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Laifer LM, Brock RL, Tomaso CC, James TD, Yaroch AL, Hill JL, Huang TT, Nelson JM, Mason WA, Espy KA, Nelson TD. Exploring the Interaction Between Preschool Executive Control and Caregiver Emotion Socialization in Predicting Adolescent Weight Trajectories. J Youth Adolesc 2024; 53:656-668. [PMID: 38117361 PMCID: PMC10872396 DOI: 10.1007/s10964-023-01928-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/21/2023]
Abstract
There is a critical need for research examining how neural vulnerabilities associated with obesity, including lower executive control, interact with family factors to impact weight trajectories across adolescence. Utilizing a longitudinal design, the present study investigated caregivers' emotion socialization practices as a moderator of the association between preschool executive control and adolescent body mass index (BMI) trajectories. Participants were 229 youth (Mage = 5.24, SD = 0.03; 47.2% assigned female at birth; 73.8% White, 3.9% Black, 0.4% Asian American, 21.8% multiracial; 12.7% Hispanic) enrolled in a longitudinal study. At preschool-age, participants completed performance-based executive control tasks, and their caregivers reported on their typical emotion-related socialization behaviors (i.e., supportive and nonsupportive responses to children's negative emotions). Participants returned for annual laboratory visits at ages 14 through 17, during which their height and weight were measured to calculate BMI. Although neither preschool executive control nor caregiver emotion-related socialization behaviors were directly associated with BMI growth in adolescence, supportive responses moderated the association between executive control and BMI trajectories. The expected negative association between lower preschool executive control and greater BMI growth was present at below average levels of supportive responses, suggesting that external regulation afforded by supportive responses might reduce risk for adolescent overweight and obesity among children with lower internal self-regulatory resources during preschool. Findings highlight the importance of efforts to bolster executive control early in development and targeted interventions to promote effective caregiver emotion socialization (i.e., more supportive responses) for youth with lower internal self-regulatory abilities to mitigate risk for overweight and obesity and promote health across childhood and adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Laifer
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
| | - Rebecca L Brock
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Cara C Tomaso
- Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tiffany D James
- Office of Research and Economic Development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Amy L Yaroch
- Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition, Omaha, NE, USA
| | - Jennie L Hill
- Department of Population Health Sciences, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Terry T Huang
- Center for Systems and Community Design and NYU-CUNY Prevention Research Center, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jennifer Mize Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Office of Research and Economic Development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - W Alex Mason
- Department of Child, Youth, & Family Studies, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA
| | - Timothy D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
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Phillips EM, Brock RL, James TD, Nelson JM, Mason WA, Espy KA, Nelson TD. Does preschool executive control mediate the impact of early environmental unpredictability and deprivation on the general factor of psychopathology a decade later? J Child Psychol Psychiatry 2023; 64:1505-1516. [PMID: 36872576 PMCID: PMC10911046 DOI: 10.1111/jcpp.13775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although deprivation has been consistently shown to increase risk for psychopathology through impaired executive control, the unique effects of other dimensions of early adversity, such as unpredictability, on executive control development are poorly understood. The current study evaluated whether deprivation and/or unpredictability early in life have unique effects on the general factor of psychopathology through impaired preschool executive control. METHODS Participants included 312 children (51% female) oversampled for greater sociodemographic risk. Preschool executive control was measured using a battery of nine developmentally appropriate executive control tasks. Dimensions of adversity were measured with observational and caregiver assessments, and psychopathology was measured with caregiver and child reports. RESULTS In separate models, both deprivation and unpredictability had significant indirect effects on the adolescent general factor of psychopathology through impaired preschool executive control. However, when both dimensions of adversity were included simultaneously, early life deprivation, but not unpredictability, was uniquely associated with the general factor of psychopathology in adolescence through impaired preschool executive control. CONCLUSIONS Preschool executive control appears to be a transdiagnostic mechanism through which deprivation, but not unpredictability, increases risk for the general factor of psychopathology in adolescence. Results elucidate potential transdiagnostic targets for intervention efforts aimed at reducing the development and maintenance of psychopathology across the life span.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Rebecca L Brock
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Tiffany D James
