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Schulz D, Lenhard W, Mangold M, Schindler J, Richter T. Balancing accuracy and speed in the development of inhibitory control. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 243:105915. [PMID: 38555697 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2024.105915] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
Inhibitory control develops rapidly and nonlinearly, making its accurate assessment challenging. This research investigated the developmental dynamics of accuracy and response latency in inhibitory control assessment of 3- to 6-year-old children in a longitudinal study (N = 431; 212 girls; Mage = 4.86 years, SD = 0.99) and a cross-sectional study (N = 135; 71 girls; Mage = 4.24 years, SD = 0.61). We employed a computerized Stroop task to measure inhibitory control, with fluid intelligence serving as a covariate. A growth curve analysis revealed that children who reached an accuracy threshold of 80% earlier demonstrated faster improvements in response latency. Both the cross-sectional and longitudinal findings demonstrated a positive association between response latency in the inhibitory control task and fluid intelligence, but only when participants had achieved and maintained high accuracy. These results suggest that researchers should consider response latency as an indicator of inhibitory control only in children who manage to respond accurately in an inhibitory control task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schulz
- Department of Psychology IV, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany.
| | - Wolfgang Lenhard
- Department of Psychology IV, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Madlen Mangold
- Department of Psychology IV, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Schindler
- Department of Psychology IV, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Richter
- Department of Psychology IV, University of Würzburg, 97070 Würzburg, Germany
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2
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Zerrouk M, Ravigopal T, Bell MA. Assessing anxiety problems in a community sample during toddlerhood: The impact of child temperament and maternal intrusiveness. Infant Behav Dev 2024; 75:101932. [PMID: 38492253 PMCID: PMC11162957 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2024.101932] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Revised: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Previous research indicates that child temperament and maternal behaviors are related to internalizing behaviors in children. We assessed whether maternal intrusiveness (MI) observed at 10-months would moderate the impact of temperamental fear and the impact of inhibitory control (IC) at 24 months on anxiety problems at 36 months. A mother-child interaction task was coded for MI. Behavioral tasks were given to assess children's IC. Parents completed questionnaires about their children's temperamental fear and anxiety problems. Results showed that greater temperamental fear reported at 24 months predicted greater anxiety problems reported at 36 months, regardless of MI levels. Lower levels of IC at 24 months predicted more anxiety problems reported at 36 months when children experienced greater MI. These findings illustrate the importance of examining both intrinsic and extrinsic factors, independently and interactively, that contribute to children's anxiety problems in toddlerhood.
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Macias C, Persaud K. From silos to synergy: Integrating approaches to investigate the role of prior knowledge and expectations on episodic memory. Psychon Bull Rev 2024:10.3758/s13423-024-02505-4. [PMID: 38691223 DOI: 10.3758/s13423-024-02505-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Significant progress in the investigation of how prior knowledge influences episodic memory has been made using three sometimes isolated (but not mutually exclusive) approaches: strictly adult behavioral investigations, computational models, and investigations into the development of the system. Here we point out that these approaches are complementary, each approach informs and is informed by the other. Thus, a natural next step for research is to combine all three approaches to further our understanding of the role of prior knowledge in episodic memory. Here we use studies of memory for expectation-congruent and incongruent information from each of these often disparate approaches to illustrate how combining approaches can be used to test and revise theories from the other. This domain is particularly advantageous because it highlights important features of more general memory processes, further differentiates models of memory, and can shed light on developmental change in the memory system. We then present a case study to illustrate the progress that can be made from integrating all three approaches and highlight the need for more endeavors in this vein. As a first step, we also propose a new computational model of memory that takes into account behavioral and developmental factors that can influence prior knowledge and episodic memory interactions. This integrated approach has great potential for offering novel insights into the relationship between prior knowledge and episodic memory, and cognition more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Macias
- Psychology Department, Rutgers University - Newark, Smith Hall, 101 Warren Street, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA.
| | - Kimele Persaud
- Psychology Department, Rutgers University - Newark, Smith Hall, 101 Warren Street, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA
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4
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Menu I, Borst G, Cachia A. Latent Network Analysis of Executive Functions Across Development. J Cogn 2024; 7:31. [PMID: 38617749 PMCID: PMC11012023 DOI: 10.5334/joc.355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) are crucial for academic achievement, physical health, and mental well-being. Previous studies using structural equation models revealed EFs' developmental organization, evolving from one factor in childhood to three factors in adults: inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and updating. Recent network model studies confirmed this differentiation from childhood to adulthood. Reanalyzing previously published data from 1019 children (aged 7.8 to 15.3; 50.4% female; 59.1% White, 15.0% Latinx, 14.3% Bi-racial, 6.7% African American, 4.2% Asian American, 0.6% Other), this study compared three analytical methods to explore EF development: structural equation model, network model, and the novel latent variable network model. All approaches supported fine-grained EF-specific trajectories and differentiation throughout development, with inhibition being central in childhood and updating in early adolescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Menu
- Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, NYU Langone Health, New York, NY 10016, US
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDE, CNRS, F-75005, Paris, FR
| | - Grégoire Borst
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDE, CNRS, F-75005, Paris, FR
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, FR
| | - Arnaud Cachia
- Université Paris Cité, LaPsyDE, CNRS, F-75005, Paris, FR
- Université Paris Cité, Imaging biomarkers for brain development and disorders, UMR INSERM 1266, GHU Paris Psychiatrie & Neurosciences, F-75005 Paris, FR
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Bausela-Herreras E, Alonso-Esteban Y, Alcantud-Marín F. Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function in Preschool (BRIEF-P) and Attention-Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorders (ADHD): A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Floor and Ceiling Effects. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 11:58. [PMID: 38255370 PMCID: PMC10814211 DOI: 10.3390/children11010058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2023] [Revised: 12/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is accompanied by executive challenges. OBJECTIVES To obtain evidence of the usefulness of the BRIEF-P and to analyze the possible ceiling and floor effect of its scores in the assessment of executive function in preschoolers with signs compatible with a possible diagnosis of ADHD. METHOD A search was performed in Science Direct, NCBI (PubMed), and ProQuest Education Journals during the period 2012-2022. We included studies that evaluated samples of individuals with symptomatology compatible with ADHD, with an age range between 2 and 6 years, published in English or Spanish. Of a total of 2538 articles, only seven met the inclusion criteria. The risk of bias was assessed using the QUADAS-2 questionnaire. The main variables were age and executive functioning. CONCLUSIONS Executive deficits in early-age individuals with symptoms compatible with ADHD are more extensive than just deficits in working memory. A floor effect has been found in tests associated with hot executive functions and a ceiling effect in cold executive functions. This makes it necessary to use different tests to assess executive performance in preschoolers with ADHD-compatible symptomatology and to design intervention proposals accordingly. The BRIEF-P is an instrument that facilitates obtaining a sensitive and discriminative executive profile, although it should be used in combination with other neuropsychological performance tests.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Francisco Alcantud-Marín
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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Walsh MM, Van Deusen K, Prince MA, Esbensen AJ, Thurman AJ, Pinks ME, Patel LR, Feigles RT, Abbeduto L, Daunhauer LA, Fidler DJ. Preliminary psychometric properties of an inhibition task in young children with Down syndrome. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES : JOID 2023:17446295231218776. [PMID: 38066720 PMCID: PMC11161557 DOI: 10.1177/17446295231218776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2024]
Abstract
Background: Executive function (EF) skills are important treatment targets for people with Down syndrome (DS); however, few EF measures have been evaluated for use with young children in this population. Methods: The present study evaluated preliminary psychometric properties of a measure of the EF component of inhibition. Participants were 73 children with DS between 2.5 and 8.67 years old who completed an adapted ability to delay task using a desirable toy. Results: Across two separate trials, latencies to touch the toys were significantly correlated. Latencies increased overall with chronological and mental age, with caveats for the youngest and oldest participants. Conclusion: Findings suggest that an adapted prohibition task is an appropriate method of measuring inhibition for children with DS between 4 and 7 years old, though many children in this chronological age range are at early stages of acquiring this skill set.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Anna J Esbensen
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- College of Medicine, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Angela John Thurman
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
- University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | | | - Lina R Patel
- University of Colorado-Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Robyn Tempero Feigles
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
- University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Leonard Abbeduto
- MIND Institute and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
- University of California Davis Health, Sacramento, CA, USA
