Flexibilidad Cognitiva y Psicopatía en Adolescentes Infractores de un Centro Juvenil de Rehabilitación en el Norte Peruano

Cognitive Flexibility and Psychopathy in Adolescent Offenders of a Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Northern Peru

Resumen

Introduction: The development of neuroscience has revealed the crucial role of cognitive flexibility in several mental disorders. This finding is relevant in the face of the increase in juvenile delinquency, which raises questions about possible clinical factors that affect their behavior. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine the relationship between cognitive flexibility and the degree of psychopathy in adolescent offenders of the criminal law; the levels of the variables, sociodemographic characteristics and the relationship between their dimensions. Methods: The research was non-experimental of a correlational descriptive type and involved the participation of 100 young male prisoners aged from 14 to 21 years, selected through a census sample. The information was collected with the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory and the Self-Report Psychopathy Scale. Both instruments with a Spanish version and adequate validity and reliability. Results: There was no significant correlation between the variables (p=0.627). However, high levels
of cognitive flexibility (48%) and psychopathy (63%) were observed in the population. Conclusions: High mental flexibility may act as an adaptive mechanism, while the high presence of psychopathic traits suggests that other factors, such as inhibitory control, could play a more decisive role in antisocial behaviors.