Parental Education, Socioeconomic Status, and Cognitive Task Performance in Male International Secondary School Students in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

This study investigated the correlation between parents’ educational level and socioeconomic status (SES) and cognitive task performance in male international secondary school students in Saudi Arabia. Although literature has established the predictive nature of parental education level and SES on cognitive development throughout early childhood, this association is less understood in later development (i.e., late adolescence) and among international school populations. The sample consisted of 212 male high school students aged 15-18, who attended an international secondary school. Cognitive performance was measured using a standard working memory (Backward Digit Recall), inhibitory control (Stroop Task), and verbal fluency (Semantic and Phonemic Fluency). Pearson correlation coefficients assessed relationships between parental education level, SES, and performance on the cognitive tasks. No significant relationships emerged between parental education level and any cognitive task (.p50) or between SES and any cognitive task (.p50). The correlations were near zero and unimportant in magnitude (< |r|>.10). The results suggest that the cognition of adolescents enrolled in this international secondary school is not significantly driven by parental educational and socioeconomic background. Interpretations of these findings are discussed in terms of developmentally maturational factors, educational quality control, and the potential construct area buffering provided by international schools. The findings here supplement related debates in the literature in relation to developmental and contextual limitations of SES and cognitive relationships. This study contributes to the social sciences literature by examining direct executive function measures within a standardized international school context in the Middle East, a setting that remains underrepresented in SES–cognition research.