Child Neuropsychology ( IF 2.2 ) Pub Date : 2021-03-09 , DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2021.1888905 Rebecca Distefano 1 , Aria E Fiat 2 , Jillian S Merrick 3 , Jerry Slotkin 4 , Philip David Zelazo 5 , Stephanie M Carlson 5 , Ann S Masten 5
ABSTRACT
Research has shown that executive function (EF) skills are associated with resilience in preschoolers experiencing risk and adversity, but these studies have typically relied on large batteries of tasks to measure children’s EF skills. There is a need for brief, reliable EF assessments that can be used in the field with diverse young children. The current study assessed the validity and test-retest reliability of two tablet-based EF tasks from the NIH Toolbox: The Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) and the Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test, each with a developmental extension (Dext) that is triggered when a child struggles with the standardized versions. Dext versions include easier levels intended to improve task accessibility for younger and disadvantaged children. Eighty-six preschoolers residing in emergency housing participated in two study sessions about one week apart, completing tablet-based DCCS-Dext and Flanker-Dext tasks, along with a table-top EF task (Peg-Tapping) and measures of vocabulary and numeracy. The majority of participants triggered the Dext portion of the DCCS and almost half triggered the Dext portion of the Flanker, underscoring the need for extensions of the Toolbox EF tasks to lower the floor of these measures. The Dext EF measures were positively associated with Peg-Tapping, after controlling for age and vocabulary, indicating construct validity. They were also correlated with math achievement, suggesting criterion validity. DCCS-Dext and Flanker-Dext showed moderate test-retest reliability after one week. Together, these findings demonstrate the value of developmental extensions for assessing EF skills among children experiencing risk and adversity.
中文翻译:
NIH Toolbox 执行功能测量与发展扩展:在紧急住房中学龄前儿童的可靠性和有效性
摘要
研究表明,执行功能 (EF) 技能与经历风险和逆境的学龄前儿童的复原力有关,但这些研究通常依赖于大量任务来衡量儿童的 EF 技能。需要一种简短、可靠的 EF 评估,可以在现场与不同的幼儿一起使用。目前的研究评估了 NIH 工具箱中两个基于平板电脑的 EF 任务的有效性和重测信度:维度变化卡分类 (DCCS) 和侧翼抑制控制和注意力测试,每个都有一个发展扩展 (Dext),即当孩子与标准化版本作斗争时触发。Dext 版本包括更简单的级别,旨在提高年幼和弱势儿童的任务可访问性。八十六名居住在紧急住房的学龄前儿童参加了两次学习课程,相隔一周左右,完成了基于平板电脑的 DCCS-Dext 和 Flanker-Dext 任务,以及桌面 EF 任务(Peg-Tapping)以及词汇和计算能力的测量. 大多数参与者触发了 DCCS 的 Dext 部分,几乎一半触发了 Flanker 的 Dext 部分,强调需要扩展 Toolbox EF 任务以降低这些措施的底线。在控制年龄和词汇后,Dext EF 测量与 Peg-Tapping 呈正相关,表明结构有效性。它们还与数学成绩相关,表明标准效度。DCCS-Dext 和 Flanker-Dext 在一周后表现出中等的重测信度。一起,