Abstract
This study examined relations between intentional self-regulation (ISR) and executive functions (EFs) among 84 Icelandic youth in Grade 6 (mean age 11.7 years; 51% girls) and their contributions to healthy and problematic outcomes a year later. ISR was indicated by the Selection, Optimization and Compensation model (SOC) and Self-Regulated Learning (SRL). EF was indicated by attention shifting, inhibition, and working memory (WM). Only WM was related to ISR. Furthermore, ISR tended to uniquely predict Grade 6 outcomes, but the inverse was less true. In Grade 7, EF but not ISR uniquely predicted national test scores, and symptoms of depression and anxiety, whereas ISR remained a stronger predictor of Positive Youth Development (PYD) and risk behavior. These findings suggest a limited relation between ISR and EF, and that ISR is important to the general well-being of youth, whereas EFs may play a role in the development of problems and academic achievement.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Journal of Early Adolescence |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 9 Jul 2022 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the research grant no: 141483-051 from The Icelandic Research fund (RANNÍS) to Steinunn Gestsdottir and Freyja Birgisdottir.
Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2022.
Other keywords
- academic achievement
- executive functioning
- intentional self-regulation
- positive youth development
- problem behaviors