The relationship between executive functions, prosocial and risk behaviours among children without parents and parental care

Abstract

Cilj istraživanja bio je provjeriti povezanost rizičnog, tj. prosocijalnog ponašanja i izvršnih funkcija, empatije, anksioznosti i problematičnih osobina ličnosti. U istraživanju je sudjelovalo 30 štićenika SOS Dječjeg sela Ladimirevci te njihove SOS mame. Za mjerenje izvršnih funkcija korišteni su: Kreni/Stani zadatak, Dan/Noć kao-Stroop zadatak za djecu < 9 godina, tj. Boja Stroop zadatak za djecu ≥ 9 godina starosti, „Dot Probe Task“ zadatak, „Balloon Analogue Risk Task“ zadatak i Gladni magarac te su mjerene vještina prepoznavanja emocija i verbalna fluentnost. Skupljane su procjene SOS mama i samoprocjene djece ≥ 9 godina, a od upitnika su korišteni Upitnik empatije – verzija za djecu i verzija za skrbnike, Spenceova skala anksioznosti– verzija za djecu i verzija za skrbnike i Skala anksioznosti za predškolce, Upitnik problematičnih osobina djeteta, Inventar psihopatskih osobina mladih (za djecu ≥ 9 godina), Upitnik sposobnosti i poteškoća – verzija za djecu i verzija za skrbnike te Upitnik socijalnih kompetencija. Dobiveni rezultati potvrdili su negativnu povezanost rizičnog ponašanja i različith izvršnih funkcija i empatije te pozitivnu povezanost prosocijalnog ponašanja i izvršnih funkcija i empatije. Pronađena je pozitivna povezanost anskioznosti i rizičnog ponašanja te negativna povezanost anksioznosti i prosocijalnog ponašanja. Osim toga, dobivena je pozitivna povezanost rizičnog ponašanja i problematičnih osobina ličnosti te negativna povezanost prosocijalnog ponašanja i problematičnih osobina ličnosti. Hipoteza kako će najbolji prediktor rizičnog, tj. prosocijalnog ponašanja biti izvršne funkcije je odbačena jer su se najboljim prediktorom pokazale problematične osobine ličnosti, tj. izostanak istih.The main purpose of this research was to verify the relationship between problematic, ie. prosocial behavior and executive functions, empathy, anxiety and problematic personality traits. Participants were 30 children from SOS Children's Village Ladimirevci and their SOS Mothers respectivly. To measure the executive functions Go/No go Task, Day/Night Stroop Task (children < 9 yo), ie. Color Stroop Task (children ≥ 9 yo), Dot Probe Task, Balloon Analogue Risk Task, and Hungry Donkey were used, and verbal fluency and emotion recognition skill was measured. (Self)assessments were collected form SOS Mothers and children ≥ 9 yo, and the used instruments were: Empaty Questionnaire – children and guardian version, Spence Children Anxiety Scale – children and guardian version, Preschool Anxiety Scale, The Child Problematic Trait Inventory, Youth Psychopatic Traits Inventory (children ≥ 9 yo), The Strenghts and Difficulties Questionnaire – children and guardian version and Social Competence Inventory. The results confirmed a negative relationship between problematic behavior and executive functions and empathy, and a positive relationship between prosocial behavior and executive functions and empathy. A positive relationship between anxiety and problematic behavior and a negative relationship between anxiety and prosocial behavior was found. Apart from that, a positive relationship between problematic behavior and problematic traits and a negative relationship between problematic behavior and prosocial behavior was found. The hypothesis that the best predictor of problematic, ie. prosocial behavior would be executive functions was rejected as the results implied that that best predictor of problematic, ie. prosocial behavior were problematic personality traits, ie. their absence