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Multimodal Protocol for Assessing Metacognition and Self-Regulation in Adults with Learning Difficulties
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Executive function in preschoolers: a review using an integrative framework.

Nancy Garon1, Susan E Bryson, Isabel M Smith

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, IWK Health Centre, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. nancy.garon@iwk.nshealth.ca

Psychological Bulletin
|January 16, 2008
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Early childhood executive functions (EFs) show developing core components like working memory and inhibition in preschool. Later preschool changes are linked to attention development and integrating these EF components.

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Area of Science:

  • Developmental Psychology
  • Cognitive Neuroscience
  • Child Development

Background:

  • Significant progress in understanding executive functions (EFs) in early childhood over the past two decades.
  • Executive functions are crucial for cognitive and behavioral self-regulation.
  • Preschool period is a critical window for the emergence of foundational EFs.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the existing literature on executive function development during the preschool years.
  • To present an integrative framework for understanding early EF development.
  • To identify key components and developmental trajectories of EFs in young children.

Main Methods:

  • Integrative review of research on executive functions in preschool-aged children.
  • Focus on three core EF components: working memory, response inhibition, and shifting.
  • Conceptualization of the central executive as a central attention system.

Main Results:

  • Elementary forms of core executive function components are present early in the preschool period.
  • Developmental changes in the latter half of the preschool period are associated with attention development.
  • Integration of component EFs and attention are key to later preschool EF gains.

Conclusions:

  • Core executive functions emerge early in development.
  • Attention and the integration of EF components are critical for development in later preschool years.
  • Further research is needed to fully elucidate early executive function development.