Longitudinal and concurrent links between memory span, anxiety symptoms, and subsequent executive functioning in...

Area of Science:

• Developmental Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Individual differences in attentional control are hypothesized to impact executive functions (EF) and academic success in children.
• Limited research exists on early precursors of executive functions, necessitating further investigation into foundational cognitive skills.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the relationship between basic attentional control mechanisms (assessed via short-term memory tasks) and executive functions in children aged 3-6.
• To examine the influence of anxiety and non-verbal intelligence on this relationship, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally.

Main Methods:

• Administered verbal and visuospatial short-term memory (STM) tasks, non-verbal intelligence tests, and anxiety symptom reports to children (3-6 years).
• Re-tested STM after 9 months and administered measures of working memory (WM), inhibition, and shifting.
• Utilized hierarchical regression models to analyze the predictive power of STM, anxiety, and intelligence on EF.

Main Results:

• Visuospatial STM and EF improved linearly between 3-6 years, but verbal STM performance plateaued between 5-6 years.
• Trait anxiety negatively correlated with WM and shifting; non-verbal intelligence positively correlated with WM.
• STM at initial assessment strongly predicted overall EF, particularly WM and shifting, but not inhibition, after controlling for covariates.

Conclusions:

• Short-term memory is a significant predictor of emerging executive functions in early childhood.
• Anxiety and intelligence play distinct roles in the development of executive functions.
• Longitudinal research is crucial to fully understand the contribution of attentional control to EF development and potential behavioral issues.