The effect of analytic thinking on delinquency-related factors and treatment engagement among adolescents

Abstract

This study aimed to propose and test an integrated model of information processing and dual-processing components (IP-DP model) to explain connections among delinquency-related factors and treatment engagement. Hypotheses stated that exposure to aggressive friends would be associated with maladaptive cognitive scripts, and maladaptive scripts would mediate relationships between exposure and delinquency, and exposure and engagement. Analytic thinking was expected to moderate these relationships by attenuating the negative effects of exposure and maladaptive scripts on outcome measures. Data were collected from 424 adolescents in 8 community-based residential treatment facilities as a part of the TCU Adolescent Project. Hypotheses were tested using PROC MIANALYZE to conduct multiple regression across 5 imputed datasets. Results indicated that maladaptive scripts partially mediate the relationships between exposure and hostility, and exposure and negative urgency. Analytic thinking moderates the relationships between maladaptive scripts and engagement. Findings were not supportive of the IP-DP model but suggest further testing.