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. 2012 May-Jun;83(3):1022-36.
doi: 10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01756.x. Epub 2012 Mar 30.

Longitudinal antecedents of executive function in preschoolers

Anne Conway  1 , Cynthia A Stifter
Affiliations

Longitudinal antecedents of executive function in preschoolers

Anne Conway et al. Child Dev. 2012 May-Jun.

Abstract

Despite an extensive history underscoring the role of social processes and child contributions to the development of executive functions (C. Lewis & J. Carpendale, 2009; L. S. Vygotsky, 1987), research on these relations is sparse. To address this gap, 68 mother-child dyads were examined to determine whether maternal attention-directing behaviors (attention maintaining, attention redirection) and toddlers' temperament predicted executive processes during preschool (mean age = 4.5 years, SD = 0.46)-delay and conflict inhibition. Maternal attention maintaining was associated with high levels of conflict inhibition for inhibited and exuberant children, whereas attention redirection was associated with low levels of delay and conflict inhibition for inhibited children. Therefore, maternal attention-directing behaviors may enhance the development of executive functions but only for children with inhibited and exuberant temperaments.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Maternal attention-redirection-child on task predicts low delay inhibition for inhibited children.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Maternal attention-maintaining predicts high conflict inhibition for inhibited and exuberant children.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Maternal attention-redirection-child on task predicts low conflict inhibition for inhibited children.
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