
Alexander T. Vazsonyi- Ph.D. The University of Arizona
- Professor at University of Kentucky
Alexander T. Vazsonyi
- Ph.D. The University of Arizona
- Professor at University of Kentucky
About
256
Publications
92,435
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Introduction
Alexander T. Vazsonyi currently works at the Department of Family Sciences, University of Kentucky. He does research on child and adolescent development in context.
Current institution
Additional affiliations
Education
May 1993 - May 1995
August 1991 - May 1993
Publications
Publications (256)
The present study tested the direct and indirect links between sleep, internalizing (depression, anxiety, media addiction, obsessive-compulsive thoughts, negative affect, and procrastination) and externalizing problems (media misuse, violence, general crime, and academic problem), as mediated by self-control; it also tested for moderation effects i...
Purpose: The present study tested the pattern of developmental changes in self-control during early adolescence, and whether maternal and paternal closeness, support, monitoring, and disciplinary inconsistency were associated with developmental changes in deviance, indirectly through developmental changes in self-control. Methods: Five assessments...
Introduction
School burnout remains a prevalent problem among adolescents; it is associated with low academic achievement and school dropout risk, in turn linked to a whole host of deleterious developmental outcomes. The current longitudinal study sought to better understand the developmental course of school burnout by testing whether poor sleep a...
The current investigation tested changes in low self-control and the developmental links between parenting and the developmental course of self-control. It was hypothesized that (1) low self-control would change over time (within individual changes); (2) parenting would negatively predict both the intercept and slope of low self-control during chil...
Duckworth and Seligman’s seminal work found that self-discipline (self-control) was more salient for academic achievement than intelligence. Very little replication work exists, including in different cultures; the current study addressed these gaps. Data were collected from 6th and 7th grade cohorts of early adolescents (N = 589; age: Mean = 12.34...
Introduction
Framed by attachment and cognitive theories, the current meta‐analysis tested the direct and indirect links among parenting dimensions (parental support, authoritative control, psychological control, and behavioral control), self‐esteem, and depressive symptoms for children and adolescents.
Methods
Based on 53 studies, and 74 independ...
Informed by self-control theory and victimization theory, as well as evidence supporting lifelong consequences of childhood neglect, the present study sought to test the direct and indirect effects of childhood emotional and physical neglect on violence victimization, as mediated by low self-control (total score, impulsivity, simple tasks, risk see...
Risky sexual health behaviors continue to be a significant public health issue, particularly among African American youth residing in rural areas. Previous studies have documented the important role of family relationships and parenting efforts in reducing risky sexual behaviors among adolescents. However, this rarely included a consideration of th...
This study tested the developmental links between maternal closeness and support and measures of depression and anxiety, and the extent to which these links were conditioned by pubertal status. It was hypothesized that pubertal status (early) would potentiate the negative links between maternal positive parenting and developmental changes in intern...
The European Roma population faces violence and discrimination, but the causes of their victimisation are not well understood. This study used a multi-theoretical framework to analyse data from a representative sample of 2,913 Roma surveyed in European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey II. The results showed that police stops perceived as...
Pubertal status/stage of maturation and pubertal timing have been linked with emotional symptoms of problems among youth, particularly in vulnerable developmental contexts at risk for stress exposure. The present study tested the extent to which pubertal status/stage of maturation and pubertal timing were associated with anxious/depressed, withdraw...
The present meta-analysis tested the associations between parenting styles and Big Five personality traits; N =
11,061 adolescents in 28 studies were included. The results provided evidence that authoritative parenting style
was positively associated with openness to experience, conscientiousness, extraversion, and agreeableness and
negatively rela...
The mediating processes linking parental emotional distress and changes in adolescent delinquency over time are poorly understood. The current study examined this question using data from 457 adolescents (49.5% female; 89.5% White; assessed at ages 11, 12, and 15) and their parents, part of the national, longitudinal Study of Early Child Care and Y...
Pubertal timing and pubertal developmental status or stage have been associated with the rates of externalizing problems among youth, particularly in vulnerable developmental contexts including cultures undergoing rapid transformations. The present study tested the extent to which pubertal timing and pubertal developmental status were associated wi...