- Office of Research and Economic Development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Jennifer Mize Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Office of Research and Economic Development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - W Alex Mason
- Department of Child, Youth, & Family Studies, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health San Antonio, Long School of Medicine, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Timothy D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
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Laifer LM, Tomaso CC, Chang OD, Phillips EM, James TD, Nelson JM, Espy KA, Alex Mason W, Nelson TD. Early executive control buffers risk for adolescent psychopathology during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Adolesc 2023; 95:1205-1219. [PMID: 37211897 PMCID: PMC10526894 DOI: 10.1002/jad.12195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had a global impact on youth mental health, and there is a critical need for research examining individual factors that contribute to increased psychopathology during the pandemic. The current study explored whether executive control (EC) abilities in early childhood interact with COVID-related stress to attenuate risk for adolescent psychopathology during the first 6 months of the pandemic. METHODS Participants were 337 youth (49% female) living in a small midwestern city in the United States. Participants completed EC tasks when they were approximately 4.5 years old as part of a longitudinal study investigating cognitive development. At annual laboratory visits during adolescence and before the pandemic, participants (Mage = 14.57) reported on mental health symptoms. In July and August of 2020, participants (Mage = 16.57) reported on COVID-related stress and depression, anxiety, and trauma symptoms. RESULTS COVID-related stress was associated with increased internalizing problems after controlling for prepandemic symptom levels. Further, the impact of COVID-related stress on adolescent internalizing problems was moderated by preschool EC, with higher levels of EC buffering the effects of COVID-related stress on adolescent internalizing problems. CONCLUSIONS Findings highlight the importance of promoting EC early in development, as well as screening for EC deficits and implementing targeted intervention strategies across the lifespan to help reduce the impact of stress on adolescent internalizing problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Laifer
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Cara C Tomaso
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Olivia D Chang
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- School of Social Work, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Eric M Phillips
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Tiffany D James
- Office of Research and Economic Development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Jennifer Mize Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
- Office of Research and Economic Development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- Department of Neuroscience, Developmental and Regenerative Biology, University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Science, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Long School of Medicine, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - W Alex Mason
- Department of Child, Youth, & Family Studies, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families, and Schools, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
| | - Timothy D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, Nebraska, USA
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Reynold de Seresin M, Roy A, Theveniaut C, Le Goff J, Chopin C, Rouger V, Roze JC, Flamant C, Muller JB. Assessing of executive functions in daily life in preterm children aged 3-4 years old from the "Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool version" questionnaire. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:999100. [PMID: 37565238 PMCID: PMC10410931 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.999100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Executive functions (EFs) are a set of neuropsychological skills permitting solving problems in a new situation by regulating action, behavior, and emotional response. As cerebral maturation remains vulnerable in preterm children, a higher risk of developing cognitive disorders including EFs exist compared to term children. Aims The aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of preschool EF impairments through proxy reports in children born preterm before 34 weeks of gestational age using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool (BRIEF-P) version. Secondary aims were to report neonatal, child, or socioeconomic factors associated with EF disorders. Results Parents of 357 children born preterm aged 3-4 years old completed the BRIEF-P version. Impairment in EFs was clinically significant for 13.5% of preterm children (n = 47; 95% CI = 0.10-0.18) compared to 5.1% in term children. A low parental socioeconomic level was significantly associated with impaired parent-rated EF (19.1% vs. 5.3%, p = 0.003). Conclusions Proxy reports of EF impairment are about twice as frequent as in term children. EF difficulties are not related to neonatal or child severity factors in contrast with the parental socioeconomic level. Using a parent-rated questionnaire may be a useful and easy tool to identify early the daily life impact of EF disorders on clinical follow-up of preterm children.This study was recorded in the Clinical Trials Register under identifier NCT03700463.
