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Executive control and dimensions of problem behaviors in preschool children
Author(s) -
Espy Kimberly Andrews,
Sheffield Tiffany D.,
Wiebe Sandra A.,
Clark Caron A.C.,
Moehr Matthew J.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
journal of child psychology and psychiatry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.652
H-Index - 211
eISSN - 1469-7610
pISSN - 0021-9630
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02265.x
Subject(s) - psychology , psychopathology , developmental psychology , executive functions , cognition , variance (accounting) , latent variable , control (management) , attentional control , structural equation modeling , self control , cognitive psychology , clinical psychology , statistics , psychiatry , mathematics , accounting , management , economics , business
Background: Despite the widespread recognition of the importance of executive control (EC) in externalizing psychopathology, the relation between EC and problem behavior has not been well characterized, particularly in typically developing preschoolers. Method: Using the sample, battery of laboratory tasks, and latent variable modeling methods described in Wiebe, Espy, and Charak (2008), systematic latent dimensions of parent‐rated problem behavior, measured by integrating scales from developmental and clinical traditions, were determined empirically, and then were related to EC. Results: Substantial relations between EC and problem behaviors were revealed by extracting the common variance of interest and eliminating extraneous variance, which were robust to estimated child intelligence and differed somewhat in preschool boys and girls. Conclusion: Preschool EC measured by laboratory tasks appears to tap abilities that strongly and robustly support broad control processes enabling behavioral regulation across cognitive and emotional domains.