Reciprocal relation between executive function and receptive vocabulary in Chinese preschoolers: Evidence from a two-year longitudinal study.

Abstract

By using a three-time longitudinal design, the present study focuses on three components of executive function (EF), respectively, to examine whether the relation between EF and receptive vocabulary was reciprocal and whether the direction of the above relation would differ by EF components and child gender. A total of 320 Chinese preschool children were assessed when they enrolled in preschool the first year (T1), the second year (T2) and the third year (T3), respectively. Children's EF was assessed by six computerized tasks, and receptive vocabulary was assessed by the Peabody Picture Vocabulary test (PPVT-4). Data were analyzed in the random intercept cross-lagged panel model (RI-CLPM). Findings provided some support for within-person reciprocal relations between EF and receptive vocabulary, but the reciprocal patterns varied depending on EF components. In specific, inhibitory control/attention shift and receptive vocabulary were reciprocally predicted between T1 and T2, and inhibitory control/attention shift at T2 could significantly predict receptive vocabulary at T3, but not vice versa. In addition, working memory and receptive vocabulary were reciprocally predicted between T1 and T2 and between T2 and T3. Finally, no child gender differences were found in the above relations. Our findings suggest that the instructions and interventions integrating EF and language skills may be an important avenue for enhancing success across skills. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).