Idea Transcript
The Relationship between Executive Functioning and Socioeconomic Status in Children Noelle B. Connor, OTS & Dr. Julia Wilbarger, PhD., OTR Occupational Therapy Program, Program Department of Kinesiology ~ University of Wisconsin-Madison
BACKGROUND
METHODS
•Executive Functioning (EF) is a term used to describe the mental processes we use to navigate our everyday lives. These processes include planning, organizing, memory, attention, and inhibition. •Socioeconomic Status (SES) is defined as one’s economic and social position relative to others. It is determined by accounting for education, occupation, and income. •There is a need to explore if differences in EF exist based on SES, and whether specific components of EF are more SES sensitive than others.
CONCLUSIONS
•Participants were administered the D-KEFS and the CKTA in their school’s therapy rooms or at the UW OT department by occupational therapy graduate students.
•Overall, SES and the EF measures had only small to moderate correlations.
•Participant caregivers compiled the Demographic Questionnaire at home and sent them to the lab where they were then used to compute Hollingshead SES scores
•Different Diff t aspects t off EF appeared d to t be b more sensitive iti to t SES •Concept formation •Cognitive flexibility •Initiation
•Pearson correlation analyses were conducted to examine the relationship between the Hollingshead Four Factor Index of Social Status with both the D-KEFS and the CKTA MEASURES
•The Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System (DKEFS) and Children’s Kitchen Task Assessment (CKTA) are two different measures used to assess EF in children, hild however h measure different diff t components t off EF. EF
•Hollingshead Four Factor Index: An index used to determine social status by computing the education and occupation of the individual(s) living in one household. •CKTA: A performance based measure that assesses children in their ability to follow instructions to make play dough, specifically addressing initiation, organization, planning/sequencing, and judgement of safety. Scores are based on both the number and type of cues required to complete each component of the task at hand.
OBJECTIVES •The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between SES and EF, as determined by both the CKTA and the D-KEFS, and whether there are specific areas of EF that are more sensitive to SES differences differences. •It is hypothesized that children with higher SES will perform better on both the CKTA and D-KEFS, indicating higher EF.
PARTICIPANTS
•D-KEFS: A neuropsychological based measure with nine-stand alone tests used to assess executive functioning
•Sorting Test: Assesses initiation, cognitive flexibility, and problem solving skills by measuring one’s ability to sort 6 cards into 2 categories in as many different ways as possible. The first sort requires the child to sort themselves, while the second sort is done for them and they are asked to identify the differences.
RESULTS CKTA Total Score Hollingshead
-.200
•Further research is needed to identify what other external factors in a child’s life affect EF. Money and resources appear to have only a small to moderate affect on one’s EF.
CKTA Organization Score -.052
•Limitations: •No pure intelligence test was included in this study •The sample only included 48 children from South Central Wisconsin
Correlation between Hollingshead & D-KEFS Color-Word Tests
Participant SES
Color-Word 1 Errors
Color-Word 2 Errors
-.180
.077
Color-Word 3 Color-Word 4 Errors Errors
40
35.4
Percen ntage
30
-.099
27.1
25
g & D-KEFS Sorting g Tests Correlation between Hollingshead
20
16.7 12.5
15
10
Hollingshead
Hollingshead
8.3
Sort 1 Total .210
5
0
Lower
Lower Middle
Middle Class
Social Class
Upper Middle
Upper
***Correlation is significant at the .001 level
DISCUSSION •EF factors such as concept formation, cognitive flexibility, and initiation appear to be more sensitive to SES, however the reason for this is unknown. •That being said, educators and therapists alike should make sure to pay special spec a a attention e o to o these ese a areas eas o of EF a and d be p prepared epa ed to op provide o de spec special a services as needed.
Correlation between Hollingshead & CKTA Score
35
•Concept formation, cognitive flexibility, and initiation components of EF may be more sensitive to SES factors, as seen by the moderate correlations with the D-KEFS Sorting test.
•Color-Word Interference Test: Assesses one’s inhibition skills by measuring the ability to read and name different colors printed in different color ink. Four different tasks at assessed. Scores are based on time and total errors.
•All participants were recruited from the Madison and Janesville, WI School Districts, ranging in age from 7-12 years. _______________________________ n_____%___ Age 7 years 8 16.7 8 years 12 25 9 years 6 12.5 10 years 13 27.1 11 years 8 16.7 12 years 1 2.1 Gender Female 25 52.1 Male 23 47.9 Ethnicity White, Non-Hispanic 37 77.1 Black, Non-Hispanic 2 4.2 Hispanic 6 12.5 _____ Other/Unknown 3 6.3__ (n=48)
•The relationship between SES and EF skills such as initiation, organization, planning/sequencing, and judgement of safety is weak, as seen in the small correlation between the CKTA scores and SES.
Sort 2 Total .466**
-.159
REFERENCES Hollingshead, A.B. (1975). Hollingshead Four Factor Index of Social Status. (Unpublished paper). Yale University, New Haven, CT. Rocke, K., Hays, P., Edwards, D., & Berg, C. (2008). Development of a performance assessment of executive function: The children’s kitchen task assessment. American Journal of Occupational Therapy, 62(5), 528-537.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the participants and their families for their participation in this study, my research team, Dr. Julia Wilbarger and Molly Pokel, for their guidance and support, the Gertrude Gaston Fund for funding the project, Jeanne Appleton and the Janesville School District, and my ever supportive family and friends.