1
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Brandt A, Bondü R, Elsner B. Profiles of executive functions in middle childhood and prediction of later self-regulation. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1379126. [PMID: 38784608 PMCID: PMC11111993 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1379126] [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: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Most research on the development of executive functions (EF) has applied variable-oriented approaches, neglecting the potential inter- and intraindividual interplay of these capacities. In a person-oriented approach, the present study identified varying profiles of performance for three cool EF facets: inhibition, working-memory updating, and cognitive flexibility, as well as two hot EF facets: affective decision-making and delay of gratification, in a community sample of 1,657 children (T1; age: 6-11 years, M = 8.36 years, 52.1% female) via latent profile analysis. The best-fitting model allowed for partial dependence across the three cool EF and included four profiles: all-average (69.4% of the children), low-delay (19.0%), regulated-decision-making (7.0%), and low-inhibition (4.6%). Age, binary sex, socio-economic status, multilingualism, and processing speed were identified as significant characteristics of EF profile membership. Longitudinally, a higher probability of belonging to the low-inhibition profile predicted lower rates of the self-regulatory outcome of inhibitory control 1 year later, while belonging to the regulated-decision-making profile predicted lower rates of the ability to plan and organize 3 years later. These results not only demonstrate the existence of subgroups with different concurrent within-person expressions of EF performance, but also identify related characteristics and longitudinal outcomes of subgroup membership. In turn, these conclusions stress the importance of person-oriented research to inform on differing weaknesses or strengths in EF performance for varying individuals, thereby providing valuable insight for educational and clinical research into the design of effective personalized support or interventions during middle childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariadne Brandt
- Department for Developmental Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Rebecca Bondü
- Department for Developmental, Pedagogic and Family Psychology, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Birgit Elsner
- Department for Developmental Psychology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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2
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Keulers EHH, Resch C, Jonkman LM, Hurks PPM. Further validation of a new ADHD screening questionnaire measuring parents' explanations (time processing, cognition, and motivation) of inattention symptoms in their school-aged children. Child Neuropsychol 2024; 30:539-550. [PMID: 37345982 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2023.2226351] [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: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 06/23/2023]
Abstract
The triple pathway model suggests that different neuropsychological factors underlie symptoms of inattention (i.e., time, cognition and/or motivation problems). However, screening instruments asking individuals to judge the link between these neuropsychological factors and inattention are lacking. The recently developed screening questionnaire, PASSC, aims to examine these factors possibly causing inattention by asking parents to indicate to what extent their child experiences inattention symptoms and to what extent different neuropsychological factors explain this inattention. The present study extends prior validation research of the PASSC by examining associations between PASSC inattention explained by time, cognition, and/or motivation and children's performance on tests measuring these same three constructs. Results indicated positive correlations between PASSC inattention explained by time and less accurate performance on a time discrimination test, and between PASSC inattention explained by cognition and more working memory errors as well as higher attention switching costs. Furthermore, children whose parents indicated that their inattention was best explained by cognition showed higher switching costs than children whose inattention was best explained by motivation. This support for construct validity of the PASSC is limited to two PASSC explanations (i.e., time, cognition) and a subset of tests (i.e., time discrimination, attention switching, memory span). Future research should focus on integrating PASSC and performance test results to differentiate between children with attention problems but different underlying neuropsychological problems. Concluding, the PASSC can be a promising screening tool to identify inattention in children and the underlying explanation indicated by parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esther H H Keulers
- Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
| | - Christine Resch
- Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
- Department of Neurological Learning Disabilities, Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, The Netherlands
| | - Lisa M Jonkman
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands
| | - Petra P M Hurks
- Department of Neuropsychology & Psychopharmacology, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, The Netherlands
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3
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Chandler-Mather N, Crichton A, Shelton D, Harris K, Donovan C, Dawe S. Carer-reported sleep disturbance and carer- and teacher-rated executive functioning in children with prenatal alcohol exposure and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Child Neuropsychol 2024:1-22. [PMID: 38607688 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2024.2337715] [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: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 03/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024]
Abstract
