Adversity is associated with lower general processing speed rather than executive functioning

Area of Science:

• Cognitive Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Psychometrics

Background:

• Adversity exposure is linked to executive functioning (EF) deficits or adaptations.
• Current research often uses raw performance metrics, conflating cognitive processes and task-general abilities.
• Distinguishing task-general factors from specific EF abilities is crucial for accurate assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To integrate deficit and adaptation frameworks of adversity and EF.
• To differentiate task-general cognitive processes from specific EF abilities using cognitive modeling.
• To investigate the associations between childhood and adulthood adversity exposure and distinct cognitive processes.

Main Methods:

• Employed drift diffusion modeling to isolate information accumulation, response caution, and stimulus encoding/response execution speeds.
• Utilized structural equation modeling to examine task-general versus ability-specific associations.
• Recruited 1,061 participants and administered processing speed, inhibition, and attention-shifting tasks, alongside self-reported adversity measures.

Main Results:

• Adulthood threat exposure negatively correlated with task-general processing speed.
• After controlling for task-general processes, no significant associations remained with inhibition or attention-shifting abilities.
• Childhood deprivation and threat exposure were linked to reduced general processing speed and task-specific information accumulation, reflecting task nuances rather than specific EF.

Conclusions:

• Raw performance measures in EF research may inflate the perceived impact of adversity on specific cognitive abilities.
• Cognitive modeling offers a more nuanced approach to understanding the relationship between adversity and cognitive processes.
• Future research should employ advanced modeling techniques to disentangle task-general effects from specific EF abilities when studying adversity impacts.