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The Relationship between Narrative Skills and Executive Functions across Childhood: A Systematic Review and
Nicoletta Scionti1, Laura Zampini1, Gian Marco Marzocchi1
1Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy.
Children (Basel, Switzerland)
|August 26, 2023
Summary
Executive functions (EFs) and narrative competence (NC) are weakly linked, with this association diminishing as children age. These developmental skills are more interconnected in early childhood, especially in atypical development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Executive functions (EFs) and narrative competence (NC) are crucial for developmental outcomes.
- The relationship between EFs and NC development is not well understood.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if EFs and NC are associated throughout development.
- To examine how this association changes with age, developmental type, and specific EF/NC components.
Main Methods:
- A meta-analysis was conducted.
- 30 studies with 285 effect sizes were synthesized.
Main Results:
- EFs and NC show a weak overall association (r = 0.236).
- The association decreases significantly with age (b = -0.0144, p = 0.001).
- Stronger association observed in preschool/early elementary, particularly in atypical development and for macrostructural NC.
Conclusions:
- EFs and NC are weakly related, with independence increasing after age seven.
- Specific links between EF domains and NC emerge later in development.
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