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Reindl E, Völter CJ, Civelek Z, Duncan L, Lugosi Z, Felsche E, Herrmann E, Call J, Seed AM. The shifting shelf task: a new, non-verbal measure for attentional set shifting. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221496. [PMID: 36651050 PMCID: PMC9845975 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1496] [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: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Attentional set shifting is a core ingredient of cognition, allowing for fast adaptation to changes in the environment. How this skill compares between humans and other primates is not well known. We examined performance of 3- to 5-year-old children and chimpanzees on a new attentional set shifting task. We presented participants with two shelves holding the same set of four boxes. To choose the correct box on each shelf, one has to switch attention depending on which shelf one is currently presented with. Experiment 1 (forty-six 3- to 5-year olds, predominantly European White) established content validity, showing that the majority of errors were specific switching mistakes indicating failure to shift attention. Experiment 2 (one hundred and seventy-eight 3- to 6-year olds, predominantly European White) showed that older children made fewer mistakes, but if mistakes were made, a larger proportion were switching mistakes rather than 'random' errors. Experiment 3 (52 chimpanzees) established suitability of the task for non-human great apes and showed that chimpanzees' performance was comparable to the performance of 3- and 4-year olds, but worse than 5-year olds. These results suggest that chimpanzees and young children share attentional set shifting capacities, but that there are unique changes in the human lineage from 5 years of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. Reindl
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
- Department of Anthropology, Durham University, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - C. J. Völter
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna 1210, Austria
| | - Z. Civelek
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | - L. Duncan
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
- School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
| | - Z. Lugosi
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
- Faculty of Social Sciences and Public Policy, School of Education, Communication and Society, King's College London, London WC2R 2LS, UK
| | - E. Felsche
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig 04103, Germany
| | - E. Herrmann
- Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth PO1 2UP, UK
| | - J. Call
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | - A. M. Seed
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
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Meredith Weiss S, Marshall PJ. Anticipation across modalities in children and adults: Relating anticipatory alpha rhythm lateralization, reaction time, and executive function. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13277. [PMID: 35616474 PMCID: PMC10078525 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13277] [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: 10/09/2020] [Revised: 02/14/2022] [Accepted: 04/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The development of the ability to anticipate-as manifested by preparatory actions and neural activation related to the expectation of an upcoming stimulus-may play a key role in the ontogeny of cognitive skills more broadly. This preregistered study examined anticipatory brain potentials and behavioral responses (reaction time; RT) to anticipated target stimuli in relation to individual differences in the ability to use goals to direct action (as indexed by measures of executive function; EF). A cross-sectional investigation was conducted in 40 adults (aged 18-25 years) and 40 children (aged 6-8 years) to examine the association of changes in the amplitude of modality-specific alpha-range rhythms in the electroencephalogram (EEG) during anticipation of lateralized visual, tactile, or auditory stimuli with inter- and intraindividual variation in RT and EF. Children and adults exhibited contralateral anticipatory reductions in the mu rhythm and the visual alpha rhythm for tactile and visual anticipation, respectively, indicating modality and spatially specific attention allocation. Variability in within-subject anticipatory alpha lateralization (the difference between contralateral and ipsilateral alpha power) was related to single-trial RT. This relation was more prominent in adults than in children, and was not apparent for auditory stimuli. Multilevel models indicated that interindividual differences in anticipatory mu rhythm lateralization contributed to the significant association with variability in EF, but this was not the case for visual or auditory alpha rhythms. Exploratory microstate analyses were undertaken to cluster global field power (GFP) into a distribution-free temporal analysis examining developmental differences across samples and in relation to RT and EF. Anticipation is suggested as a developmental bridge construct connecting neuroscience, behavior, and cognition, with anticipatory EEG oscillations being discussed as quantifiable and potentially malleable indicators of stimulus prediction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Staci Meredith Weiss
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Peter J Marshall
