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Liu SH, Chen Y, Bellinger D, de Water E, Horton M, Téllez-Rojo MM, Wright R. Pre-natal and early life lead exposure and childhood inhibitory control: an item response theory approach to improve measurement precision of inhibitory control. Environ Health 2024; 23:71. [PMID: 39232724 PMCID: PMC11375946 DOI: 10.1186/s12940-023-01015-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurodevelopmental performance tasks are often separately analyzed, even when they tap into a similar construct. This may yield mixed findings for associations of an exposure-neurobehavioral outcome. We develop an item response theory (IRT) approach to integrate multiple task variables together to improve measurement precision of the underlying construct. We apply this approach to create an integrative measure of childhood inhibitory control, and study impacts of pre/post-natal lead exposure. METHODS Using data from a prospective cohort based in Mexico (N = 533), we created an inhibitory control scale that integrates accuracy and reaction time information from four inhibitory control tasks (Go/NoGo Letter, Go/NoGo Neutral, Go/NoGo Happy, Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (D-KEFS) Color-Word Interference Test, Condition 3). Using a generalized partial credit item response theory model, we estimated an inhibitory control index for each participant. We then assessed adjusted associations between umbilical cord blood and 4-year lead and childhood inhibitory control. We developed a resampling approach to incorporate error estimates from the inhibitory control variable to confirm the consistency of the lead-inhibitory control associations. We modeled time-varying associations of lead with each inhibitory control measure separately. RESULTS Participants had a median age of 9 years; 51.4% were males. Umbilical cord blood [-0.06 (95% CI: -0.11, -0.01)] and 4-year lead [-0.07 (95% CI: -0.12, -0.02)] were associated with inhibitory control index at 8-10 years. A resampling approach confirmed that 4-year lead was consistently associated with childhood inhibitory control index. Umbilical cord blood and 4-year lead were each associated with 3 out of 8 measures in separate models. CONCLUSION This is the first application of IRT in environmental epidemiology to create a latent variable for inhibitory control that integrates accuracy and reaction time information from multiple, related tasks. This framework can be applied to other correlated neurobehavioral assessments or other phenotype data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelley H Liu
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Yitong Chen
- Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Bellinger
- Department of Neurology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Megan Horton
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Martha M Téllez-Rojo
- Department of Environmental Medicine and Public Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Robert Wright
- Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health, Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico
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Singh L, Rajendra SJ. Greater attention to socioeconomic status in developmental research can improve the external validity, generalizability, and replicability of developmental science. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13521. [PMID: 38661538 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13521] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Psychological researchers have been criticized for making broad presumptions about human behavior based on limited sampling. In part, presumptive generalizability is reflected in the limited representation of sociodemographic variation in research reports. In this analysis, we examine time-trends in reporting of a key sociodemographic construct relevant to many aspects of child development-socioeconomic status (SES)-across six mainstream developmental journals (Infancy, Child Development, Developmental Science, Developmental Psychology, Infant and Child Development, and Infant Behavior & Development) between 2016 and 2022. Findings point to limited reporting of SES across developmental journals and across time. Reporting rates varied significantly by region and by topic of development. In terms of specific indicators of SES, there was consistent use of income and caregiver education as SES indicators. The epistemic costs of the lack of integration of socio-economic factors in developmental research are addressed. Pathways to greater integration of SES are proposed. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: We analyzed reporting and representation of socioeconomic status in published studies on early child development. A large proportion of published studies did not report any socio-economic information. Suggestions for greater attention to socioeconomic status are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leher Singh
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Sarah J Rajendra
- Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
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3
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Milosavljevic B, Cook CJ, Fadera T, Ghillia G, Howard SJ, Makaula H, Mbye E, McCann S, Merkley R, Mshudulu M, Saidykhan M, Touray E, Tshetu N, Elwell C, Moore SE, Scerif G, Draper CE, Lloyd-Fox S. Executive functioning skills and their environmental predictors among pre-school aged children in South Africa and The Gambia. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13407. [PMID: 37128134 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) in early childhood are predictors of later developmental outcomes and school readiness. Much of the research on EFs and their psychosocial correlates has been conducted in high-income, minority world countries, which represent a small and biased portion of children globally. The aim of this study is to examine EFs among children aged 3-5 years in two African countries, South Africa (SA) and The Gambia (GM), and to explore shared and distinct predictors of EFs in these settings. The SA sample (N = 243, 51.9% female) was recruited from low-income communities within the Cape Town Metropolitan area. In GM, participants (N = 171, 49.7% female) were recruited from the rural West Kiang region. EFs, working memory (WM), inhibitory control (IC) and cognitive flexibility (CF), were measured using tablet-based tasks. Associations between EF task performance and indicators of socioeconomic status (household assets, caregiver education) and family enrichment factors (enrichment activities, diversity of caregivers) were assessed. Participants in SA scored higher on all EF tasks, but children in both sites predominantly scored within the expected range for their age. There were no associations between EFs and household or familial variables in SA, except for a trend-level association between caregiver education and CF. Patterns were similar in GM, where there was a trend-level association between WM and enrichment activities but no other relationships. We challenge the postulation that children in low-income settings have poorer EFs, simply due to lower socioeconomic status, but highlight the need to identify predictors of EFs in diverse, global settings. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Assessed Executive Functioning (EF) skills and their psychosocial predictors among pre-school aged children (aged 3-5 years) in two African settings (The Gambia and South Africa). On average, children within each setting performed within the expected range for their age, although children in South Africa had higher scores across tasks. There was little evidence of any association between socioeconomic variables and EFs in either site. Enrichment activities were marginally associated with better working memory in The Gambia, and caregiver education with cognitive flexibility in South Africa, both associations were trend-level significance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bosiljka Milosavljevic
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
| | - Caylee J Cook
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tijan Fadera
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keneba, The Gambia
| | - Giulia Ghillia
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Department of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Steven J Howard
- Early Start and School of Education, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hleliwe Makaula
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ebrima Mbye
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keneba, The Gambia
| | - Samantha McCann
- Department of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Rebecca Merkley
- Department of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Mbulelo Mshudulu
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Mariama Saidykhan
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keneba, The Gambia
| | - Ebou Touray
- Medical Research Council Unit The Gambia at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keneba, The Gambia
| | - Nosibusiso Tshetu
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Clare Elwell
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Sophie E Moore
- Department of Women and Children's Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Gaia Scerif
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Catherine E Draper
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Sarah Lloyd-Fox
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
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Cook CJ, Howard SJ, Makaula H, Merkley R, Mshudulu M, Tshetu N, Scerif G, Draper CE. Risk and Protective Factors for Executive Function in Vulnerable South African Preschool-Age Children. J Cogn 2024; 7:58. [PMID: 39035072 PMCID: PMC11259110 DOI: 10.5334/joc.377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Executive function (EF) theory and research continues to under-represent the contexts in which the majority of the world's children reside, despite their potential to support, refute, or refine our current understandings. The current study sought to contribute to our understanding of EF in low-income settings in South Africa by investigating longitudinal associations of context-specific risk and protective factors for EF development in three- to five-year-old children who had limited access to ECCE services before the age of five. Child-caregiver dyads (N = 171) participated in two rounds of data collection (approximately seven months apart) during which child EF was assessed using the Early Years Toolbox; context-specific risk and protective factors were assessed through a caregiver questionnaire. Hierarchical linear regressions revealed that after controlling for age, attending ECCE services at time 2 (β = 0.30, p < 0.001), and diversity of caregivers at time 1 (β = 0.14, p = 0.041) were the only factors positively associated with EF at time 2. Other factors commonly associated with EF such as caregiver education, and household income were not significant, while resources in the home were significantly associated with EF (β = -0.18, p = 0.007) but in the opposite direction to what was expected. These results add to accumulating evidence that predictors of EF established in Minority World contexts may not be consistent across contexts, emphasising the need to broaden the EF evidence base. For instance, future studies could incorporate qualitative and ethnographic methods to better capture the cultural and contextual nuances relating to EF, to better inform our statistical and theoretical models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caylee J Cook
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Steven J Howard
- Early Start and School of Education, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Hleliwe Makaula
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Rebecca Merkley
- Department of Cognitive Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
| | - Mbulelo Mshudulu
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nosibusiso Tshetu
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Gaia Scerif
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Catherine E Draper
- SAMRC/Wits Developmental Pathways for Health Research Unit, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Hu Q, Zhou Y, Xu C, Xu C, Hu F, English AS, Buschkuehl M, Jaeggi SM, Zhang Q. The Relationship between Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement is Mediated and Moderated by Executive Functions. J Youth Adolesc 2024; 53:1593-1604. [PMID: 38282065 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-024-01941-8] [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: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Executive function is an underlying mechanism linking family socioeconomic status (SES) and academic achievement. Previous studies mainly investigated either the mediating or moderating role of executive function within this relationship, which either overlook the individual differences that are independent of the environment or neglect the influence of the environment on shaping personal factors. To avoid a piecemeal approach to theory, the current study aimed to test the mediating and moderating roles of executive function in a single analytic model. Two hundred and thirty-six Chinese fifth graders (Mage = 10.70 years, SD = 0.49, range = 10.23-11.75 years, and 40.30% girls) were recruited. Their executive function performance was measured using eight different tasks, and their Chinese literacy skills and mathematics achievement were assessed by routine school evaluations. One year after the initial assessment, children's academic achievements were evaluated again. Results demonstrated that parental SES positively predicted children's academic achievement when controlling for prior academic achievement, and children's executive function mediated this relationship. Also, executive function moderated the association between SES and academic achievement in that, the negative predictive effect of low SES on academic achievement was only significant for children with lower levels of executive function, which is not shown in children with higher levels of executive function. By demonstrating the dual roles of executive function in the SES-achievement link, this work provides evidence for supporting the optimal development of children from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds and emphasizes the significance of developing individualized intervention strategies on executive function to mitigate the negative effect of low SES on children's academic achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Hu
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yanlin Zhou
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Canmei Xu
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Cihua Xu
- School of Philosophy, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Qiong Zhang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China.
