Components of cognitive control processes in preschoolers from poor- and non-poor homes

LIPINA S.J.; SEGRETÍN M.S.; HERMIDA M.J.; BENARÓS S.; COLOMBO J.A.

San Francisco

Congreso; Cognitive Neuroscience Society, Annual Meeting; 2008

Cognitive Neuroscience Society

Working memory, inhibitory control and planning paradigms were used to evaluate executive performance of healthy children (N=208, 3-to 5-years-old) from poor (P) and non-poor (NP) homes. Significant differences were observed between groups in AnotB (MANOVA, Delay 15", Consecutive Correct:, NP:4.97±2.37, P:4.13±2.79, p=0.01; Sets, NP:3.31±1.27, P:2.96±0.95, p=0.03), Color Reversal (CR) (First Block:, NP:11.39±7.05, P:8.23±6.80, p<0.01; Perseverative, NP:0.73±0.77, P:1.11±0.89, p<0.01), Three and Four Colors (TFC) (Score1: NP:8.02±3.94, P:4.75±4.76, p<0.01, Score2:NP: 4.44±1.88, P:3.29±1.94, p<0.01), and Tower of London (TOL) (Score2: NP: 86.26±4.67, P: 73.99±4.87, p=0.03). To identify key components data were subjected to two exploratory factor analyses (Method: principal components, Rotation: Varimax). A 5-factors model were found in both groups, which accounted for 73.93% (NP:KMO=0.66) and 72.49% (P:KMO=0.65) of the variance, respectively. In the NP group AnotB variables were associated with Factor 1 (24.69%) (Correct=0.89; Consecutive=0.92; Perseverative=-0.62; Sets=0.82); TFC and TOL to Factor 2 (15.92%) (TFC Score1=0.76; TFC Score2=0.71; TOL Score1=0.91; TOL Score2=0.85); Color Reversal to Factor 3 (14.84%) (Correct=0.71; Blocks=-0.91; Perseverative=0.89); Spatial Reversal to Factor 4 (11.58%) (Correct=0.78; Blocks=-0.84; Perseverative=0.78); and Day/Night like stroop to Factor 5 (6.89%) (Score1=0.84). In the P group, TFC and TOL were associated with Factor 1 (22.95%) (TFC Score1=0.83; TFC Score2=0.76; TOL Score1=0.85; TOL Score2=0.82); AnotB to Factor 2 (16.14%) (Correct=0.76; Consecutive =0.92; Perseverative=-0.72; Sets=0.87); Color Reversal to Factor 3 (14.14%) (Correct=0.75; Blocks=-0.88; Perseverative=0.90); Spatial Reversal to Factor 4 (12.15%) (Correct=0.71; Blocks=-0.78; Perseverative=0.85); and Day/Night like stroop to Factor 5 (7.11%) (Score1=0.87). Results suggest that executive functions factorial structure was similar in both socioeconomic groups, despite their quantitative differences in performance. Acknowledgements. Fundación Conectar, CONICET, CEMIC, Ministerio de Educación GCBA.