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Development Patterns of Executive Functions in Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2013

Lorena Canet Juric ,
María M. Richards ,
Isabel Introzzi ,
María Laura Andrés  and
Sebastián Urquijo
Lorena Canet Juric*
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (Argentina)
María M. Richards
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (Argentina)
Isabel Introzzi
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (Argentina)
María Laura Andrés
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (Argentina)
Sebastián Urquijo
Affiliation:
Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata (Argentina)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Lorena Canet Juric. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, Facultad de Psicología. Funes, 3250. Cuerpo V. Nivel III. 7600. Mar del Plata. Buenos Aires (Argentina) E-mail: canetjuric@mdp.edu.ar
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Abstract

Executive Functions (EF) exercise control over an individual’s conduct and thinking through a set of functionally independent processes, among which are cognitive flexibility (reactive and spontaneous), working memory and planning. The development patterns of these components appear to have stages of acceleration and deceleration during childhood. Studies analyzing their development in Spanish-speaking children were not found in our area. Therefore, this study will analyze the development patterns of the cited executive functions with the objective of establishing relationships and comparisons, and identifying the stages of acceleration and stagnation for each component. The study’s sample consists of 274 schoolchildren between the ages of 6 and 8 (119 in first grade, 61 in second grade and 94 in third grade). Participants were evaluated using the following instruments from the Neuropsychological Assessment of Children test battery (known by the acronym ENI in Spanish): Verbal Fluency (semantic and phonemic); Cognitive Flexibility; Mexican Pyramid; and Backward Digit Span. Three different development patterns were detected, as well as different interactions between the executive components. Additionally, three empirical types were established based on the patterns and relationships between components.

Keywords

executive functionscognitive flexibilityworking memoryplanningdevelopment patterns
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2013 , E41
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

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