Identifying unique components of preschool children's self-regulatory skills using executive function tasks and continuous performance tests

•Low target-frequency CPTs measured attention in preschoolers.•Low target-frequency CPTs did not measure executive functioning in preschoolers.•Executive functioning skills were uniquely related to teacher-rated attention.•Omission errors on the CPT were uniquely related to teacher-rated attention.•Only executive functioning skills were uniquely related to early academic skills.

Continuous Performance Tests (CPTs) are proposed to measure attention and inhibitory control (IC). The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which performance on the CPT overlaps with measures of executive functioning (EF) skills (i.e., IC and working memory [WM]). A sample of 279 preschoolers (Age, M = 55.86, SD = 4.00) were administered three CPTs as well as measures of IC, WM, and early academic achievement. For each child, a teacher completed a behavioral-rating measure. Results indicated that omission and commission errors on the CPT were distinct from EF skills and each other. These findings have implications for understanding the overlap between attention and EF and for the use of low target-frequency CPTs with preschoolers.