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Paphiti M, Eggers K. Cognitive flexibility in younger and older children who stutter. Front Psychol 2022; 13:1017319. [PMID: 36467213 PMCID: PMC9715977 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1017319] [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: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 11/02/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Purpose Recent research findings suggest possible weaknesses in cognitive flexibility (CF) in children who stutter (CWS) when compared to children who do not stutter (CWNS). Studies so far, have been conducted with either younger (3-6 years old) or older children (6-12 years old) with a variety of measures. The purpose of the present study was to investigate CF with the use of a single behavioral measure across a broader age range (4-10 years old). Methods Participants were 37 CWS (mean age = 6.90 years) and 37 age-and gender-matched CWNS (mean age = 6.88 years), divided in a younger (below 7 years) and older (above 7 years) age group. All participants undertook a computerized visual set-shifting task consisting of three blocks. CF was evaluated through across-and within-block comparisons of the actual response speed and accuracy values. In addition, mixing-and set-shifting-costs were evaluated based on the mean response speed and accuracy. Results All participants showed expected mixing-and set-shifting-costs. Only the within-block analyses yielded significant between (sub)group differences. Investigation of the block × classification group × age group interactions showed that older CWS had larger set-shifting-costs (slowed down more and made more errors) compared to older CWNS. Conclusion While all participants required more time during set-shifting trials, only the older CWS (7-10 years old), and not younger CWS, were slower and made more errors. This finding corroborates previous findings in CWS of a similar age and could possibly point to a role of CF in stuttering persistence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Paphiti
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Kurt Eggers
- Department of Psychology and Speech-Language Pathology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Speech-language Pathology/Audiology Research Group, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- Department of Speech-Language Therapy and Audiology, Thomas More University College, Antwerp, Belgium
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Pupillometry as a Window into Young Children's Sustained Attention. J Intell 2022; 10:jintelligence10040107. [PMID: 36412787 PMCID: PMC9680391 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence10040107] [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: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 10/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Sustained attention is critical to cognition, social competence, and academic success. Importantly, sustained attention undergoes significant development over the early childhood period. Yet, how sustained attention fluctuates over time on task has not been clearly outlined, particularly in young children. In this study, we provide a first test of whether the pupillary response can be used as an indicator of moment-to-moment sustained attention over time on task in young children. Children aged 5 to 7 years (N = 41) completed a psychomotor vigilance task, where they were asked to press a button as fast as possible at the onset of a target stimulus. We measured reaction times over the course of the task, pupil size prior to target onset (baseline pupil size), and pupil size in response to target onset (task-evoked pupil size). The results showed a stereotypical vigilance decrement in children's response times: as time on task increased, reaction times increased. Critically, children's task-evoked pupil size decreased over time on task, while no such change was present in baseline pupil size. These results suggest that young children's waning sustained attention may be linked to a decrease in alertness while overall arousal is maintained. We discuss the importance of leveraging pupillometry to understand the mechanisms of sustained attention over individuals and development.
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Lowery K, Nikam B, Buss AT. Dimensional label learning contributes to the development of executive functions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11008. [PMID: 35773365 PMCID: PMC9246947 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-14761-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
A key to understanding how the brain develops is to understand how learning can change brain function. One index of learning that takes place in early childhood involves the comprehension and production of labels describing the shape and color features of objects, a process known as dimensional label learning (DLL). DLL requires integrating auditory and visual stimuli to form a system of mappings that link label representations (e.g. "red" and "color") and visual feature representations (e.g. "red" and the hue red). Children gain expertise with these labels between the ages of 2 and 5 years, and at the same time they begin to demonstrate skills in using labels to guide cognitive function in other domains. For example, one of the hallmark measures of executive function development requires children to use verbally instructed rules to guide attention to visual dimensions. The broader impact of DLL, however, has not yet been explored. Here, we examine how the neural processes associated with the comprehension and production of labels for visual features predicts later performance on executive function tasks. Specifically, we show that left frontal cortex is activated during comprehension and production tasks at 33 months of age. Moreover, we find that neural activation in this region during label production at 33 months is associated with dimensional attention, but not spatial selective attention, at 45 months. These results shed new light on the role of label learning in developmental changes in brain and behavior. Moreover, these data suggest that dimensional label learning generalizes beyond the learned information to influence other aspects of cognition. We anticipate that these results may serve as a starting point for future work to implement label training as an intervention to influence later cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kara Lowery
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, USA.
