Age differences in executive functions among Hungarian preschoolers

ABSTRACT

Executive functions (EFs) undergo dramatic changes during preschool years and show differential age-related effects. In view of this, the present study examines the developmental pathways of EF components among Hungarian preschoolers. The study sample consisted of 136 participants aged between 3 and 6 years old, who were assessed using the head-toes-knees-shoulders test (HTKS), the Corsi block-tapping test, and the dimensional change card sort test (DCCS). The analysis revealed significant age effect on performance in all EF tests, with a trend towards better performance with age. In general, the results for most EF tasks were similar to those reported by studies conducted in other countries, indicating consistency in the structure of EFs. Moreover, superior performance on cognitive flexibility tasks by younger participants draws attention to the potential influence of early childhood education, via child-rearing beliefs and practises, on the promotion of EF skills.

KEYWORDS:

• Executive functions
• preschool
• early childhood education
• child rearing
• Hungary

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was funded by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in the framework of the Lendület II. program [project N: LP‐2018‐21/2018]. Renata Cserjesi’s work was supported by Bolya János research fellowship of the Hungarian Academy of Science.