Principal Components of Socioeconomic Status as Predictors of Working Memory Performance: A Binary Response Model

• In Event: 54.080 - Roundtable Session 22
  In Roundtable Session: 54.080-12 - Critical Examinations of Socioeconomic Status and Social Class in Education

Abstract

Socioeconomic (SES) status is significant in the development of children’s working memory. However, this relationship is often obscured by narrow conceptualizations of SES. Using SES variables within the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study: Kindergarten Class of 2010-2011 data set, this study developed key principal components of SES and a binary response model to examine how SES variables predicted students’ working memory scores. Results indicated three principal components (minority in context, food security, and family variables) that were better able to predict students’ membership in the 50th and 25th percentile for working memory scores than the composite SES variable in the dataset. These results underscore the value of developing a more complete understanding of socioeconomic status and its relationship with working memory.

Authors

• David Bryant Naff, Virginia Commonwealth University

• JK Stringer, Virginia Commonwealth University