Linking childhood poverty and cognition: environmental mediators of non‐verbal executive control in an Argentine sample

Abstract

Tests of attentional control, working memory, and planning were administered to compare the non-verbal executive control performance of healthy children from different socioeconomic backgrounds. In addition, mediations of several sociodemographic variables, identified in the literature as part of the experience of child poverty, between socioeconomic status and cognitive performance were assessed. Results show: (1) significant differences in performance between groups in most dependent variables analyzed - however, not in all variables associated with attentional control domains; (2) significant indirect effects of literacy activities on working memory and fluid processing domains, as well as computer resources effects on fluid processing; and (3) marginal indirect effects of computer resources on attentional control and working memory domains. These findings extend analysis of the impact of poverty on the development of executive control, through information based on the assessment of combined neurocognitive paradigms and the identification of specific environmental mediators.

State of the Art Review: Poverty and the Developing Brain

“…18,75,76 In addition, 75 Although still limited and confined to individuals exposed to abuse, some evidence is emerging to support a similar role of caregiving in regulating gene expression in the human brain. 59,77 …”

“…Material deprivation and stress are factors related to SES that may function as environmental mediators 59 of the SES-brain development relationship. Figure 1 draws on a framework based on animal neuroscience research advanced by Sheridan and McLaughlin, which posits that the environments of poverty shape neurodevelopment by depriving the brain of key stimuli and increasing its exposure to negative input.…”

“…59,79,80 SES may also shape patterns of communication and language. [80][81][82] Research suggests that, relative to their higher-SES peers, children from low-SES families are often exposed to fewer words and conversations and less complex and more directive speech.…”

Influence of family socioeconomic status on IQ, language, memory and executive functions of Brazilian children

“…In Latin-American samples (Mexico, Argentina, Brazil), authors have found associations between parental education and the performance of children and adolescents (aged 3-13 years) in tasks of attention and verbal and visual memory (Villaseñor et al 2009), executive functions (Ardila et al 2005;Arán-Filippetti 2011;Lipina et al 2013) and written language (Cuadro and Balbi 2012). Brazilian studies that not found effects of SES on cognition (Lúcio et al 2010;Miranda et al 2007) or show relations in the opposite directions (Lúcio et al 2010) attribute these results to the sample characteristics or good quality of the schools (Lúcio et al 2010) and recognize that no other studies resembled they results.…”

Bases neuroéticas para la educación moral: una neurorracionalidad dialógica y práctica

“…Las zonas más estudiadas al respecto han sido el sistema prefrontal ejecutivo (Lipina et al, 2013) y el temporal mnémico (Farah et al, 2006).…”