Working memory, executive functions, language, and socio-economic status - A Latent Variable Study of Children From Brazil

This study explores the underlying factor structure of executive functions, working memory, and language in young children from a range of social backgrounds. A particular interest was to investigate the effect of socioeconomic status on the identified factor structure and to explore whether potential links might be mediated by stimulation in the home and/or nutritional status. A population of 400, six- and eight-year-olds, completed multiple measures of working memory, short-term memory, response inhibition, conflict resolution, focused attention, fluid intelligence, and language. Socioeconomic status was indexed by the education and occupation of the caregivers and household income. Anthropometrical assessments were conducted to establish nutritional status; Environmental stimulation was explored via interviews conducted with the caregivers. The results contribute to theoretical conceptions of the components of executive functions in childhood and their link with related cognitive systems. They also contribute to an increased understanding of the relationship between poverty and cognitive achievement.