here considered as : test scores are always imperfect indicators tent variables, which may be either components attentional and or both, or that are represented in the test (Fletcher, 1996,1998).

doi:10.4324/9781410608314-43

ABSTRACT

The last to develop in our study were the fluency functions, here considered as one expression o f EFs because they put demands on initiation and strategy. In the Phonemic Fluency and Design Fluency subtests, the 12-year-old level was reached only at the age o f 11 years. In the Semantic Fluency task, this level was reached at 10 years o f age-at the same time as attention tasks. However, in Semantic F l u - ency, as we l l as in the other two fluency subtests, the development proceeded evenly wi th no evident leveling off even in the oldest age groups. Judging from studies o f Welsh et al. (1991), V i k and R u f f (1988), and Regard et al. (1982), this development most probably continues into adolescence or even into early adulthood. A s tasks demanding active use o f strategy, monitoring, and evaluation o f the ongoing performance, fluency tests may represent high-level cognitive functions that mature later and also vary a great deal in the normal adult population (Shute & Huertas, 1990).