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Petersen IT. Reexamining developmental continuity and discontinuity in the 21st century: Better aligning behaviors, functions, and mechanisms. Dev Psychol 2023:2024-18096-001. [PMID: 37856415 PMCID: PMC11026300 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Developmental science aims to explain development across the lifespan. Jerome Kagan observed that the same behavior can occur for different reasons, and differing behaviors can occur for the same reason. To help account for persistence, desistence, and transformation of behavior across development, Kagan introduced various types of continuity and discontinuity of forms and functions of behavior. This framework provides opportunities for identifying explanatory mechanisms in behavior development. However, misconceptions remain in applying the concepts that Kagan introduced. Much of the literature assumes developmental continuity in constructs without examining whether assumptions are supported, leading to faulty developmental inferences. For instance, the use of the same measure across time to assess development assumes that the behavior occurs for the same reason across time (homotypic continuity). In addition, just because one behavior predicts a different behavior at a later time does not necessarily indicate that age-differing behaviors occur for the same reason (heterotypic continuity). This review aims to advance conceptualizations of continuity and discontinuity from a contemporary perspective with aims to improve mechanistic understanding of behavior development across the lifespan. To better align behaviors, functions, and mechanisms, research should (a) examine (dis)continuity of individual behaviors rather than merely syndromes, (b) identify the function(s) of the given behavior(s), and (c) identify the cognitive and biological processes that underlie the behavior-function pairs. Incorporating examples from research on development of humans and nonhuman animals, I discuss challenges from work that has followed Kagan's ideas and ways to advance understanding of continuity and discontinuity across development. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac T Petersen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa
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Soltani A, Schworer EK, Altaye M, Fidler DJ, Beebe DW, Wiley S, Hoffman EK, Voth K, Esbensen AJ. Psychometric properties of inhibitory control measures among youth with Down syndrome. JOURNAL OF INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY RESEARCH : JIDR 2023; 67:753-769. [PMID: 37218393 PMCID: PMC10524385 DOI: 10.1111/jir.13043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Inhibitory control measures have been commonly used when assessing individuals with Down syndrome. However, minimal attention has been devoted to evaluating the appropriateness of specific assessments for use in this population, potentially leading to erroneous conclusions. This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of measures of inhibitory control among youth with Down syndrome. We sought to examine the feasibility, presence of floor or practice effects, test-retest reliability, convergent validity and correlations with broader developmental domains of a set of inhibitory control tasks. METHODS A sample of 97 youth with Down syndrome aged 6 to 17 years old participated in verbal and visuospatial tasks of inhibitory control including the Cat/dog Stroop, Neuropsychological Assessment Second Edition (NEPSY-II) Statue, National Institutes of Health (NIH) Toolbox Cognition Battery (TCB) Flanker, Leiter-3 Attention Sustained, and the Test of Attentional Performance for Children (KiTAP) Go/No-go and Distractibility subtests. Youth also completed standardised assessments of cognition and language, and caregivers completed rating scales. Psychometric properties on the tasks of inhibitory control were evaluated against a priori criteria. RESULTS Apart from demonstrating negligible practice effects, adequate psychometric properties were not observed for any inhibitory control measure within the current sample's age range. One task with low working memory demands (NEPSY-II Statue) generally had better psychometric properties than the other tasks assessed. Subgroups of participants with an IQ greater than 30 and age more than 8 years were shown to be more likely to be able to complete the inhibition tasks. CONCLUSIONS Findings suggest better feasibility for analogue tasks rather than computerised assessments of inhibitory control. Given the weak psychometrics of several common measures, future studies are required to evaluate other inhibitory control measures, specifically those with reduced working memory demands for youth with Down syndrome. Recommendations for use of the inhibitory control tasks among youth with Down syndrome are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanallah Soltani
- Department of Educational Psychology, Kerman Branch, Islamic Azad University, Kerman, Iran
| | - Emily K. Schworer
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA
| | - Mekibib Altaye
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Deborah J. Fidler
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Dean W. Beebe
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Susan Wiley
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Emily K. Hoffman
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Kellie Voth
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Anna J. Esbensen
- Division of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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9
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Hunt E, Hogan A, Will EA, Roberts JE. ADHD and ASD symptoms in young males with fragile X syndrome: associations with early trajectories of inhibitory control. Child Neuropsychol 2023; 29:760-786. [PMID: 36082630 PMCID: PMC9995619 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2022.2120605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory control (IC), the ability to suppress inappropriate responses, emerges late in the first year of life and improves across typical development, concurrent with brain maturation. The development of IC is critical to various social-emotional and behavioral functions, with IC difficulties being linked to numerous neurodevelopmental disorders, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a single-gene disorder characterized by IC difficulties, and elevated rates of ADHD and ASD, making it a useful model for understanding the early development and consequences of IC. In this longitudinal study, we characterized IC trajectories across multiple time points between 16 and 71 months of age in young males with FXS (n = 79) relative to neurotypical (NT) controls (n=49). To explore the association between behavioral outcomes and IC, we identified a subsample of 50 children with longitudinal IC data and an outcome assessment for ADHD and ASD symptoms at age 5 (FXS: n = 26, NT: n = 24). Results indicated that, compared to their NT peers, young males with FXS exhibit differences in IC as early as 24 months, with group differences increasing through age 5. Additionally, we determined that lower IC levels at 24 months were associated with later ADHD symptoms and a decreasing slope in IC over time was associated with later ASD symptoms in male children with FXS. These findings help refine early developmental phenotypes of FXS and highlight IC as a potential target for early detection and intervention of ASD and ADHD symptoms in male children with FXS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erin Hunt
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Abigail Hogan
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Will
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
| | - Jane E Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
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Zeytinoglu S, Morales S, Henderson HA, Fox NA. A Developmental Pathway from Early Inhibitory Control to Social Connectedness. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2023; 51:805-817. [PMID: 36708411 PMCID: PMC10625848 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01023-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2023] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Social connections are critical for mental and physical health; however, the developmental pathways to children's social connectedness outcomes are not well understood. This study examined the pathways from children's inhibitory control at 4 years to two social connectedness outcomes - loneliness and friendship quality at age 10 - through behavioral problems at age 7. As part of a longitudinal study (N = 291, 54% girls), children's inhibitory control was assessed via a Go/No-Go task when children were 4 years old. Mothers reported on children's behavioral problems at ages 4 and 7 years. Children reported on their friendship quality and loneliness at ages 7 and 10 years. Greater inhibitory control at 4 years predicted lower behavioral problems at 7 years, which in turn predicted better friendship quality and lower loneliness at 10 years. Indirect effects from inhibitory control at 4 years to loneliness and friendship quality at 10 years via behavioral problems at 7 years were significant. Findings suggest that inhibitory control in early childhood may play a key role for the development of social connectedness in middle childhood via its impact on children's behavioral problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Selin Zeytinoglu
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, 4716 Pontiac St., Suite 2104, College Park, MD, USA.
| | - Santiago Morales
- Department of Psychology, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | - Nathan A Fox
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, 4716 Pontiac St., Suite 2104, College Park, MD, USA
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Rastikerdar N, Nejati V, Sammaknejad N, Fathabadi J. Developmental trajectory of hot and cold executive functions in children with and without attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). RESEARCH IN DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 137:104514. [PMID: 37105003 DOI: 10.1016/j.ridd.2023.104514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have a delayed development. Two main cognitive models of ADHD are executive (cold) and motivational (hot) models. In this study, we aimed to compare the development of hot and cold executive functions in children with and without ADHD. METHODS AND PROCEDURES Forty-six children with ADHD symptoms (56% boys) and forty-four typically developing controls (54% boys), in three age groups of 6-8, 8-10 and 10-12 years, were participated in the study. Go/No-Go Task (GNGT), One-Back Test (OBT) and Shifting Attention Test (SAT), Delay Discounting Test (DDT) and Balloon Analogue Risk Task (BART) were used for assessment. OUTCOMES AND RESULTS Children with ADHD showed lower performance in GNG, OBT, SAT, and BART, but intact performance in DDT. The tasks' performance was significantly different between three age groups in GNG and SAT, but similar in OBT and BART. The interaction effect was significant only for the BART measures. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS Children with ADHD compared to typically developing children, experience impaired hot and cold executive functions. The cognitive delay was found only in risky decision making as a hot executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Najmeh Rastikerdar
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Nejati
- Department of Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Negar Sammaknejad
- Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Jalil Fathabadi
- Department of Educational and Developmental Psychology, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
