| Literature DB >> 30197618 |
Loren Vandenbroucke1, Wouter Weeda2, Nikki Lee3, Dieter Baeyens1, Jon Westfall4, Bernd Figner5, Mariëtte Huizinga6.
Abstract
Adolescence is characterized by considerable changes in cognitive and socio-emotional skills. There are considerable differences between adolescents with regards to the development of these skills. However, most studies examine adolescents' average functioning, without taking into account this heterogeneity. The current study applies network analysis in order to examine heterogeneity of cognitive and socio-emotional functioning in adolescents on-track or delayed in their school progression. Data was collected at two time-points for on-track (n = 320) and delayed (n = 69) adolescents (Mage = 13.30 years, SDage = 0.77). Repeated measures ANOVA showed no significant differences between the groups in cognitive and socio-emotional functioning (p's > 0.05). Network analysis revealed that executive functions play a key role in the network of cognitive, social, and emotional functioning. This is especially the case in the delayed group where executive functions are even more central, both at T1 (inhibition and shifting) and T2 (shifting). Subsequent community analysis revealed three profiles in both groups: a well-adapted and well-balanced group, a group with high levels of need for arousal and risk-taking, and a group with regulation problems. Compared to on-track adolescents, delayed adolescents showed even higher levels of risk-taking in the second profile and higher levels of executive function problems in the third profile at T1. These differences were leveled out at T2, indicating adolescents in the delayed group catch up with their peers. This study highlights the intricate balance between cognitive, social and emotional functioning in adolescents in relation to school performance and provides preliminary evidence of the importance of taking individual differences within groups into account.Entities:
Keywords: adolescence; cognitive development; community analysis; emotional development; executive functioning; graph theory; network analysis; social development
Year: 2018 PMID: 30197618 PMCID: PMC6118220 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01572
Source DB: PubMed Journal: Front Psychol ISSN: 1664-1078
Overview of the measures and variables of interest per domain of functioning (i.e., cognitive, social, and emotional functioning).
| Domain | Task or survey | Variables of interest |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive functioning | Dots-Triangles Task | Ratio task-repeat/task-switch trials (RT) |
| Eriksen Flankers Task | Ratio congruent/incongruent trials (RT) | |
| Digit Span | Ratio digit span forward score/digit span backward score | |
| Columbia Card Task | Average of turned cards on cold version | |
| BRIEF | – Inhibit score | |
| – Shift score | ||
| – Working memory score | ||
| – Task completion score | ||
| – Plan/organize score | ||
| – Organization of materials score | ||
| – Monitor score | ||
| Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire | – Conduct problems score | |
| – Hyperactivity/inattention score | ||
| Social functioning | Social Support Scale | – Perceived social support from teachers score |
| – Perceived social support from parents score | ||
| – Perceived social support from classmates score | ||
| – Perceived social support from close friends score | ||
| Resistance to Peer Influence | Total score | |
| Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire | – Prosocial behavior score | |
| – Peer problems score | ||
| Emotional functioning | Need for arousal | Total score |
| Columbia Card Task | Average of turned cards on hot version | |
| Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire | Emotional problems score | |
| BRIEF | Emotion regulation score |
The interaction effects of the variables of Interest (per domain of functioning) at T1 and T2, with group (delayed vs. on-track).
