Back to Search
Start Over
Executive functions form a single construct and are associated with schooling: Evidence from three low- and middle- income countries
- Source :
- PLoS ONE, Vol 15, Iss 11, p e0242936 (2020), PLoS ONE
- Publication Year :
- 2020
- Publisher :
- Public Library of Science (PLoS), 2020.
-
Abstract
- Measuring executive function (EF) among adults is important, as the cognitive processes involved in EF are critical to academic achievement, job success and mental health. Current evidence on measurement and structure of EF largely come from Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich and Democratic (WEIRD) countries. However, measuring EF in low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs) is challenging, because of the dearth of EF measures validated across LMICs, particularly measures that do not require extensive training, expensive equipment, or professional administration. This paper uses data from three LMIC cohorts to test the feasibility, validity and reliability of EF assessment in adults using three sub-tests (representing key components of EF) of the NIH Toolbox Cognitive battery. For each cohort, all three EF measures (inhibition, flexibility and working memory) loaded well onto a unidimensional latent factor of EF. Factor scores related well to measures of fluid intelligence, processing speed and schooling. All measures showed good test-retest reliability across countries. This study provides evidence for a set of sound measures of EF that could be used across different cultural, language and socio-economic backgrounds in future LMIC research. Furthermore, our findings extend conclusions on the structure of EF beyond those drawn from WEIRD countries.
- Subjects :
- Male
Economics
Intelligence
Culture
Social Sciences
Validity
Academic achievement
Neuropsychological Tests
Economic Geography
Geographical locations
Developmental psychology
Executive Function
Cognition
Learning and Memory
Sociology
Psychology
Problem Solving
Measurement
Academic Success
Multidisciplinary
Geography
Flexibility (personality)
Guatemala
Executive functions
Inhibition, Psychological
Memory, Short-Term
Mental Health
Educational Status
Low and Middle Income Countries
Engineering and Technology
Medicine
Female
Construct (philosophy)
Research Article
Adult
Cognitive Neuroscience
Science
NIH Toolbox
Memory
Cross-Cultural Studies
Humans
Working Memory
Poverty
Cognitive Psychology
Biology and Life Sciences
Central America
Mental health
North America
Earth Sciences
Cognitive Science
People and places
Neuroscience
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 19326203
- Volume :
- 15
- Issue :
- 11
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- PLoS ONE
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....01b0cf85c3c2ff5ee1a85636880ffc80