Transactional relations between developmental trajectories of executive functioning and internalizing and externalizing symptomatology in adolescence

Abstract

Adolescence is a period of social, physical, and neurobiological transitions that may leave individuals more vulnerable to the development of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Extant research demonstrates that executive functioning (EF) is associated with psychopathology outcomes in adolescence; however, it has yet to be examined how EF and psychopathology develop transactionally over time. Data were collected from 167 adolescents (47% female, 13-14 years old at Time 1) and their primary caregiver over 4 years. At each time point, adolescents completed three behavioral tasks that capture the underlying dimensions of EF, and both adolescents and their primary caregiver completed measures of adolescent psychopathology. Latent growth curve modeling was used to test the associations between initial levels and trajectories of EF and psychopathology. Results indicated that higher initial levels of internalizing and externalizing symptomatology were associated with lower EF at Time 4 (controlling for Time 1 EF). Initial levels of EF did not predict changes in internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. These findings suggest that early psychopathology may be a risk factor for maladaptive EF development in adolescence.

Keywords: adolescence; executive functioning; externalizing symptomatology; growth curve modeling; internalizing symptomatology.

Figure 1.

Unconditional growth curve model for executive functioning (EF). Standardized estimates are presented to demonstrate effect size. *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001 (based on unstandardized estimates).

Figure 2.

Estimates for the associations between executive functioning (EF) and externalizing symptomatology. Standardized estimates are presented to demonstrate effect size. *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001 (based on unstandardized estimates).

Figure 3.

Estimates for the associations between executive functioning (EF) and internalizing symptomatology. Standardized estimates are presented to demonstrate effect size. *p < .05, **p < .01, ***p < .001 (based on unstandardized estimates).