| | - Bhoomika Nikam
- Department of Educational Psychology and Counseling, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, USA
| | - Aaron T Buss
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, Knoxville, USA
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Exploring the development of attentional set shifting in young children with a novel Intradimensional/Extradimensional shift task. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 221:105428. [PMID: 35489135 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105428] [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: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Attentional set shifting is a core part of cognition, allowing quick and flexible adaption to new demands. The study of its development during early childhood has been hampered by a shortage of measures not requiring language. This article argues for a revival of the Intradimensional/Extradimensional (ID/ED) shift task by presenting a new nonverbal version of the task (Shifting Tray task). Children (N = 95 3- to 5-year-olds; 49 girls; predominantly European White) were presented with pairs of trays, each filled with a substrate and an upside-down cup on top, and were asked to find stickers. In the pre-switch phase, children learned (through trial and error) which dimension (substrate or cup) was predictive of the rewards. In the post-switch phase, all stimuli were exchanged. For children in the intradimensional shift condition, the dimension predictive of the sticker was the same as the one predictive in the pre-switch phase. For children in the extradimensional shift condition, the previously irrelevant dimension was now relevant. Results showed that most 3-year-olds were able to switch, and older children did not outperform younger children. The easy and flexible nature of the task allows researchers to investigate the impact of labels and instructions and to use it in cross-cultural and comparative research.
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Cho VY, Hsiao JH, Chan AB, Ngo HC, King NM, Anthonappa RP. Understanding children’s attention to dental caries through eye-tracking. Caries Res 2022; 56:129-137. [PMID: 35398845 PMCID: PMC9254305 DOI: 10.1159/000524458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2021] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual attention is a significant gateway to a child's mind, and looking is one of the first behaviors young children develop. Untreated caries and the resulting poor dental aesthetics can have adverse emotional and social impacts on children's oral health-related quality of life due to its detrimental effects on self-esteem and self-concept. Therefore, we explored preschool children's eye movement patterns and visual attention to images with and without dental caries via eye movement analysis using hidden Markov models (EMHMM). We calibrated a convenience sample of 157 preschool children to the eye-tracker (Tobii Nano Pro) to ensure standardization. Consequently, each participant viewed the same standardized pictures with and without dental caries while an eye-tracking device tracked their eye movements. Subsequently, based on the sequence of viewed regions of interest (ROIs), a transition matrix was developed where the participants' previously viewed ROI informed their subsequently considered ROI. Hence, an individual's HMM was estimated from their eye movement data using a variational Bayesian approach to determine the optimal number of ROIs automatically. Consequently, this data-driven approach generated the visual task participants' most representative eye movement patterns. Preschool children exhibited two different eye movement patterns, distributed (78%) and selective (21%), which was statistically significant. Children switched between images with more similar probabilities in the distributed pattern while children remained looking at the same ROI than switching to the other ROI in the selective pattern. Nevertheless, all children exhibited an equal starting fixation on the right or left image and noticed teeth. The study findings reveal that most preschool children did not have an attentional bias to images with and without dental caries. Furthermore, only a few children selectively fixated on images with dental caries. Therefore, selective eye-movement patterns may strongly predict preschool children's sustained visual attention to dental caries. Nevertheless, future studies are essential to fully understand the developmental origins of differences in visual attention to common oral health presentations in children. Finally, EMHMM is appropriate for assessing inter-individual differences in children's visual attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa Y. Cho
- Dental School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Washington, Australia
- *Vanessa Y. Cho,
| | - Janet H. Hsiao
- Department of Psychology, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
- The State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Antoni B. Chan
- Department of Computer Science, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hien C. Ngo
- Dental School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Washington, Australia
| | - Nigel M. King
- Dental School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Washington, Australia
| | - Robert P. Anthonappa
- Dental School, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Washington, Australia
