Table 1.

Brief descriptions of executive control tasks

Task	Description
Working Memory
Nine Boxes	Child chooses one of nine boxes of varying color and shape in each trial to search for reward. Child must keep color and shape of previously searched boxes in mind to find rewards in fewest possible trials. Boxes are scrambled for each trial.
Delayed Alternation	Child chooses between two locations on a testing board to find a reward. Location of reward alternates, so child has to keep the last location in mind over a delay to find the reward.
Nebraska Barnyard	Child is shown a 3×3 arrangement of squares with animal figures on a touchscreen. Pictures are removed and child touches squares corresponding to locations of sequences of animal names. Sequence length increases across trials.
Inhibition
Big-Little Stroop	Child is asked to name smaller drawings embedded within a larger drawing. On “conflict trials” the child must suppress the name of the larger object and instead name only the smaller drawings.
Go/No-Go	Child is told to press a button in response to fish stimuli on screen but to inhibit response to shark stimuli.
Shape School – Inhibit Condition	Child is asked to say the color of cartoon stimuli with happy faces but to inhibit naming for stimuli with sad faces.
modified Snack Delay	Child is told to stand still when presented with distraction and tempting candy reward until a bell rings.
Flexible Shifting
Shape School – Switching Condition	Child is asked to say the color of cartoon stimuli without hats and say the shape of stimuli with hats.
Trails – Switching Condition	Child is ask to alternate between stamping dog and bone stimuli of increasing size.

Adapted from “The Changing Nature of Executive Control in Preschool: II. The Preschool Problem Solving Study: Sample, Data, and Statistical Methods,” by T. D. James, H-J. Choi, S. A. Wiebe, and K. A. Espy, 2016, Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 81, p. 34. Copyright 2016 by Wiley.