Cool versus hot executive function: a new approach to executive function

Executive function (EF) refers to the higher order thought processes, including inhibitory control, working memory, and attention considered essential to problem-solving and future oriented behaviour. Traditionally, research on EF has focused on cool cognitive aspects, elicited by relatively abstract tasks. More recently there has been growing interest in the development of hot aspects of EF, seen in situations that are emotionally and motivationally significant. In this paper, we first describe the emergence of hot executive function and its distinction to cool executive function. We then examine whether there is enough evidence to support distinct cool and hot EF subcomponents. The implications of how this distinction can be used to make sense of abnormal child development are also considered. We propose that more research in this area will increase understanding of how cognitive development affects development and inform more targeted interventions in children with behavioural difficulties

Impact of child factors on parenting stress of mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability: a UK school-based study

Parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are at risk for high stress levels. Multiple child factors have been identified as predictors of stress in parents of children with ASD, but factors associated with stress in parents of children with ASD and comorbid intellectual disability (ASD-ID) are not well understood. This study examined the role of child’s age, social impairment, executive functions and adaptive skills on parenting stress in mothers of children with ASD-ID. Mothers of 133 children with ASD-ID (aged 4–11 years) completed the Parenting Stress Index–Short Form, the Behaviour Rating Inventory of Executive Function, the Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, and the Social Responsiveness Scale. Mothers’ stress varied according to the child’s educational stage and associated with poor metacognition. No associations were found between parenting stress, age and adaptive skills of children. Social impairment also predicted parenting stress above and beyond child factors. Theoretical implications are discussed

The contribution of cool and hot executive function to academic achievement, learning-related behaviours, and classroom behaviour

The primary aim of this study was to examine whether individual differences in cool and hot executive functions (EF) were associated with children’s transition to school, in terms of both academic performance and classroom behaviour. Children between 5- and 7-years-of-age (N = 90) completed performance based assessments of cool and hot EF as well as verbal ability. Teachers reported on children’s reading and numeracy performance, learning-related behaviours, hyperactivity, and aggression. Results revealed that EF, in particular working memory, was associated with reading and numeracy performance and that this relation was mediated by learning-related behaviours. EF was not associated with hyperactive or aggressive behaviour. The findings strengthen the evidence base for the importance of EF in early academic performance and underscore its potential to be a beneficial part of early education curriculum and a target for early intervention for successful transition to school

Analgesic effects of alcohol: A systematic review and meta-analysis of controlled experimental studies in healthy participants

Despite the long-standing belief in the analgesic properties of alcohol, experimental studies have produced mixed results. This meta-analysis aimed to clarify whether alcohol produces a decrease in experimentally-induced pain and to determine the magnitude of any such effect. PubMed, PsycINFO and Embase databases were searched from inception until 21/4/2016 for controlled studies examining the effect of quantified dosages of alcohol on pain response to noxious stimulation. Eighteen studies involving 404 participants were identified providing alcohol vs. no-alcohol comparisons for 13 tests of pain threshold (N=212) and 9 tests of pain intensity ratings (N=192). Random effects meta- analysis of standardized mean differences (SMD) provided robust support for analgesic effects of alcohol. A mean blood alcohol content (BAC) of approximately 0.08% (3-4 standard drinks) produced a small elevation of pain threshold (SMD=0.35[0.17, 0.54], p=.002), and a moderate-large reduction in pain intensity ratings, (SMD=0.64[0.37, 0.91], p<.0001), or equivalently, a mean reduction of 1.25 points on a 0-10 point pain rating scale. Furthermore, increasing BAC resulted in increasing analgesia, with each .02% BAC increment producing an increase of SMD=.11 for pain threshold and SMD=.20 for reduced pain intensity. Some evidence of publication bias emerged, but statistical correction methods suggested minimal impact on effect size. Taken together, findings suggest that alcohol is an effective analgesic that delivers clinically- relevant reductions in ratings of pain intensity, which could explain alcohol misuse in those with persistent pain despite its potential consequences for long- term health. Further research is needed to corroborate these findings for clinical pain states

Assessing the factorial structure of the internet addiction test in a sample of Greek adolescents

Although many studies have documented the psychometric properties of the Internet Addiction Test (IAT) in adults, its factorial structure has not adequately been investigated in adolescents. The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Internet Addiction Test, specifically testing its factorial structure in a sample of adolescents. A modified version of the Greek IAT, adapted for adolescents, was administered to 725 Greek secondary-school students. To determine the factorial structure underlying the questionnaire, both traditional and bifactor modelling approaches were applied to derive the optimal measurement structure of the IAT for adolescents. The bifactor model supported the single and three distinct factors, with stronger support for the unidimensionality of the instrument. The present study supports the stability of the three-factor structure of the Greek IAT from adolescence to adulthood, yet a longitudinal study is warranted to confirm this suggestion

Executive function predicts theory of mind but not social verbal communication in school-aged children with autism spectrum disorder

Background: The association between Executive Function (EF) and Theory of Mind (ToM) in Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has been mainly investigated using false belief tasks, whilst less is known about the EF effect on other ToM facets. Furthermore, the role EF plays in social communication in ASD is mainly assessed using parent-report EF ratings rather than direct assessment. Aims: The aim of this study was to shed more light on the effect of performance-based EF measures on ToM and social communication in middle childhood in ASD relative to neurotypical controls. Methods and Procedures: Cross-sectional data were collected from 64 matched, school-aged children with and without ASD (8-12 years old), tested on measures of EF (inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility), ToM mental state/emotion recognition and social verbal communication. Outcomes and Results: Significant group differences were observed only in selective EF skills (inhibition & cognitive flexibility) and social verbal communication. EF working memory contributed to the explained variance of ToM but not social verbal communication in middle childhood. Conclusions and Implications: These findings suggest that EF and ToM are still associated in middle childhood and EF may be a crucial predictor of ToM across childhood in ASD. Implications are discussed regarding the social-cognitive impairment relationship in ASD

