School performance and poverty: the mediating role of executive functions

Introduction. This study aims at analyzing whether EFs may predict the SP of children from different low socioeconomic strata, having controlled the effects of age and socioeconomic status (SES). Method. The sample included 178 Argentine children of both genders (52% boys), between 6 and 10 years of age, belonging to the upper-low SES (41%), lower-low SES (39%) and marginal SES (20%). The children were evaluated by means of a battery of neuropsychological EF and school achievement tests. Results. The proposed model accounted for 69% of the SP of the children. EFs were the most significant direct predictor and, in addition, mediated the relationship between SES and SP. Conclusion. In line with previous findings, these results indicate that the impoverishment of family material and sociocultural conditions is associated with a lower EF performance among children, which negatively impacts their SP.