Children with prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) have high rates of sleep disturbance and marked difficulties with executive functioning (EF). Sleep disturbance has been associated with poorer EF across development in typically developing children. The contribution of insomnia symptoms and nightmares to EF difficulties in children with PAE and FASD is unclear. The current study examined whether caregiver-reported insomnia symptoms and nightmares predicted difficulties with EF in children with PAE who were assessed at FASD diagnostic clinics. Archival data on 116 children with PAE assessed at FASD diagnostic clinics were extracted from databases. Children were assigned to a preschool-age group (3.1 to 5.9 years, n = 40) and a school-age group (5.9 to 10.9 years, n = 76). Insomnia symptoms and nightmares were measured using items extracted from the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) while EF was measured using the caregiver and teacher Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) rating forms. Bootstrapped regression models were used examine the effects of insomnia symptoms and nightmares on domains of EF in each group while adjusting for potential confounds. For preschool children, insomnia symptoms were associated with greater daytime tiredness while nightmares were associated with greater difficulties with Emergent Metacognition according to their teachers. For school-age children, insomnia symptoms predicted greater EF difficulties across most domains according to their caregivers but not teachers. Sleep disturbance may compound EF impairments in children with PAE and should be screened for as part of FASD diagnostic assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ali Crichton
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Monash Children's Hospital, Clayton, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Doug Shelton
- Gold Coast University Hospital, Southport, Australia
| | - Katrina Harris
- Victorian Fetal Alcohol Service, Monash Children's Hospital, Clayton, Australia
| | - Caroline Donovan
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sharon Dawe
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
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4
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Hasan F, Hart CM, Graham SA, Kam JWY. Inside a child's mind: The relations between mind wandering and executive function across 8- to 12-year-olds. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 240:105832. [PMID: 38157752 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105832] [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: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 10/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Mind wandering refers to attention oriented away from a current task to thoughts unrelated to the task, often resulting in poorer task performance. In adults, mind wandering is a common occurrence that is associated with the executive function facets of inhibitory control, working memory capacity, and task switching. In this study, we cross-sectionally examined whether the relation between mind wandering frequency and executive function changes across 8- to 12-year-old children. A total of 100 children completed three tasks targeting three facets of executive function. During each task, participants were occasionally prompted to report whether they were focused on the task or mind wandering. In examining the association between mind wandering frequency and executive function across the age range, we found a significant interaction between age and working memory capacity, such that it was negatively associated with mind wandering frequency only in 12-year-olds. This interaction with age was not significant for inhibitory control and task switching ability. Our results revealed differential relations between mind wandering and executive function facets, which vary with developmental stages. These findings highlight potential areas for targeted intervention to improve mind wandering regulation in children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiza Hasan
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada.
| | - Chelsie M Hart
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Susan A Graham
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada; Owerko Centre and Department of Psychology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
| | - Julia W Y Kam
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada; Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta T2N 4N1, Canada
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5
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Mei S, Gao Y, He W, Jarrold C, Wang T. Age-related differences in the removal of information from working memory. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 240:105836. [PMID: 38176257 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105836] [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: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Removal has been assumed to be a core mechanism in working memory. However, it remains unclear whether children can actively remove outdated information from working memory and how this ability develops as children age. The current study aimed to examine age-related differences in removal ability and its relations with cognitive control and working memory capacity. Children aged 7, 9, and 11 years performed a modified working memory updating task assessing removal efficiency. In addition, a battery of cognitive control and working memory capacity tasks was administered. Results indicated that updating response times decreased considerably when a longer time was given for removal, suggesting that children aged 7 to 11 years can actively remove outdated items from working memory prior to encoding the new ones and that removal efficiency increased with age. More important, age-related increases in removal efficiency occurred concurrently with the development of working memory capacity. Proactive control predicted removal efficiency over and beyond age and working memory capacity. The findings shed new light on the mechanisms underlying the development of working memory updating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Mei
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058 Hangzhou, China
| | - Yang Gao
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058 Hangzhou, China
| | - Wanna He
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058 Hangzhou, China
| | | | - Tengfei Wang
- Department of Psychology and Behavioral Sciences, Zhejiang University, 310058 Hangzhou, China.
