Hocking, Darren ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1143-8190, Yang, Owen, Mcloghlin, Charlotte, Al Sidek, Amiera and Williams, Kate E (2026) Mapping young children’s executive function and motor skill profiles to emotional and behavioral problems: a latent profile analysis. Frontiers in Psychology, 17. ISSN 1664-1078

Abstract

Although a close interdependence between motor coordination and executive functioning (EF) has been widely recognized in early childhood, we currently lack a systematic understanding of how intrinsic heterogeneity of motor and EF skill development conjointly affects children’s emotional and behavioral problems. Therefore, we used latent profile analysis (LPA) in typically developing preschoolers to (1) identify distinct constellations of motor and EF skills that characterize subgroups of children, (2) determine how motor and EF profile membership is associated with behavioral problems, and (3) identify the extent to which motor and EF profile membership is associated with behavioral difficulties and demographic characteristics (i.e., age, gender maternal education). Parents/guardians of 422 children aged 2 years 5 months to 5 years 9 months completed informant-based measures related to their child’s motor skills, EF, and internalizing/externalizing behavioral problems. The LPA revealed five distinct profiles: the “Competent” profile with average motor skills and EF (Profile 1: 38.9%); the “Poor EF” profile with average motor skills and below average EF (Profile 2: 21.1%); the “At-Risk” profile with weak motor skills and the poorest EF (Profile 3: 15.4%); the “High Motor” profile with strong motor skills and above average EF (Profile 4: 12.6%); and the “Highly Skilled” profile with above average motor skills and the highest EF (Profile 5: 12.1%). Compared to the Competent profile, children in the At-Risk profile had the highest odds of elevated internalizing problems but no elevation in externalizing problems, while children in the Poor EF profile had the highest odds of elevated externalizing problems but no relative elevation in internalizing problems. These findings could identify at-risk subgroups for early movement-based interventions that strengthen children’s motor and EF skills to reduce the frequency of behavioral problems and improve school readiness

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