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6
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Nugroho HW, Salimo H, Hartono H, Hakim MA, Probandari A. Association between poverty, low educational level and smoking with adolescent's working memory: cross lagged analysis from longitudinal data. Front Public Health 2024; 12:1341501. [PMID: 38590808 PMCID: PMC11000857 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2024.1341501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Working memory is a crucial element of cognitive function. Previous cross-sectional studies have identified various determinants of working memory in children and adolescents. Nonetheless, no study has yet demonstrated the causal relationship of social determinants with working memory in adolescents. Objective This study explores the causal link between the level of education, smoking, and other factors with adolescent's working memory. Methods This study analyzed secondary data from waves 4 and 5 of the Indonesia Family Life Survey (IFLS), utilizing cross-lagged analysis in Jamovi version 2.4.8. The variables included working memory score, maternal education, household income, stress, educational level, smoking, urbanicity, and physical activity. These variables were extracted from IFLS waves 4 and 5, and each dependent variable in IFLS wave four was controlled by the same dependent variables in IFLS 5. Then, we used cross-lagged analysis to assess the causality between each dependent variable and a working memory score in IFLS wave 5. Result The findings indicate that level of education had a positive impact on working memory in adolescents aged 15-18 years, with a Beta value of 0.18 (95% CI 0.81-0.2; p < 0.001). Smoking and age were negatively associated with working memory, with Beta values of -0.07 (95% CI -0.65 -0.04; p < 0.029) and - 0.10 (95% CI -0.25 -0.05; p < 0.003), respectively. No evidence was found for a significant correlation between poverty and adolescents's working memory. Conclusion The findings indicate that increased education levels are associated with improved working memory in adolescents aged 15-18. At the same time, smoking has a negative impact on working memory in this age group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hari Wahyu Nugroho
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Harsono Salimo
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Hartono Hartono
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Moh Abdul Hakim
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Ari Probandari
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
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7
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Langensee L, Rumetshofer T, Mårtensson J. Interplay of socioeconomic status, cognition, and school performance in the ABCD sample. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2024; 9:17. [PMID: 38467686 PMCID: PMC10928106 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-024-00233-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/13/2024]
Abstract
Coming from a disadvantaged background can have negative impact on an individual's educational trajectory. Some people however seem unaffected and cope well with the demands and challenges posed by school education, despite growing up in adverse conditions, a phenomenon termed academic resilience. While it is uncertain which underlying factors make some people more likely to circumvent unfavorable odds than others, both socioeconomic status (SES) and cognitive ability have robustly been linked to school performance. The objective of the present work is to investigate if individual cognitive abilities and SES interact in their effect on grades. For this purpose, we analyzed SES, cognitive, and school performance data from 5001 participants from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study. Ordinal logistic regression models suggest similar patterns of associations between three SES measures (parental education, income-to-needs ratio, and neighborhood deprivation) and grades at two timepoints, with no evidence for interaction effects between SES and time. Parental education and income-to-needs ratio were associated with grades at both timepoints, irrespective of whether cognitive abilities were modeled or not. Neighborhood deprivation, in contrast, was only a statistically significant predictor of reported grades when cognitive abilities were not factored in. Cognitive abilities interacted with parental education level, meaning that they could be a safeguard against effects of SES on school performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara Langensee
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University, Scania, Sweden.
| | - Theodor Rumetshofer
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University, Scania, Sweden
| | - Johan Mårtensson
- Department of Clinical Sciences Lund, Division of Logopedics, Phoniatrics and Audiology, Lund University, Scania, Sweden
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8
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McElwee C, Lopez Hernandez DW. The influence of early life socio-environmental factors on executive performance in a healthy adult sample. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. ADULT 2024:1-12. [PMID: 38447195 DOI: 10.1080/23279095.2024.2323630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Attempts have been made (with research efforts encouraged) to deconstruct the "race" concept into language, cultural, and life experience variables that can help explain performance differences found between ethnic groups (Romero et al., 2009). The extant empirical literature reveals that early environmental factors and life experiences (e.g., socioeconomic status) are related to cognitive test performance in adulthood (Byrd et al., 2006). This study examined the explanatory value of early life childhood resources in the relationship between ethnicity and neuropsychological test performance in adulthood. PARTICIPANTS/ METHODS Neurologically and psychologically healthy African American (n = 40), Caucasian (n = 14), and Hispanic (n = 107) college students ranging from 19-38 years of age. On average, participants had completed around 13 years of education, indicating that the majority were in the early stages of their undergraduate studies and mostly consisted of females (72%). Each participant completed a comprehensive neuropsychological battery that included tests of executive function and an extensive background questionnaire. RESULTS A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) revealed that the CA group was significantly older (F (2, 160) = 18.38, p = .045) compared to the AA and H groups, but the groups did not differ in terms of number of years of educations or gender. Also, an ANOVA revealed significant group test performance differences on the Stroop-C [F (2, 160) = 1.53, p = .047], but not on the TMT-B and COWAT. Furthermore, a Tukey post hoc revealed that there were no significant differences in test performance on Stroop-C between the groups. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that group performance differences on executive function tests were medium or non-existent and only partially explained by years of education and early life financial resources. CONCLUSION The results are discussed in light of the existing literature, study strengths and limitations, as well as directions for future research. This research can aid in pinpointing variables crucial for interpreting differences in neuropsychological assessments among diverse populations, holding potential implications for intervention research and policy settings. It is particularly relevant in the context of the continuously evolving social, political, and economic landscapes of societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- C McElwee
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - D W Lopez Hernandez
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Dominguez Hills, CA, USA
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Joseph A, Sylva K, Sammons P, Siraj I. Drivers of the socio-economic disadvantage gap in England: Sequential pathways that include the home learning environment and self-regulation as mediators. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 94:22-40. [PMID: 37527934 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12629] [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: 01/15/2023] [Revised: 07/01/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Socio-economic status (SES) is a powerful predictor of attainment. Research has identified multiple mechanisms that underpin the effect of SES on attainment. For example, self-regulation (processes through which individuals direct and control their attention, emotion and behaviour) has been identified as one mechanism mediating the SES attainment gap. However, previous studies have not directly tested the statistical pathways by which children from lower SES backgrounds develop low self-regulation skills and subsequently poor attainment at the end of primary school. Adding the home learning environment, which is associated with both SES and self-regulation, further fleshes out the longitudinal pathways. AIMS We propose and test a new model where the relationship between SES and school attainment is sequentially mediated by the family home learning environment and the child's self-regulation. SAMPLE This study uses the Effective Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education data set to study 2311 English children. METHODS We measured SES (via socio-economic disadvantage) based on an index of low parental education, occupation and income at age 3+. The home learning environment was measured by the Home Learning Environment Index at age 3+; self-regulation was a teacher report on the Child Social Behaviour Questionnaire at age 4+ and attainment was measured via scores on national assessments of English and Maths at age 11. RESULTS Our measure of disadvantage predicted attainment. The home learning environment predicted children's self-regulation skills. The relationship between disadvantage and attainment was sequentially mediated by the home learning environment and self-regulation. CONCLUSIONS These findings suggest that home learning environment and self-regulation may play a sequential role in perpetuating socio-economic disparities in education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allen Joseph
- Department of Psychology, University of Bath, Bath, UK
| | - Kathy Sylva
- Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Pam Sammons
- Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Iram Siraj
- Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Zhang J, Mei K, Deng Y, Ren Y, Huang S. Household Income and Early Adolescents' Executive Function: The Different Roles of Perceived Discrimination and Shift-and-Persist. J Youth Adolesc 2023; 52:2636-2646. [PMID: 37659969 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-023-01851-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 09/04/2023]
Abstract
Household income predicts early adolescents' cognitive development. However, the mechanism underlying this association and protective factors are unclear. This study assessed one-year longitudinal data to examine whether perceived discrimination mediated the association between household income and executive function and the moderating role of shift-and-persist. 344 early adolescents in rural China were included in the study (mean = 10.88 years, SD = 1.32 years, girls: 51.74%). The latent variable model revealed that household income predicted early adolescents' cognitive flexibility and working memory in the subsequent year through perceived discrimination. Shift-and-persist moderated the negative effects of perceived discrimination on cognitive flexibility: perceived discrimination impeded cognitive flexibility only among early adolescents with low shift-and-persist. The findings highlight perceived discrimination in the relation between household income and early adolescents' executive function and underscore the protective role of shift-and-persist.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiatian Zhang
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Kehan Mei
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yiyi Deng
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Ren
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Silin Huang
- Institute of Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Applied Experimental Psychology, National Demonstration Center for Experimental Psychology Education, Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.
