Abstract：
The timing of structural changes in executive functions (EFs) across development is a matter of controversy; whereas some studies suggest a uniform structure of EFs in early childhood, findings in middle and late childhood are mixed. There are results indicating uniformity of EFs as well as several studies suggesting multidimensionality of the construct. In addition, studies demonstrate an age-related differentiation of the relation between EFs and intelligence. We conducted a comparative analysis of the EF structure and relations with fluid intelligence in two distinct age groups. A sample of n = 145 preschool children (5.2-6.7 years of age) and n = 109 elementary school children (8.8-11.8 years) completed measures of working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and fluid intelligence. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) revealed that a single-factor model best represented performance on EF tasks in both preschool and elementary school children. Multi-group CFA indicated equivalent and strong relations between EFs and intelligence across both age groups (r = .64 in preschool and elementary school children). Our results confirm that EFs are significantly related to fluid intelligence but might not underlie a uniform pattern of successive differentiation into multiple EF components in childhood. We discuss how methodological artifacts such as simultaneous interference might have contributed to previous findings on differentiation in middle and late childhood.
摘要：
在整个发展过程中，执行功能（EF）的结构变化的时间是一个有争议的问题；而一些研究表明，幼儿时期EF的结构是统一的，儿童中后期的发现喜忧参半。有结果表明EF的均匀性，还有一些研究表明该结构具有多维性。此外,研究表明，EF和智力之间的关系存在与年龄相关的差异。我们对两个不同年龄段的EF结构及其与流体智力的关系进行了比较分析。样本中n=145名学龄前儿童（5.2-6.7岁）和n=109名小学生（8.8-11.8岁）完成了工作记忆的测量，抑制,认知灵活性，和流体智能。验证性因素分析（CFA）表明，单因素模型最能代表学龄前儿童和小学生的EF任务表现。多组CFA表明，在两个年龄组中，EF与智力之间具有同等和牢固的关系（学龄前和小学生的r=0.64）。我们的结果证实，EF与流体智力显着相关，但可能不是儿童期连续分化为多个EF成分的统一模式。我们讨论了诸如同时干扰之类的方法学伪影如何对先前关于儿童中后期分化的发现做出了贡献。
