Consciousness Quotient As a Predictor of Executive Functioning

Abstract

The present paper is an empirical account of the relationship between conscious experience and executive functioning. Over the years, there has been a long debate but no common consensus on the functional aspect of consciousness has been arrived at. This may be due to lack of empirical studies in this direction. The present descriptive study on 200 adolescents examines the relationship between two executive functions (self-regulation and cognitive flexibility) and conscious experience, which were explored with the Consciousness Quotient inventory (CQI). The findings reveal a significant positive correlation between the consciousness quotient and the two executive functions. Through regression analysis, it has been shown that consciousness quotient is a predictor of both self-regulation and cognitive flexibility. Future prospects and educational implications in light of the results have been discussed.