Examining Executive Function of Young Children Through Cluster Analysis

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: Division C Poster Session

Abstract

This study utilizes cluster analysis to explore the relationship between 3 to 4 year old children’s executive function and home environments. The sample consisted of 1,578 participants from the Southwest. Hierarchical cluster analysis and k-means cluster analysis both supported the presence of four clusters in the data set, two representing children who passed the Dimensional Card Sort Task and two who did not. One of the clusters that passed the measure represented a group of children considered at-risk due to poverty and lack of resources in the home, suggesting the presence of resiliency factors that should be further explored. The implications of this study may aid educators and early childhood advocates in identifying potential interventions for children considered at-risk.

Authors

• Lauren Taylor Clough, The University of Arizona

• Adriana Diane Cimetta, The University of Arizona

• Christina Cutshaw, The University of Arizona

• David B. Yaden, The University of Arizona

• Ronald W. Marx, The University of Arizona