Citation
Rosen, Maya L.; Hagen, McKenzie P.; Lurie, Lucy A.; Miles, Zoe E.; Sheridan, Margaret A.; Meltzoff, Andrew N.; & McLaughlin, Katie A. (2020). Cognitive Stimulation as a Mechanism Linking Socioeconomic Status with Executive Function: A Longitudinal Investigation. Child Development, 91(4), e762-79. PMCID: PMC7138720Abstract
Executive functions (EF), including working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility, vary as a function of socioeconomic status (SES), with children from economically disadvantaged backgrounds having poorer performance than their higher SES peers. Using observational methods, we investigated cognitive stimulation in the home as a mechanism linking SES with EF. In a sample of 101 children aged 60-75 months, cognitive stimulation fully mediated SES-related differences in EF. Critically, cognitive stimulation was positively associated with the development of inhibition and cognitive flexibility across an 18-month follow-up period. Furthermore, EF at T1 explained SES-related differences in academic achievement at T2. Early cognitive stimulation-a modifiable factor-may be a desirable target for interventions designed to ameliorate SES-related differences in cognitive development and academic achievement.URL
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cdev.13315Reference Type
Journal ArticleYear Published
2020Journal Title
Child DevelopmentAuthor(s)
Rosen, Maya L.Hagen, McKenzie P.
Lurie, Lucy A.
Miles, Zoe E.
Sheridan, Margaret A.
Meltzoff, Andrew N.
McLaughlin, Katie A.