Standardization of a German test battery to measure executive functions in pre-schoolers
Publication date
2022
Document type
Meeting Abstract
Author
Organisational unit
Conference
52nd Congress of the German Psychological Society (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie, DGPs) ; Hildesheim, Germany ; September 10–15, 2022
Project
EF Touch
Publisher
Universität Hildesheim
Book title
52. Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Psychologie : abstracts
First page
431
Last page
431
Peer-reviewed
✅
Part of the university bibliography
✅
Language
English
DDC Class
150 Psychologie
Abstract
Executive functions (EF) are one important part of self-regulation (SR) in preschool and play an important role in the cognitive, academic and health development of children. Even though there are many experimental tasks measuring EF, a standardized test battery for German pre-schoolers is lacking. The current study aims to standardize a computerized test battery (EF Touch), that has been developed and standardized in the US, for the use in German children. EF Touch includes eight tasks designed to assess three core components of EF (working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility) at the age of 3-6 years. Cronbach`s alpha in our sample of 90 children (50 girls, age: M = 3.39; SD = .78) ranged between α = .51-.93. The inter-correlations showed moderate to strong relations between almost all tasks (r = .16 -.63). A one factor model fitted the EF data best. Older children outperformed younger ones on five of the tasks (p <.02), girls performed better than boys on the cognitive flexible and one inhibition task (p <.02). An interaction of age and gender was found on one working memory (p = .05) and one inhibition task (p <.05). There were significant correlations between performance on the EF-Touch inhibition tasks and the parent-rated EF questionnaire BRIEF-P (total scales: r = -.43). Data collection is ongoing and results will be updated accordingly, the collection of a representative norm sample already started. Results will be discussed in line with current theories of self-regulation in preschool.
Description
Beitrag im Symposium: New Approaches and Challenges in the Assessment of Self-Regulation over the Life-Span
Version
Published version
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