Levels of anxiety and stress vary throughout the lifespan and across cultures. Uncertainty appears particularly relevant during emerging adulthood, thus potentially affecting both stress and anxiety. Uncertainty as a construct was identified by Hofstede (i.e., Uncertainty Avoidance Index, UAI), who defined it as the extent to which members of a cul...
Bullying and cyberbullying remain serious public health concerns threatening the well-being of adolescents. The current study tested the links between narcissism and impulsivity and measures of both bullying and cyberbullying perpetration. Data were collected from 575 Turkish adolescents (54.4% female, M age = 15.86, SD = 1.15). Hierarchical logist...
The present study tested the effectiveness and ranking of the different combinations of parenting program components in reducing parental stress at the first posttreatment measurement in treatment settings for parents of children with disruptive behaviors. Fifty-seven studies were identified. Six different combinations of parenting program componen...
Driving accidents are a leading cause of death for late adolescents and young adults, particularly males. Little research has been conducted to determine whether cultural context moderates specific risk factors of dangerous driving. The present study tested the links between sensation seeking, Big Five personality traits, and four risky driving beh...
The current study examined growth‐to‐growth associations of parental solicitation, knowledge, and peer approval with deviance during early adolescence, using a 4‐wave, 18‐month self‐reported longitudinal data set from 570 Czech early adolescents (58.4% female; Mage = 12.43 years, SD = 0.66 at baseline). Unconditional growth model tests provided evi...
The present study tested the extent to which Roma ethnicity predisposed youth for risk of deviance and violence (vandalism, assault, weapons carrying), for risk of court appearance and arrest, and for risk of victimization. The study tested competing hypotheses, framed by competing theoretical explanations, namely whether Roma ethnicity explained b...
Objectives
The present study tested the efficacy of parenting program components in reducing disruptive or delinquent child behaviors at first post-treatment for families with children in early versus middle childhood.
Methods
Eighty-five studies were identified, containing five parenting components (Psychoeducation [PE], Behavior management [BM],...
Related to some inconsistent evidence in the literature, the current study tested the links between three parenting styles and four measures of substance use in samples of adolescents and young adults from ten, socio-economically diverse countries in Southeastern Europe (N = 10,909, 50.3% males, Mage = 21.70, SD = 4.5); it also tested whether these...
This study tested the direct and indirect effects of low self-control on sexual aggression and violence, mediated through rape myth acceptance, date rape attitudes, and promiscuous sexual norms among college-aged men. Self-report data were collected from 369 male college students attending a large university in the southeastern United States. The f...
The present study tested the links between perceived maternal and paternal parenting and internalizing and externalizing problems across ten cultures (China, Czech Republic, Hungary, the Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, Turkey, and the United States). Self-report data were collected from N = 12,757 adolescents (Mage = 17.13 years,...
Internet addiction is a pervasive problem among adolescents today. Previous research identifies socialization processes, including parenting, as important for these behaviors. The current study tested the links between perceived maternal monitoring, support, communication, and conflict and Internet addiction among youth, and whether these relations...
Self-control theory proposes that weak emotional bonds with caregivers are key in the
lack of self-control development, that in turn increases the likelihood of externalizing
and deviant behaviors. Guided by this theory, the present study tested a mediation
model, namely the relationships among adolescent attachment to both parents, selfcontrol,
an...
Introduction
The current study tested the longitudinal bidirectional links between changes in sleep quality and two measures of internalizing problems, depressive and anxiety symptoms, and whether these links differed between males and females.
Methods
Longitudinal data were collected from 570 early adolescents (58.6% female; Mage = 12.43 years, S...
Introduction
Few studies have considered the importance of kin or extended family relationships on future orientation. Additionally, some of the underlying processes linking social bonds to future orientation remain poorly understood. Based on theoretical work focused on attachment and identity, this study tested the potential mediating effects of...
The current study focused on longitudinal effects of genetics and parental behaviors and their interplay on externalizing behaviors in a panel study following individuals from adolescence to young adulthood. The nationally representative sample of Add Health participants of European ancestry included N = 4142 individuals, measured on three occasion...
