I. EXECUTIVE CONTROL IN EARLY CHILDHOOD
Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development
|December 13, 2016
Summary
Executive control (EC) and foundational cognitive abilities are intertwined in preschoolers, becoming distinct later in development. Socioeconomic factors influence cognitive abilities, not EC directly, while EC uniquely relates to hyperactivity.
Area of Science:
- Developmental psychology
- Cognitive neuroscience
- Child development
Background:
- Executive control (EC) measurement in young children is challenging due to developing foundational cognitive abilities.
- Disentangling EC from abilities like language and motor skills is difficult in preschoolers.
- Existing research has limitations in understanding EC's development and relation to social risk.
Discussion:
- A novel latent bifactor modeling approach separated EC and foundational cognitive abilities in preschoolers.
- Findings reveal a developmental shift where EC and foundational abilities are inseparable in early preschool but distinct later.
- Socio-familial resources impact executive task performance through foundational cognitive abilities, not directly EC.
Key Insights:
- Executive control and foundational cognitive abilities are not separable at ages 3 and 3.75 but contribute uniquely at 4.5 and 5.25 years.
- Household resources influence executive task performance via foundational cognitive abilities, challenging direct EC vulnerability theories.
- Executive control uniquely predicts hyperactive symptoms later in the preschool period, unlike foundational cognitive abilities.
Outlook:
- Proposes a new integrated approach to measuring and conceptualizing EC.
- Emphasizes dual consideration of EC and foundational cognitive abilities in executive task performance.
- Highlights the importance of developmental context in understanding preschool executive functions.
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