The relationship between motor performance and executive functioning in 3- to 5-year-old children: does operationalization matter?

The aim of this dissertation was twofold: (1) To provide insight in the relationship between motor performance and executive functioning (EF) in 3- to 5-year-old children, and (2) to examine to what extent the operationalizations of motor performance and EF influence their relationship. One of the substudies compared the performance of 3- to 5-year-old children on the Movement Assessment Battery for Children-2 and the Zurich Neuromotor Assessment-2. It was found that these two tests measure similar as well as distinct aspects of motor performance. The second substudy, a systematic review, found highly varying correlations between motor performance and EF in 2- to 6-year-old typically developing children and children with Developmental Coordination Disorder. The type of EF task response (motor or verbal) did not seem to influence the relationship between motor performance and EF. The third substudy, focusing on the relationship between motor performance and rating-based EF in 3- to 5-year-old children, showed that this relationship was influenced by confounders such as ADHD symptomatology. Children at risk for motor coordination difficulties seemed to have weaker working memory and planning and organization skills than their peers. The fourth substudy demonstrated that both task-specific and latent relationships between motor performance and EF in 3- to 5-year-old children were weak. Based on the results of this dissertation, it is recommended to assess both motor performance as well as EF during early childhood when there are concerns regarding one of these domains. Lastly, it is recommended to stimulate both developmental domains already in preschool settings.