Research has shown that girls in rural contexts are more likely to experience dating violence victimization than peers in urban or suburban ones. Yet, little research has been carried out on rural adolescent girls in regard to the outcomes of such dating violence and the role of parenting. The current study tested the link between dating violence v...
Research has shown a relationship between two types of narcissism (grandiose and vulnerable) and social media use, often in the context of using smartphones. This work has also provided evidence that narcissistic individuals might be more prone to feelings of boredom. However, few studies have tested the association between grandiose and vulnerable...
Purpose
The current investigation tested two tenets from self-control theory regarding its cross-national validity and applicability, namely the extent to which (1) parenting behaviors (closeness and monitoring) were associated with low self-control, and (2) the extent to which opportunities (two competing operationalizations: routine activities or...
The current study tested the developmental significance of both early adolescent sleep quantity and quality for academic competence and internalizing and externalizing problems over the course of 2 years. As part of an accelerated longitudinal study, data were collected from N = 586 Czech adolescents (Mage = 12.34 years, SD = .89, 58.4% female). Da...
Sleep is closely related to physical and mental health problems as well as problem behaviors among adolescents and young adults. Thus, to better understand sleep seems paramount, including how to best measure it. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is one of the most widely used sleep measures. Some recent psychometric evidence (i.e., inconsi...
Purpose
Studies have shown that disadvantaged neighborhoods are associated with higher levels of crime and delinquent behaviors. Existing explanations do not adequately address how individuals select neighborhood. Thus, the current study employed a genetically-informed design to test whether living in a disadvantaged neighborhood might be partly ex...
The current investigation tested childhood developmental antecedents of adolescent empathy, self-control, callous-unemotionality, and delinquency, namely difficult temperament, positive socialization experiences, and intelligence; it also tested potential mediation effects of temperament via socialization. Data were collected as part of the Nationa...
The current investigation tested life satisfaction (LS), a cognitive component of subjective well-being, among emerging adults, in the context of individualism (I) and collectivism (C), by distinguishing both cultural and individual levels of analysis, considering their horizontal (H) and vertical (V) dimensions, and controlling age and gender effe...
It is well established that parental supervision reduces the chance of adolescent problem behaviors. As the Internet has become a near-constant part of daily life, for communication, for leisure, or for education, it has led to new concerns about healthy adolescent development. Based on previous research and theory, the present study hypothesized t...
Introduction
A substantial body of research supports both social control and self‐control theories in explaining violent or deviant behaviors. Most previous work has focused on the links between family ties or bonds and deviance, along with low self‐control. A potentially untested and overlooked bond is the extended kinship network, particularly am...
Introduction
Although an extensive body of work has shown that family functioning is linked to adolescent outcomes, less is known about how the family affects school outcomes and vice versa. The present longitudinal study tested reciprocal relationships between the family environment and school engagement during the middle school years.
Methods
A...
Aggressive behavior in early childhood has been associated with several negative outcomes for children, such as short- and long-term academic, developmental, social, and emotional difficulties. This study used a social-ecological framework to consider the direct, indirect, and interactive effects of both individual and family factors on children’s...
Objectives
The current study tested the extent to which the neighborhood context influenced Roma youth adjustment (internalizing and externalizing problems, and academic competence) and whether ethnicity moderated these links and explained unique variance.Methods
Cross-sectional data were collected from 369 Roma and non-Roma early and middle adoles...
Objectives
The present study tested the role of low self-control, positive parental and peer relationships, and ethnic minority status (Armenian or Azeri), in explaining variability in depressive symptoms in Georgian youth.Methods
Self-report data were collected from N = 8254 adolescents in Georgia (55.5% female, M age = 15.57, SD 1.03). Hypotheses...
The relationship among cyberbullying victimization, lower self-esteem, and internet addiction has been well-established. Yet, little research exists that explains the nature of these associations, and no previous work has considered the inability to identify or describe one’s emotions, namely, alexithymia, as a potential mediator of these links. Th...
Sleep has been linked to adjustment difficulties in both children and adolescents; yet little is known about the long-term impact of childhood sleep on subsequent development. This study tested whether childhood sleep problems, sleep quantity, and chronotype predicted internalizing and externalizing problems during adolescence. Latent Growth Modeli...