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Willoughby MT, Camerota M, King KM, Nduku T, Piper B. Leveraging item-level accuracy and reaction time to address ceiling effects in the measurement of inhibitory control in preschool-aged children. Front Psychol 2023; 14:861441. [PMID: 36818066 PMCID: PMC9937058 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.861441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Preschool-aged children's performance on inhibitory control tasks is typically represented by the overall accuracy of their item responses (e.g., mean proportion correct). However, in settings where children vary widely in age or ability level, inhibitory control tasks are susceptible to ceiling effects, which undermine measurement precision. We have previously demonstrated a general approach for scoring inhibitory control tasks that combines item-level accuracy and reaction-time information to minimize ceiling effects. Here, we extend that approach by incorporating additional item-level reaction time data from an adjunct (simple reaction time) task. We contrast three approaches for scoring inhibitory control tasks, two of which rely exclusively on item accuracy information and a third which also considers item reaction time information. We demonstrate the impacts of these different approaches to scoring with two inhibitory control tasks that were included in a recent evaluation of the Red Light, Purple Light intervention in preprimary classrooms in Nairobi County, Kenya. We limited our study to children who met inclusion criteria at pre-test (N = 418; 51% male; mean age = 4.8 years) or post-test (N = 386; 51% male; mean age = 4.8 years). Children's performance on individual inhibitory control tasks was strongly correlated regardless of the scoring approach (rs = 0.73-0.97 across two tasks). However, the combined accuracy and reaction time scores eliminated ceiling effects that were common when only accuracy information was used. The combined accuracy and reaction time models also distinguished item-level RT into inhibitory control and processing speed components, which are distinct constructs. Results are discussed with respect to the challenges and nuances of the estimation and interpretation of inhibitory control task scores with children of varied ages and ability levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. Willoughby
- Education and Workforce Development, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Michael T. Willoughby, ✉
| | - Marie Camerota
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | | | - Tabitha Nduku
- International Education, RTI International, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Benjamin Piper
- International Education, RTI International, Nairobi, Kenya
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Rodríguez C, Ferreira RA. To what extent is dot comparison an appropriate measure of approximate number system? Front Psychol 2023; 13:1065600. [PMID: 36704683 PMCID: PMC9873381 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1065600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Number sense has been systematically measured using dot comparison tasks. However, recent studies have reported that performance on dot comparison might be influenced inhibitory control and visual properties of dot arrays. In the present study, we analysed the influence of continuous magnitude, inhibitory control, and numerical ratio on the dot comparison performance of preschool children. Methods Participants were 517 preschool children from 13 different schools in Chile. Children completed a dot comparison and two inhibitory control tasks. Gebuis and Reynvoet method was used to create well-controlled dot arrays for use in the dot comparison task. A logistic mixed effects model was conducted to predict participants' dot comparison accuracy. Continuous magnitude and ratio were entered as level-1 predictors and inhibitory control as level-2 predictors. Results The results showed that all predictors made a significant contribution to dot comparison accuracy. Furthermore, a significant double interaction (inhibitory control x continuous magnitude) and a triple interaction (inhibitory control x continuous magnitude x ratio) showed that the contribution of inhibitory control skills in dot comparison accuracy depends on the continuous properties of dot arrays and ratio. Discussion These findings suggest that preschool children rely more on continuous magnitudes than numerosity in dot comparison tasks. They also indicate that the greater children's inhibitory control, the more able they are to respond based on numerosity in fully incongruent trials, particularly when ratio is low (easiest items). Taken together, the above findings support the competing processes account provided that both ANS and inhibitory control skills influence performance on dot comparison tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Rodríguez
- Millennium Nucleus for the Science of Learning (MiNSoL), Talca, Chile,Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile,*Correspondence: Cristina Rodríguez,
| | - Roberto A. Ferreira
- Millennium Nucleus for the Science of Learning (MiNSoL), Talca, Chile,Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
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Cao H, Zhou N, Liang Y, Li Q, Yu Q, Bao T. Early Risk of Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Preschoolers' Hot and Cool Inhibitory Control: Promotive and Protective Roles of Maternal Positivity in Early Mother-child Interaction. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2023; 24:50-63. [PMID: 35939179 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-022-01419-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Early tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) in utero and/or during the first years after birth poses threats to the development of child executive functioning and self-regulation skills, including inhibitory control. Efforts are still needed to examine under what conditions such effects may occur and thus identify modifiable intervention targets. In addition, a distinction between cool and hot inhibitory control is also important to obtain greater nuance in such links. The cool inhibitory control refers to children's suppression of prepotent automatic responses to a distracting stimulus in solving arbitrary and decontextualized problems, whereas the hot inhibitory control refers to children's control of impulse in motivationally and emotionally high-stake situations. Using data derived from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we examined the links between early risk of TSE and preschoolers' hot and cool inhibitory control and tested the potential promotive/protective roles of maternal positivity in early mother-child interactions. Results indicate that early risk of TSE was negatively linked to child cool inhibitory control when maternal positivity was low, but this link was nonsignificant when maternal positivity was high (i.e., the protective role of maternal positivity). The link between early risk of TSE and child later hot inhibitory control was not moderated by maternal positivity; instead, early risk of TSE and maternal positivity were negatively and positively associated with child hot inhibitory control above and beyond each other, respectively (i.e., the promotive role of maternal positivity). Accordingly, building a tobacco-free environment during pregnancy and infancy likely yields long-term benefits for child self-regulation development. Improving early mothering may offset the negative link between early TSE and child cool inhibitory control and also facilitate child hot inhibitory control even in the face of early TSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjian Cao
- Applied Psychology Program, School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, No. 2001 Longxiang Boulevard, Longgang District, Shenzhen, 518172, China
| | - Nan Zhou
- Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, E33 Building, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China.
| | - Yue Liang
- School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University, Hai Dian District, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Street, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Qi Li
- Faculty of Education, Institute of Early Childhood Education, Beijing Normal University, Hai Dian District, 512 Ying Dong Building, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Street, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Qianwen Yu
- Faculty of Education, Institute of Early Childhood Education, Beijing Normal University, Hai Dian District, 512 Ying Dong Building, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Street, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Tingting Bao
- Faculty of Education, Institute of Early Childhood Education, Beijing Normal University, Hai Dian District, 512 Ying Dong Building, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Street, Beijing, 100875, China
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15
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Conejero Á, Rico-Picó J, Moyano S, Hoyo Á, Rueda MR. Predicting behavioral and brain markers of inhibitory control at preschool age from early measures of executive attention. Front Psychol 2023; 14:983361. [PMID: 36935994 PMCID: PMC10018214 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.983361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Inhibitory control (IC) is the ability to prevent prepotent responses when inappropriate. Longitudinal research on IC development has mainly focused on early childhood and adolescence, while research on IC development in the first years of life is still scarce. To address this gap in the literature, we explored the association between executive attention (EA) and elementary forms of IC in infancy and toddlerhood, with individual differences in IC later at 5 years of age. Method We conducted a five-wave longitudinal study in which children's EA and IC (n = 96) were tested at the age of 9 and 16 months and 2, 3, and 5 years. Children performed various age-appropriate EA and IC tasks in each wave, measuring inhibition of attention, endogenous control of attention, inhibition of the response, and conflict inhibition. At 5 years of age, IC was measured with a Go/No-go task while recording event-related potentials. After correlation analyses, structural equation model analyses were performed to predict IC at 5 years of age from EA and early IC measures. Results The results revealed that EA at 9 months predicted IC measures at 2 years of age. Likewise, measures of IC at 2 years predicted performance on the Go/No-go task at behavioral and neural levels. No direct association was found between EA at 9 months and IC at 5 years of age. We further observed that some EA and IC measures were not associated across time. Conclusion As we expected, EA skills in infancy and toddlerhood were related to better performance of children on IC tasks, toghether with a more mature inhibition-related brain functioning. Altogether, the results indicate that IC in early childhood could be predicted from EA and IC at 9 months and 2 years of age and suggest that the early emergence of IC relies on the development of particular EA and basic IC skills. However, some discontinuities in the longitudinal development of IC are observed in the first 5 years of life. These findings provide further support for the hierarchical model of IC development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ángela Conejero
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- *Correspondence: Ángela Conejero,
| | - Josué Rico-Picó
- Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Sebastián Moyano
- Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - Ángela Hoyo
- Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
| | - M. Rosario Rueda
- Mind, Brain and Behaviour Research Centre (CIMCYC), University of Granada, Granada, Spain
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Granada, Granada, Spain
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16
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Peeking and lying in the temptation resistance paradigm in 2.5-year-olds: The role of inhibitory control. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0278099. [PMID: 36477030 PMCID: PMC9728837 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The main aim of the present study was to establish whether inhibitory control (IC) abilities influence the peeking and lying behaviours of 2.5-year-olds, as measured by a modified temptation resistance paradigm (mTRP). Using a longitudinal design, 252 children's IC abilities were tested at ages 1.5, 2 and 2.5, as well as their ability to lie at age 2.5. Results showed that 35% of 2.5-year-olds peeked, 27% of peekers lied and 40% of non-peekers falsely confessed they had peeked. Non-peekers had higher IC than peekers at ages 2 and 2.5. Lower IC at age 2 increased the probability of peeking at age 2.5 by 6 times. The highest level of IC was presented in children who followed the adult's restrictions in the mTRP and were then able to tell the truth about their behaviour. These results suggested that the first, or so-called primary, lies of 2.5-year-olds are probably spontaneous, rather than deliberate. Implications for further research were discussed.
