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Published on: June 12, 2020
Information processing profiles of internalizing and externalizing behavior problems: evidence from a
J Agnes Brunnekreef1, Leo M J De Sonneville, Monika Althaus
1Department of Psychiatry and Graduate School of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurosciences, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, The Netherlands. j.a.brunnekreef@med.umcg.nl
Insights
Cognitive processing deficits are linked to the severity of child behavior problems, with working memory and response variability as key indicators. Response inhibition differentiates problem types but not when IQ is considered.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuropsychology
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Explores information processing capacities in relation to internalizing and externalizing behavior problems.
- Utilizes a large general population sample of 10- to 12-year-old children (N = 2,037).
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between cognitive functions and behavior problems in children.
- To identify potential cognitive markers for different types and severity of behavioral issues.
Main Methods:
- Categorized children into four groups based on parent-reported behavior problems (Child Behavior Checklist).
- Assessed information processing capacities (speed, accuracy) using the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks.
- Compared cognitive performance across groups with no problems, internalizing problems, externalizing problems, and both.
Main Results:
- Children with both internalizing and externalizing problems showed the least efficient cognitive processing.
- Response variability and working memory efficiency were associated with the severity of behavior problems.
- Response inhibition differentiated problem types but this effect diminished when controlling for IQ; no gender differences were observed.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive processing deficits are more strongly related to the degree than the type of maladaptive behavior.
- Response variability and working memory may serve as markers for identifying high-risk children.
- Response inhibition could indicate the type of maladaptive behavior.
Background:
The present study explores the relationships between several information processing capacities and internalizing and externalizing behavior problems in a general population sample of 10- to 12-year olds (N = 2,037 51% girls).
Methods:
Parent-reported behavior problems as assessed by the Child Behavior Checklist were used to form four groups of children with 1) neither internalizing nor externalizing problems (n = 1,470), 2) only internalizing problems (n = 237), 3) only externalizing problems (n = 182), and 4) both internalizing and externalizing problems (n = 148). These groups were compared on measures of speed and accuracy from the Amsterdam Neuropsychological Tasks program reflecting the efficiency of several input-, central cognitive-, and output-related information processing capacities.
Results:
Children with both internalizing and externalizing problems demonstrated the least efficient performance, followed by children with only externalizing problems, whereas children with only internalizing problems did not differ from children without problems. More specifically, response variability and the ability to maintain and quickly compare information in working memory were found to be related to the severity of problem behavior. The ability to inhibit prepotent responses was related to the type of problem behavior, discriminating between the children with only internalizing problems and only externalizing problems. However, this latter capacity no longer differentiated when controlling for IQ. No differences were found between boys and girls.
Conclusions:
The results suggest that, in general, cognitive processing deficits are more strongly related to the degree than to the type of maladaptive behavior. Furthermore, response variability and working memory may serve as potential markers for identifying high-risk children and response inhibition as an indicator of the type of maladaptive behavior.
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