The structure of executive functions in preschool children and chimpanzees
Abstract Executive functions (EF) are a core aspect of cognition. Research with adult humans has produced evidence for unity and diversity in the structure of EF. Studies with preschoolers favour a 1-factor model, in which variation in EF tasks is best explained by a single underlying trait on which...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2022-04-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08406-7 |
| _version_ | 1818523611229585408 |
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| author | Christoph J. Völter Eva Reindl Elisa Felsche Zeynep Civelek Andrew Whalen Zsuzsa Lugosi Lisa Duncan Esther Herrmann Josep Call Amanda M. Seed |
| author_facet | Christoph J. Völter Eva Reindl Elisa Felsche Zeynep Civelek Andrew Whalen Zsuzsa Lugosi Lisa Duncan Esther Herrmann Josep Call Amanda M. Seed |
| author_sort | Christoph J. Völter |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Executive functions (EF) are a core aspect of cognition. Research with adult humans has produced evidence for unity and diversity in the structure of EF. Studies with preschoolers favour a 1-factor model, in which variation in EF tasks is best explained by a single underlying trait on which all EF tasks load. How EF are structured in nonhuman primates remains unknown. This study starts to fill this gap through a comparative, multi-trait multi-method test battery with preschoolers (N = 185) and chimpanzees (N = 55). The battery aimed at measuring working memory updating, inhibition, and attention shifting with three non-verbal tasks per function. For both species the correlations between tasks were low to moderate and not confined to tasks within the same putative function. Factor analyses produced some evidence for the unity of executive functions in both groups, in that our analyses revealed shared variance. However, we could not conclusively distinguish between 1-, 2- or 3-factor models. We discuss the implications of our findings with respect to the ecological validity of current psychometric research. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:47:00Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-967abacf86ab4593b7d2a50ce4dcd596 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T05:47:00Z |
| publishDate | 2022-04-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-967abacf86ab4593b7d2a50ce4dcd5962022-12-22T01:18:57ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222022-04-0112111610.1038/s41598-022-08406-7The structure of executive functions in preschool children and chimpanzeesChristoph J. Völter0Eva Reindl1Elisa Felsche2Zeynep Civelek3Andrew Whalen4Zsuzsa Lugosi5Lisa Duncan6Esther Herrmann7Josep Call8Amanda M. Seed9School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsSchool of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsSchool of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsSchool of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsRoslin Institute, University of EdinburghSchool of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsSchool of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsDepartment of Psychology, University of PortsmouthSchool of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsSchool of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St AndrewsAbstract Executive functions (EF) are a core aspect of cognition. Research with adult humans has produced evidence for unity and diversity in the structure of EF. Studies with preschoolers favour a 1-factor model, in which variation in EF tasks is best explained by a single underlying trait on which all EF tasks load. How EF are structured in nonhuman primates remains unknown. This study starts to fill this gap through a comparative, multi-trait multi-method test battery with preschoolers (N = 185) and chimpanzees (N = 55). The battery aimed at measuring working memory updating, inhibition, and attention shifting with three non-verbal tasks per function. For both species the correlations between tasks were low to moderate and not confined to tasks within the same putative function. Factor analyses produced some evidence for the unity of executive functions in both groups, in that our analyses revealed shared variance. However, we could not conclusively distinguish between 1-, 2- or 3-factor models. We discuss the implications of our findings with respect to the ecological validity of current psychometric research.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08406-7 |
| spellingShingle | Christoph J. Völter Eva Reindl Elisa Felsche Zeynep Civelek Andrew Whalen Zsuzsa Lugosi Lisa Duncan Esther Herrmann Josep Call Amanda M. Seed The structure of executive functions in preschool children and chimpanzees Scientific Reports |
| title | The structure of executive functions in preschool children and chimpanzees |
| title_full | The structure of executive functions in preschool children and chimpanzees |
| title_fullStr | The structure of executive functions in preschool children and chimpanzees |
| title_full_unstemmed | The structure of executive functions in preschool children and chimpanzees |
| title_short | The structure of executive functions in preschool children and chimpanzees |
| title_sort | structure of executive functions in preschool children and chimpanzees |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-08406-7 |
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