Unique relations of age and delinquency with cognitive control

Executive functioning in antisocial behavior: A multi-level systematic meta-analysis

Neurobiological information - including executive functioning - is increasingly relevant for forensic clinical practice, as well as for the criminal justice system. Previous meta-analyses report that antisocial populations show impaired performance on executive functioning tasks, but these meta-analyses are outdated, have limitations in their methodological approach, and are therefore in need of an update. The current multi-level meta-analysis including 133 studies (2008-2023) confirms impaired performance in executive functioning (d=.42), but studies are heterogeneous. Several moderator analyses showed that neuropsychological test used, type of executive function component, and control group characteristics moderated the overall effect. Specifically, matching psychiatric problems in the non-antisocial control group eliminated any differences in executive functioning between groups. No moderation effects were found for assessment quality, hot or cold executive functions, and various population characteristics. These results could indicate that the assessment of executive functioning in antisocial populations may be less relevant for recidivism risk assessment than thought, although this should first be assessed in prospective longitudinal studies. Executive functioning could potentially be used to identify or screen for individuals with certain treatment needs or be used as a responsivity factor, especially in disorders which are often underdiagnosed in criminal justice settings.

The Forensic Symptoms Inventory-Youth Version-Revised: Development and Age Invariance Testing of a Broad-Spectrum Questionnaire for Forensic Assessment

Covering both individual and neuropsychological factors, the Forensic Symptom Inventory-Youth Version-Revised (FSI-YV-R) is the first broad spectrum questionnaire for adolescents in forensic care, measuring several deficits, such as executive dysfunctions, anger, and inadequate coping to enhance treatment goals and evaluate interventions. In this study, both the factor structure and the measurement and structural invariance of the FSI-YV-R were investigated. The sample consisted of 159 forensic juvenile outpatients (79.9% males and 20.1% females) aged 12 to 19 with a mean age of 16.07 (SD = 1.57). Multi-Group Confirmatory Factor Analyses identified a second-order model (measuring executive functioning) and proved measurement and structural invariant across age groups (younger adolescents, 12-15 years and older adolescents, 16-18 years). Contrary to the expectations none of the FSI-YV-R subscales differentiated between younger adolescents (N = 74) and older adolescents (N = 85). These results and implications for both theory and practice are discussed.

Performance-Based Measure of Executive Function: Comparison of Community and At-Risk Youth

OBJECTIVE. We compared abilities and strategy use of at-risk youth aged 16–21 yr with those of a community sample of high school students using a performance measure of executive function, the Weekly Calendar Planning Activity (WCPA).

METHOD. We recruited students from an alternative school for at-risk youth (n = 113) and from community high schools in the same region (n = 49). We collected demographic information from and administered the WCPA to both groups.

RESULTS. The at-risk group made more errors, used fewer strategies, and broke more rules than the community group; however, the groups were similar in average time for planning and task completion. Moderate relationships were found between WCPA and academic performance in the at-risk group.

CONCLUSION. Comparison of at-risk and community youth provides support for discriminant validity of the WCPA and indicates that the WCPA is useful in identifying adolescents who are at risk for occupational performance deficits.

L’addiction à l’adolescence : entre affect et cognition. Symbolisation, inhibition cognitive et alexithymie

Les conduites addictives sont fréquentes chez les adolescents. La littérature montre chez cette population des distorsions cognitives expliquant les tendances impulsives, l’intolérance à la frustration, l’incapacité à contenir son ressenti. La psychologie cognitive pointe la défaillance du contrôle cognitif, à l’image de la défaillance du contrôle de l’action, de l’impulsion et de tout ce qui est en dehors du contrôle mental. La psychopathologie psychodynamique considère ces mêmes conduites comme modalités privilégiées de l’agir, reflétant un fonctionnement d’anti-représentation, de défaillance dans la symbolisation. Cette dernière s’associe aux difficultés d’élaboration des affects et duplique ainsi en termes cognitivistes les caractéristiques de l’alexithymie. Le fonctionnement cognitivo-émotionnel et affectif de l’adolescent et du jeune adulte toxicomane sera étudié. À travers une revue synthétique de la littérature, les auteurs se pencheront sur l’adjonction d’un déficit de l’inhibition cognitive à une défaillance symbolique dans la pathologie addictive de l’adolescence et du jeune adulte.