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Youths with family histories of alcohol and other drug use disorders (FH+) are at increased susceptibility for developing substance use disorders relative to those without such histories (FH−). This vulnerability may be related to impaired adolescent development of impulse control and elevated risk‐taking. However, no previous studies have prospectively examined impulse control and risk‐taking in FH+ youth across adolescence.

A total of 386 pre‐adolescents (305 FH+, 81 FH−; aged 10 to 12) with no histories of regular alcohol or other drug use were compared on behavioral measures of impulsivity including delay discounting, response initiation (Immediate Memory Task), response inhibition impulsivity (GoStop Impulsivity Paradigm), and risk‐taking (Balloon Analogue Risk Task‐Youth). Youths completed these laboratory tasks every 6 months, allowing for the examination of 10‐ to 15‐year …