Components of Socioeconomic Status Differentially Predict Development of Cool Versus Hot Executive Function in Young Children

It is established that higher family socioeconomic status predicts the development of stronger child executive function, which has implications for important outcomes in adulthood. However, no prior studies have examined whether individual components of socioeconomic status independently predict children’s change in executive function. Moreover, research has distinguished between “hot” (affectively salient) and “cool” (affectively neutral) executive function. The present study examines the unique contributions of components of socioeconomic status in predicting change in children’s hot or cool executive function. Participants included a community sample of 231 children (109 girls) and their caregivers as part of a longitudinal study spanning ages 3 to 7.5 years. Children completed behavioral tasks and parents reported their income, occupational prestige, and educational attainment. Cross-lagged panel models examined how components of socioeconomic status independently predicted change in children’s hot versus cool executive function nine months later. We found support for a two-factor model of hot versus cool executive function in children. Parental education, but not parental occupational prestige or family income, positively predicted children’s change in cool executive function. No socioeconomic component predicted children’s hot executive function. Findings suggest that parental education may uniquely contribute to children’s development of cool executive function.