Executive functioning and dysfunctional personality traits in young adults: a dimensional approach focused on impulsivity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15665/ckfhjs58Keywords:
executive functioning, impulsivity, personality, self-regulation, young adultsAbstract
Executive functioning (EF) comprises a set of higher-order cognitive processes involved in behavioral and emotional self-regulation. Several theoretical models propose that individual differences in these processes are associated with variability in personality traits, particularly those related to impulsivity. However, empirical evidence addressing this relationship in non-clinical young adult populations remains limited.
The present study examined the association between executive functioning and dysfunctional personality traits in a sample of young university students from a dimensional perspective. A cross-sectional correlational design was employed with 100 participants (55 women; mean age = 21.9 years), assessed using the Ineco Frontal Screening (IFS) and the Salamanca Screening Test. Associations were analyzed using Spearman correlations with correction for multiple comparisons, complemented by multiple linear regression models with HC3 robust standard errors and penalized regression techniques (Elastic Net and LASSO).
Results indicated that, after correction for multiple comparisons, only the impulsive trait was significantly associated with lower global executive functioning, showing a small-to-moderate effect size (Rho = −0.32, pFDR = 0.013). Domain-level analyses revealed bivariate associations between impulsivity and indices of inhibitory control and working memory, while subcomponent-level analyses showed robust associations with tasks assessing inhibitory control, verbal and visuospatial working memory, and verbal abstraction. Penalized regression models yielded a consistent pattern of executive predictors, supporting the robustness of the observed associations.
Overall, these findings suggest that impulsivity represents a personality trait particularly sensitive to subclinical variability in executive functioning during young adulthood. From an applied perspective, the results underscore the relevance of executive processes as potential targets for preventive strategies and psychological and neuropsychological interventions aimed at strengthening self-regulatory capacities.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Víctor Manuel Pardo Maza, Aura Manjarrez Navarro, Ruth Caicedo Ruiz, Silvia Stephania Ayala Pineda, David Mendoza Martinez, Mariana Pino Melgarejo
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