Firesetting, cognitive impulsivity, and the antisocial spectrum

The current study provides a test of the antisocial spectrum by asking whether firesetting serves as a developmental antecedent to future offending through the intervening influence of a cognitive impulsivity mediator. It was hypothesized that cognitive impulsivity, but not cognitive insensitivity, would mediate the relationship between firesetting and offense variety. This hypothesis was tested in 1,354 seriously delinquent youth (1170 males, 184 females) from the Pathways to Desistance study. Results were consistent with all three parts of the research hypothesis: (1) cognitive impulsivity mediated the relationship between firesetting and offense variety; (2) cognitive insensitivity did not mediate the relationship between firesetting and offense variety; (3) the total indirect effect was significantly stronger in the impulsivity-mediated pathway than in the insensitivity-mediated pathway. These findings support firesetting as a developmental antecedent to delinquency and crime in a manner congruent with theory and suggest that firesetting may belong on the antisocial spectrum.