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17
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Hosch A, Oleson JJ, Harris JL, Goeltz MT, Neumann T, LeBeau B, Hazeltine E, Petersen IT. Studying children's growth in self-regulation using changing measures to account for heterotypic continuity: A Bayesian approach to developmental scaling. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13280. [PMID: 35615923 PMCID: PMC9617752 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Self-regulation is thought to show heterotypic continuity-its individual differences endure but its behavioral manifestations change across development. Thus, different measures across time may be necessary to account for heterotypic continuity of self-regulation. This longitudinal study examined children's (N = 108) self-regulation development using 17 measures, including 15 performance-based measures, two questionnaires, and three raters across seven time points. It is the first to use different measures of self-regulation over time to account for heterotypic continuity while using developmental scaling to link the measures onto the same scale for more accurate growth estimates. Assessed facets included inhibitory control, delayed gratification, sustained attention, and executive functions. Some measures differed across ages to retain construct validity and account for heterotypic continuity. A Bayesian longitudinal mixed model for developmental scaling was developed to link the differing measures onto the same scale. This allowed charting children's self-regulation growth across ages 3-7 years and relating it to both predictors and outcomes. Rapid growth occurred from ages 3-6. As a validation of the developmental scaling approach, greater self-regulation was associated with better school readiness (math and reading skills) and fewer externalizing problems. Our multi-wave, multi-facet, multi-method, multi-measure, multi-rater, developmental scaling approach is the most comprehensive to date for assessing the development of self-regulation. This approach demonstrates that developmental scaling may enable studying development of self-regulation across the lifespan.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Hosch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jacob J Oleson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Jordan L Harris
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Mary Taylor Goeltz
- Department of Psychology, University of Colorado Denver, Denver, Colorado, USA
| | - Tabea Neumann
- School of Medicine, University of Dundee, Dundee, Scotland, UK
| | - Brandon LeBeau
- Department of Psychological and Quantitative Foundations, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Eliot Hazeltine
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Isaac T Petersen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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18
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Yuan H, Ocansey M, Adu-Afarwuah S, Sheridan M, Hamoudi A, Okronipa H, Kumordzie SM, Oaks BM, Prado E. Evaluation of a tablet-based assessment tool for measuring cognition among children 4-6 years of age in Ghana. Brain Behav 2022; 12:e2749. [PMID: 36086855 PMCID: PMC9575601 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.2749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To investigate several basic psychometric properties, including construct, convergent and discriminant validity, of the tablet-based Rapid Assessment of Cognitive and Emotional Regulation (RACER) among children aged 4-6 years in Ghana. METHODS We investigated whether RACER tasks administered to children in Ghana could successfully reproduce expected patterns of performance previously found in high-income countries on similar tasks assessing inhibitory control (e.g., slower responses on inhibition trials), declarative memory (e.g., higher accuracy on previously seen items), and procedural memory (e.g., faster responses on sequence blocks). Next, we assessed the validity of declarative memory and inhibitory control scores by examining associations of these scores with corresponding paper-based test scores and increasing child age. Lastly, we examined whether RACER was more sensitive than paper-based tests to environmental risk factors common in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). RESULTS Of the 966 children enrolled, more than 96% completed the declarative memory and inhibitory control tasks; however, around 30% of children were excluded from data analysis on the procedural memory task due to missing more than half of trials. The performance of children in Ghana replicated previously documented patterns of performance. RACER inhibitory control accuracy score was significantly correlated with child age (r (929) = .09, p = .007). However, our findings did not support other hypotheses. CONCLUSIONS The high task completion rates and replication of expected patterns support that certain RACER sub-tasks are feasible for measuring child cognitive development in LMIC settings. However, this study did not provide evidence to support that RACER is a valid tool to capture meaningful individual differences among children aged 4-6 years in Ghana.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiying Yuan
- Institute for Global Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Maku Ocansey
- Institute for Global Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Seth Adu-Afarwuah
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Margaret Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina
| | - Amar Hamoudi
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
| | - Harriet Okronipa
- Institute for Global Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Sika M Kumordzie
- Institute for Global Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California
| | - Brietta M Oaks
- Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingstown, Rhode Island
| | - Elizabeth Prado
- Institute for Global Nutrition, Department of Nutrition, University of California, Davis, California
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19
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Wacker S, Roebers CM. Stop and think: Additional time supports monitoring processes in young children. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0274460. [PMID: 36107922 PMCID: PMC9477363 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0274460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
When children evaluate their certainty, monitoring is often inaccurate. Even though young children struggle to estimate their confidence, existing research shows that monitoring skills are developing earlier than expected. Using a paired associates learning task with integrated monitoring, we implemented a time window to—"Stop and Think"—before children generated their answers and evaluated their confidence in the chosen response. Results show that kindergarten and second grade children in the—"Stop and Think"—condition have higher monitoring accuracy than the control group. Implementing a time window thus seems to support children in their evaluation of different certainty levels. Relating individual differences in independently measured inhibitory control skills revealed a correlation between monitoring and inhibition for kindergarteners.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophie Wacker
- Department of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
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20
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Schulz D, Richter T, Schindler J, Lenhard W, Mangold M. Using Accuracy and Response Times to Assess Inhibitory Control in Kindergarten Children: An Analysis with Explanatory Item Response Models. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2119977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Schulz
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology IV, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Tobias Richter
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology IV, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Julia Schindler
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology IV, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Lenhard
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology IV, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Madlen Mangold
- Institute of Psychology, Department of Psychology IV, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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21
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Sociomoral Reasoning Skills during Childhood: A Comprehensive and Predictive Approach. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12091226. [PMID: 36138963 PMCID: PMC9496755 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 08/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sociomoral reasoning (SMR) is an essential component of social functioning allowing children to establish judgments based on moral criteria. The progressive emergence and complexification of SMR during childhood is thought to be underpinned by a range of characteristics and abilities present in the preschool years. Past studies have mostly examined concurrent associations between individual factors and SMR. Using a more comprehensive and predictive approach to identify early predictors of school-age SMR would contribute to a more complete picture of SMR development. This study aimed to investigate the contribution of four domains of preschool predictors to SMR at school-age: demographic (age, sex, parental education), cognitive (executive and sociocognitive functions), behavioral (internalizing and externalizing behaviors), and familial (parent–child interactions, parental stress) factors. Parents of 122 children 3 to 5 years (M = 3.70, SD = 0.66 years, 51% girls) completed questionnaires and children were administered executive and sociocognitive tasks. Parent–child interactions were assessed using an observational approach. SMR was measured four years later using the SoMoral task. A four-step hierarchical regression analysis revealed that executive functions and internalizing problems were significant independent predictors of SMR. These findings provide a more comprehensive understanding of the early precursors of SMR during childhood.
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22
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Shapoval S, Gimeno-Santos M, Mendez Zorrilla A, Garcia-Zapirain B, Guerra-Balic M, Signo-Miguel S, Bruna-Rabassa O. Serious Games for Executive Functions Training for Adults with Intellectual Disability: Overview. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:11369. [PMID: 36141638 PMCID: PMC9517401 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191811369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Revised: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Throughout the history of medical and psychology practice, specialists have worked to improve the quality of treatment and rehabilitation, which has led to the emergence of concepts such as serious games. These tools focus on different areas of intervention procedures, one of which is to help people with intellectual disability (ID). Individuals with ID have problems with executive functions (EFs), which are related to adaptive functioning. Recent studies showed that serious games positively impact cognitive, social, and communication skills in people with ID. The purpose of this study is to analyze the solutions that have been found in EF training for adults with ID in recent years, evaluating them with a number of key parameters and identifying the features and possible problems in the further development of our system. (2) Methods: A review was conducted starting with 573 articles in English related to serious games and selected from studies that had been published since 2015. Finally, 10 were examined in detail as they focused on EFs in adults with ID. They were searched in seven major databases ("Association for Computing Machinery" (ACM), IEEE Xplore database, DBLP computer science bibliography, Google Scholar, PubMed, SCOPUS, and PsycInfo). (3) Results: It was determined that the most frequent EFs referred to in the studies analyzed were planning and decision-making, followed by working memory and social cognition, behavioral regulation, flexibility, and inhibition capacity. The basic approach to the creation of support systems was also analyzed in terms of technical and program execution. The trend results' analysis evidenced improvements in EFs, even though they were not significant. This comprehensive technique enabled the identification of the main features and aspects to be taken into account for further development of our system.
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Affiliation(s)
- S. Shapoval
- eVIDA—Lab, Deusto University, Avda/Universidades 24, 48007 Bilbao, Spain
| | - Mercé Gimeno-Santos
- Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences, Blanquerna, University Ramon Llull, C/Císter, 34, 08022 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Myriam Guerra-Balic
- Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences, Blanquerna, University Ramon Llull, C/Císter, 34, 08022 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Sara Signo-Miguel
- Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences, Blanquerna, University Ramon Llull, C/Císter, 34, 08022 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Olga Bruna-Rabassa
- Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sport Sciences, Blanquerna, University Ramon Llull, C/Císter, 34, 08022 Barcelona, Spain
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23
