Intelligence and executive functioning are multidimensional, related constructs (Decker, Dean, & Hill, 2007; Miyake, Friedman, Emerson, Witzki, & Howerter, 2000). Research suggests that fluid intelligence and certain components of executive functioning are related, with an emphasis in the literature placed on the relations between fluid intelligence and working memory (Salthouse, 2005; Salthouse & Davis, 2006). However, limited published research exists about the relations between fluid intelligence and other components of executive functioning. There also is debate in the literature about the relations between crystallized intelligence and executive functioning (Friedman et al., 2006). Some researchers suggest that the two are not related (Pennington, 1994), whereas others propose that there are relations between the constructs (Cowan, 1995). However, beyond working memory, limited information exists about the relations between crystallized intelligence and other executive functioning components. Denckla (1996) proposed that the relations between fluid intelligence and components of executive functioning are gradated; however, this area of research is limited. Furthermore, no study was found that reported gradated relations between multiple components of executive functioning and crystallized intelligence. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to examine the potentially gradated relations between fluid and crystallized intelligence with multiple components of executive functioning with the same sample. Findings from my study indicated that the relations between fluid and crystallized intelligence and components of executive functioning are gradated. Some executive skills shared similar relations with the intelligence constructs, whereas other relations were unique. It was found that Working Memory/Shifting shared similar relations with fluid and crystallized intelligence constructs. In addition, unique relations also were found between Problem Solving/Planning and fluid intelligence and between Nonverbal Fluency/Inhibition and crystallized intelligence constructs. This indicates that there are common and unique neurocognitive relations between aspects of executive skills and intelligence. Furthermore, the relations between fluid and crystallized intelligence and components of Baddeley's working memory model also were tested. Relations were found between visuospatial working memory and fluid intelligence; however, no other relations were found. To provide some clinical insight, the relations between multiple executive skills and a standardized academic achievement measure (ACT) also were examined while controlling for fluid and crystallized aspects of intelligence. It was found that controlling for crystallized intelligence yielded better understanding about the relations between executive functioning and academic achievement. Overall, across the analyses conducted within this study some findings replicated existing information in the literature and new findings were found that contribute to the literature. The benefits, clinical implications, and limitations of this study are discussed. Suggestions for future research also are provided.

Adolescence is a period of social, physical, and neurobiological transitions that may leave individuals more vulnerable to the development of adjustment problems such as internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Extant research demonstrates how self-regulation can predict adjustment outcomes in adolescence; however, it has yet to be examined how longitudinal growth in self-regulation may predict individual differences in symptomatology. That is, adolescents who develop self-regulatory capacities such as executive functioning (EF; including shifting, working memory, and inhibitory control) more slowly than their peers may be at increased risk for maladjustment. Data were collected from 167 adolescents and their primary caregiver over approximately three 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 symptomatology. Parallel process growth curve modeling was used to test the associations between initial levels and trajectories of both EF and adjustment. Results did not reveal any significant associations between initial levels of EF and adjustment or between growth in EF and growth in adjustment. Furthermore, there were no differential associations between the different EF dimensions. However, post-hoc analyses revealed that longitudinal increases in growth of EF predicted lower externalizing (but not internalizing) symptomatology at Time 3 (controlling for Time 1). Findings suggest that those with more rapid EF development may be better able to regulate behavioral and affective states and thus be less likely to develop externalizing symptoms, and that both early levels and growth in EF may be important predictors of adolescent outcomes. / Master of Science / Adolescence is a period of social, physical, and neurobiological transitions that may leave individuals more vulnerable to the development of symptoms such as anxiety, depression, aggression, and delinquency. Self-regulation affects these outcomes in adolescence; however, individuals demonstrate growth in self-regulation abilities at different rates. Thus, the current study sought to examine how differences in self-regulation (specifically, executive functioning (EF)) development over time may contribute to different behavioral and emotional symptoms in adolescence. Data were collected from 167 adolescents and their primary caregiver over approximately three years. At each time point, adolescents completed three behavioral tasks that capture EF, and both adolescents and their primary caregiver completed measures of adolescent symptoms. Results showed that there were no significant associations between initial levels of EF and symptoms, or between growth in EF and growth in symptoms. Furthermore, different aspects of EF (such as memory, attention, and inhibitory control) did not differentially predict symptomatology. However, additional analyses revealed that increases in growth of EF over time predicted lower symptoms of aggression and delinquency at Time 3. Findings suggest that those with more rapid EF development may be better able to regulate behavioral and emotional states and thus be less likely to develop these types of symptoms, and that both early levels and growth in EF may be important predictors of adolescent outcomes.

