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Development of a Program based on Goal Management Training for Adolescents with Executive Dysfunctions Complaints

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 March 2021

Liana Garcia Nunes Open the ORCID record for Liana Garcia Nunes [Opens in a new window]  and
Alessandra Gotuzo Seabra Open the ORCID record for Alessandra Gotuzo Seabra [Opens in a new window]
Liana Garcia Nunes*
Affiliation:
Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (Brazil)
Alessandra Gotuzo Seabra
Affiliation:
Universidade Presbiteriana Mackenzie (Brazil)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Liana Garcia Nunes. Rua Paranaíba, 1165, Centro. 79603–090Três Lagoas-MS (Brazil). E-mail: eu_tovar@yahoo.com.br
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Abstract

This study aimed to develop a program based on Goal Management Training (GMT) and to investigate its effectiveness on executive functions, through formal instruments and an ecological task. Participants were 25 adolescents with complaints of executive dysfunctions. They underwent neuropsychological assessment of working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, planning, and intellectual ability. Participants also took part in a cooking activity and were evaluated for errors per action, of omission, activity performance time, recipe consultation. After, they were randomly allocated to an active control group (CG), which underwent psychoeducation sessions, and an experimental group (EG), stimulated through GMT in eight sessions. Then participants underwent another assessment and follow-up after 4 weeks. In post-intervention analyses, results showed an improvement in executive functions in EG, in the working memory measurement and time of the ecological activity (g = 1.78 and .93, respectively), IQ (g = −1.01), reasoning (g = −.89), flexibility (g = −1.21), and inhibition (g = −3.11). In follow-up evaluation, large-size effects were observed on flexibility (g = −2.95), inhibition (g = −5.78) and execution time of the ecological activity (g = .98). Significant interactions between assessment Time x Group revealed EG gains in IQ, scores in reasoning and flexibility. EG also had longer execution time in flexibility and inhibition tests. That is, EG had greater scores and probably was less impulsive in these tests. Furthermore, EG decreased the number of verifications and the time in the ecological task, that is, had a more efficient performance. Results suggest the intervention can be as instrument to promote executive function.

Keywords

adolescentscognitive interventionexecutive functions
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 24 , 2021 , e20
Copyright
© Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2021

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Footnotes

Conflicts of Interest: None.

Funding Statement: This work was supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq Parte superior do formulário (AGS, grant number 310588/2017–0); the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES (LGN, grant number 88887154311/2017–00); and the MackPesquisa (AGS, grant number M0001–0000108479).

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