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Hendry A, Greenhalgh I, Bailey R, Fiske A, Dvergsdal H, Holmboe K. Development of directed global inhibition, competitive inhibition and behavioural inhibition during the transition between infancy and toddlerhood. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13193. [PMID: 34811852 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 09/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/01/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitory control (IC) is a core executive function integral to self-regulation and cognitive control, yet is itself multi-componential. Directed global inhibition entails stopping an action on demand. Competitive inhibition is engaged when an alternative response must also be produced. Related, but not an executive function, is temperamentally-driven wariness of novelty, known as behavioural inhibition. Understanding early development of these components has been hampered by a shortage of suitable measures. We combine established and novel measures to capture directed global inhibition (Toy Prohibition, Touchscreen Prohibition), competitive inhibition (A-not-B, Early Childhood Inhibitory Touchscreen Task; ECITT) and behavioural inhibition (Touchscreen Approach) in 113 10- and 16-month-olds (73 seen longitudinally). ECITT performance shows good 1-week test-retest reliability at 10-months (r = 0.30-0.60) but little stability to 16-months. Directed global inhibition performance shows developmental progression but little stability of individual differences from 10 to 16 months. Performance on measures targeting similar IC components shows greater coherence at 16-months (r = 0.23-0.59) compared with 10-months (r = 0.09-0.35). Probing of ECITT condition effects indicates toddlers are more able, compared with infants, to override immediate prepotencies; indicative of increasingly flexible control over behaviour. However, exerting IC over cumulative prepotencies appears just as challenging for toddlers as infants. Exploratory analyses show little evidence for cross-sectional or longitudinal associations between behavioural, directed global and competitive inhibition. In combination, these findings indicate that IC is not yet a stable, unidimensional construct during the transition between infancy and toddlerhood, and highlight the need for careful selection of multiple measures for those interested in capturing early variation in IC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Hendry
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | | - Abigail Fiske
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Henrik Dvergsdal
- Division of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Nord University Business School, Bodø, Norway
| | - Karla Holmboe
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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24
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Fernandes AC, Viegas ÂA, Lacerda ACR, Nobre JNP, Morais RLDS, Figueiredo PHS, Costa HS, Camargos ACR, Ferreira FDO, de Freitas PM, Santos T, da Silva Júnior FA, Bernardo-Filho M, Taiar R, Sartorio A, Mendonça VA. Association between executive functions and gross motor skills in overweight/obese and eutrophic preschoolers: cross-sectional study. BMC Pediatr 2022; 22:498. [PMID: 35999515 PMCID: PMC9400322 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-022-03553-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Preschool age (3–5 years old) is a crucial period for children to acquire gross motor skills and develop executive functions (EFs). However, the association between the qualitative gross motor skills and EFs remains unknown in preschoolers, especially among overweight and obese children. Methods This was a cross-sectional, exploratory, and quantitative study carried out on 49 preschool children, divided into two subgroups according to their body mass index (overweight/obese: 24; eutrophic [normal weight]: 25). The mean age was 4.59 years. More than half of the sample were boys (55%) and most of the mothers had completed high school (67%) and were class C socioeconomic level (63%). Gross motor skills were assessed using the Test of Gross Motor Development-2, while EFs were evaluated using Semantic verbal fluency (SVF), Tower of Hanoi (TH), Day/Night Stroop, and Delayed Gratification tests. Multiple linear regression models adjusted for sex, age, maternal education, socioeconomic status, quality of the home environment, and quality of the school environment using the stepwise method were executed, considering the cognitive tasks as independent variables and gross motor skills as dependent variable. Results The overweight/obese preschoolers showed worse locomotor skills than their eutrophic peers and below average gross motor quotient (GMQ). Overweight/obese girls performed worse in OC skills than boys with excess weight. SVF (number of errors) and TH (rule breaks) explained 57.8% of the variance in object control (OC) skills and 40.5% of the variance in GMQ (p < .05) in the overweight/obese children. Surprisingly, there was no significant association between any of the EF tasks and gross motor skills in the eutrophic children. Conclusion A relationship between EF tasks (number of errors in SVF and rule breaks in TH) and gross motor skills (OC and GMQ) was demonstrated in the overweight/obese preschoolers, indicating that worse cognitive flexibility, working memory, planning, and problem solving are associated with worse gross motor skills in this population when compared to eutrophic children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Cristina Fernandes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil
| | - Ângela Alves Viegas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Rodrigues Lacerda
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Juliana Nogueira Pontes Nobre
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Rosane Luzia De Souza Morais
- Programa de Pós-Graduação Saúde, Sociedade e Ambiente (PPGSaSA), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Pedro Henrique Scheidt Figueiredo
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Henrique Silveira Costa
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil.,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Ana Cristina Resende Camargos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Reabilitação, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | | | - Patrícia Martins de Freitas
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Psicologia da Saúde (PPGPSI), Instituto Multidisciplinar em Saúde da Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), Vitória da Conquista, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Thiago Santos
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Fidelis Antônio da Silva Júnior
- Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Mário Bernardo-Filho
- Laboratório de Vibrações Mecânicas e Práticas Integrativas - LAVIMPI, Departamento de Biofísica e Biometria, Instituto de Biologia Roberto Alcântara Gomes and Policlínica Piquet Carneiro, Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ), Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Redha Taiar
- Université de Reims Champagne Ardenne, MATIM, 51100, Reims, France
| | - Alessandro Sartorio
- Istituto Auxologico Italiano, IRCCS, Division of Auxology and Metabolic Diseases & Experimental Laboratory for Auxo-endocrinological Research, Piancavallo-Verbania, Italy
| | - Vanessa Amaral Mendonça
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Reabilitação e Desempenho Funcional (PPGReab), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Campus JK - Rodovia MGT - 367 - Km 583, N°. 5000 - Alto da Jacuba / ZIP, Diamantina, Minas Gerais, 39100-000, Brazil. .,Programa de Pós-Graduação Multicêntrico em Ciências Fisiológicas (PPGMCF), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil. .,Centro Integrado de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação em Saúde (CIPq saúde), Universidade Federal dos Vales do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri (UFVJM), Diamantina, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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25
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Berger P, Friederici AD, Grosse Wiesmann C. Maturational Indices of the Cognitive Control Network Are Associated with Inhibitory Control in Early Childhood. J Neurosci 2022; 42:6258-6266. [PMID: 35817578 PMCID: PMC9374117 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.2235-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Goal-directed behavior crucially relies on our capacity to suppress impulses and predominant behavioral responses. This ability, called inhibitory control, emerges in early childhood with marked improvements between 3 and 4 years. Here, we ask which brain structures are related to the emergence of this critical ability. Using a multimodal approach, we relate the pronounced behavioral improvements in different facets of 3- and 4-year-olds' (N = 37, 20 female) inhibitory control to structural indices of maturation in the developing brain assessed with MRI. Our results show that cortical and subcortical structure of core regions in the adult cognitive control network, including the PFC, thalamus, and the inferior parietal cortices, is associated with early inhibitory functioning in preschool children. Probabilistic tractography revealed an association of frontoparietal (i.e., the superior longitudinal fascicle) and thalamocortical connections with early inhibitory control. Notably, these associations to brain structure were distinct for different facets of early inhibitory control, often referred to as motivational ("hot") and cognitive ("cold") inhibitory control. Our findings thus reveal the structural brain networks and connectivity related to the emergence of this core faculty of human cognition.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The capacity to suppress impulses and behavioral responses is crucial for goal-directed behavior. This ability, called inhibitory control, develops between the ages of 3 and 4 years. The factors behind this developmental milestone have been debated intensely for decades; however, the brain structure that underlies the emergence of inhibitory control in early childhood is largely unknown. Here, we relate the pronounced behavioral improvements in inhibitory control between 3 and 4 years with structural brain markers of gray matter and white matter maturation. Using a multimodal approach that combines analyses of cortical surface structure, subcortical structures, and white matter connectivity, our results reveal the structural brain networks and connectivity related to this core faculty of human cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Berger
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
- Research Group Milestones of Early Cognitive Development, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Angela D Friederici
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
| | - Charlotte Grosse Wiesmann
- Research Group Milestones of Early Cognitive Development, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, 04103, Germany
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26
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Petersen IT, LeBeau B. Creating a developmental scale to chart the development of psychopathology with different informants and measures across time. JOURNAL OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AND CLINICAL SCIENCE 2022; 131:611-625. [PMID: 35901391 PMCID: PMC9387173 DOI: 10.1037/abn0000649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) aims to advance a dimensional, multilevel understanding of psychopathology across the life span. Two key challenges exist in applying a developmental perspective to RDoC: First, the most accurate informants for assessing a person's psychopathology often differ across development (e.g., parents and teachers may be better informants of a person's externalizing problems in early childhood, whereas peer- and self-report may also be important to assess in adolescence). Second, many constructs change in their behavioral manifestation across development (i.e., heterotypic continuity). Thus, different informants and measures across time may be necessary to account for the construct's changing manifestation. The challenge of using different informants and measures of a construct across time is ensuring that the same construct is assessed in a comparable way across development. Vertical scaling creates a developmental scale to link scores from changing informants and measures to account for heterotypic continuity and study people's development of psychopathology across the life span. This is the first study that created a developmental scale to assess people's development by putting different informants and measures on the same scale. We examined the development of externalizing problems from ages 2 to 15 years (N = 1,364) using annual ratings by mothers, fathers, teachers, other caregivers, and self-report. The developmental scale linked different informants and measures on the same scale. This allowed us to chart people's growth trajectories and to identify multilevel risk factors, including poor verbal comprehension. Creating a developmental scale may be crucial to advance RDoC's goal of studying the development of psychopathology across the life span. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac T Petersen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa
| | - Brandon LeBeau
- Department of Educational Measurement and Statistics, University of Iowa
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27
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Inhibitory control within the context of early life poverty and implications for outcomes. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2022; 140:104778. [PMID: 35843346 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Early life poverty confers risk for unfavorable outcomes including lower academic achievement, behavioral difficulties, and neurodevelopmental disorders. Disruptions in inhibitory control (IC) have been posed as one mechanism to explain the relationship between early life poverty and deleterious outcomes. There is robust research to suggest that early life poverty is associated with development of poorer IC. Further, poorer IC in children is related to decreased academic achievement and social competence, and increased externalizing and internalizing behavior. There is some parent-report evidence to suggest that IC is a mediator of the relationship between poverty and externalizing behaviors, as well as some limited evidence to suggest that IC is a mediator between poverty and academic achievement. Future work should aim to determine whether early life poverty's relation to IC could be explained by verbal ability which is thought to be central to the development of effective IC. In addition, future neuroimaging work should utilize IC fMRI tasks to identify key neural mechanisms that might contribute to a relationship between early life poverty and IC.
