Caregiver executive functions are associated with infant visual working memory

Amaireh, Ghada; Caes, Line; Theyer, Aimee; Davidson, Christina; Wijeakumar, Sobanawartiny

Abstract

Caregiver executive functions (EFs) play an integral role in shaping cognitive development. Here, we investigated how caregiver EF abilities (86 caregivers; mean age = 33.4 years, SD = 4.5) was associated with visual working memory (VWM) in infants (86 infants females; mean age = 250.6 days, SD = 35.8). The BRIEF-A was used to assess caregiver EFs, and a preferential looking task along with fNIRS was used to assess VWM function in infants. Our findings revealed that better caregiver behavioral regulation was associated with better VWM performance, greater right-lateralized parietal activation, and left-lateralized frontal suppression, while better caregiver metacognition and emotional control was associated with greater right-lateralized temporal suppression in infants. Taken together, these associations suggest that better caregiver EF abilities might shape visuo-spatial attention and memory, guide fixation on task-relevant goals, and suppress distractions in children from as early as the first year of life. Highlights: The study investigated the association between caregiver executive functions (EF) and visual working memory (VWM) function in infants. Caregiver EFs were assessed using the BRIEF-A questionnaire, and infant VWM function was assessed using the preferential-looking task and brain imaging. Better caregiver EF abilities were associated with better VWM behavior and fronto-temporo-parietal engagement in infants.

Citation

Amaireh, G., Caes, L., Theyer, A., Davidson, C., & Wijeakumar, S. (2024). Caregiver executive functions are associated with infant visual working memory. Infant and Child Development, 33(6), Article e2543. https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2543

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Aug 14, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Sep 5, 2024
• Publication Date: Sep 5, 2024
• Deposit Date: Aug 19, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Sep 6, 2025
• Journal: Infant and Child Development
• Print ISSN: 1522-7227
• Electronic ISSN: 1522-7219
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 33
• Issue: 6
• Article Number: e2543
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/icd.2543
• Keywords: caregivers; executive functions; fNIRS; infants; visual working memory
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/38633496
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/icd.2543