The development of hot and cold executive functions during early adolescence and its relations with changes in chronotype: a cross-cultural comparison (Brazil, Iran)

Abstract

Executive functions, a set of cognitive processes involved in self-regulation of behavior, develop during adolescence, a period marked by other physiological changes that also affect cognition, such as sleep patterns. Poor executive functions at this time of life lead to vulnerabilities and impact people's future in terms of quality of life, health, academic performance, antisocial behavior, etc. How culture and socioeconomic status influence this development is understudied and unclear. The theme of this study is centered on the assessment of a range of executive functions necessary for cognitive (cool executive functions) and socioemotional (hot executive functions) problem-solving during early adolescence. We will take into account not only age, but also pubertal development, chronotype and sleep patterns, as well as sociocultural background by studying youngsters from Brazil and Iran, countries that have pronounced socio inequalities. Only behavioral measures that are in the public domain and that do not involve complex equipment will used in order to democratize the reproducibility of findings. The study will be cross-sectional and will include over 300 9-15 year-old participants from both countries from a wide range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Factors susceptible to interventions to improve executive functions in adolescence will be determined, and the results will be disseminated to the scientific community and the general public. (AU)