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11
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Schmitt SA, Paes TM, Duncan RJ, Vandell DL. Early cumulative risk and outcomes in adolescence and adulthood: The role of executive function and behavioral regulation. Dev Psychol 2023; 59:1988-2001. [PMID: 37768603 PMCID: PMC10841203 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the extent to which early cumulative risk predicts a range of behavioral and psychological outcomes (i.e., depression, future orientation, risky behavior, educational attainment, and socioeconomic outcomes) measured at ages 15 and 26 and whether executive function (EF) and/or behavioral regulation mediated and/or moderated these associations. Data for this study came from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development and included a sample of 1,364 participants (52% male) born in 1991 and followed through age 26. Results indicated that early cumulative risk was related to depression and risky behavior at age 15 as well as depression, income, future orientation, and educational attainment at age 26. Furthermore, both EF and behavioral regulation mediated relations among cumulative risk and academic achievement at age 15 and between cumulative risk and income and educational attainment at age 26. Finally, three significant interactions emerged for age 15 outcomes, indicating that EF and behavioral regulation may change relations between cumulative risk and depression, reading, and future orientation. Implications for future research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara A Schmitt
- Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, University of Oregon
| | - Tanya M Paes
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University
| | - Robert J Duncan
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Purdue University
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Taylor EK, Abdurokhmonova G, Romeo RR. Socioeconomic Status and Reading Development: Moving from "Deficit" to "Adaptation" in Neurobiological Models of Experience-Dependent Learning. MIND, BRAIN AND EDUCATION : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL MIND, BRAIN, AND EDUCATION SOCIETY 2023; 17:324-333. [PMID: 38148924 PMCID: PMC10750966 DOI: 10.1111/mbe.12351] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is one of the strongest predictors of student reading outcomes, and these disparities have persisted for decades. Relatedly, two underlying skills that are required for successful reading-oral language and executive function (EF)-are also the two neurocognitive domains most affected by SES. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on how SES influences the neurobiology of language, EF, and their intersection, including the proximal factors that drive these relationships. We then consider the burgeoning evidence that SES systematically moderates certain brain-behavior relationships for language and EF, underscoring the importance of considering context in investigations of the neurobiological underpinnings of reading development. Finally, we discuss how disparities in reading may be conceptualized as neurobiological adaptations to adversity rather than deficit models. We conclude by suggesting that by harnessing children's stress-adapted relative strengths to support reading development, we may address opportunity gaps both ethically and efficaciously.
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13
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Zhan S, Guo J. How household chaos affects social withdrawal of rural children: the indirect role of executive function and receptive language ability. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1212426. [PMID: 37469898 PMCID: PMC10352795 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1212426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive function (EF) and receptive language ability play an important role in the relationship between household chaos and social withdrawal. Young children are neglected in household chaos research and suffer from the negative outcomes of households in China. However, few studies have focused on the relationship between household chaos and social withdrawal in young Chinese children and the chain mediating effect of EF and receptive language ability. This study included 922 preschool-age children (62.58 ± 8.03 months) and their primary caregivers and their teachers were recruited from 21 rural preschools in Guangdong Province in China. Our results show a positive direct effect of household chaos and social withdrawal. Furthermore, an indirect sequential effect of household chaos and social withdrawal on EF and receptive language ability was found. Our findings (a) highlight the significance of paying more attention to household chaos and revealing a better understanding of the effect of EF and receptive language ability on households at an early age and (b) indicate that interventions should be provided to improve the home environment when children are young.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuwei Zhan
- School of Education, Central China Normal University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Jinna Guo
- Shantou Teacher Development Center, Shantou, Guangdong Province, China
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14
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Huang R, Baker ER, Schneider JM. Executive function skills account for a bilingual advantage in English novel word learning among low-income preschoolers. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 235:105714. [PMID: 37307648 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 05/19/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The current study compared economically disadvantaged bilingual and monolingual preschoolers' performance on an English novel word learning task and examined whether children's executive function (EF) skills account for differences in novel word learning performance across groups. In total, 39 English monolinguals and 35 Spanish-English bilingual preschoolers from low-income homes completed a battery of EF measures and the Quick Interactive Language Screener to gauge English novel word learning ability. Within a poverty context, bilingual preschoolers performed significantly better on measures of English novel word learning as compared with their monolingual peers. This bilingual advantage in novel word learning ability was mediated by short-term memory, but not inhibition or attention shifting, which indicates that gains in short-term memory may facilitate word learning in English for bilingual preschoolers from economically disadvantaged backgrounds. These findings have important practical implications for interventions designed to promote English vocabulary growth for low-income bilingual children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rong Huang
- Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA; Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA.
| | - Erin Ruth Baker
- Department of Educational and Counseling Psychology, University at Albany, State University of New York, Albany, NY 12222, USA
| | - Julie M Schneider
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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15
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Nugroho HW, Salimo H, Hartono H, Hakim MA, Probandari A. Association between poverty and children's working memory abilities in developing countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Front Nutr 2023; 10:1067626. [PMID: 37252247 PMCID: PMC10213742 DOI: 10.3389/fnut.2023.1067626] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Working memory is critical in cognitive skills, especially among children. Children's ability to count and complete cognitive tasks are strongly associated with working memory abilities. Recent studies indicated that in addition to health factors, socioeconomic status also has a significant impact on children's working memory capacity. Despite these, evidence on the effects of socioeconomic status on working memory from developing countries yielded a somewhat puzzling picture. Methods This systematic review and meta-analysis provide a comprehensive summary of the recent evidence concerning the socioeconomic status determinants of children's working memory in developing countries. We searched via Cochrane library, ScienceDirect, Scopus, PubMed, and ProQuest. The initial search terms were ["socioeconomic", "socio-economic", "socioeconomic status", "socio-economic status", "income", "poverty", "disadvantaged", "disparity"] AND ["working memory", "short term memory", "short-term memory", "cognitive", "achievement", "performance"] AND ["child*", "school child*"]. Odds ratio (for categorical outcome data) or standardized mean differences (for continuous data) and their 95% confidence intervals were calculated from the data generated. Results This meta-analysis included five studies from 4 developing countries with a total of 4,551 subjects. Poverty was associated with a lower working memory score (OR: 3.12; 95% CI: 2.66, 3.65; p < 0.001). Another finding from 2 studies in this meta-analysis was that low mother education was associated with a lower score of working memory (OR: 3.26, 95% CI: 2.86, 3.71; p < 0.001). Discussion Poverty and low level of mothers' education were significant risk factors for lowering working memory among children in developing countries. Systematic review registration https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier: CRD42021270683.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hari Wahyu Nugroho
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Harsono Salimo
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Hartono Hartono
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Moh. Abdul Hakim
- Doctoral Program of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
| | - Ari Probandari
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Sebelas Maret, Surakarta, Indonesia
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16
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Kanevski M, Booth JN, Stewart TM, Rhodes SM. Cognition and maths in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity disorder with and without co-occurring movement difficulties. RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 136:104471. [PMID: 36924616 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Revised: 01/26/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Movement difficulties are common in ADHD, however, the implications of their co-occurrences on cognitive and maths performance is unknown. AIMS This study set out to examine whether cognitive and maths performance of children with high ADHD symptoms differs depending on the co-occurrence of movement difficulties given evidence that weaker visuospatial processing, known to be important for maths performance, differentiates ADHD and DCD. We also aimed to examine whether relationships between cognition and maths in ADHD differs depending on co-occurring movement difficulties. METHODS Participants were 43 drug naïve children between 6 and 12 years old (M = 101.53 months SD = 19.58). The ADHD-only group (n = 18) included children with high ADHD scores, and those in the ADHD+DCD group (n = 25) concurrently had high movement difficulty scores. All completed executive function and memory, including 2 visuo-spatial memory tasks from the CANTAB battery and Mathematics Problem Solving, Numeracy, and Maths Fluency tasks from the WIAT-III and specific factual, conceptual, and procedural maths component tasks. RESULTS Children in the ADHD+DCD group scored significantly lower on visuospatial working memory (WM) capacity, than those in the ADHD-only group. Both groups were comparable on all other cognitive assessments of executive functions, memory, and processing speed. The groups did not differ in their maths attainment scores, nor on more specific maths skills. Comparison of the correlations between cognitive processes and maths revealed that the association between visuospatial WM updating and procedural skill efficiency was stronger for the ADHD-only group. Moreover, associations between visuospatial WM and maths problem solving attainment were stronger in the ADHD+DCD group. CONCLUSIONS Despite similarities in maths performance, children with ADHD+DCD could be distinguished by lower visuospatial WM. Differential associations with some of the maths domain implicate recruitment of different cognitive processes for some aspects of maths. This distinction can be particularly useful for conceptualising cognitive characteristics of different clinical groups and understanding cognitive pathways of maths difficulties. Implications for interventions are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Josephine N Booth
- University of Edinburgh, Moray House School of Education and Sport, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Tracy M Stewart
- University of Edinburgh, Moray House School of Education and Sport, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Sinead M Rhodes
- University of Edinburgh, Clinical Brain Sciences, Edinburgh, UK.
