The relationship between parent perceived executive functioning and reading comprehension in the absence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder by Hanbury, Mary, Psy.D., Adler School of Professional Psychology, 2008, 86 pages; AAT 3327387
- Abstract: The purpose of the present study is to examine the relationship between parent perceived executive functioning and reading comprehension in children without a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder and to determine if gender moderates the relationship between executive functioning and reading comprehension. The data collected was archival data obtained from two doctoral level clinicians during psychoeducational evaluations. The study consisted of 47 subjects, 34 of which were boys and 13 were girls. The ages range from 6 to 17 years of age. As part of a psycoeducational evaluation the participants were given the Passage Comprehension subtest of the Woodcock-Johnson III Achievement battery and the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (BRIEF) form was completed by the participant's parents or teachers. Parent perceived executive functioning was measured by the BRIEF parent form, Global Executive Composite (GEC) and reading comprehension was measured by Passage Comprehension test of the Woodcock-Johnson III Achievement Tests (WJIII ACH). A T-test was done to ascertain if there was a significant difference between the means of the two groups of high and low executive functioning as defined by T-scores on the Parent GEC. Group I represents children who scored below 65 on the BRIEF and Group 2 represents children who scored higher than 65. A score of 65 is the point that represents 1.5 standard deviation above the mean, which is the cut-off for a clinically elevated score. Results indicated there was a significant difference between the means of the high and low executive functioning groups. For Group 1 (M=101.73, SD=13.2). For Group 2 (M=86.41, SD=12.63) t = 3.80. Group I was significant (p= <.001). The effect size was examined and the difference was measured by Cohen's d = 1.16. Pearson Correlations were completed between reading comprehension and parent perceived executive function for each gender. It was found that gender moderates the relationship between executive functioning and reading comprehension as there was a negative correlation for boys (r =.58, p<.001, and there was no correlation for girls (r =.17, p = .573).
