Funding outcome

Externalizing behaviors are actions that can negatively impact others or the environment, such as defiance, unprotected sex, and substance abuse. Researchers typically study these behaviors separately, but their frequent co-occurrence suggests that they might all come from similar root causes. One key cause they have been focusing on is emotion-based impulsivity, which is when someone is feeling very strong emotions, they tends to make rush decisions without careful thinking. This is especially relevant for teenagers, whose brain areas responsible for impulsive control are still developing, making it harder for them to manage urges under intense feelings. For example, a teenager might react aggressively in anger rather than taking time to calm down, leading to a wide range of externalizing behaviors. This project uses a unique daily diary design to track teenagers' daily activities, feelings, and impulsivity and externalizing behaviors in their real lives. We aim to see how daily hassles and uplifts affect their impulsive decision-making, both on the same day and the next. We also aim to look into how these quick decisions can lead to unpleasant behaviors. We are curious about why, when faced with the same daily situations, some teenagers make hasty decisions while others don't. We want to find out what personal characteristics help these teenagers think more clearly and make safer choices under strong emotions. The goal of this study is to come up with better ways to understand and measure emotion-based impulsivity. In addition, we hope to help reduce the chances of teenagers and young adults in Canada engaging in externalizing behaviors.