No abstract

Child maltreatment can impact impulsivity and impulse control via disruption of adaptive socialization and neural mechanisms. However, little research has explored the impact that timing of trauma exposure has on domain-specific impulsivity deficits in adulthood. The present study aimed to address this gap by examining how differences in the timing of exposure to child maltreatment confer persistent, specific deficits in impulsivity. The sample consisted of college undergraduate women (N = 168) recruited from a campus in the northeastern United States. Participants completed the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire–Second Revision (JVQ-R2) to retrospectively report child maltreatment between the ages of 0 and 17. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) impulse control subscale and Urgency–Premeditation–Perseverance–Sensation Seeking—Positive Urgency (UPPS-P) Impulsive Behavior Scale assessed impulse control and impulsivity in adulthood, respectively. A one-way ANOVA revealed impulse control difficulties significantly differed by age at onset of child maltreatment, and those who experienced onset of child maltreatment at 0–5 years old (M = 14.98, SD = 4.28) had significantly higher impulse control difficulties than those whose age of onset of child maltreatment was at 13–17 years old (M = 12.50, SD = 3.97). Age-specific effects were not significant when assessing unique dimensions of impulsivity (e.g., lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance, sensation seeking), however, indicating that the relationship between timing of trauma exposure in childhood and impulsivity is domain-specific and not generalizable. Findings provide insight into ways in which age of trauma exposure catalyzes distinct and enduring self-regulatory deficits—with implications for the development of effective, tailored clinical interventions.