The influence of intelligence and sex on interpersonal skills and executive functions in children

Abstract

Interpersonal Skills (ISs) and Executive Functions (EFs) are two groups of skills which are extremely relevant for children’s cognitive, social and psychological development. As well as being interrelated, both can be modulated by other variables such as intelligence or sex. Many studies have tried to establish the relationship between them, but no definitive conclusions have been made to date. Therefore, the objective of this study is to explore the relationship between intelligence and sex in children with measures of ISs and EFs. The participants were 121 children between the ages of 7 and 13, divided into two groups: 76 children (52 boys and 24 girls) with average intelligence quotient (IQ) and 45 children (28 boys and 17 girls) with high IQ. All the participants were assessed using ISs, EFs and intelligence measures. The results showed children with high IQ were better at ISs and EFs. Regarding sex, boys of the High IQ group showed better skills than girls in working memory, inhibition and cause attribution in interpersonal conflicts. Finally, the implications for assessing and supporting the gifted population are discussed.