South Asian Adults' Performance on Executive Function Tests

Area of Science:

• Neuropsychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Speech-Language Pathology

Background:

• Executive functions (EF) are crucial cognitive processes.
• Standardized tests like BADS and FAVRES are used to assess EF.
• Cultural and linguistic factors may influence EF test performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the performance of South Asian and White adults on two EF tests: BADS and FAVRES.
• To investigate potential ethnic and educational influences on executive function assessment.

Main Methods:

• Twenty South Asian and 20 White adults participated.
• Participants completed the Behavioural Assessment of the Dysexecutive Syndrome (BADS) and the Functional Assessment of Verbal Reasoning and Executive Strategies (FAVRES).
• Analysis of covariance was used to compare performance between groups.

Main Results:

• No significant performance differences were found between South Asian and White adults on the BADS.
• White adults scored significantly higher on accuracy and rationale subtests of the FAVRES compared to South Asian adults.
• South Asian adults educated solely in India scored lower on specific FAVRES subtests than those with some North American education.

Conclusions:

• Executive function test performance may differ between South Asian and White adults.
• Cultural and linguistic variables warrant further investigation for their impact on EF test results in South Asian populations.
• Speech-language pathologists should consider these factors when interpreting EF assessments.