Developmentally Sensitive Measures of Executive Function in Preschool Children
Abstract
Changes in executive functioning in the preschool years are recognized as playing a critical role in cognitive and social development, yet comprehensive data and recommendations about measurement of these changes are lacking. The performance of 602 preschool children on several executive function tasks was analyzed and reported as (a) age trends in performance and (b) task difficulty scales at 2, 3, 4, and 5 to 6 years of age. This analysis informs theories of executive function development and offers researchers an evidence-based guide to task selection and design.
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The overlap was driven by three tasks: Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulder, KRISP, and PSRA.
“This overlap was driven by three tasks that met our definition of EF and have explicitly been defined as such by leaders in the field: the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulder task (McClelland et al., 2014), the Kansas ReflectionImpulsivity Scale for Preschoolers (KRISP; Carlson, 2005), and the Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment (PSRA), which includes peg/pencil tapping and other tasks that require children”
From Early childhood executive function predicts concurrent and later social and behavioral outcomes: A review and meta-analysis. (2024) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
The Simon Says task is significantly more difficult for children than the Bear/Dragon task, despite both being Go/No-Go paradigms.
“The Simon Says task is significantly more difficult for children than the Bear/Dragon task, despite both being Go/No-Go paradigms.”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
The Bear/Dragon task is age appropriate across the preschool period.
“One paradigm that has been shown to be age appropriate across the preschool period is the Bear/Dragon task (Carlson, 2005).”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
Delay of gratification or self-control tasks can be administered to young preschool children, with the delay period adjusted according to the child's age.
“Delay of gratification or self-control tasks can be administered in young preschool children, with the delay period adjusted according to child's age.”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
Preschoolers are rarely able to reverse sequences of 4 or greater on backward span tasks.
“These tasks are challenging even for older children and preschoolers are rarely able to reverse sequences of 4 or greater.”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
Substantial improvement in inhibitory control is observed in the preschool period.
“Substantial improvement in inhibitory control is observed in the preschool period (Carlson, 2005).”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
On the Bear/Dragon task, only about half of young 3-year-olds (< 31⁄2 yrs) can resist responding to the Dragon puppet; this increases to 75% for older 3-year-olds (> 31⁄2 yrs), and by age 5 most children successfully complete the task.
“On the Bear/Dragon task (Go/No-Go task), only about half of young 3-year-olds (< 3½ yrs) are able to resist responding to the instructions of the Dragon puppet, however this increases to 75% for older 3-year-olds (> 3½ yrs) and by age 5 years most children are successfully completing this task (Carlson, 2005).”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
Traditional working memory tasks, including backward digit span and backward block span, can be administered to preschoolers.
“Traditional working memory tasks can also be administered to preschoolers including backward digit span and backward block span.”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
Anti-imitation tasks are suitable across the preschool age range, although young 3-year-olds may struggle.
“These anti-imitation tasks are suitable across the preschool age range, although young 3-year-olds may struggle.”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
Carlson et al. (2005) showed continued maturation of inhibitory control across 3 to 5 years on delayed gratification tasks, but performance varied and the discrepancy may be explained by the intrinsic value of the gift.
“While Carlson et al (2005) also showed continued maturation of inhibitory control across 3 to 5 years on delayed gratification tasks, performance again varied and the discrepancy may be explained by the intrinsic value of the gift.”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson et al., 2005
Three-year-olds struggle to shift sorting categories on the Dimensional Change Card Sort test, but this perseverative behavior is far less common in older 4-year-olds.
“In terms of shifting attention, 3-year-olds really struggle to shift sorting categories on the Dimensional Change Card Sort test, but this perseverative behavior is far less common in older 4-year-olds (Carlson, 2005).”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
Carlson et al. (2005) found that only about half of children aged 3 to 41⁄2 years were able to pass tasks requiring a response that conflicts with their instinctive or dominant response (e.g., Day-Night).
“Carlson et al. (2005) found that only about half of the children aged between 3 and 4½ years were able to pass tasks that required a response that conflict with their instinctive or dominant response (e.g.Day-Night).”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson et al., 2005
Preschoolers have difficulty on complex response inhibition tasks.
“Preschoolers have difficulty on complex response inhibition tasks.”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson et al., 2005
Very few 3-year-olds can correctly reverse the sequence of three digits, but by age 5 most children have this capacity.
“For example, very few 3-year-olds are able to correctly reverse the sequence of three digits but by 5-years of age most children have this capacity (Carlson, 2005).”
From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as Carlson, 2005
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- Authors
- Carlson, S. M.
- Affiliations
- University of Washington (US)
- Corresponding author
- Carlson, Stephanie M.
- Venue
- Developmental Neuropsychology
- Publisher
- Informa UK Limited
- Published
- 2005-10
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 595-616
- ISSN
- 1532-6942 (ISSN-L)
- 8756-5641
- OpenAlex
- W2168166334
- Semantic Scholar
- a77331cf314638e441933d163271e6df2522afce
- Cited by
- 1,638
- References
- 60
- Citations by year
- 2026: 49 · 2025: 66 · 2024: 67 · 2023: 105 · 2022: 100 · 2021: 122 · 2020: 109 · 2019: 106 · 2018: 110 · 2017: 104 · 2016: 115 · 2015: 104 · 2014: 108 · 2013: 91 · 2012: 63
- FWCI
- 27.09
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Developmental Neuropsychology (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- American Psychological Association
- University of Washington
- Apex Foundation
- U.S. Public Health Service (R03-041473-02)
- National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
- Keywords
- executive function, preschool children, executive function development, task difficulty, task selection, task design, cognitive development, social development (developmental psychology)
- MeSH terms
- Child, Child, Preschool, Cognition, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Humans, Male, Neuropsychological Tests
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