The present study analyzed the concurrent and longitudinal relations among cognitive flexibility, theory of mind, and hyperactivity/inattention in a sample of 70 typically developing children ( age = 61.4 months, SD = 8.3 months). Mothers and teachers reported on children’s hyperactivity/inattention using the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (Goodman, 1997), cognitive flexibility was measured using the dimension change card sort task (Zelazo, 2006), and theory of mind was assessed using a battery of tasks. Cognitive flexibility and theory of mind scores were found to be significantly negatively correlated with the level of hyperactivity/inattention at both time points. Furthermore, year 1 cognitive flexibility score was found to be a significant predictor of year 2 hyperactivity/inattention score after controlling for child age, gender, and year 1 hyperactivity/inattention score. Directions for future research include training studies which would further our understanding of these relationships and allow more effective interventions. 1. Introduction The ability to focus attention and regulate behavior is a key determinant of scholastic achievement and occupational success [1–3]. Indeed, these self-control skills are viewed as desirable by parents, teachers, and employers alike [3] and high levels of problems with focusing or sustaining attention and regulating behavior are core clinical features used to diagnose attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, many children with symptoms of hyperactivity and inattention do not meet the criteria for a formal ADHD diagnosis and parents and education professionals are confronted with the challenge of working with these children [4]. The present study investigated the cognitive factors associated with symptoms of hyperactivity/inattention in typically developing children during the early school years. Much of the research into the development of children’s self-regulation skills has been conducted within the executive function framework [5]. Inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility are components of executive function that contribute to the development of self-regulation [6]. These executive function components follow different trajectories across early development such that the preschool period is characterized by dramatic improvements in inhibitory control, whereas the development of cognitive flexibility accelerates during the early school years [7]. According to cognitive complexity and control (CCC) theory, cognitive flexibility refers to the ability to flexibly
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