Interactive Associations of Youth Executive Function and Negative Emotionality: Prospective Predictions of Adolescent Psychopathology

Abstract

To characterize the developmental origins of youth attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), we examined independent and interactive associations of childhood-negative emotionality (NE) and executive functioning (EF; set shifting, inhibitory control, working memory) as predictors of adolescent externalizing and internalizing problems. Participants were children with and without ADHD (N = 230; ages 5–11 at baseline) followed for 6–7 years. Parent-reported NE predicted later psychopathology, and performance-based set shifting moderated this association. Unexpectedly, set shifting predicted internalizing symptoms. Findings highlight NE and EF as key transdiagnostic risk factors informing developmental models of ADHD and underscoring priorities for prevention and intervention.