Executive function measurement in urban schools: Exploring links between performance-based metrics and teacher ratings.

When compared to research centered on the executive function development of white, middle-class children, relatively little is known about their non-white, low socioeconomic status peers. In an effort to harmonize how executive functions are measured within under-represented contexts, the present study addresses gaps in the evaluation of everyday executive functioning to better understand whether behavior rating scales completed by teachers (BASC2EF - BASC executive function scale, 2nd edition; BASC3EF - BASC executive function scale, 3rd edition) capture distinctions between performance-based measures. This study includes two large samples of older, ethnic minority children from high-poverty backgrounds (Sample 1. N = 243; Mage  = 9.28 years, SDage  = 0.80; nfemale  = 125; nAfricanAmerican  = 216, nLatinAmerican  = 15, nAsianAmerican  = 6; Sample 2. N = 229; Mage  = 10.02 years, SDage  = 1.01; nfemale  = 120; nAfricanAmerican  = 132, nLatinAmerican  = 92, nWhite  = 3, nPacificIslander  = 1). Based on structural equation models testing the links between computerized performance-based measures and the teacher rating scales, the results indicate that BASC2EF in its original form might be a good fit for some populations but there is not a strong factor structure for the current high-poverty samples. In addition, post-hoc analyses suggest that only including BASC2EF items also in BASC3EF or using BASC3EF is best practice for high-poverty populations. BASC3EF seems better able to capture different components of performance-driven tasks, whereas BASC2EF captures overall executive functioning better than individual tasks. These findings encourage continued questioning surrounding metrics used to assess everyday executive functions in older children from diverse backgrounds. HIGHLIGHTS: This study explores whether teacher ratings of children's everyday executive functioning (using standardized behavior rating scales) capture distinctions between performance-based measures. Results indicate that BASC2EF teacher rating scale (Karr & Garcia-Barrera, 2017) is not a good representation of everyday executive function behaviors by children from schools in high-poverty communities. The findings suggest that restricting BASC2EF analyses to only items included in BASC3EF (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2015) or using BASC3EF for high-poverty populations. BASC3EF seems better able to capture the different components of performance-driven tasks, whereas BASC2EF captures overall executive functioning better than individual tasks.

The Zoo Task: A novel metacognitive problem-solving task developed with a sample of African American children from schools in high poverty communities.

Metacognition is important for monitoring and regulating cognitive processes, decision-making, problem-solving, and learning. Despite widespread interest in metacognition, measuring metacognition in children poses a significant challenge. Some qualitative and observational metrics exist but are restricted by scalability, range of metacognitive components measured, and use of different metrics compared with tasks for adults. We developed the Zoo Task-a novel, scalable, a paper-based task that measures multiple aspects of metacognition that is less conflated by other variables like verbal ability and does not require video-recording children. Children (N = 204, ages: 7-12 years, mostly from African American backgrounds) attending schools in high-poverty urban areas contributed to its development. In addition, they completed a standard metacognition of memory task similar to those already used with children and adults. The results indicate that the novel task trials are reliable and have good criterion validity. The Zoo Task could bridge the current gap between existing metrics of metacognition for children and adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Maternal smoking during pregnancy and risk to boys' conduct disturbance: an examination of the causal hypothesis.

BACKGROUND: We undertook this study to determine whether the widely replicated link between maternal smoking and conduct disturbance (Cd) is better explained by a model of direct causation or of mother-offspring transmission of a latent Cd variable. METHODS: Family data collected on 538 adolescent twin boys from the Virginia Twin Study of Adolescent Behavioral Development (VTSABD) was used to compare two alternative models: 1) a model composed of a latent transmissible factor that influences mother's juvenile conduct symptoms, smoking during pregnancy, and subsequent Cd and smoking in her adolescent boys; and 2) a model specifying a direct causal path from mother's smoking to child Cd. RESULTS: The maternal-offspring transmission model fit the data as well as a model specifying a direct causal path from maternal smoking to child Cd. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that the association between maternal smoking during pregnancy and boys' Cd symptoms may be attributed to the transmission of a latent Cd factor and not to a direct effect of the smoking. Our results challenge previous findings of a direct effect of prenatal smoke exposure on risk to Cd once other etiologic factors are considered.