The relationship between executive functions, source use, and integrated writing performance

An accurate assessment of writing relies on a thorough understanding of its underlying processes and related factors. While integrated writing (IW) is crucial for students’ academic success and future career development, the factors influencing performance in such complex tasks remain under scientific investigation. In particular, although the core role of source use in completing IW tasks is widely acknowledged, we still need to explore factors that could facilitate writers’ effective use of sources. While recent studies have highlighted the critical role of executive functions (EFs)—such as working memory, inhibition, and cognitive flexibility—during writing activities, the exact influence of these foundational cognitive skills on source use and IW performance remains unclear. To this end, this study recruited 233 secondary students in Hong Kong to complete a set of standardized EF tasks and a Chinese reading-to-write IW task. The students’ written products were analyzed regarding the use of content ideas and linguistic transformation based on source materials. We found that visual-spatial working memory had a significant direct effect on IW performance. Two critical aspects of source use—ideas from sources and near copy—mediated the relationship between EF skills and IW performance. These findings contribute to our understanding of the role of EF skills in complex IW tasks. We highlight the implications of our results for the assessment, teaching, and learning of integrated writing.