Understanding patterns of heterogeneity in executive functioning during adolescence: Evidence from population-level...

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Neuroscience
• Adolescent Health

Background:

• Executive functioning (EF) is crucial for adolescent development.
• Understanding diverse EF skill patterns is key to explaining behavioral differences.
• Previous research has not fully characterized complex EF skill constellations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct profiles of executive functioning skills in a large adolescent sample.
• To examine demographic and developmental predictors of these EF profiles.
• To investigate the association between EF profiles and subsequent behavioral problems.

Main Methods:

• Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to derive EF profiles.
• Data included measures of inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility.
• A large cohort of 11,672 youth from the Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development study was analyzed.

Main Results:

• Four distinct EF profiles were identified: Average EF, High EF, Low Inhibitory Control, and Low EF.
• Male sex, lower socioeconomic status, and earlier developmental timing were associated with lower EF profiles.
• Profile membership predicted significant differences in externalizing, internalizing, and other problem behaviors one year later.

Conclusions:

• Adolescents exhibit distinct constellations of executive functioning skills.
• Person-centered approaches are necessary to understand individual differences in EF and behavior.
• These findings underscore the importance of identifying specific EF profiles for targeted interventions.