Exploring a Range of Potential Factors Promoting and Constraining EF in South African Preschoolers

Socioeconomic disadvantage is widely associated with poorer cognitive and educational outcomes. However, emerging evidence suggests that children in low-income contexts may demonstrate resilience in executive function (EF) development. This study examined the predictors of EF in South African preschoolers from disadvantaged communities to identify modifiable, context-specific influences.

125 Children (aged 3-5 years) and their caregivers were recruited from 15 early childhood centers in Cape Town. Children completed three tablet-based EF tasks from the Early Years Toolbox measuring working memory, inhibition, shifting, while caregivers reported on demographic variables, household assets, child sleep, child screen time, child exposure to violence, and parenting practices. Multiple linear regressions examined predictors of child EF, with exploratory analyses on a subset (n = 22) for hair cortisol analysis.

Older child age (β = 0.37, p < 0.001), caregiver secondary education (β = 0.22, p = 0.003), and fewer sleep difficulties (β = -0.45, p = 0.042) significantly predicted higher child EF scores, together explaining 25% of variance. Household assets, screen time, violence exposure, and parenting scores were non-significant. In the subsample, hair cortisol concentration correlated positively with EF (ρ = 0.55, p = 0.009), suggesting potential adaptive calibration under adversity.

Findings highlight that modifiable proximal factors (e.g., caregiver education and child sleep) shape EF development more strongly than socioeconomic indicators. Results challenge the presumed universality of SES-EF gradients and underscore the importance of culturally grounded, contextually validated measures for understanding resilience and early cognitive development in Majority World settings.