Skip to main content

Research Repository

Advanced Search

Examining relations between performance on non‐verbal executive function and verbal self‐regulation tasks in demographically‐diverse populations

Dutra, Natália B.; Chen, Lydia; Anum, Adote; Burger, Oskar; Davis, Helen E.; Dzokoto, Vivian A.; Fong, Frankie T.K.; Ghelardi, Sabrina; Mendez, Kimberly; Messer, Emily J.E.; Newhouse, Morgan; Nielsen, Mark G.; Ramos, Karlos; Rawlings, Bruce; dos Santos, Renan A.C.; Silveira, Lara G.S.; Tucker‐Drob, Elliot M.; Legare, Cristine H.

Examining relations between performance on non‐verbal executive function and verbal self‐regulation tasks in demographically‐diverse populations Thumbnail


Authors

Natália B. Dutra

Lydia Chen

Adote Anum

Oskar Burger

Helen E. Davis

Vivian A. Dzokoto

Frankie T.K. Fong

Sabrina Ghelardi

Kimberly Mendez

Emily J.E. Messer

Morgan Newhouse

Mark G. Nielsen

Karlos Ramos

Renan A.C. dos Santos

Lara G.S. Silveira

Elliot M. Tucker‐Drob

Cristine H. Legare



Abstract

Self-regulation is a widely studied construct, generally assumed to be cognitively supported by executive functions (EFs). There is a lack of clarity and consensus over the roles of specific components of EFs in self-regulation. The current study examines the relations between performance on (a) a self-regulation task (Heads, Toes, Knees Shoulders Task) and (b) two EF tasks (Knox Cube and Beads Tasks) that measure different components of updating: working memory and short-term memory, respectively. We compared 107 8- to 13-year-old children (64 females) across demographically-diverse populations in four low and middle-income countries, including: Tanna, Vanuatu; Keningau, Malaysia; Saltpond, Ghana; and Natal, Brazil. The communities we studied vary in market integration/urbanicity as well as level of access, structure, and quality of schooling. We found that performance on the visuospatial working memory task (Knox Cube) and the visuospatial short-term memory task (Beads) are each independently associated with performance on the self-regulation task, even when controlling for schooling and location effects. These effects were robust across demographically-diverse populations of children in low-and middle-income countries. We conclude that this study found evidence supporting visuospatial working memory and visuospatial short-term memory as distinct cognitive processes which each support the development of self-regulation.

Citation

Dutra, N. B., Chen, L., Anum, A., Burger, O., Davis, H. E., Dzokoto, V. A., …Legare, C. H. (2022). Examining relations between performance on non‐verbal executive function and verbal self‐regulation tasks in demographically‐diverse populations. Developmental Science, 25(5), https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13228

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Dec 9, 2021
Online Publication Date Jan 25, 2022
Publication Date 2022-09
Deposit Date Feb 1, 2022
Publicly Available Date Jan 25, 2023
Journal Developmental Science
Print ISSN 1363-755X
Electronic ISSN 1467-7687
Publisher Wiley
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 25
Issue 5
DOI https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13228

Files





You might also like



Downloadable Citations