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28
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Broomell AP, Bell MA. Longitudinal development of executive function from infancy to late childhood. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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29
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Kerr-German A, Namuth A, Santosa H, Buss AT, White S. To snack or not to snack: Using fNIRS to link inhibitory control to functional connectivity in the toddler brain. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13229. [PMID: 35005833 PMCID: PMC9232869 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13229] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory control (IC) emerges in infancy, continues to develop throughout childhood and is linked to later life outcomes such as school achievement, prosocial behavior, and psychopathology. Little, however, is known about the neural processes underpinning IC, especially in 2-year-olds. In this study, we examine functional connectivity (FC) in 2.5-year-olds while recording hemodynamic responses via functional infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) during a traditional snack delay task. We found that functional connectivity strength between left frontal and parietal cortex and bilateral parietal cortex were positively associated with performance on this task. The current findings present the first neural data for toddlers during this IC task. Further, these data are the first to link this self-regulatory process to differences in brain development within this population. Implications for future directions and work with clinical populations are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Kerr-German
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning
| | - August Namuth
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, Center for Childhood Deafness, Language and Learning
| | | | | | - Stuart White
- Boys Town National Research Hospital, Institute for Human Neuroscience
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30
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Hendry A, Agyapong MA, D'Souza H, Frick MA, Portugal AM, Konke LA, Cloke H, Bedford R, Smith TJ, Karmiloff-Smith A, Jones EJH, Charman T, Brocki KC. Inhibitory control and problem solving in early childhood: Exploring the burdens and benefits of high self-control. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2022; 31:e2297. [PMID: 35983171 PMCID: PMC9364682 DOI: 10.1002/icd.2297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 12/11/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Low inhibitory control (IC) is sometimes associated with enhanced problem-solving amongst adults, yet for young children high IC is primarily framed as inherently better than low IC. Here, we explore associations between IC and performance on a novel problem-solving task, amongst 102 English 2- and 3-year-olds (Study 1) and 84 Swedish children, seen at 18-months and 4-years (Study 2). Generativity during problem-solving was negatively associated with IC, as measured by prohibition-compliance (Study 1, both ages, Study 2 longitudinally from 18-months). High parent-reported IC was associated with poorer overall problem-solving success, and greater perseveration (Study 1, 3-year-olds only). Benefits of high parent-reported IC on persistence could be accounted for by developmental level. No concurrent association was observed between problem-solving performance and IC as measured with a Delay-of-Gratification task (Study 2, concurrent associations at 4-years). We suggest that, for young children, high IC may confer burden on insight- and analytic-aspects of problem-solving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Hendry
- Psychology Department Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London London UK.,Department of Experimental Psychology University of Oxford Oxford UK
| | - Mary A Agyapong
- Psychology Department Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London London UK
| | - Hana D'Souza
- Department of Psychology & Newnham College University of Cambridge Cambridge UK.,Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development Birkbeck, University of London London UK
| | | | - Ana Maria Portugal
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development Birkbeck, University of London London UK.,Division of Neuropsychiatry, Department of Women's and Children's Health Center of Neurodevelopmental Disorders (KIND), Karolinska Institutet Stockholm Sweden
| | | | - Hamish Cloke
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development Birkbeck, University of London London UK
| | - Rachael Bedford
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London London UK.,Department of Psychology University of Bath Bath UK
| | - Tim J Smith
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development Birkbeck, University of London London UK
| | | | - Emily J H Jones
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development Birkbeck, University of London London UK
| | - Tony Charman
- Psychology Department Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London London UK
| | - Karin C Brocki
- Department of Psychology Uppsala University Uppsala Sweden
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31
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Simpson A, Lipscombe S, Carroll DJ. Why are some inhibitory tasks easy for preschool children when most are difficult? Testing two hypotheses. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 220:105431. [PMID: 35421630 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2021] [Revised: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the processes that create inhibitory demands is central to understanding the role of inhibitory control in all aspects of development. The processes that create inhibitory demands on most developmental tasks seem clear and well understood. However, there is one inhibitory task that appears substantially easier than the others: the Reverse Categorization task, in which children are asked to "reverse sort" items (e.g., put large items in a small box and put small items in a large box). This finding is both surprising and problematic because it cannot be explained by any existing account of inhibitory development. Four experiments with 3- and 4-year-olds sought to explain why the Reverse Categorization task is easy. Two experiments (N = 64) investigated the hypothesis that children conceptualize the task in a way that reduces its inhibitory demands; and two experiments (N = 56) tested the hypothesis that the task is easier because children sort items slowly. The data indicate that children spontaneously respond more slowly on the Reverse Categorization task than on other inhibitory tasks and that this slowing reduces the task's cognitive demands. The way in which slowed responding works, and its relation to other inhibition-reducing interventions, is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Simpson
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, Essex CO4 3SQ, UK.
| | - Stuart Lipscombe
- School of Social Sciences and Humanities, University of Suffolk, Ipswich IP4 1QJ, UK
| | - Daniel J Carroll
- Department of Psychology, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 2LT, UK
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32
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Petoft A, Abbasi M, Zali A. Toward children's cognitive development from the perspective of neurolaw: implications of Roper v Simmons. PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY, AND LAW : AN INTERDISCIPLINARY JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND ASSOCIATION OF PSYCHIATRY, PSYCHOLOGY AND LAW 2022; 30:144-160. [PMID: 36950188 PMCID: PMC10026748 DOI: 10.1080/13218719.2021.2003267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
After reaching the age of criminal responsibility, children are deemed capable of having committed criminal offenses. In this regard, the level of criminal responsibility depends on cognitive development and the type of offense committed. Cognitive development is a process of the growth of perception, thinking and reasoning in children. This concept is frequently referred to in cognitive neuroscience literature. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Roper v Simmons has substantially changed attitudes toward juvenile delinquency, considering the fact that cognitive development continues until early adulthood. The present study attempts to scrutinize this case and explain cognitive development by its factors from an interdisciplinary perspective, combining methods and theories from neuroscience and criminal law.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arian Petoft
- Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahmoud Abbasi
- Medical Ethics and Law Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Alireza Zali
- Functional Neurosurgery Research Center, Shohada Tajrish Comprehensive Neurosurgical Center of Excellence, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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33
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Freitas LL, Cardoso TSG, Argollo N, Mello CB. Socioeconomic Status, Urbanization and Executive Functions Development: Differences Between Urban and Rural Children. PSICOLOGIA: TEORIA E PESQUISA 2022. [DOI: 10.1590/0102.3772e38220.en] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract Socioeconomic Status (SES) has been linked to the development of Executive Functions (EF) usually by means of parental education and family income. Living conditions related to urbanization characteristics are rarely considered. This cross-sectional study investigated the performance in EF tasks of 99 Brazilian children aged 6 to 8 years residing in rural and urban regions. Results showed that children who lived in the rural area performed better than those who lived in the industrial city in the working memory and inhibitory tasks. Social interactions and urbanization conditions, such as parent occupations and social stratification, may explain these differences. Therefore, urbanization conditions of locations where families live should be considered in future studies concerning the influences of SES in EF development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thiago S. G. Cardoso
- Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Brasil; Centro Universitário Adventista de São Paulo, Brasil
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34
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Mehsen V, Morag L, Chesta S, Cleaton K, Burgos H. Hot Executive Function Assessment Instruments in Preschool Children: A Systematic Review. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 19:95. [PMID: 35010356 PMCID: PMC8750992 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19010095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Revised: 12/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/11/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The study aimed to systematically analyze the empirical evidence that is available concerning batteries, tests or instruments that assess hot executive functions (EFs) in preschoolers, identifying which are the most used instruments, as well as the most evaluated hot EFs. For the review and selection of articles, the systematic review methodology PRISMA was used. The article search considered the EBSCO, Web of Science (WoS), SciELO and PubMed databases, with the keywords "Hot executive function", "Assessment", "test", "evaluation", using the Boolean operators AND and OR indistinctly, between 2000 and April 2021. Twenty-four articles were selected and analyzed. The most commonly used instruments to assess hot EFs in preschool children were the Delayed Gratification Task, the Child's Play Task, and the Delayed Reward Task. Amongst those analyzed, 17 instruments were found to assess hot EFs in preschoolers. The accuracy and conceptual clarity between the assessment of cognitive and emotional components in EFs is still debatable. Nevertheless, the consideration of affective temperature and reward stimulus type, could be an important influence when assessing EFs in this age range. Evidence of the possible involvement of cortical and subcortical structures, as well as the limbic system, in preschool executive functioning assessment has also been incorporated.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Héctor Burgos
- Escuela de Psicología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Mayor, Temuco 4801043, Chile; (V.M.); (L.M.); (S.C.); (K.C.)
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35
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Holmboe K, Larkman C, de Klerk C, Simpson A, Bell MA, Patton L, Christodoulou C, Dvergsdal H. The early childhood inhibitory touchscreen task: A new measure of response inhibition in toddlerhood and across the lifespan. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260695. [PMID: 34855865 PMCID: PMC8638877 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Research into the earliest development of inhibitory control is limited by a lack of suitable tasks. In particular, commonly used inhibitory control tasks frequently have too high language and working memory demands for children under 3 years of age. Furthermore, researchers currently tend to shift to a new set of inhibitory control tasks between infancy, toddlerhood, and early childhood, raising doubts about whether the same function is being measured. Tasks that are structurally equivalent across age could potentially help resolve this issue. In the current report, a new response inhibition task, the Early Childhood Inhibitory Touchscreen Task (ECITT), was developed. This task can be minimally modified to suit different ages, whilst remaining structurally equivalent. In the new task, participants have to overcome a tendency to respond to a frequently rewarded location on a touchscreen and instead make an alternative response. The ECITT was validated in three independent studies (with additional data, N = 166, reported in Supporting Information). In Study 1 (N = 81), cross-sectional data indicated that inhibitory performance on the task improved significantly between 24 and 30 months of age. In Study 2 (N = 38), longitudinal data indicated steady improvement in inhibitory control between 18, 21 and 24 months, with significant stability in individual performance differences between each consecutive age in terms of accuracy (but not in terms of reaction time). Finally, in Study 3 (N = 64), inhibitory performance on a faster-paced version of the same task showed a similar developmental course across the lifespan (4-84 years) to other response inhibition tasks and was significantly correlated with Stop-signal performance. The ECITT extends the assessment of response inhibition earlier than previous tasks-into early toddlerhood. Because the task is simple and structurally equivalent across age, future longitudinal studies should benefit from using the ECITT to investigate the development of inhibitory control in a consistent manner across the toddler years and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karla Holmboe
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, United Kingdom
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Charlotte Larkman
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Carina de Klerk
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Department of Psychological Sciences, Birkbeck, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Simpson
- Department of Psychology, University of Essex, Colchester, United Kingdom
| | - Martha Ann Bell
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | - Leslie Patton
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, United States of America
| | | | - Henrik Dvergsdal
- Nord University Business School, Department of Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Organisation, Bodø, Norway
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36
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Ofoe LC, Anderson JD. Complex nonverbal response inhibition and stopping impulsivity in childhood stuttering. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2021; 70:105877. [PMID: 34534900 PMCID: PMC8629930 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2021.105877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2021] [Accepted: 08/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE The primary purpose of this study was to examine complex nonverbal response inhibition and stopping impulsivity in children who do (CWS) and do not stutter (CWNS). METHOD A total of 30 CWS and 30 CWNS between the ages of 3;1 and 6;0 (years; months) performed the Peg-Tapping Task (PTT; Diamond & Taylor, 1996; Luria, 1966), in which children were required to tap a dowel once when an examiner taps twice and vice versa. The main dependent variables were the number of practice trials, response accuracy, response latency for accurate responses, and the number of extra taps (i.e., tapping more than two times). RESULTS The CWS were less accurate and slower on the PTT than the CWNS, with no differences in the number of practice trials. Furthermore, the CWS, especially boys, produced more extra taps than the CWNS. CONCLUSIONS Findings revealed that preschool CWS have weaknesses in complex response inhibition and stopping impulsivity in the nonverbal domain compared to CWNS. Taken together, these findings along with those of previous studies indicate that CWS may have weaknesses in inhibition and impulsivity in the nonverbal domain as well as the verbal domain, suggesting a domain-general weakness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Levi C Ofoe
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, United States.
