Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 17, 2025

Operant Procedures for Assessing Behavioral Flexibility in Rats

Operant Procedures for Assessing Behavioral Flexibility in Rats

Published on: February 15, 2015

Alterations in executive functions in inmates convicted for violent behavior: a systematic review

Maria Antonia Chaguendo-Quintero¹, Daniela Quintero-Monjes¹, Maria Teresa Cuervo¹

¹Department of Social Sciences, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali, Colombia.

Frontiers in Psychology

|September 4, 2023

Abstract

Background:

The growth of the prison population and the high recidivism rates of inmates represent a major public safety problem.

Objective:

This systematic review explored executive functions in inmates convicted of violent behavior compared with inmates convicted of non-violent behavior and healthy controls (HCs).

Methods:

Systematic searches were carried out using five databases (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, EBSCO, and Embase) until March 6th, 2023. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, two reviewers independently performed the screening, data extraction, and risk of bias assessment of the 8 studies included. The protocol of this study was registered in Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), under registration number CRD42021252043.

Results:

Consistently, inmates convicted of violent behavior exhibited a greater alteration in inhibition than inmates convicted of non-violent behavior (four out of four studies) and HCs (two out of two studies). In addition, inmates convicted of violent behavior showed greater impairments in cognitive flexibility (two out of three studies) and working memory (two out of three studies) than HCs. Although with limited evidence (only one study), they also showed worse performance in set shifting and planning than HCs.

Conclusion:

This study provides evidence of alterations in inhibition in inmates convicted of violent behavior compared to inmates convicted of non-violent behavior and HCs. Even though inmates convicted of violent behavior showed greater impairments in planning and set shifting than HCs, these findings were supported in only one study. In general, more robust evidence is needed to confirm alterations in inmates convicted due to violent behavior. These findings highlight the importance of designing and promoting specific cognitive interventions that contribute to the reintegration of inmates into society.

Systematic Review Registration:

https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42021252043, identifier CRD42021252043.

Keywords:

cognitive flexibility executive functions inhibition inmates systematic review violent behavior working memory

More Related Videos

Automated, Long-term Behavioral Assay for Cognitive Functions in Multiple Genetic Models of Alzheimer's Disease, Using IntelliCage

Automated, Long-term Behavioral Assay for Cognitive Functions in Multiple Genetic Models of Alzheimer's Disease, Using IntelliCage

Published on: August 4, 2018

Assessing Dominant-Submissive Behavior in Adult Rats Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Assessing Dominant-Submissive Behavior in Adult Rats Following Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: December 16, 2022

Related Concept Videos

The Stanford Prison Experiment

The Stanford Prison Experiment

The famous and controversial Stanford Prison Experiment, conducted by social psychologist Philip Zimbardo and his colleagues at Stanford University, demonstrated the power of social roles, social norms, and scripts.

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

Role of Cerebellum and Prefrontal Cortex in Memory

The cerebellum, while traditionally associated with motor control, also plays a crucial role in memory, particularly in procedural memory, which involves learning motor tasks that become automatic through repetition. For example, studies have shown that when the cerebellum is damaged, individuals or animals lose the ability to learn conditioned motor responses, such as the conditioned eye-blink response in classical conditioning experiments with rabbits. This study demonstrates the...

Behavior Modification

Behavior Modification

Behavioral approaches have often been criticized for ignoring mental processes and focusing solely on observable behavior. However, these approaches provide an optimistic perspective for individuals seeking to change their behaviors. Rather than concentrating on intrinsic personality traits, behavioral approaches suggest that even longstanding habits can be modified by changing the reward contingencies that maintain them.
A real-world application of operant conditioning principles is applied...

Conduct Disorder

Conduct Disorder

Conduct disorder is a complex mental health diagnosis characterized by a repetitive and persistent pattern of behavior that violates societal norms, the rights of others, or age-appropriate rules. The diagnostic criteria for conduct disorder require the presence of at least three problematic behaviors within the past 12 months, with at least one occurring in the past six months. These behaviors are grouped into four categories: aggression toward people and animals; destruction of property;...

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Antisocial personality disorder is a chronic mental health condition characterized by persistent patterns of disregard for the rights and well-being of others. Individuals with antisocial personality disorder exhibit behaviors that include deceitfulness, impulsivity, irresponsibility, aggression, and a profound lack of empathy. These traits often manifest early in life and persist into adulthood, leading to significant personal, social, and legal consequences.
Behavioral Characteristics and...

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Do Acceptance- and Mindfulness-Based Interventions Improve Psychological Flexibility in People With Chronic Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

European journal of pain (London, England)·2026

Efficacy of Low-Dose Naltrexone in Women With Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A 12-Month Randomised, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Single-Centre Clinical Trial (INNOVA Study).

European journal of pain (London, England)·2026

Distinct social pathways in the links between pain interference and psychological function in youth with chronic pain.

Pain·2026

Effectiveness of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for the Management of Postsurgical Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial (SPINE-ACT Study).

European journal of pain (London, England)·2026

Rewriting the crime divide: how executive functions and social cognition processes challenge violence classifications in the Colombian prison population.

Frontiers in psychology·2026

Longitudinal Associations Among Pain Catastrophizing, Pain Interference, and Pain Medication Use in Adolescents With Chronic Pain.

European journal of pain (London, England)·2026

See all related articles