1
|
Arán Filippetti V, Gutierrez M, Krumm G. Norms, convergent validity, test-retest reliability, and practice effects for verbal fluency overall performance, clustering, and switching in Spanish-speaking children. Clin Neuropsychol 2024; 38:1726-1755. [PMID: 38360587 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2024.2315729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE We conducted two empirical studies (in a cross-sectional and a longitudinal design) with the aim at establishing normative data (including norms for strategy use [i.e., clustering and switching strategies] and performance over time), and examining the convergent validity, the test-retest reliability (3-4 wks interval) and the changes in performance with practice (1 year interval) of the different verbal fluency (VF) quantitative and qualitative scores in Spanish-speaking children and adolescents. METHOD In S1 (n = 620 6- to 15-year-old Spanish-speaking children and adolescents), MANCOVA and Pearson's correlations were employed. In S2 (n = 148 6- to 12-year-old Spanish-speaking children), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC), paired t-tests, and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) were used. RESULTS S1 results showed an age effect on all VF measures (quantitative and qualitative). The number of switches/clusters was more related to total word productivity and to executive functions (EF) than the mean cluster size. In S2, a significant increase in phonological VF performance was observed on number of switches and word productivity scores from baseline (Time 1) to repeat testing at Time 2. Practice effects were observed at Time 3 on all measures except for semantic and phonological mean cluster size. Test-retest reliability coefficients at Time 2 for number of clusters and switches, but not for mean cluster size, fell in the moderate range, ranging from ICCs .61 to ICCs .81. Test-retest reliability coefficients for total word productivity were higher (ICCs above .80) and stronger when testing as a unity with CFA methods (ϕ=.94, p < .001). CONCLUSIONS These data may be relevant for informing the neuropsychological assessment of spontaneous cognitive flexibility in children with typical development (TD) and those with developmental or acquired disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Arán Filippetti
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud y del Comportamiento (CIICSAC) - Universidad Adventista del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Humanidades, Educación y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Adventista del Plata, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Marisel Gutierrez
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud y del Comportamiento (CIICSAC) - Universidad Adventista del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Humanidades, Educación y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Adventista del Plata, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| | - Gabriela Krumm
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Salud y del Comportamiento (CIICSAC) - Universidad Adventista del Plata, Argentina
- Facultad de Humanidades, Educación y Ciencias Sociales, Universidad Adventista del Plata, Entre Ríos, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Werchan DM, Ku S, Berry D, Blair C. Sensitive caregiving and reward responsivity: A novel mechanism linking parenting and executive functions development in early childhood. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13293. [PMID: 35665988 PMCID: PMC9719571 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Revised: 04/04/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Sensitive caregiving is an essential aspect of positive parenting that influences executive functions development, but the mechanisms underlying this association are less clear. Using data from the Family Life Project, a large prospective longitudinal sample of 1292 families residing in rural, predominately low-income communities, the current study examined whether sensitive caregiving impacts executive functions development by shaping behavioral reward processing systems in early postnatal life. Results indicated that higher levels of sensitive caregiving during infancy were associated with heightened reward responsivity at age 4, which in turn predicted superior executive functions ability at age 5. Notably, children's reward responsivity partially mediated the relationship between sensitive caregiving in infancy and executive functions ability at school entry. These findings add to prior work on early experience and children's executive functions and highlight caregiver scaffolding of developing reward processing systems as a potential foundational mechanism for supporting adaptive behavior and self-regulation across the lifespan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denise M Werchan
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Seulki Ku
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| | - Daniel Berry
- Institute of Child Development, The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Clancy Blair
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York City, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Holochwost SJ, Winebrake D, Brown ED, Happeney KR, Wagner NJ, Mills-Koonce WR. An Ecological Systems Perspective on Individual Differences in Children’s Performance on Measures of Executive Function. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2160721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Deaven Winebrake
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston
| | | | - Keith R. Happeney
- Department of Psychology, Lehman College, City University of New York
| | - Nicholas J. Wagner
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Boston University, Boston
| | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hosch A, Oleson JJ, Harris JL, Goeltz MT, Neumann T, LeBeau B, Hazeltine E, Petersen IT. Studying children's growth in self-regulation using changing measures to account for heterotypic continuity: A Bayesian approach to developmental scaling. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13280. [PMID: 35615923 PMCID: PMC9617752 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Self-regulation is thought to show heterotypic continuity-its individual differences endure but its behavioral manifestations change across development. Thus, different measures across time may be necessary to account for heterotypic continuity of self-regulation. This longitudinal study examined children's (N = 108) self-regulation development using 17 measures, including 15 performance-based measures, two questionnaires, and three raters across seven time points. It is the first to use different measures of self-regulation over time to account for heterotypic continuity while using developmental scaling to link the measures onto the same scale for more accurate growth estimates. Assessed facets included inhibitory control, delayed gratification, sustained attention, and executive functions. Some measures differed across ages to retain construct validity and account for heterotypic continuity. A Bayesian longitudinal mixed model for developmental scaling was developed to link the differing measures onto the same scale. This allowed charting children's self-regulation growth across ages 3-7 years and relating it to both predictors and outcomes. Rapid growth occurred from ages 3-6. As a validation of the developmental scaling approach, greater self-regulation was associated with better school readiness (math and reading skills) and fewer externalizing problems. Our multi-wave, multi-facet, multi-method, multi-measure, multi-rater, developmental scaling approach is the most comprehensive to date for assessing the development of self-regulation. This approach demonstrates that developmental scaling may enable studying development of self-regulation across the lifespan.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Hosch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jacob J Oleson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jordan L Harris
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Mary Taylor Goeltz
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Tabea Neumann
- School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | - Brandon LeBeau
- Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Eliot Hazeltine
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Isaac T Petersen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Zhang Q, Li JJ. Explaining the Prospective Association of Positive and Negative Parenting Behaviors and Child ADHD Symptoms: Pathways Through Child Executive Function and Reward Responsivity. J Atten Disord 2022; 26:1774-1787. [PMID: 35676827 PMCID: PMC9960170 DOI: 10.1177/10870547221104079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Objective: Parenting behavior is a well-established correlate of offspring ADHD. However, little is known about how parenting exerts its effects on offspring ADHD symptomatology. We examined whether prospective associations between positive and negative parenting behaviors and child ADHD symptoms are mediated by deficits in child executive function (EF) and reward responsivity (RR). Method: One hundred and thirty-five children with and without ADHD were assessed across two Waves, when children were mean ages 6 and 8 respectively. Children completed tasks on EF, and parents completed questionnaires about their parenting behaviors and their children's RR and ADHD symptoms. Results: Negative parenting behavior at Wave 1 was indirectly associated with offspring ADHD symptoms at Wave 2 via offspring EF. Conclusion: Individual differences in EF, but not RR, during early childhood may constitute a potential pathway by which negative parenting behaviors exerts its effects on subsequent offspring ADHD symptomatology. Treatment implications are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qi Zhang
- University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
6
|
Petersen IT, Bates JE, McQuillan ME, Hoyniak CP, Staples AD, Rudasill KM, Molfese DL, Molfese VJ. Heterotypic continuity of inhibitory control in early childhood: Evidence from four widely used measures. Dev Psychol 2021; 57:1755-1771. [PMID: 34914443 PMCID: PMC8689656 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory control has been widely studied in association with social and academic adjustment. However, prior studies have generally overlooked the potential heterotypic continuity of inhibitory control and how this could affect assessment and understanding of its development. In the present study, we systematically considered heterotypic continuity in four well-established measures of inhibitory control, testing two competing hypotheses: (a) the manifestation of inhibitory control coheres within and across time in consistent, relatively simple ways, consistent with homotypic continuity. Alternatively, (b) with developmental growth, inhibitory control manifests in more complex ways with changes across development, consistent with heterotypic continuity. We also explored differences in inhibitory control as a function of the child's sex, language ability, and the family's socioeconomic status. Children (N = 513) were studied longitudinally at 30, 36, and 42 months of age. Changes in the patterns of associations within and among inhibitory control measures across ages suggest that the measures' meanings change with age, the construct manifests differently across development, and, therefore, that the construct shows heterotypic continuity. We argue that the heterotypic continuity of inhibitory control motivates the use of different combinations of inhibitory control indexes at different points in development in future research to improve validity. Confirmatory factors and growth curves also suggest that individual differences in inhibitory control endure, with convergence among inhibitory control measures by 36 months of age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Collapse
|
7
|
