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Dissertation
Assessing executive functioning and prospective memory in children and adolescents in a disease and control population
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Drexel University
Dec 1993
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17918/00007950
Abstract
This study hypothesized that "prospective memory" was associated with "executive functioning" and distinct from retrospective memory. Prospective memory was examined with 2 behavioral tasks and with a 20-item Likert scale questionnaire designed to measure parent's view of their child's prospective memory abilities. This questionnaire was administered to 100 parents. Psychometric properties of the questionnaire showed it to be high in internal consistent (Cronbach Alpha =.94) and homogeneity (loading on one factor). Discriminant analysis measures found the prospective memory tasks to be distinct from retrospective memory tasks and loading on the same factor as the executive functioning tasks. However, there was a lack of correlation between the prospective memory tasks and the prospective memory questionnaire. The neuropsychological development of prospective memory and executive functioning, in disease and control samples of children ages 5 to 17 years (n = 79) was examined. Children were found not to be proficient in executive functioning skills until the age of 10. Pearson r correlations and analysis of variance found only a small relationship between age and prospective memory task, which could not be verified with a Newman-Keuls post hoc test. Age was found to significant effect the WCST (number of categories), and Verbal Fluency performance. Newman-Keuls post hoc tests verified there to be a significant different between the youngest age group (72 to 119 months) and the two older age groups (120-167 months and 168-204 months, respectively). This study examined the effects of a disease on executive functioning and prospective memory. Lyme disease was chosen as the disease model given that previous studies with adults, have found memory-like deficits which can be conceptualized as prospective memory deficits (Logigan, Kaplan and Steere, 1990). 42 Lyme disease children were compared to 14 children diagnosed with Post-Infectious Reactive Arthropathy (a disease that mimics many of the same physical symptoms as Lyme disease) and 23 control siblings. Results indicate no difference in childrens' executive or memory functioning between diagnostic groups. Thus, this study confirmed the hypothesis there is a relationship between prospective memory and executive functioning, while at the same time verifying how these skills are discriminant from retrospective memory.
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Details
- Title
- Assessing executive functioning and prospective memory in children and adolescents in a disease and control population
- Creators
- Kerri J. P. Kennard
- Awarding Institution
- Drexel University
- Degree Awarded
- Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
- Publisher
- Drexel University; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Number of pages
- viii, 127 pages
- Resource Type
- Dissertation
- Language
- English
- Academic Unit
- College of Arts and Sciences; Drexel University
- Other Identifier
- 991021888740804721