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6
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Vanhala A, Widlund A, Korhonen J, Haapala EA, Sääkslahti A, Aunio P. Developmental associations of fundamental motor skills and executive functions in preschoolers - The role of the physical activity and the effects on early numeracy. Trends Neurosci Educ 2024; 34:100220. [PMID: 38499409 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2024.100220] [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: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical activity, fundamental motor skills, executive functions and early numeracy have shown to be related, but very little is known about the developmental relations of these factors. PROCEDURE We followed 317 children (3-6 years) over two years. Fundamental motor skills and executive functions (inhibition+switching, updating) were measured at all time points (T1, T2, T3) and physical activity at T1 and early numeracy at T3. MAIN FINDINGS Children with better fundamental motor skills at T1 developed slower in inhibition and switching. Fundamental motor skills developed faster in children who had better initial inhibition and switching ability. Vigorous physical activity at T1 was associated with a weaker initial inhibition and switching. The initial level and the developmental rate of updating were related to better early numeracy skills. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that fundamental motor skills and executive functions are developmentally related, and updating is an important predictor for early numeracy in preschoolers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anssi Vanhala
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Anna Widlund
- Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland
| | - Johan Korhonen
- Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland
| | - Eero A Haapala
- Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland; Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
| | - Arja Sääkslahti
- Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Pirjo Aunio
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
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7
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Bombonato C, Del Lucchese B, Ruffini C, Di Lieto MC, Brovedani P, Sgandurra G, Cioni G, Pecini C. Far Transfer Effects of Trainings on Executive Functions in Neurodevelopmental Disorders: A Systematic Review and Metanalysis. Neuropsychol Rev 2024; 34:98-133. [PMID: 36633797 PMCID: PMC10920464 DOI: 10.1007/s11065-022-09574-z] [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: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Executive Functions are a set of interrelated, top-down processes essential for adaptive goal-directed behaviour, frequently impaired across different neurodevelopmental disorders with variable degrees of severity. Many executive-function-training studies in children with neurodevelopmental disorders have focused on near effects, investigating post-treatment improvements on directly trained processes, while enhancements of skills not directly trained, defined as far effects, are less considered, albeit these could be extremely relevant for reducing the negative impact of a disorder's core symptomatology. This systematic review and metanalysis aims to investigate the far effect outcomes after EF training in children with different types of neurodevelopmental disorders. 17 studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review, while 15 studies were selected in the metanalysis. An overall statistically significant effect size was found in the majority of far effect outcome measures considered in the studies. In particular, trainings on executive functions determine significant far effects on daily life functioning (0.46, 95% CI: [0.05-0.87]) and clinical symptoms (0.33, 95% CI: [0.15-0.51]). Despite a high variability of the results, intensity, frequency and the laboratory/life contexts dimension seem to be the most influential variables in determining far effects. This systematic review and metanalysis highlights the need to measure far effects of executive function training in neurodevelopmental disorders, selecting treatments not only on directly targeted processes, but also according to far impacts on the functional weakness of the disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara Bombonato
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
- Tuscan Programme of Neuroscience, University of Florence, Pisa and Siena, Italy
| | - Benedetta Del Lucchese
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
- Tuscan Programme of Neuroscience, University of Florence, Pisa and Siena, Italy
| | - Costanza Ruffini
- Department of Education, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology (FORLIPSI), University of Florence, Languages, Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Di Lieto
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Paola Brovedani
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Giuseppina Sgandurra
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy.
