Structure and Invariance of Executive Functioning Tasks across Socioeconomic Status: Evidence from Spanish-Speaking Children

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyze the latent structure of executive functions (EFs) in Spanish-speaking children and to test measurement invariance across socioeconomic status (SES). We sampled 248 children, aged 8 to 12, who were divided into two groups: 124 children from a medium socioeconomic status (MSS) and 124 children from a low socioeconomic status (LSS). We applied a neuropsychological battery consisting of various EF tasks and performed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multi-group CFA (MGCFA). CFA showed best fit for the three factor solution: (a) Working memory, (b) Cognitive flexibility, and (c) Inhibition. Moreover, the MGCFA revealed that the three-factor solution was invariant (configural, metric, and structural) across SES, allowing valid comparison between the groups (MSS and LSS) of factors. Finally, bifactorial MANOVA revealed a significant effect of SES and group age but not for the interaction between the two in the three EF dimensions indicative of quantitative group differences. Results are discussed in terms of the dimensional nature of the EF construct and the effects of SES on executive functioning.

Differential analysis of executive functions in children from disadvantaged families vs. children with autistic spectrum disorder

“…Consequently, regarding the DF group, results obtained do concur with our hypothesis; because these children in general tended to obtain the worst scores on practically all measures used, as expected. These results concur with prior studies that also point to lower performance on different measures of EF in this group (Arán-Filippetti, 2013;Arán-Filippetti & Richaud de Minzi, 2011;Mata et al, 2017;Raver et al, 2013;Rhoades et al, 2011).…”

“…Cognitive development is affected by poverty, such that the longer the exposure to poverty, the greater its negative effects on cognitive skills (Dickerson & Popli, 2016). It is therefore not surprising that different studies find EF deficits in children who live in disadvantaged families, even at young ages; they perform poorly on tasks related to cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, working memory and planning (Arán-Filippetti, 2013;Arán-Filippetti & Richaud de Minzi, 2011;Mata, Gómez-Pérez, Molinero, & Calero, 2017;Raver et al, 2013;Rhoades, Greenberg, Lanza, & Blair, 2011). Neuroimaging research has indicated that socioeconomic status consequences may influence the level of brain activation and be associated with atypical structural development of brain areas that support EF (Hair, Hanson, Wolfe, & Pollak, 2015;Ursache & Noble, 2016).…”

Effects of age and school type on unconstrained, phonemic, and semantic verbal fluency in children

“…PVF is also sensitive to the effects of education, as its scores increase according to participant education levels, albeit less than in other types of VFT (Brucki, Malheiros, Okamoto, & Bertolucci, 1997). Improvements in SVF performance may also be associated with increasing age (Arán -Filippetti, 2011-Filippetti, , 2013Ardila et al, 2005;Catale et al, 2012;García et al, 2012;Van der Elst et al, 2012) and education and, consequently, with greater exposure to cognitive stimulation, which may contribute to improvements in semantic memory.…”

Estructura Latente de las Funciones Ejecutivas en Adolescentes: Invarianza Factorial a través del Sexo

“…Sin embargo, un importante cúmulo de investigaciones sostiene que las fe tienen una naturaleza tanto unitaria como diversa, por lo que ambas posturas deberían considerarse al abordar el estudio de estas funciones. De acuerdo con esta visión, la naturaleza de las fe es diversa, en tanto es un constructo integrado por diferentes dimensiones, pero simultáneamente unitaria, dado que estos factores están relacionados, lo que supone la existencia de un mecanismo subyacente en común (Arán Filippetti, 2013;Collette et al, 2005;Lehto, Juujarvi, Kooistra & Pulkkinen, 2003;Miyake et al, 2000).…”