Relationship between working memory, inhibitory control, and gross motor skills in children aged 8–9 years

Introduction Working Memory (WM) and Inhibitory Control (IC) are core executive functions that interact significantly with motor development. This study investigated the unique association between WM, IC, and gross motor performance in elementary school children.Objective To examine the specific predictive contribution of WM and IC on the gross motor index, while controlling for age and sex.Methods This cross-sectional study, conducted in a single public elementary school in Caxias do Sul, southern Brazil, involved 75 children (53 boys, 22 girls; Mage = 8.61, SD = .49). Measures included the Odd One Out task (WM), Go/No-Go task (IC), and the TGMD-3 (gross motor skills). Statistical analyses employed Spearman correlations and Multiple Linear Regression.Results WM was positively correlated with locomotor skills (rho=.387, p < .001), object control (rho=.333, p = .003), and the overall motor index (rho=.390, p < .001). Multiple linear regression revealed that, after controlling for age and sex, WM was the only significant predictor of the gross motor index (B = 1.782, t = 2.935, p = .005). IC (p = .414) was not a significant predictor in the multivariate model. Sex differences were noted in auditory IC (p = .009) and object control (p = .006) in bivariate analyses, but sex was not a significant predictor in the full model, suggesting that sex does not influence the relationship between cognitive and motor variables in this developmental stage.Conclusion Findings reinforce a selective association between WM and motor skills. The unique role of WM suggests that interventions integrating cognitive and motor demands may be beneficial for comprehensive child development.