Which executive functions predict semantic fluency in preschool children?
Session
Psychology
Description
Semantic Fluency (SF) increases with age, along with the enrichment of the lexicon and the strategies to access it. Executive functions (EF) are among the cognitive processes that play an essential role in in controlling lexical access. Nevertheless, which EF, namely inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility, are specifically tapped by SF during preschool years, when these basic EF components are developing and differentiating, is still unknown. The study has a two-fold aim: 1. to analyse the relationship between EF and SF in preschool children, 2. To investigate the mediating effect of EF in the effect of age on SF. 333 typically developing preschoolers (M age=57.15; SD=10.24; months range=33-74) were assessed with a SF task and EF tasks measuring the main EF basic components. Results showed that during preschool, the effect of age on the SF task performance correlated with the improvement of several EF components: response inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility were significant predictors of SF, explaining 27% of variance and all mediated the relationship between age and performances in SF. This study supports the importance of considering cognitive control processes at preschool age as they underpin important competencies for the child's development, such as the ability to quickly access vocabulary.
Keywords:
executive functions, inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, semantic fluency, preschool children
Proceedings Editor
Edmond Hajrizi
ISBN
978-9951-550-95-6
Location
UBT Kampus, Lipjan
Start Date
28-10-2023 8:00 AM
End Date
29-10-2023 6:00 PM
DOI
10.3107/ubt-ic.2023.34
Recommended Citation
Osmani, Fatbardha, "Which executive functions predict semantic fluency in preschool children?" (2023). UBT International Conference. 12.
https://knowledgecenter.ubt-uni.net/conference/IC/PSYY/12
Which executive functions predict semantic fluency in preschool children?
UBT Kampus, Lipjan
Semantic Fluency (SF) increases with age, along with the enrichment of the lexicon and the strategies to access it. Executive functions (EF) are among the cognitive processes that play an essential role in in controlling lexical access. Nevertheless, which EF, namely inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility, are specifically tapped by SF during preschool years, when these basic EF components are developing and differentiating, is still unknown. The study has a two-fold aim: 1. to analyse the relationship between EF and SF in preschool children, 2. To investigate the mediating effect of EF in the effect of age on SF. 333 typically developing preschoolers (M age=57.15; SD=10.24; months range=33-74) were assessed with a SF task and EF tasks measuring the main EF basic components. Results showed that during preschool, the effect of age on the SF task performance correlated with the improvement of several EF components: response inhibition, working memory and cognitive flexibility were significant predictors of SF, explaining 27% of variance and all mediated the relationship between age and performances in SF. This study supports the importance of considering cognitive control processes at preschool age as they underpin important competencies for the child's development, such as the ability to quickly access vocabulary.