title: Structure of executive functions in typically developing kindergarteners.
abstract: Whereas studies of the past 10 years have shown the executive functions (EFs) in adults to be differentiated into at least three principal components (working memory, inhibition, and flexibility), EF structure in children is far less well understood despite a large body of research on the subject. A study was undertaken to test different structural models of EFs through confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on a large sample of typically developing kindergarteners (N = 272). The method employed sought to remedy the shortcomings of past research in this field such as absence of CFA, insufficient number of EF components tested, insufficient number of indicators per latent variable, and absence of control on processing speed. Children were assessed using a battery of EF tasks developed by the researchers to measure working memory (WM), flexibility, and inhibition (backward word span, backward block span, fruit Stroop, day-night test, hand Stroop, Trails-P, card sort, face sort, and verbal fluency shift). CFA results show the best-fitting model to comprise two factors, namely, an inhibition factor and a WM-flexibility factor. Invariance analyses suggest that this structure is the same for girls and boys and that latent variable means do not differ by sex. These results support the hypothesis of EF differentiation during development. The researchers formulate other hypotheses regarding neurophysiological development.
authors.affiliation: Centre Jeunesse de Montréal-Institut Universitaire (CJM-IU), Montréal, Québec H2L 4R5, Canada. Electronic address: sebastien_monette@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sébastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Monette
authors.affiliation: Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec H2L 2C4, Canada.
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bigras
authors.affiliation: McGill University, Montréal, Québec H3A 0G4, Canada.
authors.forename: Marc-André
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lafrenière
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007266:Inhibition, Psychological; D008297:Male; D008570:Memory, Short-Term; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011792:Quebec
keywords: Cognitive development; Executive functions; Flexibility; Inhibition; Preschool; Working memory