Tan H, Blasco P, Lewis T, Ostmo S, Chiang MF, Campbell JP. Neurodevelopmental outcomes in preterm infants with retinopathy of prematurity. Surv Ophthalmol 2021; 66:877-891. [PMID: 33667496 PMCID: PMC8351023 DOI: 10.1016/j.survophthal.2021.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Over the past decade there has been a paradigm shift in the treatment of retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) with the introduction of antivascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatments. Anti-VEGF agents have the advantages of being easier to administer, requiring less anesthesia, having the potential for improved peripheral vision, and producing less refractive error than laser treatment. On the other hand, it is known that intravitreal administration of anti-VEGF agents lowers VEGF levels in the blood and raises the theoretical concern of intraocular anti-VEGF causing deleterious effects in other organ systems, including the brain. As a result, there has been increased attention recently on neurodevelopmental outcomes in infants treated with anti-VEGF agents. These studies should be put into context with what is known about systemic comorbidities, socioeconomic influences, and the effects of extreme prematurity itself on neurodevelopmental outcomes. We summarize what is known about neurodevelopmental outcomes in extremely preterm infants with ROP, discuss the implications for determining the neurodevelopmental status using neurodevelopmental testing as well as other indicators, and review the existing literature relating to neurodevelopmental outcomes in babies treated for ROP.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Tan
- Casey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Patricia Blasco
- Department of Pediatrics, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Tamorah Lewis
- Children's Mercy Hospital, Divisions of Neonatology and Pediatric Clinical Pharmacology, University of Missouri Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, USA
| | - Susan Ostmo
- Casey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Michael F Chiang
- National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - John Peter Campbell
- Casey Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Willoughby MT, Piper B, King KM, Nduku T, Henny C, Zimmermann S. Testing the Efficacy of the Red-Light Purple-Light Games in Preprimary Classrooms in Kenya. Front Psychol 2021; 12:633049. [PMID: 33776855 PMCID: PMC7990763 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.633049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2020] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
This study adapted and tested the efficacy of the Red-Light Purple-Light (RLPL) games for improving executive function (EF) skills in preprimary classrooms in Nairobi, Kenya. A cluster randomized controlled trial was used to evaluate the efficacy of the adapted RLPL intervention. Specifically, 24 centers (including 48 classrooms) were randomized to the RLPL or a wait-list control condition. Consistent with previous studies, participating classrooms delivered 16 lessons across an 8-week intervention period. A total of 479 children were recruited into the study. After exclusions based on child age and data quality, 451 and 404 children (90% retention) had completed computerized assessments of EF skills at pre- and posttest assessments, respectively. Children in the RLPL centers did not demonstrate any improvements in EF skills relative to their peers in the wait-list control condition (Cohen's ds = -0.14 to 0.03, all ps > 0.20). Exploratory tests of moderators (language of assessment, grade, school type, baseline ability) were also all null. Results are discussed with respect to measurement limitations and contextual factors that may explain the null results of RLPL on EF skills in young children in Kenya.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. Willoughby
- Education and Workforce Development, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Benjamin Piper
- International Education, RTI International, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | - Tabitha Nduku
- International Education, RTI International, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Catherine Henny
- International Education, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| | - Sarah Zimmermann
- Research Computing Division, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Guerra A, Hazin I, Roulin JL, Le Gall D, Roy A. Pieces of evidences of reliability of the Brazilian version of the Child Executive Functions Battery (CEF-B). PSICOLOGIA-REFLEXAO E CRITICA 2021; 34:6. [PMID: 33580412 PMCID: PMC7881062 DOI: 10.1186/s41155-021-00171-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive dysfunctions are central symptoms in different neurological, developmental, and context-related conditions. The assessment of these functions is then essential in neuropsychological pediatric clinical practice. Given the need for reliable and valid evaluation batteries for clinical practice in Brazil, this study aimed to present the pieces of evidences of reliability of the Child Executive Functions Battery (CEF-B). A total of 230 Brazilian children with typical development aged between 7 and 12 years participated in the study. Internal consistency was determined by the split-half method, Cronbach’s α, and Ω. In addition, measurements of test-retest reliability and intraclass coefficient were also performed. Retest indicators were mostly weak and moderate (between .43 and .75). Overvall, coefficients show a satisfactory internal consistency reliability for planning and inhibition measures (between .72 and .92). Considering the measures of WM, results were also satisfactory for both α and Ω indexes. This study revealed that the CEF-B has satisfactory internal consistency reliability coefficients. However, several tests have shown low reliability assessed through the test-retest method. In general, findings reveal interesting pieces of initial evidence of reliability of the Brazilian version. The methodological approach could be improved in future studies by including children with executive disorders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Guerra
- Programa de Pós-Graduação de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte and Laboratoire de psychologie des Pays de la Loire (EA4638), Université d'Angers, 11, boulevard Lavoisier, 49045, Angers, France.