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Pomper R, Kaushanskaya M, Saffran J. Change is hard: Individual differences in children's lexical processing and executive functions after a shift in dimensions. LANGUAGE LEARNING AND DEVELOPMENT : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT 2021; 18:229-247. [PMID: 35600505 PMCID: PMC9122267 DOI: 10.1080/15475441.2021.1947289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Language comprehension involves cognitive abilities that are specific to language as well as cognitive abilities that are more general and involved in a wide range of behaviors. One set of domain-general abilities that support language comprehension are executive functions (EFs), also known as cognitive control. A diverse body of research has demonstrated that EFs support language comprehension when there is conflict between competing, incompatible interpretations of temporarily ambiguous words or phrases. By engaging EFs, children and adults are able to select or bias their attention towards the correct interpretation. However, the degree to which language processing engages EFs in the absence of ambiguity is poorly understood. In the current experiment, we tested whether EFs may be engaged when comprehending speech that does not elicit conflicting interpretations. Different components of EFs were measured using several behavioral tasks and language comprehension was measured using an eye-tracking procedure. Five-year-old children (n=56) saw pictures of familiar objects and heard sentences identifying the objects using either their names or colors. After a series of objects were identified using one dimension, children were significantly less accurate in fixating target objects that were identified using a second dimension. Further results reveal that this decrease in accuracy does not occur because children struggle to shift between dimensions, but rather because they are unable to predict which dimension will be used. These effects of predictability are related to individual differences in children's EFs. Taken together, these findings suggest that EFs may be more broadly involved when children comprehend language, even in instances that do not require conflict resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ron Pomper
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - Margarita Kaushanskaya
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
- Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Goodnight Hall, 1975 Willow Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - Jenny Saffran
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1202 West Johnson Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA
- Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1500 Highland Avenue, Madison, WI 53705, USA
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Eichorn N, Pirutinsky S. Cognitive Flexibility and Effortful Control in School-Age Children With and Without Stuttering Disorders. JOURNAL OF SPEECH, LANGUAGE, AND HEARING RESEARCH : JSLHR 2021; 64:823-838. [PMID: 33630654 DOI: 10.1044/2020_jslhr-20-00440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Purpose This study compared attention control and flexibility in school-age children who stutter (CWS) and children who do not stutter (CWNS) based on their performance on a behavioral task and parent report. We used a classic attention-shifting paradigm that included manipulations of task goals and timing to test effects of varying demands for flexibility on switching accuracy and speed. We also examined associations between task performance, group, and relevant aspects of temperament. Method Participants included 33 children (15 CWS, 18 CWNS) between 8 and 11 years of age. Children sorted stimuli that differed on two dimensions (color and shape) based on sorting rules that varied from block to block or trial to trial. Timing manipulations included intervals of 200-, 600-, or 1,200-ms durations for critical trial components. Temperament data were obtained via the Children's Behavior Questionnaire. Results All children showed expected performance costs in response to block and trial manipulations; however, CWS were more affected by task conditions that increased demands for cognitive flexibility. Effects of interval durations also differed by group. Factor scores on the Children's Behavior Questionnaire indicated differences in effortful control between groups; however, this aspect of temperament did not mediate between-groups differences in switching performance. Conclusions Findings suggest that stuttering continues to be associated with differences in attention control and flexibility beyond the preschool years. Further research is needed to clarify how these cognitive processes shape the development of stuttering throughout childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Eichorn
- School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, The University of Memphis, TN
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Romero-Martínez Á, Lila M, Gracia E, Moya-Albiol L. Dropout from Court-Mandated Intervention Programs for Intimate Partner Violence Offenders: The Relevance of Alcohol Misuse and Cognitive Impairments. