Language as a Mediator between Home Environment and Prefrontal Functioning in Early Childhood

The purpose of the current study was to examine the mediating role of language in explaining the relation between home environment and prefrontal functioning. Participants were 30 children from two preschool centers (Virginia Tech Lab School and Radford Head Start Center) representing a wide range of socio-economic status. Children's working memory was assessed through performing two verbal tasks, namely the Day/Night task and the Yes/No task and a non-verbal task, the Tapping task. Language, in turn, was assessed through the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-III). The criteria proposed by Baron and Kenny (1986) were followed to test for the mediational hypothesis, as well as an alternative hypothesis stating that working memory might mediate the relation between home environment and language. Results indicated that language did mediate the relation between home environment and prefrontal functioning, particularly working memory. The alternative hypothesis did not prove to be successful. Theoretical and educational implications of these findings are discussed.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Department dc:contributor.department

Psychology

Grantor dc:publisher

Virginia Tech

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Zaki, Hossam M.

Chair dc:contributor.committeechair

• Bell, Martha Ann

Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember

• Cooper, Robin K. Panneton
• Abraham, Jane L.

• home environment
• Children
• working memory
• language

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

Dc Identifier Other

etd-05262004-132931

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/33256