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Affiliation(s)
- Magali Reynold de Seresin
- Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
- Réseau “Grandir Ensemble”, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Arnaud Roy
- Department of Psychology, Psychology Laboratory, University of Angers, Angers, France
- Reference Center for Learning Disabilities, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
- Univ Angers, Nantes Université, LPPL, SFR CONFLUENCES, Angers, France
| | - Camille Theveniaut
- Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
- Réseau “Grandir Ensemble”, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Justine Le Goff
- Reference Center for Learning Disabilities, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Coline Chopin
- Reference Center for Learning Disabilities, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Valérie Rouger
- Réseau “Grandir Ensemble”, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Jean-Christophe Roze
- Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
- Réseau “Grandir Ensemble”, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
- Epidemiologie Clinique, Centre d'Investigation Clinique (CIC004), Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Cyril Flamant
- Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
- Réseau “Grandir Ensemble”, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
- Epidemiologie Clinique, Centre d'Investigation Clinique (CIC004), Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
| | - Jean-Baptiste Muller
- Pediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
- Réseau “Grandir Ensemble”, Nantes University Hospital, Nantes, France
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Schirmbeck K, Runge R, Rao N, Wang R, Richards B, Chan SWY, Maehler C. Assessing executive functions in preschoolers in Germany and Hong Kong: testing for measurement invariance. JOURNAL OF CULTURAL COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s41809-022-00112-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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The interplay of maternal sensitivity and infant temperament and attention in predicting toddlers' executive function: A two-year longitudinal study. ACTA PSYCHOLOGICA SINICA 2022. [DOI: 10.3724/sp.j.1041.2022.00141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Alex Mason W, Patwardhan I, Fleming CB, Stevens AL, James TD, Nelson JM, Espy KA, Nelson TD. Associations of childhood executive control with adolescent cigarette and E-cigarette use: Tests of moderation by poverty level. Addict Behav 2021; 119:106923. [PMID: 33826966 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2021.106923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Adolescent cigarette smoking has continued to decline, whereas electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use has increased dramatically among youth. Nicotine use in any form, even at low levels, during adolescence can have adverse consequences, particularly for low-income individuals. To elucidate potential early intervention targets, this study examined childhood executive control (EC), a set of cognitive processes for directing attention and behavior, in relation to adolescent cigarette and e-cigarette onset, testing for differential prediction by poverty level. METHOD Participants were 313 children (51% female, 64% European American) recruited in a small city in the Midwestern United States beginning in 2006 and then followed into adolescence between ages 14 and 16 years. EC was measured in the laboratory with performance-based tasks when children were age 5 years, 3 months. Self-reports of cigarette onset and e-cigarette onset were obtained in adolescence (Mage = 15.65 years). Overall, 24% of the sample was at or below the poverty line. RESULTS Cigarette onset was higher in the poverty group (17%) than in the non-poverty (8%) group, but e-cigarette onset did not differ by poverty level (36% poverty versus 38% non-poverty). Multiple group structural equation modeling revealed a statistically significant group difference such that EC ability was a significant negative predictor of e-cigarette onset for poverty but not for non-poverty youth. A similar group difference was evident as a trend for cigarette onset. CONCLUSIONS Because EC has been shown to be modifiable, early interventions to improve EC for children living in poverty might help prevent adolescent e-cigarette onset.
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Clark CAC, Massey SH, Wiebe SA, Espy KA, Wakschlag LS. Does early maternal responsiveness buffer prenatal tobacco exposure effects on young children's behavioral disinhibition? Dev Psychopathol 2019; 31:1285-1298. [PMID: 30428950 PMCID: PMC6520205 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579418000706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Children with prenatal tobacco exposure (PTE) exhibit early self-regulatory impairments, reflecting a life-course persistent propensity toward behavioral disinhibition. Previously, we demonstrated the protective role of parental responsiveness for reducing the risk of exposure-related disruptive behavior in adolescence. Here, we expanded this line of inquiry, examining whether responsiveness moderates the relation of PTE to a broader set of behavioral disinhibition features in early childhood and testing alternative diathesis-stress versus differential susceptibility explanatory models. PTE was assessed prospectively using interviews and bioassays in the Midwestern Infant Development Study (MIDS). Mother-child dyads (N = 276) were re-assessed at approximately 5 years of age in a preschool follow-up. We quantified maternal responsiveness and child behavioral disinhibition using a combination of directly observed activities in the lab and developmentally sensitive questionnaires. Results supported a diathesis-stress pattern. Children with PTE and less responsive mothers showed increased disruptive behavior and lower effortful control compared with children without PTE. In contrast, exposed children with more responsive mothers had self-regulatory profiles similar to their non-exposed peers. We did not observe sex differences. Findings provide greater specification of the protective role of maternal responsiveness for self-regulation in children with PTE and help clarify mechanisms that may underscore trajectories of exposure-related behavioral disinhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caron A C Clark
- Department of Educational Psychology,University of Nebraska-Lincoln,Lincoln, NE,USA
| | - Suena H Massey
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences,Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine,Chicago, IL,USA
| | - Sandra A Wiebe
- Department of Psychology,University of Alberta,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- Office of the Provost,University of San Antonio at Texas, San Antonio, TX, USA;Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory,University of Nebraska-Lincoln,Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Lauren S Wakschlag
- Institute for Innovations in Developmental Sciences, Northwestern University,Chicago,IL, USA
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Devine RT, Ribner A, Hughes C. Measuring and Predicting Individual Differences in Executive Functions at 14 Months: A Longitudinal Study. Child Dev 2019; 90:e618-e636. [PMID: 30663776 PMCID: PMC6849706 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
This study of 195 (108 boys) children seen twice during infancy (Time 1: 4.12 months; Time 2: 14.42 months) aimed to investigate the associations between and infant predictors of executive function (EF) at 14 months. Infants showed high levels of compliance with the EF tasks at 14 months. There was little evidence of cohesion among EF tasks but simple response inhibition was related to performance on two other EF tasks. Infant attention (but not parent-rated temperament) at 4 months predicted performance on two of the four EF tasks at 14 months. Results suggest that EF skills build on simpler component skills such as attention and response inhibition.
