Paola Viterbori

Latent structure of executive function in five- and six-year-old children: A longitudinal study

This longitudinal study analyses the structure of executive function in children assessed at five and six years of age and examines the longitudinal relationships between the executive function dimensions identified at the two age levels. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the latent structure of executive function at both age levels. The best fit to the data at both age levels was a two-factor model in which inhibition was distinguished, while working memory and shifting emerged as a unitary component. Some variables show a moderate longitudinal stability and the inhibitory control tasks display reduced continuity across ages.

Improving executive function in childhood: evaluation of a training intervention for 5-year-old children.

Executive function (EF) refers to a set of higher order cognitive processes that control and modulate cognition under continuously changing and multiple task demands. EF plays a central role in early childhood, is associated and predictive of important cognitive achievements and has been recognized as a significant aspect of school readiness. This study examines the efficacy of a group based intervention for 5-year-old children that focuses on basic components of EF (working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility). The intervention included 12 sessions, lasted 1 month and used low-cost materials. Seventy-five children took part in the study. The results indicate that the children who attended the intervention outperformed controls in simple and more complex EF tasks. Specifically, these children exhibited increased abilities to delay gratification, to control on-going responses, to process and update information, and to manage high cognitive conflict. These results suggest the possibility that this intervention, which may be easily implemented in educational services, can promote EF during preschool period before the entrance in primary school.

How preschool executive functioning predicts several aspects of math achievement in Grades 1 and 3: A longitudinal study

This longitudinal study analyzes whether selected components of executive function (EF) measured during the preschool period predict several indices of math achievement in primary school. Six EF measures were assessed in a sample of 5-year-old children (N = 175). The math achievement of the same children was then tested in Grades 1 and 3 using both a composite math score and three single indices of written calculation, arithmetical facts, and problem solving. Using previous results obtained from the same sample of children, a confirmatory factor analysis examining the latent EF structure in kindergarten indicated that a two-factor model provided the best fit for the data. In this model, inhibition and working memory (WM)-flexibility were separate dimensions. A full structural equation model was then used to test the hypothesis that math achievement (the composite math score and single math scores) in Grades 1 and 3 could be explained by the two EF components comprising the kindergarten model. The results indicate that the WM-flexibility component measured during the preschool period substantially predicts mathematical achievement, especially in Grade 3. The math composite scores were predicted by the WM-flexibility factor at both grade levels. In Grade 3, both problem solving and arithmetical facts were predicted by the WM-flexibility component. The results empirically support interventions that target EF as an important component of early childhood mathematics education.

Inhibitory processes in toddlers: a latent-variable approach.

The aim of this study was to investigate the nature of inhibitory processes in early childhood. A confirmatory factor analysis was used to examine the latent structure of inhibitory processes in day-care center children aged 24–32 months and in preschool children aged 36–48 months. The best fit to the data for the younger sample was a single undifferentiated inhibition factor model; in older children, a two-factor model was differently identified in which response inhibition and interference suppression were distinguished.

Mentalizing Abilities in Preadolescents’ and Their Mothers’ Autobiographical Narratives

This study aims to investigate the association between the mental state talk of mothers and their preadolescent children, with the hypothesis that an intergenerational transmission of mentalizing abilities may extend beyond early childhood. The participants were 41 mother−preadolescent child nonclinical dyads. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) and the Child Attachment Interview (CAI) were administered to the mothers and their children, respectively, to evaluate the frequency and the quality of their mental state talk. The AAI transcripts were coded according to the Reflective Functioning Scale. Analyses revealed a clear albeit complex relationship between the mentalizing abilities of mothers and their preadolescent children. The correlations between the mental state talk of mothers and children were generally limited. In contrast, children’s use of mental terms was significantly predicted by maternal education and maternal reflective functioning, whereas the production of markers of uncertainty in children was associated with the mothers’ use of markers of uncertainty.

