Diferenças de sexo nas funções executivas em crianças de idade pré-escolar

Abstract

Introduction: The main purpose of this study was to investigate the existence of sex differences in executive functions, particularly inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility and working memory, during the preschool years in a sample of Portuguese children. Over the years, scientific research has explored the development of these functions in preschool children, but the analysis of sex differences in this area is limited and requires more research. Methods: 63 preschool children with typical development were assessed using three
instruments from the Early Years Toolbox application on a tablet (iPad): "Fish and Sharks" to evaluate inhibitory control, "Card Sorting" to evaluate cognitive flexibility and "Mr Ant" to evaluate working memory. Results: There were significant differences in inhibitory control, with girls showing better
results than boys at age 4, but these differences decreased at age 5. No significant sex differences were found in cognitive flexibility and working memory. On the other hand, executive functions improved with age in terms of cognitive flexibility and working memory. Conclusion: In this study, we investigated sex differences in executive functions in preschool children. It was observed that the sex can influence inhibitory control but does not seem to play
a significant role in cognitive flexibility and working memory. At the same time, the development of executive functions over the preschool years was notable. This research contributes to a broader understanding of the sex effect on executive functions in childhood and highlights the importance of considering certain individual developmental factors. Future research with a larger and balanced sample and considering social and environmental influences may be beneficial for a more detailed understanding of this topic.

Date of Award	7 Dec 2023
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Filipa Ribeiro (Supervisor)