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17
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Socio-economic Status Exceeds Executive Function as a Central Role Player in Academic Achievement of Grade 7 Primary School Boys and Girls: the NW-CHILD Study. TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s43076-022-00252-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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18
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Niebaum JC, Munakata Y. Why doesn't executive function training improve academic achievement? Rethinking individual differences, relevance, and engagement from a contextual framework. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022; 24:241-259. [PMID: 37457760 PMCID: PMC10348702 DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2160723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Performance on lab assessments of executive functions predicts academic achievement and other positive life outcomes. A primary goal of research on executive functions has been to design interventions that improve outcomes like academic achievement by improving executive functions. These interventions typically involve extensive practice on abstract lab-based tasks and lead to improvements on these practiced tasks. However, interventions rarely improve performance on non-practiced tasks and rarely benefit outcomes like academic achievement. Contemporary frameworks of executive function development suggest that executive functions develop and are engaged within personal, social, historical, and cultural contexts. Abstract lab-based tasks do not well-capture the real-world contexts that require executive functions and should not be expected to provide generalized benefits outside of the lab. We propose a perspective for understanding individual differences in performance on executive function assessments that focuses on contextual influences on executive functions. We extend this contextual approach to training executive function engagement, rather than training executive functions directly. First, interventions should incorporate task content that is contextually relevant to the targeted outcome. Second, interventions should encourage engaging executive functions through reinforcement and contextual relevance, which may better translate to real-world outcomes than training executive functions directly. While such individualized executive functions interventions do not address systemic factors that greatly impact outcomes like academic achievement, given the extensive resources devoted to improving executive functions, we hypothesize that interventions designed to encourage children's engagement of executive functions hold more promise for impacting real-world outcomes than interventions designed to improve executive function capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Yuko Munakata
- Center for Mind and Brain, University of California, Davis
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis
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19
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Zelazo PD, Carlson SM. Reconciling the Context-Dependency and Domain-Generality of Executive Function Skills from a Developmental Systems Perspective. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2156515] [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]
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20
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Zonneveld AK, Serpell Z, Parr T, Ellefson MR. Executive function measurement in urban schools: Exploring links between performance-based metrics and teacher ratings. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13319. [PMID: 36106899 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
When compared to research centered on the executive function development of white, middle-class children, relatively little is known about their non-white, low socioeconomic status peers. In an effort to harmonize how executive functions are measured within under-represented contexts, the present study addresses gaps in the evaluation of everyday executive functioning to better understand whether behavior rating scales completed by teachers (BASC2EF - BASC executive function scale, 2nd edition; BASC3EF - BASC executive function scale, 3rd edition) capture distinctions between performance-based measures. This study includes two large samples of older, ethnic minority children from high-poverty backgrounds (Sample 1. N = 243; Mage = 9.28 years, SDage = 0.80; nfemale = 125; nAfricanAmerican = 216, nLatinAmerican = 15, nAsianAmerican = 6; Sample 2. N = 229; Mage = 10.02 years, SDage = 1.01; nfemale = 120; nAfricanAmerican = 132, nLatinAmerican = 92, nWhite = 3, nPacificIslander = 1). Based on structural equation models testing the links between computerized performance-based measures and the teacher rating scales, the results indicate that BASC2EF in its original form might be a good fit for some populations but there is not a strong factor structure for the current high-poverty samples. In addition, post-hoc analyses suggest that only including BASC2EF items also in BASC3EF or using BASC3EF is best practice for high-poverty populations. BASC3EF seems better able to capture different components of performance-driven tasks, whereas BASC2EF captures overall executive functioning better than individual tasks. These findings encourage continued questioning surrounding metrics used to assess everyday executive functions in older children from diverse backgrounds. HIGHLIGHTS: This study explores whether teacher ratings of children's everyday executive functioning (using standardized behavior rating scales) capture distinctions between performance-based measures. Results indicate that BASC2EF teacher rating scale (Karr & Garcia-Barrera, 2017) is not a good representation of everyday executive function behaviors by children from schools in high-poverty communities. The findings suggest that restricting BASC2EF analyses to only items included in BASC3EF (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2015) or using BASC3EF for high-poverty populations. BASC3EF seems better able to capture the different components of performance-driven tasks, whereas BASC2EF captures overall executive functioning better than individual tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zewelanji Serpell
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Teresa Parr
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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21
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Poon K, Ho MS, Chou KL. Executive functions as mediators between socioeconomic status and academic performance in Chinese school-aged children ☆. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11121. [PMID: 36339996 PMCID: PMC9626878 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is well-documented that socioeconomic status (SES) and academic performance in school-aged children are closely related. However, little is known about how the three core executive functions (EFs), inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, mediate the association between the two. Moreover, most previous studies examined SES disparities in Western countries, how such disparities in EF and academic performance manifest in the Chinese context, where a distinctive EF profile and learning experience are observed, remains uncertain. The current study explored: (1) the mediating effects of the three core EFs in the association between SES and academic performance; and (2) the differences in EF and academic performance in three core subjects between Chinese children who are below and above the poverty line. Methods Of the 385 students sampled, 205 are in the low-SES group and 180 are in the middle-high SES group. Results A structural equation model showed that the SES-academic performance relationship was fully mediated by cognitive flexibility and working memory but not inhibition. Working memory was a much stronger mediator than cognitive flexibility, suggesting that working memory may correlate with childhood SES and academic performance in Chinese children. An analysis of covariance suggested that compared to the middle-high SES group, the low-SES group demonstrated poorer working memory and academic performance in all three subjects after controlling for age and IQ. Interestingly, children with low-SES were found to have better cognitive flexibility than children with middle-high SES. Conclusions These findings suggest that interventions targeting working memory may be an important area to improve children's academic performance. This study examined (1) the mediating effects of executive function in the association between socioeconomic status and academic performance; and (2) the differences in executive function and academic performance in three core subjects between Chinese children who are below and above the poverty line. Both socioeconomic status groups exhibited differences in cognitive flexibility, working memory, and academic performance in all three core subjects. The socioeconomic status-achievement relationship was mediated by cognitive flexibility and working memory but not inhibition. Working memory was a stronger mediator than cognitive flexibility in explaining academic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kean Poon
- School of Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia,Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong,Corresponding author.
| | - Mimi S.H. Ho
- Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Kee-Lee Chou
- Department of Asian and Policy Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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22
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Home learning environment and physical development impact children’s executive function development and literacy in rural Côte d’Ivoire. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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23
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Ernst JR, Grenell A, Carlson SM. Associations between executive function and early math and literacy skills in preschool children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH OPEN 2022; 3:100201. [PMID: 36578863 PMCID: PMC9794199 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedro.2022.100201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The current study directly compared the magnitude of associations between executive function (EF) and math versus literacy and investigated whether they differed by age within the preschool years. Participants were 92 typically developing, preschool children in the United States (M age=58.53 months; 47.8% Female; 58.7% White; 29.3% Non-White). Children completed a developmentally sensitive battery of direct EF assessments, math and literacy achievement tests, and IQ tests. Results showed an EF Composite was associated with math, but not literacy, after controlling for age, verbal and nonverbal IQ, and socioeconomic status. Extending prior work to a younger age, we examined whether the association between EF and academic achievement was moderated by age but found no significant interactions. These findings support the link between EF and math before kindergarten and indicate a similar magnitude of associations in younger and older preschoolers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine R. Ernst
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 51 E River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Amanda Grenell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Stephanie M. Carlson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 51 E River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
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24
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Bachman HJ, Miller P, Elliott L, Duong S, Libertus M, Votruba-Drzal E. Associations among socioeconomic status and preschool-aged children's, number skills, and spatial skills: The role of executive function. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 221:105453. [PMID: 35605526 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Extensive literature has documented socioeconomic status (SES) disparities in young children's standardized math achievement, which primarily reflect differences in basic number and arithmetic skills. In addition, growing evidence indicates that direct assessments of executive function (EF) both predict standardized math achievement and mediate SES differences in standardized math tests. However, early spatial skills and children's approximate number system (ANS) acuity, critical components of later math competence, have been largely absent in this past research. The current study examined SES associations with multiple direct assessments of early ANS, cardinality, and spatial skills, as well as standardized math achievement, in a socioeconomically diverse sample of 4-year-old children (N = 149). Structural equation modeling revealed SES effect sizes of .21 for geometric sensitivity skills, .23 for ANS acuity, .39 for cardinality skills, and .28 for standardized math achievement. Furthermore, relations between SES and children's spatial skills, ANS acuity, cardinality, and standardized math skills were mediated by a composite measure of children's EF skills. Implications of pervasive SES disparities across multiple domains of early math development, as well as the mitigating role of EF, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather J Bachman
- Department of Health and Human Development, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA.