| | - Izabel Hazin
- Departamento de Psicologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Angers, France
| | - Jean-Luc Roulin
- Laboratoire de Psychologie et NeuroCognition (UMR 5105), Université de Savoie Mont Blanc, Chambéry, France
| | - Didier Le Gall
- Laboratoire de psychologie des Pays de la Loire (EA4638), Université d'Angers, Angers, France
| | - Arnaud Roy
- Laboratoire de psychologie des Pays de la Loire (EA4638), Université d'Angers, Angers, France.,Centre Référent des Troubles d'Apprentissage, Centre de Compétence Nantais de Neurofibromatose, Hôpital Femme-Enfant-Adolescent, CHU de Nantes, Nantes, France
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Do Working Memory Deficits Underlie Reading Problems in Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)? JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2020; 47:433-446. [PMID: 29923160 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-018-0447-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
Reading problems are common in children with ADHD and show strong covariation with these children's underdeveloped working memory abilities. In contrast, working memory training does not appear to improve reading performance for children with ADHD or neurotypical children. The current study bridges the gap between these conflicting findings, and combines dual-task methodology with Bayesian modeling to examine the role of working memory for explaining ADHD-related reading problems. Children ages 8-13 (M = 10.50, SD = 1.59) with and without ADHD (N = 78; 29 girls; 63% Caucasian/Non-Hispanic) completed a counterbalanced series of reading tasks that systematically manipulated concurrent working memory demands. Adding working memory demands produced disproportionate decrements in reading comprehension for children with ADHD (d = -0.67) relative to Non-ADHD children (d = -0.18); comprehension was significantly reduced in both groups when working memory demands were increased. These effects were robust to controls for foundational reading skills (decoding, sight word vocabulary) and comorbid reading disability. Concurrent working memory demands did not slow reading speed for either group. The ADHD group showed lower comprehension (d = 1.02) and speed (d = 0.69) even before adding working memory demands beyond those inherently required for reading. Exploratory conditional effects analyses indicated that underdeveloped working memory overlapped with 41% (comprehension) and 85% (speed) of these between-group differences. Reading problems in ADHD appear attributable, at least in part, to their underdeveloped working memory abilities. Combined with prior cross-sectional and longitudinal findings, the current experimental evidence positions working memory as a potential causal mechanism that is necessary but not sufficient for effectively understanding written language.
Collapse
|
11
|
Willoughby MT, Wylie AC, Blair CB. Using Repeated-Measures Data to Make Stronger Tests of the Association between Executive Function Skills and Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Symptomatology in Early Childhood. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 47:1759-1770. [PMID: 31089981 PMCID: PMC6984755 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-019-00559-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Theoretical models of Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have long implicated executive function (EF) skills as contributing to the etiology, maintenance, and changes in ADHD symptomatology over time. Although there is interest making within-person inferences (i.e., deficits in EF skills give rise to ADHD behaviors), most of the evidence has been derived from studies that conflated between- and within-person sources of variance. Here, we use repeated-measures data to test within-person association between EF skills and ADHD behaviors. Participants included 1160 children from the Family Life Project, an ongoing prospective longitudinal study of child development in low-income, nonmetropolitan communities. We tested the magnitude of the association between EF skills and ADHD behaviors when children were 3, 4, and 5 years old. Consistent with meta-analyses, unadjusted bivariate associations between EF and ADHD (which reflect combined between- and within-person variation) were of moderate magnitude (rs = -0.20 to -0.30). However, after controlling for all time-invariant, between-person sources of variation, the within-person associations between EF skills and ADHD behaviors were weak (βs - 0.04 to -0.05, ps = 0.01). These results suggest that EF skills may contribute less prominently to ADHD behaviors in early childhood than is commonly assumed and provoke broader questions about developmental models of ADHD.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael T Willoughby
- RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA.
