Sensorimotor abilities and higher order cognition in 6–7-year-old children: A latent variable analysis [Code]

Latent variable analysis revealed strong associations between cognitive and sensorimotor abilities among 753 first-graders aged 6 to 7 years (mean age = 6.62, 52.2% females) from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds in Hungary. The associations between primary sensorimotor and higher-order cognitive abilities – fluid reasoning and working memory capacity – approached the strength observed among the higher-order cognitive abilities themselves. In contrast, balance abilities showed only weak links to other domains. Additionally, gender differences were examined using multi-group confirmatory factor analysis, which indicated that the connection between sensorimotor abilities and higher order cognition is identical across genders. unknown unknown