| | - Portia Miller
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Leanne Elliott
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Shirley Duong
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Melissa Libertus
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Elizabeth Votruba-Drzal
- Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA; Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
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25
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Romeo RR, Flournoy JC, McLaughlin KA, Lengua LJ. Language development as a mechanism linking socioeconomic status to executive functioning development in preschool. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13227. [PMID: 34981872 PMCID: PMC9250946 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Childhood socioeconomic status (SES) is related to disparities in the development of both language and executive functioning (EF) skills. Emerging evidence suggests that language development may precede and provide necessary scaffolding for EF development in early childhood. The present preregistered study investigates how these skills co-develop longitudinally in early childhood and whether language development explains the relationship between SES and EF development. A socioeconomically diverse sample of 305 children completed repeated assessments of language (sentence comprehension) and EF (cognitive flexibility, behavioral inhibition, and cognitive inhibition) at four waves spaced 9 months apart from ages 3 to 5 years. Bivariate latent curve models with structured residuals were estimated to disaggregate between-person and within-person components of stability and change. Results revealed bidirectional relationships between language and EF across all waves. However, at 3 years, language comprehension more strongly predicted EF than the reverse; yet by 5 years, the bidirectional effects across domains did not significantly differ. Children from higher-SES backgrounds exhibited higher initial language and EF skills than children from lower-SES families, though SES was not associated with either rate of growth. Finally, early language-mediated the association between SES and early EF skills, and this model outperformed a reverse direction mediation. Together, results suggest that EF development is driven by early language development, and that SES disparities in EF are explained, at least in part, by early differences in language comprehension. These findings have implications for early interventions to support children's language skills as a potential pathway to improving early EF development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel R Romeo
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - John C Flournoy
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Katie A McLaughlin
- Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Liliana J Lengua
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA
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26
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Starr A, Leib ER, Younger JW, Uncapher MR, Bunge SA. Relational thinking: An overlooked component of executive functioning. Dev Sci 2022; 26:e13320. [PMID: 36030539 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Relational thinking, the ability to represent abstract, generalizable relations, is a core component of reasoning and human cognition. Relational thinking contributes to fluid reasoning and academic achievement, particularly in the domain of math. However, due to the complex nature of many fluid reasoning tasks, it has been difficult to determine the degree to which relational thinking has a separable role from the cognitive processes collectively known as executive functions (EFs). Here, we used a simplified reasoning task to better understand how relational thinking contributes to math achievement in a large, diverse sample of elementary and middle school students (N = 942). Students also performed a set of ten adaptive EF assessments, as well as tests of math fluency and fraction magnitude comparison. We found that relational thinking was significantly correlated with each of the three EF composite scores previously derived from this dataset, albeit no more strongly than they were with each other. Further, relational thinking predicted unique variance in students' math fluency and fraction magnitude comparison scores over and above the three EF composites. Thus, we propose that relational thinking be considered an EF in its own right as one of the core, mid-level cognitive abilities that supports cognition and goal-directed behavior. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Relational thinking, the process of identifying and integrating relations, develops over childhood and is central to reasoning. We collected data from nearly 1000 elementary and middle schoolers on a test of relational thinking, ten standard executive function tasks, and two math tests. Relational thinking predicts unique variance in math achievement not accounted for by canonical EFs throughout middle childhood. We propose that relational thinking should be conceptualized as a core executive function that supports cognitive development and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Starr
- Department of Psychology University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Elena R. Leib
- Department of Psychology University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Jessica W. Younger
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco San Francisco CA USA
| | - Melina R. Uncapher
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco San Francisco CA USA
| | - Silvia A. Bunge
- Department of Psychology University of California Berkeley CA USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute University of California Berkeley CA USA
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27
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Fenesy MC, Lee SS. Childhood ADHD and Executive Functioning: Unique Predictions of Early Adolescent Depression. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2022; 50:753-770. [PMID: 34862961 PMCID: PMC9130164 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-021-00845-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Given the increasing prevalence of adolescent depression, identification of its early predictors and elucidation of the mechanisms underlying its individual differences is imperative. Controlling for baseline executive functioning (EF), we tested separate ADHD dimensions (i.e., inattention, hyperactivity-impulsivity) as independent predictors of early adolescent depression, including temporally-ordered causal mediation by academic functioning and social problems, using structural equation modeling. At baseline, participants consisted of 216 children (67% male) ages 6-9 years old with (n = 112) and without (n = 104) ADHD who subsequently completed Wave 2 and 3 follow-ups approximately two and four years later, respectively. Predictors consisted of separate parent and teacher ratings of childhood ADHD and laboratory-based assessments of key EF domains. At Wave 2, parents and teachers completed normed rating scales of youth academic and social functioning; youth completed standardized assessments of academic achievement. At Wave 3, youth self-reported depression. Baseline inattention positively predicted early adolescent depression whereas childhood hyperactivity-impulsivity and EF did not. Neither academic nor social functioning significantly mediated predictions of depression from baseline ADHD and EF. We consider prediction of early adolescent depression from inattention, including directions for future intervention and prevention research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle C Fenesy
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 622 W. 168th St., New York, NY, 10032, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Box 951563, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1563, USA
| | - Steve S Lee
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Box 951563, 1285 Franz Hall, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1563, USA.
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Li J, Li Z, Lei X, Yang J, Yu X, Liu H. Longitudinal Association Between Child Psychological Abuse and Neglect and Academic Achievement in Chinese Primary School Children: A Moderated Mediation Model. Front Psychol 2022; 13:870371. [PMID: 35548529 PMCID: PMC9081801 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.870371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
To investigate the relationships among child psychological abuse and neglect (CPAN), children’s learning engagement, family socioeconomic status (family SES), and children’s academic achievement, 271 children (Mage = 9.41 ± 0.81 years old) and their parents participated in this study with a longitudinal design. Results revealed that learning engagement at T1 mediated the relationship between CPAN at T1 and academic achievement at T2 when gender, age, grade, and academic achievement at T1 were under control. Family SES at T1 moderated the relationship between children’s learning engagement at T1 and academic achievement at T2. The association between learning engagement and academic achievement was stronger among children from lower family SES. Our findings highlighted the negative impact of CPAN and the critical role of learning engagement in children’s academic achievement, especially for those from low SES families.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiajing Li
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Ziying Li
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiuya Lei
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingyuan Yang
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiao Yu
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Haoning Liu
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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van Tetering MAJ, Jolles J, van der Elst W, Jolles DD. School Achievement in Early Adolescence Is Associated With Students' Self-Perceived Executive Functions. Front Psychol 2022; 12:734576. [PMID: 35370867 PMCID: PMC8964458 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.734576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The primary aim of this study was to investigate the relation between self-perceived executive functions (EFs) and the school achievement of young adolescents (aged 10-12 years), while controlling for parental education and sex. We specifically focused on executive aspects of daily life behavior and the higher-order EFs, as measured with self-report, rather than on the more basic EFs which have been the primary focus of prior investigations. In two independent samples of sixth graders (N > 200 each), students evaluated their EFs on a self-report questionnaire, the Amsterdam Executive Functioning Inventory. School achievement in the domains of mathematics and reading comprehension were evaluated with nationally used, norm-based achievement tests. Results revealed that the self-perceived EFs of young adolescents were significantly correlated with their school achievement in both study samples. School achievement was also correlated with the level of parental education, but the factor sex did not have such influence. In study 1, self-perceived EFs explained additional variance in school achievement, while controlling for parental education and sex. In study 2, this was only the case for the most robust measure of school achievement, i.e., the end-of-primary-school final achievement test. Furthermore, besides the relation with achievement tests, we also found a relation between self-perceived EFs and teacher ratings behavioral problems in the classroom. Together, our findings imply that young students can properly reflect on the effectiveness and appropriateness of their EFs in a way that is relevant to their academic achievement and classroom behavior. The findings underscore the importance of considering the development of EFs and parental education in the evaluation of academic achievements in early adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- M. A. J. van Tetering
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Educational Sciences, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
- Denkkracht, Centre for Neuropsychological Expertise, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - J. Jolles
- Faculty of Behavioral and Movement Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands
| | - W. van der Elst
- Statistics and Decision Sciences, Johnson & Johnson, Beerse, Belgium
| | - D. D. Jolles
- Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Educational Sciences, Institute of Education and Child Studies, Leiden University, Leiden, Netherlands
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30
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Yeung SSS, King RB, Nalipay MJN, Cai Y. Exploring the interplay between socioeconomic status and reading achievement: An expectancy-value perspective. BRITISH JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 92:1196-1214. [PMID: 35243608 DOI: 10.1111/bjep.12495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Socioeconomic status (SES) and motivation are both important predictors of student achievement. However, most studies have investigated these factors separately, and very few have looked into the interplay between SES and motivation as determinants of student reading achievement. AIMS We intend to bridge this gap by examining a model of SES predicting reading achievement through motivation (i.e., expectancy and value) at both student and school levels. SAMPLE We used the data from the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2018 of 26,281 students from four regions in Greater China (Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taipei). METHODS We used multi-group multilevel path analysis to test whether SES would predict reading achievement mediated by expectancy and value in student and school levels across four regions, with gender as a covariate. RESULTS Results showed that at the student level, SES significantly predicted reading achievement indirectly through both expectancy and value across four regions. At the school level, the relationship between school SES and school reading achievement was mostly direct. CONCLUSION The study was able to demonstrate the motivational gap as a pathway in which economic inequality can contribute to students' reading achievement gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susanna S S Yeung
- Department of Psychology, The Education University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Ronnel B King
- Centre for the Enhancement of Teaching and Learning, Faculty of Education, The University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Ma Jenina N Nalipay
- Department of Curriculum and Instruction, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, China
| | - Yuyang Cai
- School of Languages & Centre for Language Education and Assessment Research, Shanghai University of International Business and Economics, China
