe corresponding

   University of Amsterdam

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Amsterdam Amsterdam The Netherlands

2. Jean‐Louis van Gelder Aachen Institute of Education and Child Studies Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands

   Leiden University · Max Planck Institute for the Study of Crime, Security and Law

   Affiliation as printed

   Institute of Education and Child Studies Leiden University Leiden The Netherlands

   Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law Freiburg Germany

3. Denis Ribeaud

   University of Zurich

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland

4. Manuel Eisner

   University of Zurich · University of Cambridge

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Cambridge Cambridge UK

   University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland