Experiences of poverty and racism in early childhood can overburden physiological systems that respond to stress with implications for the development of the prefrontal cortex and related executive functioning. The present study is unique in its examination of basal cortisol output across the preschool day in relation to teacher ratings of executive functioning. Participants were 310 children attending Head Start preschool in the United States, a majority of whom were Black, Hispanic, or Asian Heritage. Salivary cortisol was sampled in duplicate at 4 times across 2 days near the beginning of the school year, resulting in a total of 16 samples per child. Several weeks later, the BRIEF-P teacher rating scale assessed various components of executive functioning. Zero-order correlations suggested that basal cortisol output across the preschool day related to each assessed component of executive functioning, as well as to composite scores. Results of hierarchical linear modeling indicated that higher cortisol across the preschool day related to greater difficulties in overall teacher-reported executive functioning, controlling for child age, birth-assigned sex, race/ethnicity, and family income. Implications concern understanding the impact of stress on executive functioning in the preschool classroom and promoting positive outcomes for children facing adversity.

儿童早期的贫困和种族主义经历会使应对压力的生理系统负担过重，这对前额叶皮层和相关执行功能的发展产生影响。本研究的独特之处在于它检查了整个学龄前一天的基础皮质醇输出与教师对执行功能的评分之间的关​​系。参与者是在美国就读 Head Start 学前班的 310 名儿童，其中大多数是黑人、西班牙裔或亚裔。在学年开始时的 2 天内，对唾液皮质醇进行了 4 次一式两份采样，结果每个孩子总共有 16 个样本。几周后，BRIEF-P 教师评分量表评估了执行功能的各个组成部分。零阶相关表明，学龄前一天的基础皮质醇输出与执行功能的每个评估组成部分以及综合得分相关。分层线性模型的结果表明，在整个学龄前一天，较高的皮质醇与教师报告的整体执行功能、控制儿童年龄、出生性别、种族/民族和家庭收入的更大困难有关。影响涉及了解压力对学前课堂执行功能的影响，并促进面临逆境的儿童取得积极成果。分层线性模型的结果表明，在整个学龄前一天，较高的皮质醇与教师报告的整体执行功能、控制儿童年龄、出生性别、种族/民族和家庭收入的更大困难有关。影响涉及了解压力对学前课堂执行功能的影响，并促进面临逆境的儿童取得积极成果。分层线性模型的结果表明，在整个学龄前一天，较高的皮质醇与教师报告的整体执行功能、控制儿童年龄、出生性别、种族/民族和家庭收入的更大困难有关。影响涉及了解压力对学前课堂执行功能的影响，并促进面临逆境的儿童取得积极成果。