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The influence of socioeconomic status, working memory and academic self-concept on academic achievement. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOLOGY OF EDUCATION 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10212-022-00599-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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32
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Lonigan CJ, Hand ED, Spiegel JA, Morris BM, Jungersen CM, Alfonso SV, Phillips BM. Does preschool children's self-regulation moderate the impacts of instructional activities? Evidence from a randomized intervention study. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 216:105321. [PMID: 35030386 PMCID: PMC8905356 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2021.105321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
There is strong evidence linking children's self-regulation with their academic and behavioral outcomes. These relations have led to the development of interventions aimed at improving academic outcomes by promoting self-regulation, based in part on the idea that self-regulation promotes the development of academic skills. Although a considerable number of studies have examined the degree to which interventions designed to improve aspects of self-regulation have a positive impact on academic outcomes, only a few studies have examined the degree to which children's self-regulation moderates the effects of academic interventions. The goal of this study was to examine whether self-regulation, indexed by a direct assessment of executive function and teacher-rated attention, moderated the uptake of early literacy interventions for 184 children (average age = 58 months, SD = 3.38; 66% Black/African American, 28% White; 59% male) at risk for reading difficulties who participated in a randomized controlled trial examining the efficacy of Tier 2 interventions in preschool. Multilevel models were used to examine the degree to which children's self-regulation moderated the impacts of the interventions. The results of this study provided little evidence that self-regulation moderated the impacts of the interventions and call into question the likelihood of a causal relation between self-regulation and academic achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J Lonigan
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA; Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
| | - Eric D Hand
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Jamie A Spiegel
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Brittany M Morris
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Colleen M Jungersen
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Sarah V Alfonso
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA
| | - Beth M Phillips
- Florida Center for Reading Research, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA; Department of Educational Psychology and Learning Systems, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32306-4301, USA
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Muñez D, Bull R, Lee K. Maternal education and Siblings: Agents of cognitive development in kindergarten. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13218. [PMID: 34964196 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 11/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
In this study (n = 1000, Mage at K1entry = 53.4 months, SD = 3.4; 53% females), we investigated the contributions of the family socioeconomic status (SES; maternal education and an income-related measure) and number and age of siblings to the development of children's math, reading, and working memory (WM) updating skills over the kindergarten years. Results from a multivariate multilevel growth curve model showed that children from more disadvantaged SES backgrounds already had a multifaceted developmental lag at kindergarten entry. Maternal education was the aspect of SES that more clearly affected the child's cognitive development; the mother's education predicted children's math, reading, and WM-Updating skills at kindergarten entry as well as the rate of development of reading skills over the kindergarten years. Independently of SES status, children with more siblings also showed poorer reading and math skills than those in one-child families at kindergarten entry. We also found that both older and younger siblings affected, negatively, children's reading skills before they attended kindergarten-which suggests that the development of reading skills is more responsive to environmental factors during the first years than other aspects of the child development. The findings underscore the independent role of siblings upon entry to kindergarten, and the enduring role of maternal education even after children are exposed to formal schooling. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Muñez
- Centre for Research in Child Development, National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
| | - Rebecca Bull
- Department of Educational Studies, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Kerry Lee
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The University of Education Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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34
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Mooney KE, Prady SL, Barker MM, Pickett KE, Waterman AH. The association between socioeconomic disadvantage and children's working memory abilities: A systematic review and meta-analysis. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260788. [PMID: 34855871 PMCID: PMC8639069 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE Working memory is an essential cognitive skill for storing and processing limited amounts of information over short time periods. Researchers disagree about the extent to which socioeconomic position affects children's working memory, yet no study has systematically synthesised the literature regarding this topic. The current review therefore aimed to investigate the relationship between socioeconomic position and working memory in children, regarding both the magnitude and the variability of the association. METHODS The review protocol was registered on PROSPERO and the PRISMA checklist was followed. Embase, Psycinfo and MEDLINE were comprehensively searched via Ovid from database inception until 3rd June 2021. Studies were screened by two reviewers at all stages. Studies were eligible if they included typically developing children aged 0-18 years old, with a quantitative association reported between any indicator of socioeconomic position and children's working memory task performance. Studies were synthesised using two data-synthesis methods: random effects meta-analyses and a Harvest plot. KEY FINDINGS The systematic review included 64 eligible studies with 37,737 individual children (aged 2 months to 18 years). Meta-analyses of 36 of these studies indicated that socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with significantly lower scores working memory measures; a finding that held across different working memory tasks, including those that predominantly tap into storage (d = 0.45; 95% CI 0.27 to 0.62) as well as those that require processing of information (d = 0.52; 0.31 to 0.72). A Harvest plot of 28 studies ineligible for meta-analyses further confirmed these findings. Finally, meta-regression analyses revealed that the association between socioeconomic position and working memory was not moderated by task modality, risk of bias, socioeconomic indicator, mean age in years, or the type of effect size. CONCLUSION This is the first systematic review to investigate the association between socioeconomic position and working memory in children. Socioeconomic disadvantage was associated with lower working memory ability in children, and that this association was similar across different working memory tasks. Given the strong association between working memory, learning, and academic attainment, there is a clear need to share these findings with practitioners working with children, and investigate ways to support children with difficulties in working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kate E. Mooney
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, England
| | | | - Mary M. Barker
- Diabetes Research Centre, University of Leicester, Leicester, England
| | - Kate E. Pickett
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, England
| | - Amanda H. Waterman
- School of Psychology, University of Leeds, Leeds, England
- Centre for Applied Education Research, Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research, Bradford, England
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35
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Yuan W, Guo H, Fung CV, Chen F, Liu L, Xu L, Li Y. Family Socioeconomic Status and Chinese Adolescents' Academic Achievement in the Arts: The Mediating Role of Family Arts Resources and the Moderating Role of Family Arts Atmosphere. Front Psychol 2021; 12:751135. [PMID: 34744928 PMCID: PMC8565372 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.751135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we examined the association between family socioeconomic status (SES) and adolescents' academic achievement in the arts and the mediating and moderating roles of family process factors, verified family investment model. Chinese adolescents (N = 8,723) in Grade 8 reported characteristics of family SES, family arts resources, and family arts atmosphere, and then completed a standardized test assessing academic achievement in music and visual art. The results showed that family SES significantly predicted adolescents' level of academic achievement in the arts after controlling for adolescents' gender and school location. The effect of family SES on adolescents' academic achievement in the arts was partly mediated by family arts resources, constituting 20.51% of the total predicted effect. In addition, family arts atmosphere moderated the association between family SES and adolescents' achievement in the arts. Specifically, family SES had a stronger relationship with academic achievement in the arts for adolescent with higher family arts atmosphere than for adolescent with poor family arts atmosphere. Findings in this study expands the field of influence of the family environments and enhance an understanding of the influence mechanisms of family environments on arts learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Yuan
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Hui Guo
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - C Victor Fung
- School of Music, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
| | - Fumei Chen
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Lisha Liu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,Center for Teacher Education Research, Faculty of Education, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Liangyuan Xu
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanfang Li
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment for Basic Education Quality, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
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Bava L, Freyer DR, Radbill LM, Johns AL. Association of language proficiency, sociodemographics, and neurocognitive functioning in dual-language Latino survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2021; 68:e29118. [PMID: 34019328 DOI: 10.1002/pbc.29118] [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] [Received: 11/09/2020] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma (ALL/LL) are at risk for cognitive dysfunction, but little is known about its relationship with language proficiency and sociodemographics. PROCEDURE In this cross-sectional cohort study of Latino survivors of childhood ALL/LL, English and Spanish language proficiency and cognitive and academic functioning were measured and their associations determined using paired t-tests, Pearson correlations, and linear regressions. RESULTS Participants (N = 57; 50.9% female) had mean ages (years ± SD) of 4.3 ± 2.6 at diagnosis and 10.6 ± 2.9 at testing (range 6-16); mean time post treatment was 3.7 ± 2.6 years. The majority (73.7%) had low socioeconomic status (SES). Most (78.8%) were dual-language learners in English and Spanish. English proficiency was graded as limited-to-fluent and was significantly higher than Spanish (p < .001). Higher SES was correlated with higher English proficiency (r = 0.31, p = .020). Males had higher Spanish proficiency (r = -0.32, p = .034). Controlling for SES and sex, English proficiency accounted for 43% of cognitive functioning variance (F = 14.86, p < .001), 55% of reading comprehension variance (F = 22.14, p < .001), and 21% of mathematics variance (F = 5.76, p = .002). CONCLUSIONS Low language proficiency correlated with SES but was independently associated with lower cognitive and academic functioning. Research and surveillance for neurocognitive late effects in Latino ALL/LL survivors should incorporate measures of language proficiency and SES to account for their effects on cognitive and academic functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Bava
- Survivorship and Supportive Care Program, Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - David R Freyer
- Survivorship and Supportive Care Program, Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Linda M Radbill
- Survivorship and Supportive Care Program, Cancer and Blood Disease Institute, Children's Hospital Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Alexis L Johns
- Department of Pediatrics, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California, USA
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Vazquez-Lopez V, Huerta-Manzanilla EL. Factors Related with Underperformance in Reading Proficiency, the Case of the Programme for International Student Assessment 2018. Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ 2021; 11:813-828. [PMID: 34563072 PMCID: PMC8544226 DOI: 10.3390/ejihpe11030059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2021] [Revised: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 07/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Almost 217 million secondary school students (60% of the world's adolescents) do not reach minimum levels in reading proficiency at the end of secondary school, according to objective 4.1 of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals. Therefore, the early and efficient identification of this disadvantage and implementation of remedial strategies is critical for economies. In 2018, the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) assessed the reading skills of 15-year-old students in 80 countries and economies. This work introduces a methodology that uses PISA's data to build logistic regression models to identify the main factors contributing to students' underperforming reading skills. Results showed that socioeconomic status (SES), metacognition strategies, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) skills, and student-teacher relationships are the most important contributors to low reading abilities.
