Cognition in context: Validating group-based executive function assessments in young children

Abstract

The current article describes and validates a set of group-based executive function (EF) assessments for use with young children. These situational tasks involve instructing groups of young students to march to music while completing tasks that place demands on their EF abilities. These efforts were motivated by providing researchers with a set of measures that assess EF subcomponents while also accounting for the dynamic social processes present in group settings. These assessments take place in schools, are relatively simple to administer, and include multiple EF indicators. Drawing on a diverse sample of 283 kindergarteners (Mage = 5.8 years, SD = 0.38), we found that group-based EF assessments were significantly related to individually assessed EF measures and differentially predicted children’s performance on standardized tests of math and reading achievement. Overall, this study represents a first step toward developing a set of group-based EF measures that are appropriate for use with young children.