Development and longitudinal relationships between children’s executive functions, prospective memory, and metacognition

• We investigated longitudinal development of EF, prospective memory, metacognition.
• We examined long-term relationships between EF, prospective memory, metacognition.
• We tested N = 119 eight-year-olds at the beginning and at the end of second grade.
• We mainly applied structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques.
• EF, PM, MC improved significantly, EF were linked to PM, but not to MC

Though theoretically and neurobiologically related, little is known about the developmental relationships between executive functions, prospective memory, and metacognition. As knowledge about potential relations would help to better understand the mechanisms of cognitive development, we investigated the development of, and the longitudinal relationships between executive functions, prospective memory, and metacognition. Eight-year-old children (N = 119) carried out the same test battery twice with a delay of eight months. In general, results revealed significant improvement in executive functions, prospective memory, and metacognition. Structural equation modeling revealed a significant longitudinal link from executive functions to prospective memory, but not to metacognition. These findings are discussed within a broader developmental framework.