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38
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Distefano R, Fiat AE, Merrick JS, Slotkin J, Zelazo PD, Carlson SM, Masten AS. NIH Toolbox executive function measures with developmental extensions: Reliability and validity with preschoolers in emergency housing. Child Neuropsychol 2021; 27:709-717. [PMID: 33685361 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2021.1888905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Research has shown that executive function (EF) skills are associated with resilience in preschoolers experiencing risk and adversity, but these studies have typically relied on large batteries of tasks to measure children's EF skills. There is a need for brief, reliable EF assessments that can be used in the field with diverse young children. The current study assessed the validity and test-retest reliability of two tablet-based EF tasks from the NIH Toolbox: The Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) and the Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test, each with a developmental extension (Dext) that is triggered when a child struggles with the standardized versions. Dext versions include easier levels intended to improve task accessibility for younger and disadvantaged children. Eighty-six preschoolers residing in emergency housing participated in two study sessions about one week apart, completing tablet-based DCCS-Dext and Flanker-Dext tasks, along with a table-top EF task (Peg-Tapping) and measures of vocabulary and numeracy. The majority of participants triggered the Dext portion of the DCCS and almost half triggered the Dext portion of the Flanker, underscoring the need for extensions of the Toolbox EF tasks to lower the floor of these measures. The Dext EF measures were positively associated with Peg-Tapping, after controlling for age and vocabulary, indicating construct validity. They were also correlated with math achievement, suggesting criterion validity. DCCS-Dext and Flanker-Dext showed moderate test-retest reliability after one week. Together, these findings demonstrate the value of developmental extensions for assessing EF skills among children experiencing risk and adversity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Aria E Fiat
- Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | | | - Jerry Slotkin
- Center for Health Assessment Research and Translation, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| | - Philip David Zelazo
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, USA
| | - Stephanie M Carlson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, USA
| | - Ann S Masten
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, MN, USA
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Grenell A, Carlson SM. Individual differences in executive function and learning: The role of knowledge type and conflict with prior knowledge. J Exp Child Psychol 2021; 206:105079. [PMID: 33610883 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2020.105079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Revised: 12/11/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Executive function (EF) predicts children's academic achievement; however, less is known about the relation between EF and the actual learning process. The current study examined how aspects of the material to be learned-the type of information and the amount of conflict between the content to be learned and children's prior knowledge-influence the relation between individual differences in EF and learning. Typically developing 4-year-olds (N = 61) completed a battery of EF tasks and several animal learning tasks that varied on the type of information being learned (factual vs. conceptual) and the amount of conflict with the learners' prior knowledge (no prior knowledge vs. no conflicting prior knowledge vs. conflicting prior knowledge). Individual differences in EF predicted children's overall learning, controlling for age, verbal IQ, and prior knowledge. Children's working memory and cognitive flexibility skills predicted their conceptual learning, whereas children's inhibitory control skills predicted their factual learning. In addition, individual differences in EF mattered more for children's learning of information that conflicted with their prior knowledge. These findings suggest that there may be differential relations between EF and learning depending on whether factual or conceptual information is being taught and the degree of conceptual change that is required. A better understanding of these different relations serves as an essential foundation for future research designed to create more effective academic interventions to optimize children's learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Grenell
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA.
| | - Stephanie M Carlson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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Ibáñez-Alfonso JA, Company-Córdoba R, García de la Cadena C, Sianes A, Simpson IC. How Living in Vulnerable Conditions Undermines Cognitive Development: Evidence from the Pediatric Population of Guatemala. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8020090. [PMID: 33572817 PMCID: PMC7912439 DOI: 10.3390/children8020090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2020] [Revised: 01/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Low-socioeconomic backgrounds represent a risk factor for children’s cognitive development and well-being. Evidence from many studies highlights that cognitive processes may be adversely affected by vulnerable contexts. The aim of this study was to determine if living in vulnerable conditions affects childhood cognitive development. To achieve this, we assessed the performance of a sample of 347 Guatemalan children and adolescents aged from 6 to 17 years (M = 10.8, SD = 3) in a series of 10 neuropsychological tasks recently standardized for the pediatric population of this country. Two-fifths of the sample (41.5%) could be considered to have vulnerable backgrounds, coming from families with low-socioeconomic status or having had a high exposure to violence. As expected, results showed lower scores in language and attention for the vulnerable group. However, contrary to expectations, consistent systematic differences were not found in the executive function tasks. Vulnerable children obtained lower scores in cognitive flexibility compared to the non-vulnerable group, but higher scores in inhibition and problem-solving tasks. These results suggest the importance of developing pediatric standards of cognitive performance that take environmental vulnerable conditions into consideration. These findings, one of the first obtained in the Guatemalan population, also provide relevant information for specific educational interventions and public health policies which will enhance vulnerable children and adolescent cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joaquín A. Ibáñez-Alfonso
- Department of Psychology, Human Neuroscience Lab, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, 41704 Sevilla, Spain; (J.A.I.-A.); (R.C.-C.); (I.C.S.)
- ETEA Foundation, Development Institute of Universidad Loyola Andalucía, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | - Rosalba Company-Córdoba
- Department of Psychology, Human Neuroscience Lab, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, 41704 Sevilla, Spain; (J.A.I.-A.); (R.C.-C.); (I.C.S.)
- ETEA Foundation, Development Institute of Universidad Loyola Andalucía, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Sianes
- Research Institute on Policies for Social Transformation, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, 14004 Córdoba, Spain
- Correspondence:
| | - Ian Craig Simpson
- Department of Psychology, Human Neuroscience Lab, Universidad Loyola Andalucía, 41704 Sevilla, Spain; (J.A.I.-A.); (R.C.-C.); (I.C.S.)
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41
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No State Effects of Brief Mindfulness Meditation on the Executive Functions of Inhibition, Shifting, and Updating. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s41465-020-00198-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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42
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Mallory C, Keehn B. Implications of Sensory Processing and Attentional Differences Associated With Autism in Academic Settings: An Integrative Review. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:695825. [PMID: 34512416 PMCID: PMC8430329 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.695825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The impact of classroom environments on student engagement and academic performance is well-documented. Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with atypical sensory processing and attentional impairments, which may lead to challenges in successfully accessing educational material within these settings. These symptoms may help explain why students with ASD show discrepancies between intellectual ability and academic performance. Given the increasing number of students with ASD present in classrooms, understanding strengths and weaknesses in sensory processing and attention is necessary in order to design better classroom environments and develop more efficacious accommodations and interventions to support optimal student success. Therefore, the objectives of this review are to provide a brief review of the current literature on sensory processing and attention in ASD, survey how sensory and attentional functions affect academic outcomes in both neurotypical and ASD learners, and suggest potential accommodations/interventions for students with ASD based on these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney Mallory
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
| | - Brandon Keehn
- Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States.,Department of Psychological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States
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43
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Waters NE, Ahmed SF, Tang S, Morrison FJ, Davis-Kean PE. Pathways from Socioeconomic Status to Early Academic Achievement: The Role of Specific Executive Functions. EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH QUARTERLY 2020; 54:321-331. [PMID: 33519062 PMCID: PMC7839968 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2020.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Among the many factors contributing to the SES-achievement gap, executive function (EF) skills have received a considerable amount of attention, given their role in supporting academic skill development. While recent work has demonstrated that global EF constructs mediate SES-achievement relations, less attention has been paid to unpacking the role of specific EF components in linking SES to achievement. Data from the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N = 1,273) were analyzed to assess direct and indirect associations between SES indicators, preschool EF skills, and first-grade math and reading achievement. Using path analysis, we found parent education and working memory to be uniquely and most predictive of both achievement domains. Further, after controlling for baseline academic skills, verbal ability, and other child- and family-level covariates, only working memory mediated the association between parent education and children's math achievement. These findings offer a comprehensive look at the specific mechanisms through which socioeconomic disadvantage contributes to children's academic development and provide an initial step towards generating more precise targets for policies and interventions aimed at closing the achievement gap.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas E. Waters
- Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Nicholas Waters, University of Michigan, Department of Psychology, 530 Church St., 3242 East Hall, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;
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44
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Deer LK, Hastings PD, Hostinar CE. The Role of Childhood Executive Function in Explaining Income Disparities in Long-Term Academic Achievement. Child Dev 2020; 91:e1046-e1063. [PMID: 32712955 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This study utilized data from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (N = 14,860) to examine whether early-life family income (age 0-5) predicted long-term academic achievement (age 16-18) and to investigate the role of executive function (EF) assessed multiple times across age 7-11 in explaining this association. Task-based EF was a significant mediator between early-life family income and later academic achievement in every model. This mediating pathway persisted when adjusting for a comprehensive panel of covariates including verbal IQ, sex, family income at ages 8 and 18, and early-life temperament. Additionally, teacher-rated and parent-rated EF mediated in some models. Overall, these findings suggest that childhood EF may play an important role in perpetuating income-based educational disparities.