Are maternal reflective functioning and attachment security associated with preadolescent mentalization

This study investigated the impact of maternal reflective functioning (RF) and attachment security on children’s mentalization. The Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) was administered to mothers in a sample of 41 mother–preadolescent dyads. AAI transcripts were rated in terms of the Berkeley AAI System (Main and Goldwyn, 1998) and the Reflective Functioning Scale (RFS; Fonagy et al., 1998). Preadolescent mentalization was assessed using a semi-structured interview adapted from O’Connor and Hirsch (1999) and also by analyzing mental-state talk produced during an autobiographical interview. Relationships between maternal RF and children’s mentalization were analyzed, with consideration given to the different RFS markers and references to positive, negative, and mixed-ambivalent mental states. Children’s mentalization was positively correlated with the mother’s RF, particularly the mother’s ability to mentalize negative or mixed-ambivalent mental states. No significant differences in mentalization were observed between children of secure and insecure mothers.

The Role of Executive Function in Arithmetic Problem-Solving Processes: A Study of Third Graders

ABSTRACT This study investigated the roles of different executive function (EF) components (inhibition, shifting, and working memory) in 2-step arithmetic word problem solving. A sample of 139 children aged 8 years old and regularly attending the 3rd grade of primary school were tested on 6 EF tasks measuring different EF components, a reading task and a reading comprehension task, an arithmetic facts task evaluating basic knowledge of calculation, and three 2-step arithmetic word problems. Multiple hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to investigate the roles of the different EF components in the various phases of the problem-solving process. The results showed that EF affects the various phases of problem solving differently over and above calculation knowledge and reading abilities. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to further understanding the role of cognitive skills in mathematical problem solving and in relation to instructional approaches that may increase children’s performance on 2-step arithmetic word problems.

Phonological development in children with different lexical skills

This study aims to evaluate phonological competences and their correlations with lexical abilities in 2-year-old Italian-speaking children. Eighty-eight children (46 females) aged 25–32 months participated in the study. From the total sample, three subgroups of children with different lexical skills were extracted to identify phonological characteristics of low, typical and precocious talkers. The results provide a description of the children’s production in terms of consonant and correct consonant inventories; simplified and unintelligible words; and simplification processes. The percentage of unintelligible productions and the number of correct consonants show greater correlations with lexical competence. Children with low vocabulary differ significantly from the other two groups in the percentage of unintelligible words and in consonant inventories. Children with advanced vocabulary show significantly less simplification processes than the other two groups. In addition to describing phonological characteristics in a large sample of young Italian children, this study allows us to identify potential phonological markers of late linguistic development

Preschool Executive Function Profiles: Implications for Math Achievement in Grades 1 and 3

ABSTRACT This longitudinal study aimed to identify specific executive function (EF) profiles in 5-year-old children and to examine the association between these profiles and later math achievement. Six EF measures were administered to 175 children who were then tested in Grades 1 and 3 on math tasks. Using a cluster analysis, four EF profiles were identified: an optimal EF profile, a typical EF profile, a weak working memory (WM)-shifting profile, and a general EF deficit profile. These groups performed differently in math. In particular, the group with a weak WM-shifting profile, whose performance was equivalent to that of the group with a typical EF profile in arithmetic facts and in math problems in Grade 1, showed difficulties similar to the group, with general EF deficits in Grade 3. The association of minor difficulties in WM at preschool ages with later math achievement and the implications for educational practices are discussed.

Le competenze morfosintattiche espressive nei DSL: proposta di una nuova prova di valutazione

BIBLIOGRAFIA Strutturata partendo da verbi presenti nel vocabolario del bambino a 36 mesi secondo il PVB (Caselli et al., 1995). Le preposizioni elicitate sono a, da, in, con, su e relative preposizioni articolate. Sono stati inseriti tre item iniziali di prova per permettere al bambino di comprendere quanto richiesto che non sono calcolati nel punteggio totale. Vengono mostrate al bambino le immagini stimolo rappresentate su di un cartoncino e l’esaminatore inizia la descrizione chiedendo al bambino di completarla (es. al bambino viene mostrato un disegno raffigurante due bambini che saltano su di un letto l’esaminatore dice «I bambini saltano...» e il bambino dovrebbe rispondere «sul letto»). In totale gli item che compongono la prova sono 20, 5 per ogni preposizione. Viene considerato errore se il bambino omette o sostituisce la preposizione, in caso di mancata risposta viene fornito un aiuto con penalizzazione del punteggio (0,5 invece di 1). Il punteggio di correttezza va da 0 a 20.