| Domain/variable of interest | Delayed group ( | On-track group ( | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| T1 M (SD) | T2 M (SD) | T1 M (SD) | T2 M (SD) | |||
| Dots-Triangles | 1.26 (0.18) | 1.28 (0.23) | 1.28 (18) | 1.28 (0.17) | 0.185 | 0.668 |
| Eriksen Flankers Task | 1.13 (0.06) | 1.13 (0.06) | 1.13 (0.06) | 1.13 (0.05) | 0.000 | 0.997 |
| Digit Span | 0.77 (0.30) | 0.81 (0.40) | 0.92 (0.62) | 0.81 (0.25) | 2.925 | 0.088 |
| Columbia Card Task (cold version) | 3.14 (4.68) | 1.68 (3.83) | 3.21 (4.19) | 1.61 (3.64) | 0.050 | 0.824 |
| BRIEF Inhibit | 1.55 (0.40) | 1.57 (0.39) | 1.53 (0.34) | 1.55 (0.35) | 0.003 | 0.957 |
| BRIEF Shift | 1.47 (0.40) | 1.43 (0.37) | 1.41 (0.30) | 1.41 (0.35) | 0.853 | 0.356 |
| BRIEF Working Memory | 1.56 (0.39) | 1.56 (0.36) | 1.58 (0.37) | 1.60 (0.38) | 0.080 | 0.777 |
| BRIEF Task Completion | 1.55 (0.45) | 1.55 (0.40) | 1.50 (0.36) | 1.53 (0.38) | 0.173 | 0.678 |
| BRIEF Plan/Organize | 1.53 (0.39) | 1.52 (0.34) | 1.52 (0.34) | 1.54 (0.36) | 0.486 | 0.486 |
| BRIEF Organization of Materials | 1.53 (0.40) | 1.50 (0.38) | 1.58 (0.41) | 1.61 (0.43) | 1.589 | 0.208 |
| BRIEF Monitor | 1.51 (0.46) | 1.48 (0.43) | 1.53 (0.44) | 1.51 (0.42) | 0.001 | 0.976 |
| SDQ Conduct problems | 1.93 (1.83) | 1.93 (1.63) | 1.61 (1.37) | 1.64 (1.33) | 0.021 | 0.884 |
| SDQ Hyperactivity/inattention | 3.13 (1.96) | 3.20 (1.97) | 3.14 (2.03) | 3.19 (1.99) | 0.012 | 0.913 |
| Social Support Scale – Parents | 4.52 (0.74) | 4.52 (0.73) | 4.59 (0.62) | 4.61 (0.63) | 0.066 | 0.797 |
| Social Support Scale – Classmates | 3.48 (0.59) | 3.38 (0.63) | 3.47 (0.53) | 3.51 (0.54) | 2.317 | 0.129 |
| Social Support Scale – Teachers | 3.23 (1.07) | 3.24 (1.02) | 3.37 (0.95) | 3.11 (0.98) | 2.917 | 0.088 |
| Social Support Scale – Close friends | 4.39 (0.77) | 4.46 (0.79) | 4.29 (0.85) | 4.39 (0.77) | 0.076 | 0.783 |
| Resistance to peer influence | 2.17 (0.45) | 2.12 (0.59) | 2.26 (0.50) | 2.16 (0.52) | 0.689 | 0.407 |
| SDQ Prosocial behavior | 3.17 (1.15) | 2.94 (1.26) | 7.91 (1.73) | 7.79 (1.86) | 0.002 | 0.961 |
| SDQ Peer relationship problems | 7.91 (1.45) | 7.61 (1.97) | 2.96 (1.33) | 2.72 (1.18) | 0.651 | 0.420 |
| Need for arousal | 48.37 (12.50) | 48.78 (12.91) | 50.57 (12.47) | 51.18 (13.36) | 0.013 | 0.909 |
| Columbia Card Task (hot version) | 4.07 (2.46) | 2.75 (2.45) | 3.55 (2.64) | 2.51 (2.62) | 0.598 | 0.440 |
| SDQ Emotional symptoms | 2.10 (1.84) | 2.01 (1.98) | 2.36 (1.80) | 2.19 (1.95) | 0.121 | 0.728 |
| BRIEF Emotional Control | 1.29 (0.33) | 1.23 (0.29) | 1.32 (0.31) | 1.32 (0.32) | 2.277 | 0.132 |
Overview of profiles for community profile analysis.
| Factor | Name (abbreviated) | Items in factor |
|---|---|---|
| Executive Functioning Tasks | EF Task | Dots-Triangles, Eriksen Flankers Task, and Digit Span |
| Risk-taking (no affect) | Risk Cold | Columbia Card Task (cold version) |
| Executive Functioning Behavior | EF Daily | BRIEF – Inhibit, Shift, Working Memory, Task Completion, Plan/Organize, Organization of Materials, and Monitor |
| Behavior regulation problems | Reg Prob | SDQ – Conduct problems, Hyperactivity/inattention |
| Social support | Soc Supp | Social Support Scale – Parents, Classmates, Teachers, and Close friends |
| Resistance to peer influence | RPI | Resistance to peer influence |
| Prosocial behavior | Pro Soc | SDQ Prosocial behavior |
| Peer problems | Peer Prob | SDQ Peer relationship problems |
| Need for arousal | NFA | Need for arousal |
| Risk-taking (affective) | Risk Hot | Columbia Card Task (hot version) |
| Emotional problems | Emo Prob | SDQ Emotional symptoms |
| Emotion regulation | Emo Reg | BRIEF Emotional Control |
Proportion of participants in each profile per group and wave.
| On-track | Delayed | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile 1 | 40.3 | 33.3 |
| Profile 2 | 25.3 | 15.9 |
| Profile 3 | 34.4 | 50.7 |
| Profile 1 | 33.1 | 31.9 |
| Profile 2 | 32.8 | 40.6 |
| Profile 3 | 34.1 | 27.5 |