The dimensionality of early executive functions in young preschoolers: Comparing unidimensional versus bidimensional models and their ecological validity

ABSTRACT

The study analyses the dimensionality of executive functions (EF) and its relationship with behavior in typically developing 3- and 4-year-old children. In study 1, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to investigate the validity of a one-factor model in 117 preschoolers. Since this model was not confirmed, a two-factor model was identified through exploratory factor analysis. In study 2, the validity of the new two-factor versus one-factor model was tested on a new sample of 128 children through a series of CFAs. The relationship between the models and specific behavioral aspects of the children was investigated. The results suggest that a bidimensional structure showed a better fit to the data and more ecological validity than a unitary structure.

KEYWORDS:

• Executive functions
• cognitive models
• preschoolers
• ecological model
• executive functions dimensionality

Acknowledgment

The authors wish to acknowledge all the children, parents, and teachers that participated in the research and the graduate students who assisted in this study.

Disclosure statement

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request. We have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1080/09297049.2020.1868419