Executive Functions as basic facets of self regulation: Profiles and developmental trajectories in childhood and adolescence, and relations to social information processing

执行功能作为自我调节的基本方面：童年和青少年时期的概况和发展轨迹，以及与社会信息处理的关系

• 批准号: 453407023
• 负责人: Professorin Dr. Birgit Elsner
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Abteilung Entwicklungspsychologie
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Units
• 资助国家: 德国
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/453407023?language=en
• 关键词: Executive; Functions; basic; facets; self

Executive functions (EF) –as cognitive processes that enable the control of behavior, cognition and emotions – are important basic components of self regulation (SR). Both SR and EF show continued development during middle childhood and adolescence, with concurrently increasing demands on socially appropriate behavioral control. So far, however, only few studies have analyzed individual profiles of different EF facets or the stability/variability in developmental trajectories of EF at this age. This project focuses on three cool EF facets (inhibition, working-memory updating, cognitive flexibility/set shifting) and two hot EF facets (delay of gratification, emotional decision making). Existing longitudinal data from a community sample in middle childhood (PIER study: 6-10, 7-11, 9-13 years) will be extended into adolescence (15-20 years). In a person-centered approach, research goals are first, to classify children based on specific values for the five EF facets at T1. Different EF profiles for younger/older children will indicate continued development of certain EF facets, and specific EF profiles (e.g. overall weak EF; relatively weaker inhibition or hot EF) should co-occur with lower complex SR and/or emotional regulation. The second goal is to investigate the longitudinal stability/variability of the EF profiles and to identify trajectory patterns for single EF facets. Here, age differences indicate whether and when a flattening of developmental growth occurs for certain EF facets. Continued development until adolescence is expected for set shifting and hot EF. Of specific interest are decreasing or consistently low EF trajectories, because associated individual characteristics (e.g. SES, verbal skills) can be risk factors for EF development and are therefore relevant for prevention/intervention. The third goal is to examine the relation between EF development in middle childhood and social information processing (SIP) in adolescence. SIP is important for social behavior, and specific SIP styles are associated with problematic conduct and aggression (e.g., tendency for interpreting others’ behavior as hostile; positive evaluation of own aggressive behavior). Because certain EF facets are relevant for certain SIP steps (e.g. delay of gratification for clarification of goals, flexibility for response construction, inhibition for response selection), the analysis of SIP differences for different EF profiles or EF trajectory patterns is important, particularly in adolescence (due to higher SR requirements). These analyses will also include other PIER data on abilities that are relevant for SIP, that is, the ability to understand others’ mental states (theory of mind) and to regulate emotions (especially anger). This project will thus provide important insights into the development of basic SR competencies and their relevance for social cognition during childhood and adolescence.

执行功能（EF）作为一种能够控制行为、认知和情绪的认知过程，是自我调节（SR）的重要基本组成部分。SR和EF在儿童中期和青春期持续发展，同时对社会适当行为控制的需求也在增加。然而，到目前为止，只有少数研究分析了EF不同方面的个体特征或该年龄段EF发展轨迹的稳定性/可变性。本项目重点研究EF的三个冷方面（抑制、工作记忆更新、认知灵活性/设定转移）和两个热方面（延迟满足、情绪决策）。来自社区样本的现有纵向数据（PIER研究：6-10岁，7-11岁，9-13岁）将扩展到青春期（15-20岁）。在以人为本的方法中，研究目标首先是根据儿童在T1时的五个EF方面的具体值对儿童进行分类。年幼/年长儿童的不同EF特征将表明某些EF方面的持续发展，而特定的EF特征（例如整体弱EF；相对较弱的抑制或热EF）应与较低的复杂SR和/或情绪调节同时发生。第二个目标是研究EF剖面的纵向稳定性/可变性，并确定单个EF面的轨迹模式。在这里，年龄差异表明发育生长是否以及何时发生某些EF方面的平坦化。持续发展到青春期，预计会发生set shift和hot EF。特别值得关注的是不断减少或持续低水平的EF轨迹，因为相关的个人特征（如社会地位、语言技能）可能是EF发展的危险因素，因此与预防/干预相关。第三个目的是研究中期儿童英语发展与青少年社会信息加工之间的关系。SIP对社会行为很重要，特定的SIP风格与问题行为和攻击有关（例如，将他人的行为解释为敌对的倾向；对自己的攻击行为的积极评价）。由于某些EF方面与某些SIP步骤相关（例如，澄清目标的满足延迟，反应构建的灵活性，反应选择的抑制），因此分析不同EF特征或EF轨迹模式的SIP差异非常重要，特别是在青春期（由于更高的SR要求）。这些分析还将包括与SIP相关的能力的其他PIER数据，即理解他人精神状态（心理理论）和调节情绪（尤其是愤怒）的能力。因此，该项目将为儿童和青少年社会认知的基本能力发展及其相关性提供重要见解。