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45
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Albert WD, Hanson JL, Skinner AT, Dodge KA, Steinberg L, Deater-Deckard K, Bornstein MH, Lansford JE. Individual differences in executive function partially explain the socioeconomic gradient in middle-school academic achievement. Dev Sci 2020; 23:e12937. [PMID: 31912610 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 08/12/2019] [Accepted: 12/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Children from families with low socioeconomic status (SES) earn lower grades, perform worse on achievement tests, and attain less education on average than their peers from higher-SES families. We evaluated neurocognitive mediators of SES disparities in achievement in a diverse sample of youth whose data were linked to administrative records of performance on school-administered tests of 7th grade reading and math proficiency (N = 203). We used structural equation modeling to evaluate whether associations between SES (measured at ages 8-9) and achievement (measured at age 13) are mediated by verbal ability and executive function (measured at age 10), a suite of top-down mental processes that facilitate control of thinking and behavior. Children from relatively higher-SES families performed better than their lower-SES peers on all neurocognitive and achievement measures, and SES disparities in both reading and math achievement were partially mediated by variation in executive function, but not verbal ability. SES disparities in executive function explained approximately 37% of the SES gap in math achievement and 17% of the SES gap in reading achievement. Exploratory modeling suggests that SES-related variation in working memory may play a particularly prominent role in mediation. We discuss potential implications of these findings for research, intervention programming, and classroom practice.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Ann T Skinner
- Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kenneth A Dodge
- Center for Child and Family Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Marc H Bornstein
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA.,Institute for Fiscal Studies, London, UK
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46
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Do executive functions mediate the link between socioeconomic status and numeracy skills? A cross-site comparison of Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. J Exp Child Psychol 2020; 194:104734. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2019.104734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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47
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Andersen MP, Valeri L, Starkopf L, Mortensen RN, Sessa M, Kragholm KH, Vardinghus-Nielsen H, Bøggild H, Lange T, Torp-Pedersen C. The Mediating Effect of Pupils' Physical Fitness on the Relationship Between Family Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement in a Danish School Cohort. Sports Med 2020; 49:1291-1301. [PMID: 31111445 DOI: 10.1007/s40279-019-01117-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Family socioeconomic status influences pupils' academic achievements, and studies have established positive associations between physical fitness and academic achievements. However, whether physical fitness mediates the relationship remains unknown. OBJECTIVE We investigated if pupils' physical fitness mediates the pathway between family socioeconomic status and academic achievement using causal inference-based mediation analysis. METHODS This study included 527 girls and 552 boys between 13 and 15 years of age from the Danish municipality of Aalborg. Physical fitness was measured through VO2max tests in 2010 and demographic data were obtained from nationwide registers. Family socioeconomic status was classified into four levels ranging from 1 to 4, where level 1 represents the lowest and level 4 the highest based on either family income or education. RESULTS Controlling for sex, ethnicity, age, and parents' cohabitation status, all total effects display higher academic achievement with increased family socioeconomic status. Splitting the effects, the direct effects reveal the existence of other pathways not involving physical fitness. The indirect effects established physical fitness as a mediator showing that pupils from family socioeconomic status levels one, three, and four changes grade by - 0.13 [95% confidence interval (CI) - 0.26, - 0.01], 0.07 (95% CI 0.00, 0.14), and 0.24 (95% CI 0.14, 0.34), respectively, compared to socioeconomic status level two. The corresponding proportions mediated are 18% (95% CI 1, 57), 6% (95 CI 0, 13), and 12% (95% CI 7, 18) when family socioeconomic status is based on education. Classifying family socioeconomic status on income, pupils from family socioeconomic status levels one, three, and four show grade changes of - 0.07 (95% CI - 0.16, 0.02), 0.22 (95% CI 0.13, 0.32), and 0.26 (95% CI 0.15, 0.37), respectively, compared to socioeconomic status level two. The corresponding proportions mediated are 12% (95% CI - 6, 41), 30% (95% CI 16, 54), and 20% (95% CI 12, 32). CONCLUSION In conclusion, pupils' physical fitness partially mediated the pathway between family socioeconomic status and academic achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mikkel Porsborg Andersen
- Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Aalborg University Hospital, Sdr. Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark.
| | - Linda Valeri
- McLean Hospital, Belmont Campus-North Belknap, Room 310A, Belmont, MA, USA.,Harvard Medical School Boston, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Liis Starkopf
- Section of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Rikke Nørmark Mortensen
- Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Aalborg University Hospital, Sdr. Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Maurizio Sessa
- Department of Experimental Medicine, Section of Pharmacology "L. Donatelli", University of Campania "L. Vanvitelli", Via De Crecchio 7, 80138, Naples, Italy
| | - Kristian Hay Kragholm
- Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Aalborg University Hospital, Sdr. Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Henrik Vardinghus-Nielsen
- Public Health and Epidemiology Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Niels Jernes Vej 12, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Henrik Bøggild
- Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Aalborg University Hospital, Sdr. Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark.,Public Health and Epidemiology Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Niels Jernes Vej 12, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Theis Lange
- Section of Biostatistics, Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Øster Farimagsgade 5, 1353, Copenhagen, Denmark.,Center for Statistical Science, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Christian Torp-Pedersen
- Unit of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Aalborg University Hospital, Sdr. Skovvej 15, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark.,Public Health and Epidemiology Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Niels Jernes Vej 12, 9220, Aalborg, Denmark
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48
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Giovannetti F, Pietto ML, Segretín MS, Lipina SJ. Impact of an Individualized Cognitive Training Intervention in Preschoolers from Poor Homes. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17082912. [PMID: 32340155 PMCID: PMC7215356 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17082912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2020] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 04/19/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Over the last few decades, different interventions were shown to be effective in changing cognitive performance in preschoolers from poor homes undertaking tasks with executive demands. However, this evidence also showed that not all children included in the intervention groups equally increased their performance levels, which could be related to individual and contextual variability. The present study aimed to explore the impact of a computerized cognitive training intervention with lab-based tasks in preschoolers from Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) homes under the consideration of their baseline performance. In the context of a randomized controlled trial design, different interventions were administered to children according to their baseline performance in a variety of cognitive tasks (i.e., executive attention, inhibitory control, working memory, and planning demands). The results showed different patterns of impact on performance depending on the experimental group, supporting the importance of considering individual and contextual differences in the design of interventions aimed at optimizing executive functions in poverty-impacted sample populations in early stages of development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federico Giovannetti
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires C1431FWO, Argentina; (M.L.P.); (M.S.S.)
- Correspondence: (F.G.); (S.J.L.)
| | - Marcos Luis Pietto
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires C1431FWO, Argentina; (M.L.P.); (M.S.S.)
- Laboratorio de Inteligencia Artificial Aplicada, Instituto de Ciencias de la Computación, FCEyN-UBA- CONICET, Buenos Aires C1428EGA, Argentina
| | - María Soledad Segretín
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires C1431FWO, Argentina; (M.L.P.); (M.S.S.)
| | - Sebastián Javier Lipina
- Unidad de Neurobiología Aplicada (UNA), CEMIC-CONICET, Buenos Aires C1431FWO, Argentina; (M.L.P.); (M.S.S.)
- Correspondence: (F.G.); (S.J.L.)
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49
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Blakey E, Matthews D, Cragg L, Buck J, Cameron D, Higgins B, Pepper L, Ridley E, Sullivan E, Carroll DJ. The Role of Executive Functions in Socioeconomic Attainment Gaps: Results From a Randomized Controlled Trial. Child Dev 2020; 91:1594-1614. [PMID: 32031254 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The socioeconomic attainment gap in mathematics starts early and increases over time. This study aimed to examine why this gap exists. Four-year-olds from diverse backgrounds were randomly allocated to a brief intervention designed to improve executive functions (N = 87) or to an active control group (N = 88). The study was preregistered and followed CONSORT guidelines. Executive functions and mathematical skills were measured at baseline, 1 week, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year posttraining. Executive functions mediated the relation between socioeconomic status and mathematical skills. Children improved over training, but this did not transfer to untrained executive functions or mathematics. Executive functions may explain socioeconomic attainment gaps, but cognitive training directly targeting executive functions is not an effective way to narrow this gap.
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50
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Raffington L, Czamara D, Mohn JJ, Falck J, Schmoll V, Heim C, Binder EB, Shing YL. Stable longitudinal associations of family income with children's hippocampal volume and memory persist after controlling for polygenic scores of educational attainment. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2019; 40:100720. [PMID: 31678692 PMCID: PMC6974918 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2019.100720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2019] [Revised: 10/07/2019] [Accepted: 10/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite common notion that the correlation of socioeconomic status with child cognitive performance may be driven by both environmentally- and genetically-mediated transactional pathways, there is a lack of longitudinal and genetically informed research that examines these postulated associations. The present study addresses whether family income predicts associative memory growth and hippocampal development in middle childhood and tests whether these associations persist when controlling for DNA-based polygenic scores of educational attainment. Participants were 142 6-to-7-year-old children, of which 127 returned when they were 8-to-9 years old. Longitudinal analyses indicated that the association of family income with children's memory performance and hippocampal volume remained stable over this age range and did not predict change. On average, children from economically disadvantaged background showed lower memory performance and had a smaller hippocampal volume. There was no evidence to suggest that differences in memory performance were mediated by differences in hippocampal volume. Further exploratory results suggested that the relationship of income with hippocampal volume and memory in middle childhood is not primarily driven by genetic variance captured by polygenic scores of educational attainment, despite the fact that polygenic scores significantly predicted family income.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel Raffington
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA
| | - Darina Czamara
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Johannes Julius Mohn
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Johannes Falck
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Vanessa Schmoll
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Munich, Germany
| | - Christine Heim
- Berlin School of Mind and Brain, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany; Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Institute of Medical Psychology, Berlin, Germany; Pennsylvania State University, Department of Biobehavioral Health, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Elisabeth B Binder
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Translational Research in Psychiatry, Munich, Germany; Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yee Lee Shing
- Center for Lifespan Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany; Institute of Psychology, Goethe University Frankfurt, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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