With the aging of society and increased longevity, understanding the factors that contribute to declines in quality of life and mood, such as normative health declines and cognitive declines is progressively more important. Past research has consistently demonstrated that cognitive skills decline with age; specifically, a major change associated with normative aging is a decline in executive functions (Phillips & Henry, 2008). Past research has focused on investigating how abnormal declines in cognitive and executive functioning have impacted the self and others; however a relatively unexplored issue is examining how individual differences in normative age-related changes in cognitive functioning impact the self and others. The first purpose of the current study was to investigate normative age-related differences in executive functioning skills and how these individual differences impact individuals and their marital partners. The second purpose of the current study was to investigate whether executive functioning skills in particular, rather than other domains of cognitive skills thought to be separate from executive functioning, predicted poor quality of life and mood in self and partner. Participants were 91 heterosexual couples 55 years and above who were married or cohabiting. They completed measures of quality of life and mood in addition to a variety of cognitive tasks and executive functioning tasks measuring their inhibition, working memory and task switching abilities. We found that lower executive functioning skills in one partner significantly predicted lower levels of quality of life in the other partner (partner effect). However, we found that there was no significant relationship between those with lower levels of executive functioning and one’s own ratings of quality of life (actor effect). Conversely, when investigating the impact of executive functioning on mood we found that lower levels of executive functioning resulted in lower ratings of mood for the same partner (actor effect). However, lower levels of executive functioning in one partner did not predict lower levels of mood in the other partner (partner effect). In no instance was general cognition, as assessed using tasks of language, visuospatial ability, and short-term memory, related to partner or actor effects for either outcome measure. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common childhood psychological disorders with prevalence estimates ranging from 3%-7% (APA, 2000) and one of the most thoroughly studied child neurocognitive disorders. Children with ADHD have consistently shown executive functioning and processing speed deficits on a variety of measures (Berlin, Bohlin, Nyberg, & Janols, 2004; Geurts, Verté, Oosterlaan, Roeyers & Sergeant, 2004; Nigg, 1999; Nigg, Blaskey, Huang-Pollock & Rappley, 2002). The research on executive functioning deficits in other childhood disorders has been comparatively lacking. There is some research that suggests that internalizing disorders, such as anxiety and depression, can also have a detrimental effect on certain executive functioning domains (Airaksinen, Larsson, & Forsell, 2005; Christopher, & MacDonald, 2005; Emerson, Mollet, & Harrison, 2005). It is unclear how these internalizing symptoms will impact executive functioning, processing speed and fine motor control in children with ADHD. The purpose of this study is to determine whether the presence of internalizing symptoms impacts the ability of children with ADHD to perform executive functioning, processing speed, and fine motor control tasks. In order to assess this, the predictive ability of gender, ADHD subtype, parent ratings of anxiety, and parent ratings of depression were examined for processing speed, working memory, response inhibition, vigilance and fine motor control tasks. Gender was found to predict differences in working memory, response inhibition and fine motor control. ADHD subtype was found to predict differences in response inhibition. Parent ratings of anxiety were found to interact with ADHD subtype to predict some aspects of vigilance. Parent ratings of anxiety and of depression were found to predict differences in other aspects of vigilance looking across gender and subtype. Finally, teacher ratings of anxiety were found to predict differences in working memory. / text

Depression is a significant problem, which is often related to stressful life events. Individual responses to life stress can vary depending on vulnerability factors, such as ability to regulate emotions. Studies have demonstrated that emotion regulation involves executive functioning abilities. Executive functioning is not only associated with cognition, but also emotional and behavioral control. Difficulty with executive function is sometimes associated with depression. Though there is an established relationship in the literature between life stress and depression, the moderating effects of executive functioning on the relationship between life stress and depression remains unknown. This study will use multiple linear regression to test whether executive functioning moderates the influence of life stress on depression. / text

With the aging of society and increased longevity, understanding the factors that contribute to declines in quality of life and mood, such as normative health declines and cognitive declines is progressively more important. Past research has consistently demonstrated that cognitive skills decline with age; specifically, a major change associated with normative aging is a decline in executive functions (Phillips & Henry, 2008). Past research has focused on investigating how abnormal declines in cognitive and executive functioning have impacted the self and others; however a relatively unexplored issue is examining how individual differences in normative age-related changes in cognitive functioning impact the self and others. The first purpose of the current study was to investigate normative age-related differences in executive functioning skills and how these individual differences impact individuals and their marital partners. The second purpose of the current study was to investigate whether executive functioning skills in particular, rather than other domains of cognitive skills thought to be separate from executive functioning, predicted poor quality of life and mood in self and partner. Participants were 91 heterosexual couples 55 years and above who were married or cohabiting. They completed measures of quality of life and mood in addition to a variety of cognitive tasks and executive functioning tasks measuring their inhibition, working memory and task switching abilities. We found that lower executive functioning skills in one partner significantly predicted lower levels of quality of life in the other partner (partner effect). However, we found that there was no significant relationship between those with lower levels of executive functioning and one’s own ratings of quality of life (actor effect). Conversely, when investigating the impact of executive functioning on mood we found that lower levels of executive functioning resulted in lower ratings of mood for the same partner (actor effect). However, lower levels of executive functioning in one partner did not predict lower levels of mood in the other partner (partner effect). In no instance was general cognition, as assessed using tasks of language, visuospatial ability, and short-term memory, related to partner or actor effects for either outcome measure. Implications of these findings are discussed.