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
| | - Giovanni Cioni
- Department of Developmental Neuroscience, IRCCS Stella Maris Foundation, Calambrone, Pisa, Italy
| | - Chiara Pecini
- Department of Education, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology (FORLIPSI), University of Florence, Languages, Florence, Italy
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8
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Polo-Blanco I, Suárez-Pinilla P, Goñi-Cervera J, Suárez-Pinilla M, Payá B. Comparison of Mathematics Problem-Solving Abilities in Autistic and Non-autistic Children: the Influence of Cognitive Profile. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:353-365. [PMID: 36319804 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05802-w] [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: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This study examines relationships between mathematical problem-solving performance (in terms of strategies used and accuracy) and the main cognitive domains associated with mathematical learning (i.e. executive functions, verbal comprehension and social perception) of children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD and non-ASD resp.). The study involved 26 ASD and 26 non-ASD children without intellectual disabilities, between 6 and 12 years old, matched by sex, age and school (grade and classroom). The results show a higher percentage of ASD children with problem solving difficulties than non-ASD (57% vs. 23% resp.). Poor performing ASD children showed comparatively lower scores in inhibition, theory of mind and verbal comprehension. Implications for the design of mathematical interventions for ASD students are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Polo-Blanco
- Departamento de Matemáticas Estadística y Computación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
| | - Paula Suárez-Pinilla
- Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
- CIBERSAM. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, Madrid, Spain
- Grupo de Psiquiatría. IDIVAL: Instituto de Investigación Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina y Psiquiatría, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Juncal Goñi-Cervera
- Departamento de Matemáticas Estadística y Computación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Marta Suárez-Pinilla
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Beatriz Payá
- Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
- Grupo de Psiquiatría. IDIVAL: Instituto de Investigación Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
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9
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Spiller J, Clayton S, Cragg L, Johnson S, Simms V, Gilmore C. Higher level domain specific skills in mathematics; The relationship between algebra, geometry, executive function skills and mathematics achievement. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291796. [PMID: 37931003 PMCID: PMC10627446 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Algebra and geometry are important components of mathematics that are often considered gatekeepers for future success. However, most studies that have researched the cognitive skills required for success in mathematics have only considered the domain of arithmetic. We extended models of mathematical skills to consider how executive function skills play both a direct role in secondary-school-level mathematical achievement as well as an indirect role via algebra and geometry, alongside arithmetic. We found that verbal and visuospatial working memory were indirectly associated with mathematical achievement via number fact knowledge, calculation skills, algebra and geometry. Inhibition was also indirectly associated with mathematical achievement via number fact knowledge and calculation skills. These findings highlight that there are multiple mechanisms by which executive function skills may be involved in mathematics outcomes. Therefore, using specific measures of mathematical processes as well as context-rich assessments of mathematical achievement is important to understand these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Spiller
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Clayton
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Cragg
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha Johnson
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Simms
- School of Psychology, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom
| | - Camilla Gilmore
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
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10
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Ramos C, Pereira AF, Feher A, Baptista J. How does sensitivity influence early executive function? A critical review on hot and cool processes. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 73:101895. [PMID: 37856950 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101895] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
There is compelling evidence that the quality of caregiver-child interactions during toddlerhood and the preschool years supports the development of executive function (EF) (Bernier et al., 2010; 2015; 2016; Fay-Stammbach et al., 2014; Geeraerts et al., 2021). Based on such findings, we make the case herein that sensitivity may be one of the most important dimensions of parenting contributing to early EF. In the present article, we will review empirical evidence, integrating findings from a wide range of scientific disciplines - cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and developmental psychopathology - and present theoretical ideas about how two contexts of sensitive caregiving - i.e. sensitivity to distress and non-distress cues - may be contributing differently to hot and cool EF development. Implications for future investigations on the environmental contributors of early EF, and its mechanisms, are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cláudia Ramos
- Iscte-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, CIS-Iscte, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Alfredo F Pereira
- NOVA School of Science and Technology, Center of Technology and Systems (UNINOVA-CTS), NOVA University Lisbon.
| | - Amber Feher
- Iscte-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, CIS-Iscte, Lisboa, Portugal.
| | - Joana Baptista
- Iscte-Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, CIS-Iscte, Lisboa, Portugal.
