Executive functions and intelligence in typically developing children

Abstract

With regard to conceptual similarity between executive functions and intelligence, the aim of this research was to determine their correlation in typically developing children. The sample included 114 children of both sexes (59/51.8% of girls), between 8.7 and 10.8 years of age (M=9.80; SD=0.57). Dodrill's Stroop Test, Go/No-Go Task, Listening Span Task, Digit Span Backward, Odd-one-out span, Figure Span Backward, Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, Twenty Questions Task and Tower of London were used for the assessment of executive functions. Intelligence was assessed by Raven's Progressive Matrices. Pearson's correlation and partial correlation coefficients were used in statistical analysis of the results. A low to moderate correlation was determined between intelligence and the variables of all applied executive functions tasks, both in verbal and non-verbal domain (p≤0.000-0.05). Inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, and planning ability correlated with fluid intelligence in the range of r=0.20-0.30, while the correlation with working memory was in the range of r=0.40-0.50. The obtained results confirmed the assumption that intelligence and executive functions were different constructs regardless of their conceptual similarity.

S obzirom na konceptualnu sličnost egzekutivnih funkcija i inteligencije, cilj istraživanja je da se utvrdi njihov međusoban odnos u populaciji dece tipičnog razvoja. Uzorkom je obuhvaćeno 114 dece, oba pola (59/51,8% devojčica), uzrasta 8,7-10,8 godina (AS=9,80; SD=0,57). Za procenu egzekutivnih funkcija korišćeni su Stroop Test (Dodrilova verzija), Kreni-stani zadatak, Raspon rečenica, Raspon cifara unazad, Izbaci uljeza, Raspon figura unazad, Viskonsin test sortiranja karata, Test 20 pitanja i Londonska kula, dok su za procenu inteligencije upotrebljene Ravenove progresivne matrice. Rezultati su statistički obrađeni primenom proste (Pirsonov koeficijent linearne korelacije) i parcijalne korelacije. Analizom rezultata utvrđeno je da inteligencija nisko do umereno korelira sa varijablama svih primenjenih zadataka egzekutivnih funkcija, i u verbalnom i u neverbalnom domenu (p≤0,000-0,05). Inhibitorna kontrola, kognitivna fleksibilnost i sposobnost planiranja koreliraju sa fluidnom inteligencijom u rangu od r=0,20-0,30, dok se veza sa radnom memorijom kreće u rangu od r=0,40-0,50. Dobijeni rezultati potvrđuju stav da su inteligencija i egzekutivne funkcije različiti konstrukti, bez obzira na njihovu konceptualnu sličnost.