Latent structure of executive function in preschoolers: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract

In the last decades, an impressive amount of research demonstrated the importance of the early development of executive function for concurrent and subsequent psychological development and adjustment. Nevertheless, the structure of executive function in this age range is still a matter of debate. The present systematic review and meta-analysis followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) Statement and focused on studies that used confirmatory factor analysis with at least two indicators for identifying executive function components in preschool and toddler children. In addition to highlighting methodological issues and points of convergence and divergence across studies through the systematic review (sample size, age range, type of indicators, relationship between indicators and latent variables), the meta-analysis provided a quantitative synthesis of the correlations between the most frequently studied latent constructs. In particular, we found a substantial correlation (r = .66) between working memory and inhibition, suggesting that while these functions are closely related in early development, they remain distinguishable components of EF. To move forward in understanding early executive function development, future research should benefit from taking into account some of the issues identified.