The influence of gender and resource holding potential on aggressive and prosocial resource control strategy choice in early childhood

Through the lens of resource control and resource holding potential theory, an investigation was conducted into the effect of resource opponent characteristics on frequency of aggressive and prosocial resource control strategy selection in 4-5-year-old boys and girls. Children (N = 92; 4-5 years old) were asked how they would respond to 12 hypothetical resource holding potential (RHP) vignettes, in which resource control opponents varied in ‘toughness’, ‘physical size’ and whether or not they were accompanied by friends. Girls gave significantly more prosocial responses to the vignettes than boys, and boys provided significantly more coercive responses compared to girls with some differences with age. Prosocial vignette responses were given significantly more frequently when the opponent was ‘not very tough’ as opposed to when they were ‘very tough’. Findings suggest that both boys and girls utilise some form of discrimination when deciding on how to respond to resource competition scenarios and that there are some age and gender differences in their reported response strategies. Findings are discussed in terms of resource control and RHP theory. Future study should investigate whether such differences translate into real-world observed resource control behaviour

Cool and hot executive functions at 5-years-old as predictors of physical and relational aggression between 5- and 6-years-old

To study the role of executive function (EF) in the early development of aggression, the role of cool and hot EF skills at 5 years-old in the development of physical and relational aggression between 5 and 6 years-old was explored. Typically-developing children (N = 80) completed tasks assessing their cool (inhibition, working memory, planning) and hot EF (affective decision making, delay of gratification) skills at 5-years-old. Longitudinal data were collected from teachers that rated children’s aggression when they were 5-, 5.5- and 6-years-old. Inhibitory control at 5-years-old predicted changes in physical and relational aggression between 5- and 6-years old. Early cool EF, but not hot EF, may therefore be associated with aggression and inhibitory control specifically with changes in aggression during early childhood

Hot and cool executive function in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder: Cross-sectional developmental trajectories

The development of executive function (EF) in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) has only been investigated using “cool”-cognitive- EF tasks. Little is known about the development of “hot”-affective- EF and whether it follows a similar developmental pathway. This study employed a cross-sectional developmental trajectories approach to examine the developmental changes in cool (working memory, inhibition, planning) and hot EF (delay discounting, affective decision making) of ASD participants (n=79) and controls (n=91) relative to age and IQ, shedding more light on the hot-cool EF organisation. The developmental trajectories of some aspects of cool EF (working memory, planning) differed significantly as a function of age in ASD participants relative to controls. For both hot EFs no significant age-related changes were found in either group. These findings extend our understanding regarding the maturation of EF from childhood through adolescence in ASD

Bullying and Victimization in Adolescence: Relations with Parental Style and School Climate

Σκοπός της έρευνας ήταν να διερευνηθούν οι αντιλήψεις - εμπειρίες εφήβων μαθητών/τριών ως προς τη σύνδεση των γονεϊκών τύπων συμπεριφοράς και του σχολικού κλίματος με την πιθανή εμπλοκή τους σε περιστατικά εκφοβισμού / θυματοποίησης. Πραγματοποιήθηκε ποσοτική έρευνα με δείγμα 198 μαθητών, της Α΄, Β΄ και Γ΄ τάξης λυκείου. Οι συμμετέχοντες μαθητές/τριες απάντησαν σε τρεις κλίμακες μέτρησης, με τις  οποίες αξιολογήθηκαν τα εξής: α) θυματοποίηση – εκφοβισμός, β) γονεϊκοί τύποι συμπεριφοράς και γ) σχολικό κλίμα. Από τη στατιστική ανάλυση των δεδομένων, όσον αφορά τους γονεϊκούς τύπους συμπεριφοράς, διαπιστώνεται σημαντική συσχέτιση του «τυραννικού γονέα» με την εμπλοκή των μαθητών στο φαινόμενο εκφοβισμού / θυματοποίησης και του «ανεκτικού γονέα» μόνο με την εκδήλωση του σχολικού εκφοβισμού. Όσον αφορά το σχολικό κλίμα παρατηρείται σημαντική σχέση με την εκδήλωση του φαινομένου για τη διάσταση της «εμπλοκής». Τέλος, διαπιστώνεται ότι συνολικά το αρνητικό σχολικό κλίμα αποτελεί ισχυρότερο προβλεπτικό παράγοντα της εμπλοκής των μαθητών/τριών σε περιστατικά εκφοβισμού / θυματοποίησης συγκριτικά με τους γονεϊκούς τύπους συμπεριφοράς. Τα αποτελέσματα σχολιάζονται υπό το πρίσμα των σύγχρονων ερευνητικών ευρημάτων και προτείνονται κατευθυντήριες γραμμές για την αξιοποίησή τους σε προγράμματα παρέμβασης για την αντιμετώπιση και πρόληψη του σχολικού εκφοβισμού.The aim of this study was to explore the associations between self-reported bullying, victimization, perceived parental styles and school climate among adolescents. A sample of 198 Greek high-school pupils completed a modified version of the Revised Olweus Bully / Victim Questionnaire, the Parenting Practices Questionnaire and the Maryland’s Safe and Supportive Schools Climate Survey. With regards to perceived parenting practices, results showed that bullying was positively associated with both authoritarianism and permissive parenting styles, whilst victimization only correlated with authoriatirianism. As far as the school climate was concerned, there was a significant relation between poor school engagement and bullying/victimization. Finally, it was found that overall negative school climate was a stronger predictor of student involvement in bullying/victimization compared to parental practices. The results of this study confirm previous findings and are discussed in terms of their implications for interventions against school bullying.