Cognitive abilities of street children: Low-SES Bolivian boys with and without experience of living in the street

Cognitive abilities of street children: Low-SES Bolivian boys with and without experience of living in the street

Objectives: This study compared results on cognitive tests measuring nonverbal visualization and reasoning, executive functions, and creativity between 36 boys with experience of living in the street and 31 housed yet socioeconomically equivalent boys, in Bolivia. Results: The street children scored...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Child neuropsychology 2013-09, Vol.19 (5), p.540-556
Main Authors: Dahlman, Sofie, Bäckström, Per, Bohlin, Gunilla, Frans, Örjan
Format: Article
Language:eng
Subjects:
Adolescent
Biological and medical sciences
Bolivia
Child
Child development
Cognition - physiology
Cognitive abilities
Developmental psychology
Educational Status
Executive Function - physiology
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Homeless Youth - psychology
Humans
Male
Neuropsychological Tests
Poverty
Poverty - psychology
Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry
Psychology. Psychophysiology
Social Class
Social Environment
Street children
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Summary:Objectives: This study compared results on cognitive tests measuring nonverbal visualization and reasoning, executive functions, and creativity between 36 boys with experience of living in the street and 31 housed yet socioeconomically equivalent boys, in Bolivia. Results: The street children scored significantly higher on the creativity measure, which is discussed in relation to contextual relevance. No significant differences were found on the other cognitive tests. Time elapsed after living in the street and drug use were strongly associated with cognition, while age was not. Both groups scored below average compared to Western norms. The results are discussed in terms of the cultural relevance of the tests and the impact of socioeconomic status, stress, and stimulation on cognition.
ISSN:0929-7049
1744-4136
1744-4136