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2019; 16:E2402. [PMID: 31284567 PMCID: PMC6651492 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16132402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Revised: 07/03/2019] [Accepted: 07/04/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable interest in offering insight into the mechanisms that might explain why certain perpetrators of intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) drop out of interventions. Although several socio-demographic variables and attitudes towards IPVAW have been proposed as risk factors for IPVAW perpetrators' dropout, less attention has been paid to alcohol misuse, and its interactions with empathic and cognitive deficits, in the discontinuation of the treatment. Therefore, the main aim of this study was to compare the profile of a carefully selected sample of IPVAW perpetrators, divided into four groups: those who completed the intervention with low (n = 267) and high alcohol consumption (n = 67); and those who dropped out before the intervention ended with low (n = 62).and high alcohol consumption (n = 27). Furthermore, we also studied the initial risk before the intervention started and the official IPVAW recidivism during the first year after the intervention ended. Our results revealed that IPVAW perpetrators, especially those who did not complete the intervention and had high alcohol consumption/alcohol misuse, were less accurate in decoding emotional facial signals and presented more errors and perseverative errors than those who completed the intervention. These differences were particularly marked in comparison with those who showed less alcohol consumption. Furthermore, the first group also presented the highest risk (assessed by therapists) and official recidivism rate (official records). Conversely, the lowest rate of IPVAW reoffending was presented by IPVAW treatment completers with low alcohol consumption. Hence, our study identifies different targets that should be addressed during the initial stages of interventions in order to prevent or reduce IPVAW dropout, which in turn might reduce violence recidivism in the long term through their effects on emotional information processing and behavioural regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marisol Lila
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Enrique Gracia
- Department of Social Psychology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
| | - Luis Moya-Albiol
- Department of Psychobiology, University of Valencia, 46010 Valencia, Spain
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Dimensional attention as a mechanism of executive function: Integrating flexibility, selectivity, and stability. Cognition 2019; 192:104003. [PMID: 31228681 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2019.06.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2018] [Revised: 06/13/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In this report, we present a neural process model that explains visual dimensional attention and changes in visual dimensional attention over development. The model is composed of an object representation system that binds visual features such as shape and color to spatial locations and a label learning system that associates labels such as "color" or "shape" with visual features. We have previously demonstrated that this model explains the development of flexible dimensional attention in a task that requires children to switch between shape and color rules for sorting cards. In the model, the development of flexible dimensional attention is a product of strengthening associations between labels and features. In this report, we generalize this model to also explain development of stable and selective dimensional attention. Specifically, we use the model to explain a previously reported developmental association between flexible dimensional attention and stable dimensional attention. Moreover, we generate predictions regarding developmental associations between flexible and selective dimensional attention. Results from an experiment with 3- and 4-year-olds supported model predictions: children who demonstrated flexibility also demonstrated higher levels of selectivity. Thus, the model provides a framework that integrates various functions of dimensional attention, including implicit and explicit functions, over development. This model also provides new avenues of research aimed at uncovering how cognitive functions such as dimensional attention emerge from the interaction between neural dynamics and task structure, as well as understanding how learning dimensional labels creates changes in dimensional attention, brain activation, and neural connectivity.
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Isbell E, Calkins SD, Swingler MM, Leerkes EM. Attentional fluctuations in preschoolers: Direct and indirect relations with task accuracy, academic readiness, and school performance. J Exp Child Psychol 2019; 167:388-403. [PMID: 29274944 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2017.11.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 07/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Attentional control fluctuates in the presence of internal and external distractors, wandering on and off a given task. The current study investigated individual differences in attentional fluctuations in 250 preschoolers. Attentional fluctuations were assessed via intra-individual variability in response time in a Go/No-Go task. Greater fluctuations in attentional control were linked to lower task accuracy. In addition, greater attentional fluctuations predicted lower performance in a task of cognitive flexibility, the Dimensional Change Card Sort task. Attentional fluctuations were also associated with laboratory measures of academic readiness in preschool, as assessed by the Applied Problems and Letter-Word Identification subscales of the Woodcock-Johnson III Tests of Achievement, which in turn predicted teacher reports of academic performance in first grade. Attentional fluctuations also had indirect associations with emergent math skills in preschool, via cognitive flexibility, as well as indirect associations with first-grade teacher reports of academic performance, via the relations between cognitive flexibility and emergent math skills in preschool. These results suggest that consistency is an important aspect of attentional control during early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elif Isbell
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA.