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Two cognitive processes have been proposed to play a role in social anxiety: self-focused attention and threat perception bias. Mansell, Clark, and Ehlers (2003) devised a novel dot-probe paradigm to simultaneously measure on-line attention to internal and external events among socially anxious adults. Their results indicated that high speech anxious individuals show an internal attention bias specific to a social threat condition. They did not find any differences between groups in a no-threat condition; however, the researchers did not account for processes of effortful control of attention. The current study replicated the Mansell et al. study with an added condition to control for effortful processes of attention. Fifty young adults (mean age = 19.8) were assessed using a self-report measure of social anxiety, as well as the Mansell et al. dot-probe paradigm. Half of the subjects were randomly assigned to a brief (250ms) stimulus presentation time with the other half to a 25 second condition, as used by Mansell et al. In addition, subjects were randomly assigned to social threat and non-threat conditions. A three-way interaction of anxiety x threat x length of stimulus presentation was predicted, such that socially anxious individuals would show an external attention bias when not under social threat (threat perception bias). However, under threat, it was hypothesized that anxious individuals would shift their attention internally (self-focused attention). Results of the current study did not support the hypothesized interaction, and provided only equivocal evidence for both self-focused attention and threat perception bias. / Master of Science

Executive functioning (EF) has been gaining attention recently in the area of child psychopathology and EF deficits have been hypothesized to be present in a variety of these disorders. Children with Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and anxiety disorders (AD) all experience difficulties at home, with friends, and at school, some of which may be related to deficits in EF. The proposed study is designed to determine whether specific EF deficits are associated with ADHD and AD when they are comorbid with ODD. Children recruited for an ODD treatment study completed an emotional Stroop task and their mothers completed the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF; Gioia, Isquith, Guy, & Kenworthy, 2000). The present study included 49 children with ODD who had comorbid ADHD (n = 22) or comorbid AD (n = 27), but not both. The ODD/ADHD group exhibited significantly more EF deficits on the MI than the ODD/AD group when gender and corresponding symptoms of ADHD and AD were controlled for. However, no significant differences were found on the emotional Stroop or the BRI scale of the BRIEF suggesting that EF deficits may not be clearly differentiated in samples of ADHD and AD youth who are also comorbid with ODD. It is recommended that future studies explore executive dysfunction in pure ODD, ADHD, and AD samples to better identify possible differences that might be useful in designing interventions for children who have EF deficits associated with these disorders. / Master of Science

This study examined the impact of several dimensions of executive functioning (EF), as well as Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptoms, in relation to college students’ academic and overall functional impairment. Participants were 62 college students comprehensively diagnosed with ADHD and their parents/guardians who completed measures of symptoms of ADHD, EF, school maladjustment and functional impairment. The primary goal of the study was to evaluate whether parent- and self-ratings of EFs completed at the beginning of the school year longitudinally predict end of the school year academic and overall functioning above and beyond symptoms of ADHD. Mediation analyses controlling for covariates, including gender and transfer student status, were used to determine whether EF deficits mediate the relationship between ADHD symptoms and functioning. Additionally, parent- and student-rated deficits in EFs were examined for agreement as well as the incremental validity of each rater in predicting impairment. Deficits in student-rated self-motivation and parent-rated self-regulation of emotion significantly predicted overall impairment at the end of the year above and beyond symptoms of ADHD. Further, self-report of self-motivation mediated the relationship between ADHD symptoms and overall impairment. In a separate model, student-rated self-organization at the beginning of the year mediated the relationship between ADHD symptoms and end of the year grades. Students with ADHD experience significant difficulties with the transition to college which may lead to the development of increased academic or functional impairment, particularly for students with EF deficits. The present study demonstrates that motivation and organization appear to be particularly important components of academic functioning for college students with ADHD. Overall, findings suggest that EF skills are highly relevant for college students with ADHD with important clinical implications for assessment and treatment. Further studies are needed to confirm the mediational mechanisms of EFs contributing to functional impairments in college students with ADHD.