Yu Dian, Yang Pei-Jung, Geldhof G John, Tyler Corine P, Gansert Patricia K, Chase Paul A, Lerner Richard M
Institute for Applied Research in Youth Development, Tufts University, Medford, Massachusetts, USA.
National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan.
J Pers Oriented Res. 2020 Dec 30;6(2):73-87. doi: 10.17505/jpor.2020.22401. eCollection 2020.
Traditional variable-centered research on executive functions (EFs) often infers intraindividual development using group-based averages. Such a method masks meaningful individuality and involves the fallacy of equating group-level data with person-specific changes. We used an intensive longitudinal design to study idiographic executive function fluctuation among ten boys from Grade 4. Each of the participants completed between 33 and 43 measurement occasions ( = 38.8) across approximately three months. Data were collected remotely using a computerized short version of the Dimensional Change Card Sort task. Multi-group analyses of three participant pairs (Participants 5 and 3, 5 and 2, and 5 and 6) demonstrated that Participant 5 differed from Participants 3 and 2 in different ways but Participants 5 and 6 were similar in all comparisons. Dynamic structural equation modeling demonstrated unique individual trajectories, which were not represented by the trajectory of group-averages. Although more than half of the participants showed a negative association between EFs and inattention, two participants showed a positive association between EF and inattention. This study demonstrated meaningful person-specific trajectories of EFs, suggesting that future study should undertake the analysis of individual development before data-aggregation or generalization from aggregate statistics to individuals.
传统的以变量为中心的执行功能（EFs）研究通常使用基于群体的平均值来推断个体内部的发展。这种方法掩盖了有意义的个体差异，并且涉及将群体层面的数据等同于个体特定变化的谬误。我们采用密集纵向设计来研究四年级的十名男孩的个性化执行功能波动情况。每位参与者在大约三个月的时间里完成了33至43次测量（平均 = 38.8次）。数据通过计算机化的简短版维度变化卡片分类任务进行远程收集。对三对参与者（参与者5和3、5和2、5和6）的多组分析表明，参与者5与参与者3和2在不同方面存在差异，但参与者5和6在所有比较中都相似。动态结构方程模型显示了独特的个体轨迹，这些轨迹并非由群体平均值的轨迹所代表。尽管超过一半的参与者在执行功能和注意力不集中之间呈现负相关，但有两名参与者在执行功能和注意力不集中之间呈现正相关。这项研究证明了执行功能有意义的个体特定轨迹，表明未来的研究应该在数据汇总或从汇总统计推断个体之前进行个体发展分析。
