The Relationship Between Executive Functions, Self-Reflection, and Insight Across Adulthood.

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Title: The Relationship Between Executive Functions, Self-Reflection, and Insight Across Adulthood.
Authors: İlkmen, Yasemin Sohtorik, Soncu Büyükişcan, Ezgi
Source: Experimental Aging Research. May/Jun2025, Vol. 51 Issue 3, p271-284. 14p.
Subjects: Statistical correlation, Introspection, Cross-sectional method, Self-evaluation, Task performance, Executive function, Reflection (Philosophy), Self-control, Age distribution, Aging, Research, Memory, Psychological tests, Self-perception, Cognition
Abstract: Objective: Research suggests that executive functions and metacognitive abilities, including self-reflection and insight, may share underlying mechanisms since both rely on top-down cognitive processes and require self-regulation. However, these relationships have not been thoroughly examined by empirical research. The current study investigated the relationship between insight, self-reflection, and executive functions cross-sectionally across different stages of aging. Methods: Participants were 1284 (655 men and 629 women) cognitively healthy community dwellers with an age range of 18–89 years (M = 47.91, SD = 19.83). The sample was divided into three groups based on age, e.g., the young adults (18–34 years-old), the middle-aged adults (35–59 years-old), and older adults (60 years and older). Participants completed multiple executive function tasks (including trail making, verbal fluency, Stroop, digit span) and a self-report insight and self-reflection measure individually in face-to-face sessions. Results: The results show that education, age, digit span forward, which is a measure of short-term memory and phonemic fluency were significant predictors of self-reported insight. Furthermore, insight, but not self-reflection, had significant positive correlations with short-term memory and phonemic fluency across three age groups. Conclusions: Overall, the results indicate that performance on executive function measures and self-reported self-reflection and insight are relatively independent cognitive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database: Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection
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Abstract:Objective: Research suggests that executive functions and metacognitive abilities, including self-reflection and insight, may share underlying mechanisms since both rely on top-down cognitive processes and require self-regulation. However, these relationships have not been thoroughly examined by empirical research. The current study investigated the relationship between insight, self-reflection, and executive functions cross-sectionally across different stages of aging. Methods: Participants were 1284 (655 men and 629 women) cognitively healthy community dwellers with an age range of 18–89 years (M = 47.91, SD = 19.83). The sample was divided into three groups based on age, e.g., the young adults (18–34 years-old), the middle-aged adults (35–59 years-old), and older adults (60 years and older). Participants completed multiple executive function tasks (including trail making, verbal fluency, Stroop, digit span) and a self-report insight and self-reflection measure individually in face-to-face sessions. Results: The results show that education, age, digit span forward, which is a measure of short-term memory and phonemic fluency were significant predictors of self-reported insight. Furthermore, insight, but not self-reflection, had significant positive correlations with short-term memory and phonemic fluency across three age groups. Conclusions: Overall, the results indicate that performance on executive function measures and self-reported self-reflection and insight are relatively independent cognitive abilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:0361073X
DOI:10.1080/0361073X.2024.2331404