Measuring Adolescent Self-Awareness and Accuracy Using a Performance-Based Assessment and Parental Report

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Executive functions (EF) are crucial for goal-directed behavior in adolescents.
• Self-awareness of performance is a key component of metacognition.
• Understanding the relationship between self-awareness and EF accuracy in adolescents is important for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess performance accuracy and self-awareness of performance on an executive function task in healthy adolescents.
• To compare adolescent self-ratings with parent ratings on executive functions.
• To investigate the association between self-awareness and performance accuracy in adolescent executive functions.

Main Methods:

• 109 healthy adolescents completed the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA).
• Self-estimated performance was compared to actual performance to measure awareness.
• Participants were categorized into high/low accuracy and high/low awareness groups.
• Comparisons included WCPA performance and parent ratings on the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF).

Main Results:

• Higher self-awareness correlated with better executive function performance.
• Adolescents with high accuracy on the WCPA also exhibited high awareness.
• The high accuracy group received better parental ratings for EF, showed higher efficiency, followed rules better, and had greater performance awareness.

Conclusions:

• Self-awareness of performance significantly contributes to an individual's functional capabilities.
• Assessing self-awareness levels in adolescents is vital.
• Metacognitive training could be beneficial for adolescents with lower self-awareness to improve their executive function performance.