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Skibbe LE, Montroy JJ, Bowles RP, Morrison FJ. Self-regulation and the Development of Literacy and Language Achievement from Preschool through Second Grade. EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH QUARTERLY 2019; 46:240-251. [PMID: 30636841 PMCID: PMC6328261 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2018.02.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Previous research has established that higher levels of behavioral self-regulation are associated with higher levels of language and literacy. In this study, we take a more developmental perspective by considering how trajectories of self-regulation development (early, intermediate, late) predict the way literacy and language skills develop from preschool through second grade. Children (n = 351) were assessed twice per year for up to four years on indicators of decoding, reading comprehension, phonological awareness, and vocabulary. Using non-linear growth curve models, we found that children who demonstrated self-regulation earlier had higher language and literacy skills throughout preschool to second grade. More specifically, earlier self-regulation trajectories were associated with both higher levels and earlier development of both decoding and reading comprehension, but not faster development. Children with early self-regulation trajectories developed phonological awareness earlier than those with late self-regulation trajectories. Finally, children with early self-regulation trajectories had higher levels of vocabulary than children with intermediate trajectories, but did not differ on the rate or timing of vocabulary development. Findings point to the enduring and interconnected nature of self-regulation and children's language and literacy development.
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Nelson TD, Kidwell KM, Nelson JM, Tomaso CC, Hankey M, Espy KA. Preschool Executive Control and Internalizing Symptoms in Elementary School. JOURNAL OF ABNORMAL CHILD PSYCHOLOGY 2018; 46:1509-1520. [PMID: 29313184 PMCID: PMC6035890 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-017-0395-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Depression and anxiety are prevalent and impairing forms of psychopathology in children and adolescents. Deficits in early executive control (EC) may contribute to the development of these problems, but longitudinal studies with rigorous measurement across key developmental periods are limited. The current study examines EC in preschool as a predictor of subsequent depression and anxiety symptoms in elementary school in a community sample (N = 280). Child participants completed a battery of nine developmentally-appropriate tasks designed to measure major aspects of EC at age 5 years, 3 months. Children later participated in an elementary school follow-up phase, during which they completed validated norm-referenced self-report questionnaires of depression and anxiety symptoms in fourth grade. Results indicate that poorer preschool EC was significantly associated with both greater depression and anxiety symptoms in elementary school, controlling for baseline depression and anxiety symptoms in preschool and other relevant variables. These findings suggest that poor EC may be an important risk factor for the development of internalizing psychopathology in childhood. Given emerging evidence for the modifiability of EC, particularly in preschool, EC promotion interventions may hold promise as a potential target in psychopathology prevention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 319 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA.
- Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA.
| | - Katherine M Kidwell
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 319 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA
| | - Jennifer Mize Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 319 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA
- Center for Brain, Biology and Behavior, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Cara C Tomaso
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 319 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA
| | - Maren Hankey
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 319 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 319 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0308, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although numerous studies have documented the effects of sleep loss on executive control (EC) and related abilities, research examining the impact of early EC on subsequent sleep problems is lacking. Therefore, the current study reports on a longitudinal investigation of EC in preschool as a predictor of sleep-wake problems and daytime sleepiness in early adolescence. PARTICIPANTS The participants were 141 children (48.6% female) recruited from the community for a longitudinal study spanning preschool through early adolescence, with an oversampling for high sociodemographic risk (34.1% based on eligibility for public medical insurance, free or reduced lunch status, or family income-to-needs below the federal poverty line). METHODS Participants completed a battery of developmentally appropriate tasks assessing major aspects of EC (working memory, inhibitory control, flexible shifting) during a laboratory visit at age 4 years, 6 months. Participants also completed a follow-up session in early adolescence (between ages 11 years and 13.5 years; mean age = 11.82 years, SD = .62 years), during which they completed self-report measures of sleep-wake problems and daytime sleepiness. RESULTS Structural equation modeling results indicate that preschool EC (represented by a single latent construct) significantly negatively predicted both sleep-wake problems and daytime sleepiness in early adolescence, with poorer EC predicting greater subsequent sleep problems. CONCLUSIONS Poorer EC abilities during the critical period of preschool may be a risk factor for later sleep problems in adolescence. Given that EC appears to be modifiable, early interventions to promote EC development may help prevent subsequent sleep problems and promote long-term health trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Nelson
- a Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska-Lincoln , Lincoln , Nebraska
| | - Katherine M Kidwell
- a Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska-Lincoln , Lincoln , Nebraska
| | - Maren Hankey
- a Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska-Lincoln , Lincoln , Nebraska
| | - Jennifer Mize Nelson
- a Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska-Lincoln , Lincoln , Nebraska
- b Office of Research, University of Nebraska-Lincoln , Lincoln , Nebraska
| | - Kimberly Andrews Espy
- a Department of Psychology , University of Nebraska-Lincoln , Lincoln , Nebraska
- c Department of Psychology , University of Arizona , Tucson , Arizona
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Kim MH, Shimomaeda L, Giuliano RJ, Skowron EA. Intergenerational associations in executive function between mothers and children in the context of risk. J Exp Child Psychol 2017; 164:1-15. [PMID: 28759782 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Executive functioning (EF) is critical for school readiness and other important life skills. Previous investigations have often neglected the important influence of parental EF skills in shaping their own children's EF. This study attempted to replicate recent empirical work that has shown that maternal EF is positively related to child EF. An ecological theoretical framework was used to examine the maternal EF-child EF link in family environments characterized by significant risk and socioeconomic adversity. Data from 38 mother-child dyads revealed that larger maternal working memory capacity was associated with greater child accuracy and slower reaction times on a child-friendly Go/No-Go task of response inhibition but not on an Emotional Go/No-Go task. This finding suggests that in contexts of risk and adversity, slower reaction times, instead of reflecting weaker EF skills, might reflect an adaptive skill-that is, exercising appropriate caution and careful responding on a challenging task. Results provide additional evidence of an intergenerational link between maternal EF and child EF and yield new insights into the nature of EF in adverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew H Kim
- Educational Policy Improvement Center, Eugene, OR 97403, USA.
| | - Lisa Shimomaeda
- Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Ryan J Giuliano
- Prevention Science Institute, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
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Nelson TD, Nelson JM, James TD, Clark CAC, Kidwell KM, Espy KA. Executive control goes to school: Implications of preschool executive performance for observed elementary classroom learning engagement. Dev Psychol 2017; 53:836-844. [PMID: 28358540 PMCID: PMC5436807 DOI: 10.1037/dev0000296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The transition to elementary school is accompanied by increasing demands for children to regulate their attention and behavior within the classroom setting. Executive control (EC) may be critical for meeting these demands; however, few studies have rigorously examined the association between EC and observed classroom behavior. This study examined EC in preschool (age 5 years 3 months) as a predictor of classroom learning engagement behaviors in first grade, using a battery of performance-based EC tasks and live classroom observations in a longitudinal sample of 313 children. Multilevel modeling results indicated that stronger EC predicted more focused engagement and fewer task management and competing responses, controlling for socioeconomic status, child sex, and age at observations. Results suggest that early EC may support subsequent classroom engagement behaviors that are critical for successful transition to elementary school and long-term learning trajectories. (PsycINFO Database Record
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