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Test-retest reliability of a new executive function battery for use in early childhood
Michael Willoughby1, Clancy Blair
1University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, FPG Child Development Institute, Carrboro, NC 27510, USA. willoughby@unc.edu
Insights
This study found that executive function task batteries show strong test-retest reliability in young children, comparable to adults. Using battery scores is better for research than individual task scores.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Child Psychology
Background:
- Executive functions are crucial cognitive skills developing rapidly in early childhood.
- Assessing executive function reliability in young children is vital for accurate developmental research.
- Previous research indicates varying reliability for executive function measures across different age groups.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the test-retest reliability of a new executive function battery for early childhood.
- To compare the reliability of battery scores versus individual task scores.
- To establish the suitability of the battery for research on early childhood executive function.
Main Methods:
- 140 predominantly low-income children (mean age 48.1 months) completed an executive function battery twice, with a 16-day interval.
- Test-retest reliability was assessed using Pearson correlations for individual tasks and confirmatory factor analyses for the battery.
- Data were analyzed to compare reliability across individual tasks and the overall battery performance.
Main Results:
- Individual executive function tasks showed moderate test-retest reliability (mean r = .60).
- The executive function battery demonstrated high test-retest reliability (ϕ = .95), consistent with adult samples.
- Battery scores exhibited significantly stronger reliability than individual task scores.
Conclusions:
- The newly developed executive function battery demonstrates strong short-term test-retest reliability in early childhood.
- Executive function task batteries provide more reliable scores than individual tasks for research in young children.
- These findings support the use of battery-derived scores for studies examining inter- and intraindividual differences in early childhood executive function.
Abstract:
This study reported test-retest reliability for a newly developed executive function battery designed for use in early childhood. A total of 140 predominantly low-income children (M = 48.1 months; 51% male; 43% African American) completed up to six tasks on two occasions an average of 18 (Mdn = 16) days apart. Pearson correlations between individual task scores indicated moderate retest reliability (mean r = .60; range = .52-.66) similar to that observed in other retest studies of executive function in preschool, school-aged, and adult samples. In contrast, confirmatory factor analyses of performance on the task battery across time indicated high retest reliability (ϕ = .95) that was identical to that observed in a recent study that used an identical method involving a sample of older adults. The short-term test-retest reliability of executive function in early childhood is comparable to that observed in childhood and adult samples. The retest reliability of children's performance on batteries of executive function tasks is appreciably stronger than the retest reliability of their performance on individual tasks. Studies that focus on inter- and intraindividual differences in executive function would be better served by using scores that are derived from task batteries than those derived from individual tasks.
