Research article summary (published 30 Dec 2003):

Executive function in preschool children: examination through everyday behavior.

Full Abstract

Clinical assessment of executive function in preschool-age children is challenging given limited availability of standardized tasks and preschoolers' variable ability to participate in lengthy formal evaluation procedures. Given the benefits of ecological validity of measuring behavior by rating scales, the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (Gioia, Isquith, Guy, & Kenworthy, 2000) was modified for use with children ages 2 through 5 years to assess executive functions in an everyday context. The scale development process, based on samples of 460 parents and 302 teachers, yielded a single 63-item measure with 5 related, but nonoverlapping, scales, with good internal consistency and temporal stability. Exploratory factor analyses identified 3 consistent factors: Emergent Metacognition, Flexibility, and Inhibitory Self-Control across parent and teacher samples. In a second study with a mixed sample of preschool children with various developmental disorders, parents and teachers rated these preschool children as having greater executive difficulties in most domains than matched controls. Such rating-scale methodology may be a useful complementary tool by which to reliably assess executive functions in preschool children via everyday behaviors in the natural environment.

Author information

Author/s: Isquith, Peter K (PK); Gioia, Gerard A (GA); Espy, Kimberly Andrews (KA);

Affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Darmouth Hitchcock Medical School, One Medical Center Dr., Lebanon, NH 03756-0001, USA. peter.k.isquith(-atsign-)dartmouth.edu

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Journal Article

Journal: Developmental neuropsychology (Dev Neuropsychol), published in United States. (Language: eng)

Reference: 2004-; vol 26 (issue 1) : pp 403-22

Dates: Created 2004/07/27; Completed 2004/09/08; Revised 2004/11/17;

PMID: 15276902, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 2/18/2009, IMS Date: )

Sourced from the National Library of Medicine. Abstract text and other information may be subject to copyright.

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Child Behavior Child, Preschool Concept Formation Emotions Female Humans Internal-External Control Male Memory, Short-Term

Neuropsychological Tests - statistics & numerical data Personality Assessment - statistics & numerical data Problem Solving Psychometrics - statistics & numerical data Reference Values Reproducibility of Results Social Adjustment Social Environment Socialization

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