Examining ethnic/racial measurement invariance in fourth-grade executive function: a registered report of data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten

• Dana Miller-Cotto ^[1] ; Andrew Ribner ^[2] ; Sammy Ahmed ^[3] ; Alexa Ellis ^[5] ; Stanisław Czerwinski ^[4]
  1. [1] University of California System

     University of California System

     Estados Unidos

     
  2. [2] Chatham University

     Chatham University

     City of Pittsburgh, Estados Unidos

     
  3. [3] University of Rhode Island

     University of Rhode Island

     Town of South Kingstown, Estados Unidos

     
  4. [4] University of Gdańsk

     University of Gdańsk

     Gdańsk, Polonia

     
  5. [5] University of Alabama

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• Localización: Journal of educational psychology, ISSN-e 1939-2176, ISSN 0022-0663, Vol. 118, Nº. 1, 2026, págs. 1-11
• Idioma: inglés
• DOI: 10.1037/edu0000985
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • Executive function (EF) remains one of the most investigated constructs in both cognitive science and education, given its high correlation with numerous academic outcomes. Differences appear in EF skills between children from different racial/ethnic backgrounds, with children from underresourced and minoritized communities demonstrating poorer performance relative to their peers with more resources. However, it remains unclear whether observed differences in performance are a function of biased measures or reflect true differences in EF capacity. Therefore, using nationally representative data from the Childhood Longitudinal Study (Early Childhood Longitudinal Study—Kindergarten 2010–2011), this study examines whether the psychometric properties of EF are equivalent across race and ethnicity, including Black, White, Latine, and Asian children in the fourth grade. Results of a partial tau-equivalent model reveal that configural invariance cannot be established between any two racial/ethnic groups, suggesting potential bias in the measurement of EF. At a minimum, caution should be taken when making claims about racial/ethnic differences in EF performance. Further efforts should be made to test assessments and models of EF that function similarly across racial/ethnic groups. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2025 APA, all rights reserved)