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11
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Zhang H, Miyake A, Osborne J, Shah P, Jonides J. A d factor? Understanding trait distractibility and its relationships with ADHD symptomatology and hyperfocus. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0292215. [PMID: 37878578 PMCID: PMC10599552 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0292215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
People differ substantially in their vulnerability to distraction. Yet, many types of distractions exist, from external stimulation to internal thoughts. How should we characterize individual differences in their distractibility? Two samples of adult participants (total N = 1220) completed a large battery of questionnaires assessing different facets of real-world distractibility. Latent modeling revealed that these measures could be explained by three correlated-yet-distinct factors: external distraction, unwanted intrusive thoughts, and mind-wandering. Importantly, about 80% of the total variance in these three factors could be explained by a single higher-order factor (d) that could be construed in terms of a person's general distractibility, and this general distractibility model was replicated across the two samples. We then applied the general distractibility model to understand the nature of ADHD symptomatology and hyperfocus (an intense state of long-lasting and highly focused attention). d was substantially associated with self-reported ADHD symptoms. Interestingly, d was also positively associated with hyperfocus, suggesting that hyperfocus may, to some degree, reflect attention problems. These results also show marked consistencies across the two samples. Overall, the study provides an important step toward a comprehensive understanding of individual differences in distractibility and related constructs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Zhang
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Akira Miyake
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, United States of America
| | - Jahla Osborne
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Priti Shah
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
| | - John Jonides
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, United States of America
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12
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Georgiou GK, Zhang L. Do Performance-Based Measures and Behavioral Ratings of Executive Functioning Complement Each Other in Predicting Reading and Mathematics in Chinese? Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:823. [PMID: 37887473 PMCID: PMC10604200 DOI: 10.3390/bs13100823] [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: 08/25/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/04/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
We examined what executive functioning (EF) components predict reading and mathematics within the same study and whether the effects of behavioral ratings of EF overlap or complement those of performance-based measures. One hundred and nine Grade 2 Mandarin-speaking Chinese students from Chengdu, China (55 girls, 54 boys, Mage = 8.15 years), were assessed on measures of EF (planning, inhibition, shifting, and working memory), speed of processing, reading and mathematics. Parents also rated their children's EF skills using the Childhood Executive Functioning Inventory. Results of hierarchical regression analyses showed that only working memory among the performance-based EF measures predicted reading and mathematics. In addition, none of the behavioral ratings of EF made a significant contribution to reading and mathematics after controlling for mother's education and speed of processing. Taken together, these findings suggest that working memory is a domain general predictor of academic achievement, but only when measured with cognitive tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- George K. Georgiou
- Faculty of Education, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2G5, Canada
| | - Li Zhang
- Chengdu Shishi Tianfu High School, Chengdu 610042, China;
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13
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Andersen L, Lebeau JC, Nagelkirk PR. Challenge Your Body, Challenge Your Mind: the Combined Effect of Fitness Level and Stress Appraisal on Stress Responses and Subsequent Cognitive Performance. Int J Behav Med 2023:10.1007/s12529-023-10222-w. [PMID: 37759043 DOI: 10.1007/s12529-023-10222-w] [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: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/29/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Because of the health issues associated with high stress levels, it is important to find new strategies to regulate stress response. Previous research has examined the separate effects of fitness level and stress reappraisal on the stress response, but the combination of both factors is unknown. The goal of the study was to examine the combined effects of fitness and stress appraisal on stress responses and cognitive performance following a stressful event. METHOD On 2 separate days, 24 highly and poorly fit young men (Mage = 22.33, SD = 3.33) were exposed to a validated stress test and were induced to view their stress as facilitative or debilitative. Objective and subjective stress responses along with cognitive performance were evaluated before and immediately after the stress test. RESULTS Participants in the high-fit/negative appraisal condition reported lower anxiety scores than participants in the low-fit/negative appraisal condition (d = 1.04). Participants had higher levels of cortisol after the stress test (d = 0.31), but no difference in heart rate, cortisol, or cognitive performance emerged among the conditions. CONCLUSION Fitness level might have a larger impact on stress response than stress appraisal, and stress reappraisal manipulations require more than just reading a note and a self-talk statement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Andersen
- School of Kinesiology, Health and Physical Activity Building, Ball State University, HP 324, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA
| | - Jean-Charles Lebeau
- School of Kinesiology, Health and Physical Activity Building, Ball State University, HP 324, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA.
