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Measuring the development of executive control with the shape school.
Kimberly Andrews Espy1, Rebecca Bull2, Jessica Martin3
1University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Psychological Assessment
|December 13, 2006
Summary
The Shape School assessment effectively measures executive control in young children. This tool shows strong validity for identifying executive function in preschoolers, including those with developmental differences.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Child Psychiatry
Background:
- Limited assessment tools exist for executive control in preschoolers.
- Executive functions are crucial for development and are impacted by neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine the validity of the Shape School assessment in typically developing preschoolers.
- To determine if the Shape School can effectively measure executive control in young children.
Main Methods:
- The Shape School was administered to 219 typically developing children.
- Performance variables were analyzed for interrelationships and associations with other executive control measures.
- Task demands (executive, inhibitory, contextual, unitary, concurrent processing) were manipulated to assess construct validity.
Main Results:
- Shape School performance variables were interrelated, supporting construct validity.
- The assessment showed associations with other measures of executive control.
- Performance varied significantly based on task demands, including executive load and processing type.
Conclusions:
- The Shape School demonstrates good evidence of validity for assessing executive control in young children.
- It may serve as an effective tool for evaluating executive functions in children with atypical developmental patterns.
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