Examining the Relation Between Prospective Memory and Executive Function Using Parent-Report Measures

• In Event: 2-214 - Mechanisms Supporting the Development of Future-oriented Thinking

Integrative Statement

Prospective memory (PM; Einstein & McDaniel, 1990) describes the ability to remember to carry out an intended action in the future. Typically, PM is measured in the laboratory by giving children a prospective intention that is embedded within an ongoing activity (see Kvavilashvili et al., 2001). In general, behavioural measures of PM show developmental increases between 4 and 6 years of age (e.g., Kvavilashvili et al., 2001; Mahy & Moses, 2011).
Importantly, however, during the preschool years, other abilities are concurrently developing alongside PM, such as children’s executive abilities. It has been suggested that children’s executive abilities (e.g., working memory, inhibition; Ford et al., 2012; Mahy & Moses, 2011) may be related to children’s PM performance in the laboratory and may support better PM. For example, a child must hold the content of the PM intention in mind while carrying out the ongoing task (relying on working memory) and inhibit the tendency to treat the PM cue like an ongoing task item (relying on inhibition). Though the relation between children’s PM and executive functioning (EF) has been examined behaviourally, little research has examined the relation between children’s PM and EF as reported by their parents. Notably, parents can provide important insight in regard to their child’s everyday behaviour because they observe their child across different contexts in the child’s life. Thus, it is unclear whether results found using parent reports would align with that found using behavioural tasks.
The current study involved examining the relation between (1) children’s PM and EF using behavioural tasks and (2) children’s PM and EF based on parent-report. Seventy-six 3-to 7-year-olds (M = 66.07 months, SD = 18.41) and their parents participated in the study. Upon arrival to the laboratory, parents completed the PM subscale of the Children’s Future Thinking Questionnaire (CFTQ; Mazachowsky & Mahy, unpublished) and the Behavioural Rating Inventory on Executive Function- Preschool version (BRIEF-P; Gioia et al., 2000). Then, children completed a PM card sort task, where they were asked to name the colours of vehicles on cards (ongoing task) and make a verbal response (PM intention) when a bicycle card appeared in the stack. This was followed by the NIH Toolbox Dimensional Change Card Sort Test (DCCS), a measure of cognitive flexibility, that children completed on an iPad.
First, in line with past literature, we found children’s PM performance on the card sort task was marginally related to children’s performance on the DCCS, r (57) = .24, p = .08. Next, we examined the relation between parent reports. Results showed that parent’s ratings of their children’s EF related to their ratings of their children’s PM, r (56) = -.50, p < .001, such that parents who reported their child as experiencing fewer EF difficulties also reported their child as having better PM. Further, this relation remained significant when controlling for age (see Table 1 for correlations). Overall, these results suggest that children’s PM ability relates to their EF and this relation is apparent using behavioural (though marginally) and parent-report measures.

Authors

• Tessa Mazachowsky, Brock University
  Presenting Author

• Caitlin E. V. Mahy, Brock University
  Non-Presenting Author