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Author Notes:

aryeh.stein@emory.edu

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Charlotte Wray, Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Methodology, Project administration, Visualization, Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing, Alysse J. Kowalski, Conceptualization, Formal analysis, Methodology, Visualization, Writing – review & editing, Feziwe Mpondo, Project administration, Writing – review & editing, Laura Ochaeta, Project administration, Writing – review & editing, Delia Belleza, Writing – review & editing, Ann DiGirolamo, Writing – review & editing, Rachel Waford, Writing – review & editing, Linda Richter, Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing – review & editing, Nanette Lee, Funding acquisition, Writing – review & editing, 8 Gaia Scerif, Supervision, Writing – review & editing, Alan Stein, Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing – review & editing, Aryeh D. Stein, Funding acquisition, Supervision, Writing – review & editing

We would like to thank all of the participants in this study. With thanks to all members of the Consortium of Health-Orientated Research in Transitioning Societies (COHORTS) group. Additional members of the COHORTS group include: Pelotas Birth Cohorts: Fernando C Barros, Federal University of Pelotas; Fernando P Hartwig, Federal University of Pelotas; Bernardo L Horta, Federal University of Pelotas; Ana M B Menezes, Federal University of Pelotas; Joseph Murray, Federal University of Pelotas; Fernando C Wehrmeister, Federal University of Pelotas; Cesar G Victora, Federal University of Pelotas; Birth to Twenty Plus: Shane A Norris, University of the Witwatersrand; Lukhanyo Nyati, University of the Witwatersrand; New Delhi Birth Cohort: Santosh K Bhargava, Safdarjang Hospital and Vardhman Mahavir Medical College; Caroline HD Fall, University of Southampton; Clive Osmond, University of Southampton; Harshpal Singh Sachdev, Sitaram Bhartia Institute of Science and Research; INCAP Nutrition Supplementation Trial Longitudinal Study: Maria F. Kroker-Lobos, INCAP Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama; Reynaldo Martorell, Emory University; Manuel Ramirez-Zea, INCAP Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama; Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey: Linda S. Adair, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Isabelita Bas, Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos; Delia Carba, Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos; Tita Lorna Perez, Office of Population Studies Foundation, University of San Carlos.

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Research Funding:

This study was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1164115). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.

Keywords:

  • executive functions (EF)
  • accuracy
  • reaction time
  • interpretation issues
  • scoring methods
  • generalisability
  • cross-culturally
  • inhibition
  • cognitive flexibility
  • diverse populations

Contrasting speed and accuracy approaches to measure executive functions in three low-and middle-income countries

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Journal Title:

PLoS One

Volume:

Volume 18, Number 8

Publisher:

, Pages e0290238-None

Type of Work:

Article | Final Publisher PDF

Abstract:

Executive functions (EF) can be measured by tests assessing accuracy, reaction times and by computing scores which combine these two components. Interpretation issues can arise from the use of different scoring methods across studies. Given that EF measures and their scoring methods are predominantly developed and validated in high income countries, little is known about the generalisability of such methods cross- culturally. The current paper compares two different established scoring approaches for measures of inhibition and cognitive flexibility: difference scores (which utilise reaction time only) and computed scores (combining accuracy and reaction time). We utilised data collected in adulthood from three low- and middle-income birth cohorts (Guatemala, Philippines, South Africa). Non-normal distributions were observed for both scoring methods in all three samples; however, this was more pronounced for the difference score method. Differing distribution patterns were observed across the three cohorts, which was especially evident in the Guatemala cohort, highlighting potential issues with using these methods across diverse populations. The data suggest that the computed scores may be a reliable measure of EF. However, the different ways of scoring and interpreting EF instruments need to be considered carefully for each population before use.

Copyright information:

© 2023 Wray et al

This is an Open Access work distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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