Relationship between executive function and persistence in 5-year-olds

Abstract

Children’s persistence can predict later academic achievement. However, few studies have examined the factors related to individual differences in persistence. In this study, we investigated the relationship between executive function (EF) and persistence in 5-year-olds (N = 72). The scores of the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task and gift delay task were positively associated with persistence. We conducted a mediation analysis to examine the cognitive mechanisms underlying the associations between EF and persistence. This analysis revealed that children with high scores on the DCCS task, used multiple strategies for the persistence task, and this contributed to their persistence. We also found that children with high scores on the gift delay task concentrated on the task without getting distracted, and this approach contributed to their persistence. Thus, our findings reveal the factors related to individual differences in persistence and cognitive mechanisms underlying these associations between EF and persistence.