The Structure and Nature of Executive Functions in 3- and 4-Year-Old Children

• Other Authors: Hume, Laura Elizabeth (authoraut)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Psychology
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/FSU_migr_etd-9617

The structure of executive function (EF) was examined with both 3- and 4-year-old children. How EF, as well as how working memory (WM) and inhibitory control (IC) components of EF, related to academic and socio-emotional outcomes over time was also examined. Participants were 117 3-year-old children and 120 4-year-old children. EF was shown to be best represented as one factor with 3-year-old children and as two factors, a WM and an IC factor, with 4-year-old children. Results indicated that the strengths of relations between EF and academic skills were higher than the strengths of relations between EF and socio-emotional outcomes. With 4-year-old children, the WM component of EF was more highly related to several academic outcomes than was the IC component of EF. Some support was also found for a relation between IC and oral language skills and between EF--and components of EF--and inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors. Prior research has indicated that the structure of EF changes developmentally, but this study demonstrated this shift likely occurs earlier than was previously thought. It also demonstrated how EF--and the components of EF-- relate to the acquisition of important early academic skills and to inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive behaviors in young children. === A Dissertation submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. === Summer Semester 2015. === June 19, 2015. === Academic, Executive Function, Preschool, Socio-emotional === Includes bibliographical references. === Christopher J. Lonigan, Professor Directing Dissertation; Young-Suk Kim, University Representative; Christopher Schatschneider, Committee Member; Michael Kofler, Committee Member; Amy Wetherby, Committee Member.