A Comparison of Three Executive Function Batteries in a Preschool-Aged Sample

There is great interest in the development of executive function (EF) in the preschool period. Accordingly, multiple performance-based measures of EF have been developed for this age group, yet little is known about how they compare to one another. This study used a large and diverse sample of 3-to-5-year-old children (N = 846), who completed subtests of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (NTCB), Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence (WPPSI-IV), and EF Touch battery. Scores on the three batteries were moderately correlated, but children had higher mean accuracy scores on EF Touch than on the NTCB or the WPPSI-IV. Mean accuracy scores on all batteries were linearly associated with child age. Comparisons by income and race/ethnicity showed lower accuracy for low-income children on the WPPSI-IV and lower accuracy for White children on the NTCB. Across all batteries, there was consistently lower accuracy for Hispanic children. The three batteries we examined performed similarly across several metrics. EF Touch may be more appropriate for younger children, while the NTCB performed well with older children. The EF Touch battery is a free to use assessment that may appeal to both researchers and practitioners given its psychometric similarities with the NTCB and WPPSI-IV.