[Brixton Spatial Anticipation Test, executive function development and the relationship with the Tower of London]

Rule induction and shifting abilities are among executive functions. The Brixton Spatial Anticipation Test (BSAT) was designed for the evaluation of this dimension in adult populations. There are no papers that explore its implementation during development, or its relations to other executive tasks and fluid intelligence.

To study the behavior in the BSAT of a primary school population (6 to 11 years), comparing it with the performance on a well-known executive task and a fluid intelligence test level.

Trough a descriptive-correlational, transversal design, the Tower of London (TOL), the BSAT and the Progressive Matrix Raven's Test (PMRT) were applied in 44 children of both sexes, from 1st to 6th grade (primary school), medium to high socio-economical stratum, from Montevideo. The BSAT is applied for the first time in normal children, so it's relevant for its knowledge.

A similar progressive and ascending performance was observed for both BSAT and TOL. Positive and significative correlations were found between BSAT and PMRT, specially with AB and B series. Positive but non significative correlations were observed between BSAT and TOL.

Executive functions follow a progressive and ascending pattern trough development in children, with light differences in relation to the executive component evaluated by each task. The factor 'g' of fluid intelligence, could be an important predictor of executive components taped by BSAT but not TOL.