Hirschi developed and identified four bonds to explain variability in delinquency. Gottfredson and Hirschi later refined the idea and proposed that family influences explained the developmental course of self-control during the first decade of life; in turn, it underlies variability in crime and deviance. In fact, Hirschi (2016) concluded that soci...
The present study employed parallel analyses to develop a greater understanding of the relationships between infant socialization (maternal sensitivity and home quality), early childhood self-control (attentional focusing, inhibitory control, gratification delay, and self-control), and measures of reactive-overt and relational aggression, assessed...
Previous research has documented ethnic/racial disparities in the implementation of school discipline, including exclusionary practices. The current study focused on ethnic/racial disparities in four types of school exclusionary policies through the Civil Rights Data Collection (2013–2014) based on 15,901 middle and 18,303 high schools from the Uni...
Background: Problem Behaviour Theory postulates that different forms of norm violations cluster and can be explained by similar antecedents. One such cluster may include cyberbullying and cyberhate perpetration. A potential explanatory mechanism includes toxic online disinhibition, characterized by anonymity, inability to empathise, and to recognis...
According to the general theory of crime, low self-control is the main cause of deviance. How to assess self-control is crucial because examination of the general theory of crime and the assessment of adolescent risk in committing deviance relies on self-control measures. This study aims to examine whether two well-known cognitive scales of self-co...
Chronotype, or morningness/eveningness, has been associated with adjustment in both children and adolescents. Specifically, eveningness has been linked to adjustment difficulties; however, the mechanism underlying this association is poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to test whether the associations between eveningness and adjustment...
Rationale:
Rates of adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the United States remain high. Norms and beliefs about sex and the use of contraception have been identified as potential contributors to these.
Objective:
The current study examined multi-contextual links between norms and beliefs about sex and contraception,...
The current study tested the validity of grit as a non-cognitive construct related to, yet distinct from self-control. Data were collected from N = 1907 adults spanning the life-course (53.1% female, M age = 41.4 years). Associations between grit and present and past goals were very similar to ones observed with self-control. Extensive model tests...
Self-control plays an important role in human’s daily life. In the recent two decades, scholars have exerted tremendous effort to examine the etiologies of the individual differences in self-control. Among numerous predictors of self-control, the role of culture has been relatively overlooked. In this study, the influences of cultural orientation o...
Gottfredson and Hirschi’s General Theory of Crime (GTC) has been one of the most cited and tested theories in criminology. It posits to be in effect transcultural in its application and relevant for any norm-violating behaviors. As most empirical work has been completed in English speaking countries, the current study tested some of the main theore...
Background
Previous research has shown substantial heritability for depressive symptoms, yet, there are few genetically-informed studies which focused on developmental changes. The current study sought to model prototypical developmental trajectories of depressive symptoms from adolescence to adulthood and to elucidate genetic and environmental con...
Introduction:
Supportive mothering buffers against adolescent deviance, but the precise mechanisms underlying this relationship are poorly understood. The current investigation tested the extent to which self-esteem mediated the maternal support-deviance link and whether it varied by adolescent age and sex.
Methods:
Data were collected from 911...
The current investigation hypothesized and tested latent bully/victim traits for physical, verbal, or relational bullying/victimization, both cyber and traditional behaviors. Data were collected from 1,356 German students who attended Grades 5 to 10: 48.4% males, 49.3% females from eight different schools in Northern Germany. Based on two samples f...
The current longitudinal study tested the reciprocal relationships between video game play and depressive symptoms among 9,421 adolescents from the Add Health (Mage = 16.15 years, SD = 1.64, 55% female), over 11 years (Waves 2, 3, and 4), ages 16 to 27. Based on structural equation modeling as well as latent growth models, findings indicated that (...
Sleep functioning is concurrently and longitudinally associated with norm-violating behaviors; however, the specific correlates contributing to these links remain unknown. Moreover, despite known mean-level differences in sleep functioning across immigrant and non-immigrant youth as well as socioeconomic strata, it is largely unknown whether links...
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018
Cambridge Core - Social Psychology - The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi
The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression - edited by Alexander T. Vazsonyi July 2018