| | - Julie D Anderson
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, United States
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37
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Berger P, Grosse Wiesmann C. Positive emotion enhances conflict processing in preschoolers. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13199. [PMID: 34821447 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The rapid detection and resolution of conflict between opposing action tendencies is crucial for our ability to engage in goal-directed behavior. Research in adults suggests that emotions can serve as a "relevance detector" that alarms attentional and sensory systems, thereby leading to more efficient conflict processing. In contrast, previous research in children has almost exclusively stressed the impeding influence of emotion on the attentional system, as suggested by the protracted development of performance in "hot" executive function tasks. Do preschool children show a facilitative effect of emotion on conflict processing? We addressed this question applying a modified version of a color flanker task that either involved or did not involve positive emotional stimuli in preschool children (N = 43, with preregistered Bayesian sequential design, aged 2.8-7.0 years). Our results show a robust conflict effect with higher error rates in incongruent compared to congruent trials. Crucially, conflict resolution was faster in emotional compared to neutral conditions. Furthermore, while efficient conflict processing increases with age, we find evidence against an age-related change in the influence of positive emotion on conflict processing. Taken together, these findings provide indication that positive emotion can trigger efficient control processes already from early on in life. In contrast to the predominant view in developmental psychology, this indicates that, depending on the role that emotion has in conflict processing, emotion may show a facilitative or impeding effect already in the preschool period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Berger
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Research Group Milestones of Early Cognitive Development, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Charlotte Grosse Wiesmann
- Research Group Milestones of Early Cognitive Development, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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38
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Petersen IT, Bates JE, McQuillan ME, Hoyniak CP, Staples AD, Rudasill KM, Molfese DL, Molfese VJ. Heterotypic continuity of inhibitory control in early childhood: Evidence from four widely used measures. Dev Psychol 2021; 57:1755-1771. [PMID: 34914443 PMCID: PMC8689656 DOI: 10.1037/dev0001025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Inhibitory control has been widely studied in association with social and academic adjustment. However, prior studies have generally overlooked the potential heterotypic continuity of inhibitory control and how this could affect assessment and understanding of its development. In the present study, we systematically considered heterotypic continuity in four well-established measures of inhibitory control, testing two competing hypotheses: (a) the manifestation of inhibitory control coheres within and across time in consistent, relatively simple ways, consistent with homotypic continuity. Alternatively, (b) with developmental growth, inhibitory control manifests in more complex ways with changes across development, consistent with heterotypic continuity. We also explored differences in inhibitory control as a function of the child's sex, language ability, and the family's socioeconomic status. Children (N = 513) were studied longitudinally at 30, 36, and 42 months of age. Changes in the patterns of associations within and among inhibitory control measures across ages suggest that the measures' meanings change with age, the construct manifests differently across development, and, therefore, that the construct shows heterotypic continuity. We argue that the heterotypic continuity of inhibitory control motivates the use of different combinations of inhibitory control indexes at different points in development in future research to improve validity. Confirmatory factors and growth curves also suggest that individual differences in inhibitory control endure, with convergence among inhibitory control measures by 36 months of age. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
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Hendry A, Holmboe K. Development and validation of the Early Executive Functions Questionnaire: A carer-administered measure of Executive Functions suitable for 9- to 30-month-olds. INFANCY 2021; 26:932-961. [PMID: 34418253 DOI: 10.1111/infa.12431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) enable us to control our attention and behavior in order to set and work toward goals. Strong EF skills are linked to better academic performance, and greater health, wealth, and happiness in later life. Research into EF development has been hampered by a lack of scalable measures suitable for infancy through to toddlerhood. The 31-item Early Executive Functions Questionnaire (EEFQ) complements temperament measures by targeting cognitive and regulatory capabilities. Exploratory Factor Analysis (n = 486 8- to 30-month-olds) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (n = 317 9- to 30-month-olds) indicate Inhibitory Control, Flexibility, and Working Memory items load onto a common "Cognitive Executive Function (CEF)" factor, while Regulation items do not. The CEF factor shows strong factorial measurement invariance for sex, and partial strong factorial measurement invariance for age. CEF and Regulation scores show limited floor and ceiling effects, good internal consistency, short-term stability, and convergent validity with carer-report measures of attentional control. The EEFQ is sensitive to developmental change. Results indicate that the widely overlooked period between late infancy and early toddlerhood may be a sensitive period for EF development. The low-resource demands of the EEFQ afford the possibility to study emergent EFs at scale; opening up new opportunities in basic developmental and intervention research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandra Hendry
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Karla Holmboe
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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40
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Buttelmann D, Kühn K, Zmyj N. The Relations among Theory of Mind, Inhibitory Control, and Aggressive Behavior in 4-Year-Old Children – A Multi-Measure Multi-Informant Approach. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2021.1987240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Karen Kühn
- Ludwig Fresenius Schulen Erfurt, Germany
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Jojoa-Acosta MF, Signo-Miguel S, Garcia-Zapirain MB, Gimeno-Santos M, Méndez-Zorrilla A, Vaidya CJ, Molins-Sauri M, Guerra-Balic M, Bruna-Rabassa O. Executive Functioning in Adults with Down Syndrome: Machine-Learning-Based Prediction of Inhibitory Capacity. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph182010785. [PMID: 34682531 PMCID: PMC8536074 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph182010785] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The study of executive function decline in adults with Down syndrome (DS) is important, because it supports independent functioning in real-world settings. Inhibitory control is posited to be essential for self-regulation and adaptation to daily life activities. However, cognitive domains that most predict the capacity for inhibition in adults with DS have not been identified. The aim of this study was to identify cognitive domains that predict the capacity for inhibition, using novel data-driven techniques in a sample of adults with DS (n = 188; 49.47% men; 33.6 ± 8.8 years old), with low and moderate levels of intellectual disability. Neuropsychological tests, including assessment of memory, attention, language, executive functions, and praxis, were submitted to Random Forest, support vector machine, and logistic regression algorithms for the purpose of predicting inhibition capacity, assessed with the Cats-and-Dogs test. Convergent results from the three algorithms show that the best predictors for inhibition capacity were constructive praxis, verbal memory, immediate memory, planning, and written verbal comprehension. These results suggest the minimum set of neuropsychological assessments and potential intervention targets for individuals with DS and ID, which may optimize potential for independent living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Fernando Jojoa-Acosta
- eVIDA—Lab, Faculty of Engineering, Deusto University, 48007 Bilbao, Spain; (M.F.J.-A.); (M.B.G.-Z.); (A.M.-Z.)
| | - Sara Signo-Miguel
- Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sports Sciences Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, 08022 Barcelona, Spain; (S.S.-M.); (M.G.-S.); (M.M.-S.); (M.G.-B.)
| | | | - Mercè Gimeno-Santos
- Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sports Sciences Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, 08022 Barcelona, Spain; (S.S.-M.); (M.G.-S.); (M.M.-S.); (M.G.-B.)
| | - Amaia Méndez-Zorrilla
- eVIDA—Lab, Faculty of Engineering, Deusto University, 48007 Bilbao, Spain; (M.F.J.-A.); (M.B.G.-Z.); (A.M.-Z.)
| | - Chandan J. Vaidya
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA;
| | - Marta Molins-Sauri
- Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sports Sciences Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, 08022 Barcelona, Spain; (S.S.-M.); (M.G.-S.); (M.M.-S.); (M.G.-B.)
| | - Myriam Guerra-Balic
- Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sports Sciences Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, 08022 Barcelona, Spain; (S.S.-M.); (M.G.-S.); (M.M.-S.); (M.G.-B.)
| | - Olga Bruna-Rabassa
- Faculty of Psychology, Education and Sports Sciences Blanquerna, Ramon Llull University, 08022 Barcelona, Spain; (S.S.-M.); (M.G.-S.); (M.M.-S.); (M.G.-B.)
- Correspondence:
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42
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Waiting for the better reward: Comparison of delay of gratification in young children across two cultures. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256966. [PMID: 34478467 PMCID: PMC8415579 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Delay of gratification-a form of self-control-is the ability to forsake immediately available rewards in order to obtain larger-valued outcomes in future, which develops throughout the pre-school years. The majority of previous research in this area has been conducted with Western populations, therefore knowledge of Eastern children's performance is scarcer. Here, utilising on a recently published dataset of British children (n = 61), we further tested delay of gratification in 3 to 5-year-old Chinese children (n = 75) using Bramlett et al.'s (2012) delay choice paradigm. The paradigm was previously used in non-human primates and it featured a mechanized rotating tray that sequentially moves rewards within reach. Additionally, we administered 3 inhibitory control tasks and 1 standardised delay choice task to Chinese pre-schoolers (British children were not tested). We aimed to investigate the influence of culture, reward type and reward visibility on pre-schoolers' ability to delay gratification. We found significant age-related improvements in delay of gratification ability in both countries and children performed better when presented with rewards varying in quality than quantity. Consistent with previous cross-cultural literature, Chinese children showed better overall performance than their British peers when reward visibility was manipulated (though reward visibility itself had no significant effect on performance). There were significant correlations in Chinese children's performance in Bramlett et al.'s (2012) delay choice paradigm and performance in some (though not all tested) inhibitory control tasks. We discuss these results in relation to task demands and the broader social orientation of self-control. We concluded that the intuitive comparative assessment of self-control task taps into children's delay of gratification ability. Our results emphasize the importance of testing for socio-cultural influences on children's cognitive development.
