Stress, Support Mediate Economic Inequality and Executive Function Association

Stress, support, stimulation, educational expectations, self-efficacy, classroom and school environment, and teacher–student relationships impact the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and executive function (EF), language ability, and academic achievement, according to new research published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. 

Lower SES is associated with poorer cognitive abilities, including EF, language skills, and academic achievement. These disparities persist throughout childhood and adolescence, contributing to long-term educational and economic inequalities. The mechanisms linking SES to developmental outcomes and how these relationships might be mitigated remain unclear. In the current study, researchers systematically synthesized the evidence on mediators and moderators of the SES-cognition-achievement link.

A systematic review was conducted on September 19, 2022, with all titles and abstracts screened using a machine-learning-based tool called Active learning for Systematic Reviews (ASReview). Included studies examined associations between SES and at least one measure of a behavioral task of EF and/or assessment of language or academic achievement in children and adolescents. Additionally, eligible studies needed to investigate at least one moderator or mediator of the association. 

A total of 136 studies were included in the analysis. Categories of mediators and moderators across studies were divided into the following groups: stress, stimulation, support, child characteristics, and other contextual factors. 

In Four of 7 studies (57%), stress, such as harsh discipline or financial strain, mediated the association between low SES and lower EF. In 7 of 9 studies (78%), stimulation significantly mediated the association between SES and EF. Support, such as maternal warmth and family companionship, mediated a positive association between SES and EF in 4 of 6 studies (67%). 

Aggregate measures of stress, stimulation, and support were also shown to mediate the relationship between SES and EF. The association between low neighborhood SES and lower EF was also attenuated by school level academic support. The relationship between SES and language ability was not mediated by stress, but both stimulation and support mediated a positive association. 

Stress and stimulation were found to mediate the relationship between SES and academic achievement. In 6 of 9 studies (67%), support, including social resources, emotionally supportive, and positive parenting behavior, and teach-student relationship quality, mediated a positive association between SES and academic achievement. 

The researchers noted “Interventions should focus on reducing poverty, improving access to early child care, promoting positive parenting and teacher behaviors, providing cognitive stimulation, and fostering high educational expectations.”

The primary limitation of the study was the fact that the association between SES and other neurocognitive domains may be mediated by factors not addressed in the analysis, including memory, processing speed, attention, and visuospatial skills. 

This article originally appeared on Psychiatry Advisor