Measuring Preschoolers' Executive Function Through Performance-Based Measures and Parent Reports: A Longitudinal Study.

Executive function (EF) refers to a set of higher order cognitive skills that undergo significant development during the preschool years and are linked to socioemotional and behavioral outcomes. EF is typically assessed through performance-based tasks (PBT) and informant ratings, such as the Behavio...

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Publicado en:Psychological Assessment Vol. 38; no. 8; pp. 532 - 547
Autores principales: Contreras Solorzano, Alejandra, Kim, Yaewon, Graves, Abigail Reid, Garcia-Barrera, Mauricio A., Müller, Ulrich
Formato: Artículo
Publicado: American Psychological Association Aug2026
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Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Aug2026
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      pub: American Psychological Association
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        10.1037/pas0001487
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        atl: Measuring Preschoolers' Executive Function Through Performance-Based Measures and Parent Reports: A Longitudinal Study.
      aug:
        au:
          Contreras Solorzano, Alejandra
          Kim, Yaewon
          Graves, Abigail Reid
          Garcia-Barrera, Mauricio A.
          Müller, Ulrich
        affil:
          Department of Psychology, University of Victoria
          Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences, McMaster University
          Institute on Aging and Lifelong Health, University of Victoria
      su:
        British Columbia
        Parents
        Task performance
        Executive function
        Behavior disorders in children
        Social skills
        Child behavior
        Children
        Research funding
        Questionnaires
        Longitudinal method
        Neuropsychological tests
        Data analysis software
      sug:
        subj:
          Parents
          Task performance
          Executive function
          Behavior disorders in children
          Social skills
          Child behavior
          Children
          British Columbia
          Research funding
          Questionnaires
          Longitudinal method
          Neuropsychological tests
          Data analysis software
      keyword:
        executive function
        performance-based
        preschoolers
        rating measures
        executive function
        performance-based
        preschoolers
        rating measures
      ab: Executive function (EF) refers to a set of higher order cognitive skills that undergo significant development during the preschool years and are linked to socioemotional and behavioral outcomes. EF is typically assessed through performance-based tasks (PBT) and informant ratings, such as the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function–Preschool (BRIEF-P) Version. However, cross-sectional studies often find low or nonsignificant associations between these two methods. This longitudinal study examined the concurrent and longitudinal associations between PBT and BRIEF-P across three time points, each 6 months apart. Participants were 110 preschool-aged children (36–47 months; M = 40.54, SD = 3.27; 48% female; 85% White) who completed five PBT at each time point. Parents also completed the BRIEF-P and provided socioemotional and behavioral ratings at Time 3. Growth models assessed associations between measurement methods, EF changes over time, and the prediction of outcomes. Consistent with prior findings, PBT composites and BRIEF-P parent rating correlations were low (−.30 to.03 with a median r =.07). Only PBT scores improved over time (β =.075, SE =.008, p <.001), while only BRIEF-P scores predicted behavioral difficulties, lower prosocial behavior, and other executive-related outcomes. Since outcomes were also parent-reported, the link between parent-rated EF and these outcomes may reflect shared method variance. Findings underscore the importance of using multiple methods to assess EF. Public Significance Statement: Our findings suggest that children's performance-based and parent-rated measures of executive function (EF) capture different aspects of development. Across 1 year, children's EF performance improved, whereas parent ratings remained stable. Only parent-rated EF was associated with parent-rated outcomes, underscoring the importance of selecting EF measures that align with the study's intended focus and outcomes.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype: Article
      src: R
    language: English
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