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Berger P, Buttelmann D. A meta-analytic approach to the association between inhibitory control and parent-reported behavioral adjustment in typically-developing children: Differentiating externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Dev Sci 2021; 25:e13141. [PMID: 34224185 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Revised: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Impairments in inhibitory control (IC) are traditionally seen as a vital aspect in the emergence and course of maladaptive behavior across early childhood. However, it is currently unclear whether this view applies to both the externalizing and internalizing domain of parent-reported behavioral adjustment. Furthermore, past (meta-analytic) developmental research and theory characterizing this association have largely neglected the vast heterogeneity of IC measures and conceptualizations. The present meta-analyses examined the association of IC with parent-reported externalizing (N = 3160, 21 studies) and internalizing (N = 1758, 12 studies) behavior problems, assessed with the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), in non-clinical populations of children aged 2-8 years. They further investigated the moderating effects of a priori IC categorization, according to a recently proposed two-factor model of IC ("Strength/Endurance" account, Simpson & Carroll, 2019). In line with previous research in the clinical domain, the current results corroborate the notion of a robust, but small association between IC and externalizing behavior problems (r = -0.11) in early childhood. However, although frequently proposed in the literature, no significant linear association could be identified with internalizing behavior problems. Furthermore, in both meta-analyses, no significant moderating effects of IC categorization could be revealed. These findings enhance our knowledge about the cognitive underpinnings of early-emerging maladaptive behavior, indicating that different subtypes of IC are statistically related with externalizing, but not internalizing behavior problems. Overall, the small association of IC ability with behavior problems in non-clinical populations provokes broader questions about the role of IC in behavioral adjustment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philipp Berger
- Department of Neuropsychology, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany.,Research Group Milestones of Early Cognitive Development, Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - David Buttelmann
- Department of Developmental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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Carroll DJ, Blakey E, Simpson A. Can We Boost Preschoolers' Inhibitory Performance Just by Changing the Way They Respond? Child Dev 2021; 92:2205-2212. [PMID: 34214196 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Changing the way children make their response appears to sometimes, but not always, boost their inhibitory control-though interpreting existing findings is hampered by inconsistent methods and results. This study investigated the effects of delaying, and changing, the means of responding. Ninety-six preschoolers (Mage 46 months) completed tasks assessing inhibitory control, counterfactual reasoning, strategic reasoning, and false belief understanding. Children responded either immediately or after a delay, and either by pointing with their finger, or with a hand-held arrow. Delaying boosted performance on all tasks except false belief understanding; arrow-pointing only improved strategic reasoning. It is suggested that delay helps children work out the correct response; it is unlikely to help on tasks where this requirement is absent.
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Panesi S, Morra S. Executive Function, Language, and the Toddler's Discovery of Representational Drawing. Front Psychol 2021; 12:659569. [PMID: 34149550 PMCID: PMC8209489 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.659569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Working memory capacity and executive functions play important roles in the early development of drawing and language, but we lack models that specify the relationships among these representational systems and cognitive functions in toddlers. To respond to this need, the present study investigated the relations between drawing and language in very young children, and the role of working memory capacity, inhibition, and shifting in the association between these two representational systems. The participants were 80 children, 25–37 months old. The results revealed that in toddlers (a) all the measures of working memory, inhibition, and shifting loaded on a single factor of general executive functioning; (b) language and drawing are two distinct, but substantially correlated, representational systems; and (c) the development of executive function has a strong impact on language development, which in turn influences the development of drawing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Panesi
- DiSFor (Department of Education), Università di Genova, Genoa, Italy.,National Research Council of Italy, Institute for Educational Technology, Genoa, Italy
| | - Sergio Morra
- DiSFor (Department of Education), Università di Genova, Genoa, Italy
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Whedon M, Perry NB, Curtis EB, Bell MA. Private Speech and the Development of Self-Regulation: The Importance of Temperamental Anger. EARLY CHILDHOOD RESEARCH QUARTERLY 2021; 56:213-224. [PMID: 34219909 PMCID: PMC8244402 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.03.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
In this study (N=160), we observed children's private (i.e., self-directed) speech (PS) during a challenging puzzle task at age 3 and assessed whether the amount and maturity of their PS predicted their inhibitory control (IC) at age 4 and indirectly emotion regulation at age 9. Additionally, we examined whether the direct and indirect effects of PS were moderated by children's temperament. As expected, the maturity of children's PS was positively associated with IC and this association was stronger when children were reported as higher in anger reactivity by mothers (the interaction accounting for 11% of the explained variance). Children low in temperamental anger tend to have good IC and may not need to use PS. When children were at or above the mean on anger reactivity, PS maturity was indirectly associated with better emotion regulation at age 9 through an influence on IC at age 4 (index of moderated mediation =1.03 [.10, 3.60]). Findings suggest that PS is an important self-regulatory tool for 3-year-olds who typically experience and express anger.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicole B. Perry
- Department of Human Development and Family Sciences, University of Texas at Austin
| | - Erica B. Curtis
- Depertment of Human Development & Family Studies, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
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Białecka-Pikul M, Białek A, Kosno M, Stępień-Nycz M, Blukacz M, Zubek J. Early mindreading scale: From joint attention to false-belief understanding. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/17405629.2021.1911799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Arkadiusz Białek
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Magdalena Kosno
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | | | - Mateusz Blukacz
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
| | - Julian Zubek
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland
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48
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Xu P, Wu D, Zhou Y, Wu J, Xiao W. An event-related potential (ERP) study of the transfer of response inhibition training to interference control. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:1327-1335. [PMID: 33646327 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-021-06055-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2020] [Accepted: 02/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The classification of inhibitory control and the relationship between the subcomponents of inhibitory control have been the focus of many studies. This study mainly explored the influence of response inhibition training on interference control through event-related potential data. Forty college students were randomly divided into a training group and a control group. Two response inhibition tasks were used as training tasks and the Stroop and go/no-go tasks were used with electroencephalogram monitoring to evaluate students' abilities in the two kinds of inhibitory control. The results showed that the conflict effect of the training group significantly improved after training compared with those of the control group. In the training group, the N2 effect was enhanced not only in the no-go stimulation in the training task but also in the incongruent stimulation in the untrained Stroop task and there was a correlation in the enhancement of the N2 effect between the two tasks. To some extent, this study provided neuroscientific evidence that response inhibition training can transfer to interference control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengbo Xu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Di Wu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yue Zhou
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Jing Wu
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China
| | - Wei Xiao
- Department of Military Medical Psychology, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an, China.
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Appetite self-regulation declines across childhood while general self-regulation improves: A narrative review of the origins and development of appetite self-regulation. Appetite 2021; 162:105178. [PMID: 33639246 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2021.105178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
This narrative review discusses the origins and development of appetite self-regulation (ASR) in childhood (from infancy to age 6 or 7 years). The origins, or foundations, are the biological infrastructure associated with appetite regulation and appetite self-regulation. Homeostatic regulation in infancy is examined and then evidence about developmental change in components of ASR. The main ASR-related components covered are: delay-of-gratification, caloric compensation, eating in the absence of hunger, food responsiveness/hedonics and fussy eating. The research included behavioral measures, parent-reports of appetitive traits and fMRI studies. There were two main trends in the evidence: a decline across childhood in the components of ASR associated with food approach (and therefore an increase in disinhibited eating), and wide individual differences. The decline in ASR contrasts with general self-regulation (GSR) where the evidence is of an improvement across childhood. For many children, bottom-up automatic reactive processes via food reward/hedonics or food avoidance as in fussy eating, appear not to be matched by improvements in top-down regulatory capacities. The prominence of bottom-up processes in ASR could be the main factor in possible differences in developmental paths for GSR and ASR. GSR research is situated in developmental science with its focus on developmental processes, theory and methodology. In contrast, the development of ASR at present does not have a strong developmental tradition to access and there is no unifying model of ASR and its development. We concluded (1) outside of mean-level or normative changes in the components of ASR, individual differences are prominent, and (2) there is a need to formulate models of developmental change in ASR together with appropriate measurement, research designs and data analysis strategies.
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50
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Petersen IT, Choe DE, LeBeau B. Studying a Moving Target in Development: The Challenge and Opportunity of Heterotypic Continuity. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2020; 58:100935. [PMID: 33244192 PMCID: PMC7685252 DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2020.100935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Many psychological constructs show heterotypic continuity-their behavioral manifestations change with development but their meaning remains the same (e.g., externalizing problems). However, research has paid little attention to how to account for heterotypic continuity. Conceptual and methodological challenges of heterotypic continuity may prevent researchers from examining lengthy developmental spans. Developmental theory requires that measurement accommodate changes in manifestation of constructs. Simulation and empirical work demonstrate that failure to account for heterotypic continuity when collecting or analyzing longitudinal data results in faulty developmental inferences. Accounting for heterotypic continuity may require using different measures across time with approaches that link measures on a comparable scale. Creating a developmental scale (i.e., developmental scaling) is recommended to link measures across time and account for heterotypic continuity, which is crucial in understanding development across the lifespan. The current synthesized review defines heterotypic continuity, describes how to identify it, and presents solutions to account for it. We note challenges of addressing heterotypic continuity, and propose steps in leveraging opportunities it creates to advance empirical study of development.
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