| | - Amanda C Wylie
- RTI International, 3040 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Nguyen T, Duncan RJ, Bailey DH. Theoretical and Methodological Implications of Associations between Executive Function and Mathematics in Early Childhood. CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2019; 58:276-287. [PMID: 31814657 PMCID: PMC6897363 DOI: 10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Despite agreement about the importance of executive function (EF) for children's early math achievement, its treatment in correlational studies reflects a lack of agreement about the theoretical connection between the two. It remains unclear whether the association between EF and math operates through a latent EF construct or specific EF components. Specifying the correct measurement model has important theoretical implications for the predicted effects of EF interventions on children's math achievement. In the current study, we tested whether associations between EF and math operate via a latent EF factor, or via specific EF components using data from a large, nationally representative sample. We then replicated these same analyses with a meta-analytic database drawn from ten studies that collected measures of children's EF and math achievement. Our results lend support to explanations that a single EF factor accounts for most of the EF component-specific associations with math achievement. We discuss theoretical and methodological implications of these findings for future work.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tutrang Nguyen
- Curry School of Education & Human Development, University of Virginia, PO Box 800784, Charlottesville, VA 22904, 434-243-8665
| | - Robert J. Duncan
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies and Public Health Graduate Program, Purdue University, 247 Hanley Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907, 765-494-3312
| | - Drew H. Bailey
- School of Education, University of California, Irvine, 2072 Education, Irvine, CA 92697, 949-824-4329
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Kuhn LJ, Willoughby MT, Blair CB, McKinnon R. Examining an Executive Function Battery for Use with Preschool Children with Disabilities. J Autism Dev Disord 2017; 47:2586-2594. [PMID: 28577276 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-017-3177-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Performance-based assessments of EF for use with young children who have or are at risk for disabilities are lacking. The current study investigates the use of a computerized battery for children with subclinical behaviors (N = 846) across a variety of developmental disabilities and evaluates practical information about feasibility of task administration. Results reveal that children with disabilities performed similarly to their typically developing peers across a variety of metrics for evaluating the battery, ranging from percent correct scores to administrator quality ratings. Thus, the battery may be considered an easy-to-administer, performance-based assessment tool in which children with disabilities do not perform systemically worse than typically developing peers.
Collapse
|
14
|
Ackerman DJ, Friedman-Krauss AH. Preschoolers' Executive Function: Importance, Contributors, Research Needs and Assessment Options. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/ets2.12148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
|
15
|
Willoughby MT. COMMENTARY ON THE CHANGING NATURE OF EXECUTIVE CONTROL IN PRESCHOOL. Monogr Soc Res Child Dev 2016; 81:151-165. [PMID: 27943319 DOI: 10.1111/mono.12276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
In this commentary, I provide a critical evaluation of Espy and colleagues' proposal to use a bifactor modeling approach to characterize children's performance on executive control tasks. I draw attention to an old idea regarding treating items as causal or effect indicators of their latent constructs. I remind readers that factor analytic approaches, including the bifactor model that is proposed here, assume that executive control tasks are effect indicators of the latent construct of executive control. I suggest that executive control tasks may be better conceptualized as causal indicators. I further suggest that these different modeling approaches will result in markedly different conclusions about the nature of executive control-including predictors and outcomes of executive control that were the focus of this monograph.
Collapse
|
16
|
Camerota M, Willoughby MT, Kuhn LJ, Blair CB. The Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI): Factor structure, measurement invariance, and correlates in US preschoolers. Child Neuropsychol 2016; 24:322-337. [PMID: 27841094 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2016.1247795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
This study tests the factor structure, measurement invariance, and correlates of the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory (CHEXI) with a large and diverse sample of 3- to 5-year-olds (n = 844). Consistent with previous studies, a two-factor model that distinguishes working memory from inhibition provides the best fit to the observed data. This two-factor model has been shown to demonstrate strong measurement invariance for different subgroups of children (boys vs. girls, high vs. low income). Whereas boys tend to have greater working memory and inhibition difficulties (Cohen's d = 0.15 and 0.20, respectively), children from low-income households tend to have more working memory problems than their peers from high-income households (Cohen's d = 0.25). Finally, correlations between CHEXI scores, examiner reports of child behavior, and child performance on a battery of executive function (EF) tasks were investigated. CHEXI scores were found to be more consistently related to examiner reports of child behavior than child performance on EF tasks. Tthe strengths and weaknesses of the CHEXI as a questionnaire measure of EF are discussed, and directions for future research are suggested.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Marie Camerota
- a Department of Psychology and Neuroscience , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , NC , USA
| | - Michael T Willoughby
- b Education and Workforce Development , RTI International , Research Triangle Park , NC , USA
| | - Laura J Kuhn
- c FPG Child Development Institute , University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill , Chapel Hill , NC , USA
| | - Clancy B Blair
- d Department of Applied Psychology , New York University , New York , NY , USA
| |
Collapse
|