A comparative study on the attention shifting function of adolescent criminals

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Objective To explore the part of characteristics of the executive function of adolescent criminals through the research for more-odd shifting of adolescent criminals and vocational school students. Methods Fifty criminals were randomly selected from a penitentiary of Chengdu as study group, and fifty students were enrolled randomly from an vocational school as control group.The experimental group matched the control group on the age, gender and IQ.They were all tested by a general state questionnaire made by the investigate themselves, and Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised in China.Executive function was assessed using more-odd shifting. Results (1)There were some different factors, even though the subjects of the two groups were matched on VIQ(97.77±12.07, 103.07±13.88), PIQ(97.62±11.96, 103.25±11.85), and FISQ(97.58±11.75, 103.75±11.35). The four factors of the study group, which include Comprehension(9.05±3.29, 11.04±3.25), Similarities(9.41±2.34, 12.04±2.35), Digit Span(12.68±2.17, 14.63±1.94) and Picture Completion(8.73±2.41, 10.44±2.59), were lower than the control group, and these differences were statistically significant (P<0.05). (2)In the experiment of more-odd shifting, whether in the single task or in the mixed task(21.12±2.82, 17.80±7.34), the correct number of the size(13.27±2.66, 11.03±5.96), the correct number of the parity(17.06±2.73, 14.00±6.40)in the study group, were higher than those of the control group, and there were significant differences between the two groups(P<0.05). (3)In IQ tests, for the study group, Comprehension in single task was significantly correlated in size reaction time(r=0.58, P<0.01). For The control group, Comprehension was significantly related to single size reaction time, single parity reaction time and mixed parity reaction time (r1=-0.62, r2=-0.63, r3=-0.53, P<0.01), Similarities was significantly related to single size reaction time, single parity reaction time and mixed parity reaction time (r1=-0.62, r2=-0.72, r3=-0.62, P<0.01). Conclusion On the attention shifting and the cognitive flexibility, the vocational school students and the adolescent criminals have no difference in the case of matched IQ, and there is no defect for the attention shifting function of adolescent criminals. Key words: Adolescent criminals; Shifting function; Control study