Developmental patterns of executive function similarity between mother and child

• In Event: Exploring associations between parent and child executive function across childhood: Mechanisms, moderators, and main effects

Abstract

Introduction: Executive function (EF) is a focal construct of self-regulation (SR), and individual differences in EF skills can differentially contribute to successful SR development. A few studies that have examined EF and effortful control in younger and school-aged children have shown associations between parent and child SR (Bridgett et al., 2015), as well as both genetic and non-genetic factors contributing to the transmission of individual differences in EF (Deater-Deckard, 2016, Knopik et al., 2022). In addition, familial similarity in executive functioning increases as children develop (Deater-Deckard, 2014). Previous studies have shown positive associations between parent and child EF from early childhood to adolescence (Cuevas et al., 2014; Jester et al., 2009) and a considerable increase in the heritability of EF from early childhood to late childhood (Wang et al, 2012). Given that both socialization practices and genetics contribute to parent-child SR similarity, it is likely that a child will become more like their parent as they develop and grow older.

Hypothesis: As children develop from 3 to 9 years, there will be an increase in mother-child similarity in EF performance.

Methods: Participants included families that followed infants at 3, 6 and 9 years of age in a socioeconomically diverse sample (n = 171). Children and mothers completed a battery of tasks: Tongue task (Kochanska et al, 2000), Simon-says (Wolfe and Bell, 2007), and Day-night (Gerstadlt et al., 1995) tasks at age 3; and, Dimensional Change Card Sort (Zelazo et al., 1996), Digit Span (Garon et al., 2008), Number Stroop (Ruffman et al., 2001), and Wisconsin Card Sorting Task (WCST, Heaton & Par Staff, 2003) at ages 6 and 9. Mothers completed Stroop color-word (Stroop, 1935), WCST, and backward digit span tasks. Reliable EF composite scores were calculated.

Results:

Intraclass Correlation (IC). There was no significant IC between the child and mother EF at age 3. There was a marginally significant IC between child and mother EF at 6, and a significant IC between child and mother EF at age 9.

Multivariate Models. There was not a significant association between mother and child EF performance at 3 years, γ11 = -.02, p = .842 or at 6 years, γ21 = .13, p = .135. However, there was a significant association between mother and child EF performance at 9 years, γ31 = 0.18, p = .015. Child gender was a significant covariate at 9 years (γ31 = 0.45, p = .004), such that there was stronger association between mother and child EF in girls compared to boys at 9 years.

There was not a significant difference in mother-child EF performance similarity between ages 3 and 6 years, γ = .15, p = .227 and between ages 6 and 9 years, γ = 0.06, p = .556. There was a marginally significant difference in mother-child EF performance similarity between ages 3 and 9 years, γ = 0.20, p = .08.

Conclusion: As hypothesized, there is an increase in mother-child similarity in EF performance as children develop from 3 to 9 years.

Authors

• Yelim Hong, University of Massachusetts Amherst
  Presenting Author

• Christina Bertrand, University of Massachusetts Amherst

• Kirby Deater-Deckard, University of Massachusetts Amherst

• Cynthia L. Smith, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

• Martha Ann Bell, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University