Standardization of a Test Battery to Measure Executive Functions (EF Touch) in German Pre-schoolers

• In Event: Poster Session 12
  In Poster Session: PS 12 Topic - Attention, Learning, Memory

Abstract

Executive functions (EF) play an important role in the cognitive, academic and health development of children (Duckworth & Seligman, 2005) and are an essential predictor for school readiness (Bierman, Nix, Greenberg, Blair & Domitrovich, 2008; Blair, 2002). 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 task battery (EF Touch, Willoughby, Blair, Wirth & Greenberg, 2010), that has been developed in the US, for the use in Germany. EF Touch includes eight tasks designed to assess three core components of EF (working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility; Blair & Ursache, 2011) at the age of 3-6 years. The current sample includes 90 children (50 girls, age: M= 3.39, SD=.776). All tasks of the test battery have good internal consistencies, only the tasks measuring working memory show moderate results (see Table 1, Cronbachs Alpha).
The correlations showed significant relations between the three inhibition tasks (r = .341-.506) and two of the working memory tasks (Houses & Farmer, r = .319). The shifting task correlated with all other EF Touch tasks (r = .266 -.505). The age and gender effects were examined with ANOVAs. Older children outperformed younger ones on seven of the tasks (p-values <.006), girls performed better than boys on two tasks (p-value <.04). For one inhibition task an interaction of age and gender was found (p = .007), where older boys showed an improved performance, while girls achieved the lowest result with 4 years. There were significant correlations between the performance on the EF-Touch tasks and the scales of the parent-rated EF questionnaire BRIEF-P (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version; Gioia, 1996). The BRIEF-P correlated significantly in the overall scale with the overall scale of the EF Touch (r = .319), as well as in the subscales inhibition (r = -.252), working memory (r = -.357) and shifting (r = -.357). Data analysis is ongoing and results will be updated accordingly. So far results indicate that the battery is suitable for the use in German without further modifications. Results will be discussed in line with current theories of EF in preschool.

Authors

• Bianca Ulitzka, Helmut-Schmidt-University
  Presenting Author

• Monika Daseking, Helmut-Schmidt-University
  Non-Presenting Author

• Julia Karbach, University of Koblenz-Landau
  Non-Presenting Author

• Caterina Gawrilow, University of Tübingen
  Non-Presenting Author

• Julia Kerner auch Körner, Helmut-Schmidt-University Hamburg
  Non-Presenting Author