Various indices of self-regulation have been consistently negatively associated with substance use (Caspi et al. 1996; Chassin et al. 2003; Hawkins et al. 1992; Wills and Dishion 2004). In particular, the construct known as effortful control, which lies at the core of self-regulation, has received considerable empirical interest (Rothbart et al. 1995; Rothbart 2011). Effortful control is considered central to the regulation of emotion and behavior (Eisenberg et al. 2000). It involves the conscious, voluntary regulation of attentional processes, goal-directed attentional persistence, and inhibitory control (Rothbart and Bates 1998). More generally, effortful control is determined by the ability to suppress prepotent responses in favor of behavior that may have long-term value to the individual (Rothbart et al. 1995). It has been well documented that related poorly developed self-regulatory abilities, such as self-control, impulsivity, behavioral reactivity, and attention control, are strongly associated with substance use in adolescence (Chassin et al. 2003; Hawkins et al. 1992; Wills et al. 2005). One limitation observed in the vast majority of studies negatively linking self-regulation and related constructs such as effortful control to adolescent problem
