Speakers
Abstract
Cognitive reserve has been used to explain the lack of correspondence between brain deterioration and an individual's cognitive, behavioural, and functional performance (Stern, 2013). Over time, the scope of cognitive reserve research has expanded beyond the field of ageing and dementia, finding applications in contexts such as cognitive impairment and the development of problematic behaviours (Conté et al., 2024; Mena et al., 2024). Furthermore, studies have consistently documented a moderate to strong association between antisocial behaviour and cognitive difficulties, particularly in the domains of executive functioning and social cognition. The purpose of this study is to analyse the validity evidence of the Cognitive Reserve Scale (CRS, León et al., 2011, 2016) as a predictive tool for risk and protective factors associated with antisocial behaviour in youth, assessed using the Structured Assessment of Violence Risk in Youth (SAVRY, Borum et al., 2002). The sample consisted of 67 youth people subjected to educational judicial measures in Andalusia. The mean age was 16.6 years, with 73.1% being boys and 26.9% girls and 80.6% of Spanish nationality. Based on the type of judicial measure imposed, 59.7% were in a CIMI (Centro de Internamiento de Menores Infractores, Youth Detention Centre), 20.9% in SIMA (Servicios Integrales de Medio Abierto, Open Environment Services) and 19.4% in a cohabitation group for both boys and girls. Additionally, 29.9% had a prior record in the youth justice system. Regression models between the CRS and SAVRY scores were estimated. The regression model indicates a moderate relationship between the subdimensions of the CRS and the SAVRY RTS. Specifically, hobbies and family relationships are the most important predictors of the model. These results should be interpreted with caution as a result of the small sample size. However, they reinforce the importance of assessing cognitive reserve in adolescents and highlight its potential role as a protective factor against the risk of violence. This offers new perspectives for research on factors related to antisocial behaviour and the development of preventive strategies and interventions in the field of youth justice.
| Oral presentation | Evidence of the validity of the Cognitive Reserve Scale (CRS, Escala de Reserva Cognitiva, ERC). Cognitive reserve as a protective factor against the risk of violence in youth |
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| Author | Mery Estafanía Buestán-Játiva, Elena Ortega-Campos, Leticia De la Fuente Sánchez, Mª Dolores Roldán-Tapia & Juan García-García |
| Affiliation | Dept. of Psychology, CEINSA, University of Almería. This study was conducted within the framework of project ref. P18-RT-1469, funded by the Regional Ministry of Economic Transformation, Industry, Knowledge, and Universities of the Government of Andalusia (Spain) and FEDER funds from the European Union. |
| Keywords | Cognitive reserve, antisocial behaviour, youth |
