The neuro-behavioral contributions of early parental autonomy support to executive function

The impact of early parental autonomy support (PAS) on later executive function (EF) development has been repeatedly demonstrated from early to middle childhood; however, whether the effect lasts into late adolescence or early adulthood remains controversial. To investigate this issue, this study examined the relationships among early PAS, typical EF, and neural subprocesses of optimal EF among college students. Forty-eight healthy participants (age = 20.65 ± 1.73 years) were recruited for the experiment. Participants recalled their perceived PAS in childhood through a questionnaire and rated their typical EF using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functions scale (BRIEF). Their optimal EF was tested using the Go/NoGo task, which captured their event-related potentials (N2/P3) and behavioral responses. Results showed that a higher level of early PAS marginally or significantly correlated with lower BRIEF scores and larger amplitudes of Go-N2 and NoGo-N2, which represented better EF ability; besides, correlations between larger amplitudes of Go- and NoGo-N2/P3 and lower BRIEF scores were significant; furthermore, NoGo-N2 amplitude mediated the association between PAS and the behavioral regulation index of BRIEF. Consequently, the present study revealed that the effect of perceived PAS in childhood on EF could persist into early adulthood and provides important implications for parenting and EF development.