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Structure and Invariance of Executive Functioning Tasks across Socioeconomic Status: Evidence from Spanish-Speaking Children

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 December 2013

Vanessa Arán-Filippetti
Vanessa Arán-Filippetti*
Affiliation:
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (Argentina)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Vanessa Arán Filippetti. Centro Interdisciplinario de Investigaciones en Psicología Matemática y Experimental (CIIPME). Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET). Tte. Gral. Juan D. Perón, 2158. C1040AAH. Buenos Aires (Argentina). E-mail: [email protected]
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Abstract

The aim of the present study was to analyze the latent structure of executive functions (EFs) in Spanish-speaking children and to test measurement invariance across socioeconomic status (SES). We sampled 248 children, aged 8 to 12, who were divided into two groups: 124 children from a medium socioeconomic status (MSS) and 124 children from a low socioeconomic status (LSS). We applied a neuropsychological battery consisting of various EF tasks and performed confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and multi-group CFA (MGCFA). CFA showed best fit for the three factor solution: (a) Working memory, (b) Cognitive flexibility, and (c) Inhibition. Moreover, the MGCFA revealed that the three-factor solution was invariant (configural, metric, and structural) across SES, allowing valid comparison between the groups (MSS and LSS) of factors. Finally, bifactorial MANOVA revealed a significant effect of SES and group age but not for the interaction between the two in the three EF dimensions indicative of quantitative group differences. Results are discussed in terms of the dimensional nature of the EF construct and the effects of SES on executive functioning.

Keywords

executive functionsconfirmatory factor analysismeasurement invariancechild neuropsychology
Type
Research Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 16 , 2013 , E101
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2013 

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