Exploring the Relationship between Attention, Working Memory, and Academic Achievement among Puerto Rican Adolescents Exposed to Adverse Events

Exploring the Relationship between Attention, Working Memory, and Academic Achievement among Puerto Rican Adolescents Exposed to Adverse Events

/ Vol 8-Nº 1 ene-jun 2025 /

Rosanna Rodríguez, PhD. 1*, Geraldine M. Méndez-González, MA, MS. 2, Kiara M. Vega-Tirado, MA, MS. 2, Mario E. Bermonti-Pérez, PhD. 2, Giselle Cordero-Arroyo, PhD. 2, Norka Polanco-Frontera, PhD. 2

ABSTRACT

Objective: To examine the relationship between attention (ATT), working memory (WM), and academic achievement (APROV) in Puerto Rican adolescents exposed to adverse events.

Method: Participants were 24 Puerto Rican adolescents (aged 12-17), with an average age of 14 years (M = 14; F = 10) who had been exposed to at least one adverse event. A within-subjects cross-sectional design was used. ATT and WM were measured using the Cognitive Assessment System-2: Spanish (CAS2:ES), and APROV was assessed across reading, mathematics, writing, and fluency using the Woodcock-Muñoz IV (Battery-IV: APROV).

Results: Linear regression analysis revealed that ATT accounted for 51.2% of the variance in APROV, while WM explained 42.9%. Both ATT (b = 0.587, β = 0.716, t(22) = 4.804, SE = 0.139, p < .004, 95% CI [0.334, 0.840]) and WM (b = 0.431, β = 0.655, t(22) = 4.066, SE = 0.106, p < .002, 95% CI [0.211, 0.651]) showed significant relationships with APROV.

Conclusion: The findings suggest that both ATT and WM are important predictors of academic success in this population, with ATT having a slightly stronger association. These results highlight the need to improve cognitive functions, such as ATT and WM, to support academic outcomes for Puerto Rican adolescents exposed to adverse events. Further research with a larger sample size is needed, as well as the development of targeted psychoeducational interventions aimed to enhance ATT and WM skills to help reduce the impact of adverse events on academic achievement.

1 Independent Researcher. This work was supported by School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (SBBS) at
Ponce Health Sciences University (PHSU).
2 School of Behavior and Brain Sciences, Ponce Health Sciences University, Ponce, Puerto Rico.

*Corresponding author:

Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to: Dr. Rosanna Rodriguez, Primary Investigator. Pompano Beach, Florida 33069. E-mail: rosanna.rodriguez.phd@gmail.com

Keywords:

Academic Achievement, Attention, Working Memory, Adverse events, Adolescents, Cognitive Functioning