| | - Susan D Calkins
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA
| | - Margaret M Swingler
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Esther M Leerkes
- University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Department of Human Development and Family Studies, Greensboro, NC 27412, USA
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Effectiveness of Neurofeedback on Executive Functions and Tendency Toward High-Risk Behaviors in Adolescents with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HIGH RISK BEHAVIORS AND ADDICTION 2018. [DOI: 10.5812/ijhrba.82012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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14
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Eichorn N, Marton K, Pirutinsky S. Cognitive flexibility in preschool children with and without stuttering disorders. JOURNAL OF FLUENCY DISORDERS 2018; 57:37-50. [PMID: 29157666 DOI: 10.1016/j.jfludis.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2017] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/08/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Multifactorial explanations of developmental stuttering suggest that difficulties in self-regulation and weak attentional flexibility contribute to persisting stuttering. We tested this prediction by examining whether preschool-age children who stutter (CWS) shift their attention less flexibly than children who do not stutter (CWNS) during a modified version of the Dimension Card Change Sort (DCCS), a reliable measure of attention switching for young children. METHODS Sixteen CWS (12 males) and 30 children CWNS (11 males) participated in the study. Groups were matched on age (CWS: M=49.63, SD=10.34, range=38-80months; CWNS: M=50.63, SD=9.82, range=37-74months), cognitive ability, and language skills. All children completed a computer-based variation of the DCCS, in which they matched on-screen bivalent stimuli to response buttons based on rules that switched mid-task. RESULTS Results showed increased slowing for CWS compared to controls during the postswitch phase, as well as contrasting patterns of speed-accuracy tradeoff for CWS and CWNS as they moved from the preswitch to postswitch phase of the task. CONCLUSIONS Group differences in performance suggest that early stuttering may be associated with difficulty shifting attention efficiently and greater concern about errors. Findings are consistent with a growing literature indicating links between weak attentional control and persisting developmental stuttering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naomi Eichorn
- The University of Memphis, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders, 4055 N. Park Loop, Memphis, TN 38152, United States.
| | - Klara Marton
- The Graduate School and University Center of the City University of New York, Speech-Language-Hearing Sciences, Graduate School and University Center, City University of New York, 365 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10016-4309, United States; Bárczi Gusztáv College of Special Education of Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary.
| | - Steven Pirutinsky
- Touro College, Graduate School of Social Work, 27 West 23rd Street, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10010, United States.
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Rhoads CL, Miller PH, Jaeger GO. Put your hands up! Gesturing improves preschoolers' executive function. J Exp Child Psychol 2018; 173:41-58. [PMID: 29677552 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2018.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Revised: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This study addressed the causal direction of a previously reported relation between preschoolers' gesturing and their executive functioning on the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) sorting-switch task. Gesturing the relevant dimension for sorting was induced in a Gesture group through instructions, imitation, and prompts. In contrast, the Control group was instructed to "think hard" when sorting. Preschoolers (N = 50) performed two DCCS tasks: (a) sort by size and then spatial orientation of two objects and (b) sort by shape and then proximity of the two objects. An examination of performance over trials permitted a fine-grained depiction of patterns of younger and older children in the Gesture and Control conditions. After the relevant dimension was switched, the Gesture group had more accurate sorts than the Control group, particularly among younger children on the second task. Moreover, the amount of gesturing predicted the number of correct sorts among younger children on the second task. The overall association between gesturing and sorting was not reflected at the level of individual trials, perhaps indicating covert gestural representation on some trials or the triggering of a relevant verbal representation by the gesturing. The delayed benefit of gesturing, until the second task, in the younger children may indicate a utilization deficiency. Results are discussed in terms of theories of gesturing and thought. The findings open up a new avenue of research and theorizing about the possible role of gesturing in emerging executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Candace L Rhoads
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, United States
| | - Patricia H Miller
- Department of Psychology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA 94132, United States.
| | - Gina O Jaeger
- Department of Human Ecology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, United States
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