. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 May 1.

Published in final edited form as: Child Neuropsychol. 2014 Apr 22;21(3):331–353. doi: 10.1080/09297049.2014.906568

TABLE 3.

Group Differences in Performance-Based Executive Function

EF Construct	Preterm n=70			Full Term n=79			F-tests for group status	Effect Size
Task (Continuous Outcomes)	Age (years)			Age (years)
	3	4	5	3	4	5
	Mean (SD)			Mean (SD)				η²
Working Memory
	n=20	n=30	n=20	n=31	n=29	n=19
3-boxes (No. reaches)	3.05 (.22)	3.03 (.18)	3.05 (.22)	3 (0)	3 (0)	3 (0)	F(1,142) = 3.1, p = .08	.022
6-boxes (No. reaches)	7.4 (1.8)	6.8 (1.1)	7.5 (2.6)	6.7 (1.2)	6.2 (.58)	6.3 (.82)	F(1,142) = 13.6, p < .001	.087

Complex Response Inhibition
	n=19	n=30	n=20	n=31	n=29	n=19
Bird/Dragon (No. Correct, reverse scored)	7 (6.3)	11.2 (4.5)	12.2 (3.3)	10.2 (4.8)	13.3 (2.3)	13.9 (.23)	F(1,141) = 12.8, p < .001	.083
	n=20	n=29	n=20	n=30	n=29	n=19
Day/Night (No. correct, reverse scored)	4.8 (7.6)	7.8 (5.6)	8.8 (5.7)	6.6 (5.6)	10.2 (3.9)	12.3 (2.6)	F(1,140) = 6, p = .012	.041

Idea Generation
	n=16	n=24	n=16	n=27	n=28	n=18	F(1, 129) = 6.53, p = .012	.051
Verbal Fluency	4.4 (3.3)	7.4 (4.3)	10.5 (4)	6.6 (4)	10.4 (3.6)	12.3 (6.6)

EF Construct	Preterm			Full Term			X2, p value	Effect Size
Task (Categorical Outcomes)								ϕ

Simple Response Inhibition	n = 67			n = 77
	No. (%)			No. (%)
Gift Wrap (fail)	29 (43%)			18 (23%)			6.5, p = .011^*	0.21

Attention Shifting/Task Switching/Cognitive Flexibility	n = 70			n = 79
Card Sort 1^st dimension (fail)	8 (11%)			5 (6%)			1.2, p = .271	.09
Card Sort 2^nd dimension (fail)	32 (46%)			25 (20%)			11, p = .001^*	.27

Note:

p < .05.