An Investigation of the Relationship Between Executive Functions and Mathematics Test Performance

Date of Submission

2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Psychology (PsyD)

Department

Psychology

Department Chair

Jessica Glass Kendorski, Ph.D., NCSP, BCBA-D

First Advisor

George McCloskey, PhD

Second Advisor

Sofia Pham, PhD, NCSP

Third Advisor

Timothy King , PhD

Abstract

The study examined the relationship between specific components of executive functions (EF), cognitive abilities, and mathematics performance in a sample of children and adolescents referred for learning and attention problems. Existing psychoeducational assessment data from 99 individuals ages 6 to 18 were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics. EF was measured using both performance-based tasks (e.g., Digit Span, IVA-2 CPT) and a teacher‒informant rating scale (BRIEF-2); cognitive abilities were assessed using other standardized measures (e.g., WISC-V/WAIS-IV Fluid/Perceptual Reasoning and Verbal Comprehension). Correlational analyses showed small to moderate relationships across variables, with many not reaching statistical significance. Working memory had consistent associations with math fluency, and cognitive ability variables were more closely related to mathematics outcomes. Teacher‒informant EF difficulties were more strongly associated with applied mathematics performance, whereas performance-based tasks were more closely related to math fluency. In contrast, IVA-2 response control scores were not significantly related to mathematics performance or cognitive ability. The findings suggested that relationships between EF and mathematics performance vary, depending on the construct assessed and the method of measurement. Results also indicated that the broad standardized scores may not fully capture the processes involved in mathematics performance. A more process-oriented research approach may inform a better understanding of EF contributions to mathematics and support more targeted interventions.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS