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Interactions between Sex, Socioeconomic Level, and Children's Cognitive Performance
Ana-Filipa Alves1, Ana Martins2, Leandro S Almeida2
1Centro de Investigação em Educação (CIEd), Universidade do Minho, Braga, Portugal afilipaalves@hotmail.com.
Psychological Reports
|May 8, 2016
Summary
Socioeconomic level significantly impacts children's cognitive abilities, especially nonverbal intelligence. While sex also plays a role, socioeconomic status showed a greater influence on overall cognitive performance in Portuguese children.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Child Cognitive Development
- Educational Psychology
Background:
- Children's cognitive performance is influenced by various factors.
- Understanding the interplay of sex and socioeconomic status is crucial for equitable development.
- Previous research indicates disparities in cognitive outcomes based on background factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the interaction effects of sex and socioeconomic level on children's cognitive performance.
- To determine the relative influence of sex versus socioeconomic level on cognitive abilities.
- To analyze these effects on verbal, nonverbal, and overall intelligence quotient.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 453 Portuguese children (ages 4-10) participated.
- Cognitive skills, including verbal and nonverbal abilities and intelligence quotient, were assessed using the Cognitive Skills Scale for Children.
- Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was employed to analyze the data.
Main Results:
- A significant interaction between sex and socioeconomic level was found for nonverbal intelligence quotient, total intelligence quotient, and two subtests.
- Socioeconomic level demonstrated a more substantial influence than sex on most cognitive measures.
- Specific cognitive subtests showed differential effects based on the interaction.
Conclusions:
- Socioeconomic level is a primary determinant of cognitive performance in children, surpassing the influence of sex.
- Interventions aimed at improving cognitive outcomes should prioritize addressing socioeconomic disparities.
- The findings highlight the need for targeted support for children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.
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