In the sample in this study, Eisenberg et al. (2001; Eisenberg, Sadovsky, et al., 2005) found an association between children’s status as a pure internalizer (without externalizing problems) and low impulsivity from age 4.5 to age 7 and 2 years later. The low impulsivity associated with internalizing problems likely reflects inhibited, rigid behavior (i.e., reactive overcontrol). However, given that EC seems to become a somewhat better predictor of maladjustment with age relative to impulsivity, at least for externalizing problems (Eisenberg et al., 2004; Valiente et al., 2003), it is possible that the relation between impulsivity and internalizing problems declines with age.
