The COVID-19 pandemic may have interfered with young children’s ability to stay focused, regulate their behavior, and adapt to new situations, according to a new longitudinal study published in Child Development.
The study, led by researchers at the University of East Anglia in England, tracked 139 children from ages 2.5 to 6.5 years using the Minnesota Executive Function Scale. Executive function (EF) is a set of cognitive processes that includes working memory, inhibition control, and cognitive flexibility and supports self-regulation and the ability to focus. EF can influence academic achievement, career and relationship satisfaction, and health outcomes.
The pandemic allowed for a natural experiment
The study was originally designed as part of a larger longitudinal project examining the development of working memory and EF in young children. Researchers followed two cohorts across early childhood, tracking how individual differences in EF develop over time and testing whether early EF abilities predict subsequent cognitive performance.
The COVID pandemic began while the study was under way, creating a natural experiment that allowed researchers to examine whether pandemic disruptions influenced cognitive development. Because some children had completed early assessments before the pandemic, while later assessments occurred at different points after the first lockdown, the researchers were able to examine how pandemic-related disruptions might influence EF development.
When they compared EF scores at 30 months with scores at 78 months, they found that the relationship between the two time points varied depending on when children were tested relative to the first lockdown.
Children assessed within roughly one to three years after the start of the pandemic showed a weaker association between early and subsequent EF scores, indicating greater variability in developmental trajectories during that period. In contrast, children assessed more than three years from the lockdown period showed a stronger relationship between early and subsequent EF performance, suggesting more stable developmental patterns.
Preschoolers more affected by pandemic disruptions
Additional analyses examining EF development across multiple time points revealed differences based on children’s age when the pandemic began. Children who were in preschool at the onset of the pandemic showed steeper gains in EF over time than those who had already entered primary school, likely reflecting disruptions to early schooling, peer interaction, and routines, which may have been particularly consequential for the younger cohort.
The findings suggest that while EF generally improves steadily across early childhood, large-scale social disruptions can temporarily alter the stability of that development.
The authors note that widespread social changes during the pandemic, including school closures, reduced social interaction, and increased family stress, may have affected children’s opportunities to practice self-regulation and other executive skills.
