From Bonds to Brains: Understanding the Impact of Attachment on Executive Functions in Adolescents
Introduction: This study explores the critical relationship between attachment styles and executive functions in adolescents, focusing on how secure, ambivalent, and avoidant attachment styles affect core cognitive functions such as emotional regulation, planning, and cognitive flexibility. Method:...
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Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Psicología Educativa: Revista de los Psicólogos de la Educación |
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https://journals.copmadrid.org/psed/art/psed2025a11
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| author | María Sancho María J. Luque-Rojas Carlos Pitillas |
| author_facet | María Sancho María J. Luque-Rojas Carlos Pitillas |
| author_sort | María Sancho |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: This study explores the critical relationship between attachment styles and executive functions in adolescents, focusing on how secure, ambivalent, and avoidant attachment styles affect core cognitive functions such as emotional regulation, planning, and cognitive flexibility. Method: This study used a cross-sectional design to assess 283 adolescents aged 13-17 from various schools in Spain. Attachment styles were evaluated using the CaMir-R questionnaire, while executive functions were measured through the BRIEF-SR. Statistical analyses, including Mann-Whitney U and Student’s t-tests, were used to compare cognitive performance across secure and insecure attachment groups. Results: The analysis revealed that adolescents with secure attachment demonstrated significantly better overall cognitive performance compared to those with insecure attachment (U = 7569.5, p .01), as well as in most of the subcomponents, which included cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and planning/organization. However, no significant differences were found in inhibitory control between the groups. Insecure-avoidant individuals exhibited greater difficulties overall than insecure-ambivalent individuals in all subcomponents studied. Conclusion: The results reinforce the link established between secure attachment and superior cognitive performance, aligning with previous research on emotional regulation and cognitive development in adolescence. However, the absence of significant differences in inhibitory control suggests that this executive function may be influenced by additional factors beyond attachment, such as environmental or contextual variables. Furthermore, the finding that insecure-avoidant individuals exhibit greater executive function difficulties than insecure-ambivalent individuals highlights the need to further investigate how different insecure attachment patterns impact cognitive processes. These insights have important implications for educational practices, suggesting the need for targeted interventions to support adolescents with insecure attachment, particularly those with avoidant tendencies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-c20a2ae5dbb14dbb9760d1c5a3057799 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1135-755X 2174-0526 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Psicología Educativa: Revista de los Psicólogos de la Educación |
| spelling | doaj-art-c20a2ae5dbb14dbb9760d1c5a30577992025-08-20T03:45:14ZengColegio Oficial de Psicólogos de MadridPsicología Educativa: Revista de los Psicólogos de la Educación1135-755X2174-05262025-06-01312758110.5093/psed2025a1111320559From Bonds to Brains: Understanding the Impact of Attachment on Executive Functions in AdolescentsMaría Sancho0María J. Luque-Rojas1Carlos Pitillas2University of Cadiz, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedical Sciences, Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Cadiz , Spain, Neuropsychopharmacology Research Group, Institute for Research and Innovation in Biomedical Sciences (INiBiCA), University of Cadiz, Spain;University of Málaga, Spain, University of Málaga, Spain;Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Madrid , Spain, Universidad Pontificia de Comillas, Madrid, SpainIntroduction: This study explores the critical relationship between attachment styles and executive functions in adolescents, focusing on how secure, ambivalent, and avoidant attachment styles affect core cognitive functions such as emotional regulation, planning, and cognitive flexibility. Method: This study used a cross-sectional design to assess 283 adolescents aged 13-17 from various schools in Spain. Attachment styles were evaluated using the CaMir-R questionnaire, while executive functions were measured through the BRIEF-SR. Statistical analyses, including Mann-Whitney U and Student’s t-tests, were used to compare cognitive performance across secure and insecure attachment groups. Results: The analysis revealed that adolescents with secure attachment demonstrated significantly better overall cognitive performance compared to those with insecure attachment (U = 7569.5, p .01), as well as in most of the subcomponents, which included cognitive flexibility, emotional regulation, and planning/organization. However, no significant differences were found in inhibitory control between the groups. Insecure-avoidant individuals exhibited greater difficulties overall than insecure-ambivalent individuals in all subcomponents studied. Conclusion: The results reinforce the link established between secure attachment and superior cognitive performance, aligning with previous research on emotional regulation and cognitive development in adolescence. However, the absence of significant differences in inhibitory control suggests that this executive function may be influenced by additional factors beyond attachment, such as environmental or contextual variables. Furthermore, the finding that insecure-avoidant individuals exhibit greater executive function difficulties than insecure-ambivalent individuals highlights the need to further investigate how different insecure attachment patterns impact cognitive processes. These insights have important implications for educational practices, suggesting the need for targeted interventions to support adolescents with insecure attachment, particularly those with avoidant tendencies. https://journals.copmadrid.org/psed/art/psed2025a11 attachment stylesexecutive functionsadolescenceemotional regulationcognitive flexibility |
| spellingShingle | María Sancho María J. Luque-Rojas Carlos Pitillas From Bonds to Brains: Understanding the Impact of Attachment on Executive Functions in Adolescents Psicología Educativa: Revista de los Psicólogos de la Educación attachment styles executive functions adolescence emotional regulation cognitive flexibility |
| title | From Bonds to Brains: Understanding the Impact of Attachment on Executive Functions in Adolescents |
| title_full | From Bonds to Brains: Understanding the Impact of Attachment on Executive Functions in Adolescents |
| title_fullStr | From Bonds to Brains: Understanding the Impact of Attachment on Executive Functions in Adolescents |
| title_full_unstemmed | From Bonds to Brains: Understanding the Impact of Attachment on Executive Functions in Adolescents |
| title_short | From Bonds to Brains: Understanding the Impact of Attachment on Executive Functions in Adolescents |
| title_sort | from bonds to brains understanding the impact of attachment on executive functions in adolescents |
| topic | attachment styles executive functions adolescence emotional regulation cognitive flexibility |
| url |
https://journals.copmadrid.org/psed/art/psed2025a11
|
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