| | - Paul R Nagelkirk
- School of Kinesiology, Health and Physical Activity Building, Ball State University, HP 324, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA
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Younger JW, O’Laughlin KD, Anguera JA, Bunge SA, Ferrer EE, Hoeft F, McCandliss BD, Mishra J, Rosenberg-Lee M, Gazzaley A, Uncapher MR. Better together: novel methods for measuring and modeling development of executive function diversity while accounting for unity. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1195013. [PMID: 37554411 PMCID: PMC10405287 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1195013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 08/10/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Executive functions (EFs) are linked to positive outcomes across the lifespan. Yet, methodological challenges have prevented precise understanding of the developmental trajectory of their organization. METHODS We introduce novel methods to address challenges for both measuring and modeling EFs using an accelerated longitudinal design with a large, diverse sample of students in middle childhood (N = 1,286; ages 8 to 14). We used eight adaptive assessments hypothesized to measure three EFs, working memory, context monitoring, and interference resolution. We deployed adaptive assessments to equate EF challenge across ages and a data-driven, network analytic approach to reveal the evolving diversity of EFs while simultaneously accounting for their unity. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Using this methodological paradigm shift brought new precision and clarity to the development of these EFs, showing these eight tasks are organized into three stable components by age 10, but refinement of composition of these components continues through at least age 14.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Wise Younger
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Kristine D. O’Laughlin
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Joaquin A. Anguera
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Silvia A. Bunge
- Department of Psychology & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Emilio E. Ferrer
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, United States
| | - Fumiko Hoeft
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychological Sciences and Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC), University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT, United States
| | - Bruce D. McCandliss
- Graduate School of Education, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, United States
| | - Jyoti Mishra
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
- Neural Engineering & Translation Labs, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | | | - Adam Gazzaley
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Department of Psychiatry and Physiology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
| | - Melina R. Uncapher
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States
- Advanced Education Research and Development Fund, Oakland, CA, United States
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15
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Irwin Harper LN, Groves NB, Marsh CL, Cole AM, Kofler MJ. [Formula: see text] Does training working memory or inhibitory control produce far-transfer improvements in set shifting for children with ADHD? A randomized controlled trial. Child Neuropsychol 2023; 29:825-845. [PMID: 36331068 PMCID: PMC10156903 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2022.2138301] [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: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Children with ADHD show impairments in set shifting task performance. However, the limited available evidence suggests that directly training shifting may not improve shifting performance in this population. We hypothesized that this incongruence may be because impairments exhibited by children with ADHD during shifting tasks are due to deficits in other executive functions, as shifting tasks also engage children's working memory and/or inhibitory control abilities. This randomized controlled trial examined the extent to which neurocognitive training of working memory vs. inhibitory control can produce downstream (far-transfer) improvements in set shifting task performance. Children with ADHD ages 8-12 (M = 10.41, SD = 1.46; 12 girls; 74% White/Non-Hispanic) were randomized to either central executive training (CET; n = 25) or inhibitory control training (ICT; n = 29), two next-generation digital therapeutics previously shown to improve their intended neurocognitive targets. Two criterion set shifting tests were administered at pre- and post-treatment. Results indicated that ICT was superior to CET for improving shifting accuracy (treatmentxtime: p = .03, BF10 = 3.01, η2 = .09, d = 0.63). ICT was also superior to CET for improving shifting speed, albeit on only one of the two outcome tasks (p = .02, BF10 = 4.53, η2 = .08, d = 0.59). CET did not produce improvements in shifting speed or accuracy on either task (p > .52, BF01 > 2.62), but showed evidence for more general (non-shifting-specific) improvement in response times on one of the outcome tasks (shift trials, d = 0.70; non-shift trials, d = 0.68). Taken together, these findings confirm that inhibitory control is important for successful performance on shifting tests, and suggest that training inhibitory control may reflect a method for improving set shifting difficulties in children with ADHD.
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16
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Gandolfi E, Usai MC, Traverso L, Viterbori P. Inhibitory control and verb inflection in Italian preschool children. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2023; 50:1005-1021. [PMID: 35343416 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000922000058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
The study investigates whether Italian verbal inflectional morphology is associated with inhibitory control skills after controlling for receptive vocabulary and verbal working memory. A sample of Italian preschoolers aged 4;0 to 6;0 was assessed using a standardized inhibitory control task tapping two different inhibitory skills (response inhibition and interference suppression), and a morphological task requiring simple and complex inflections of verbs. The hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that working memory and the interference suppression scores were significantly associated with complex inflections but not with simple inflections of the verbs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Gandolfi
- Department of Education Sciences, University of Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Laura Traverso
- Department of Education Sciences, University of Genoa, Italy
| | - Paola Viterbori
- Department of Education Sciences, University of Genoa, Italy
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17
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Nelson TD, Stice E. Contextualizing the Neural Vulnerabilities Model of Obesity. Nutrients 2023; 15:2988. [PMID: 37447312 DOI: 10.3390/nu15132988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
In recent years, investigators have focused on neural vulnerability factors that increase the risk of unhealthy weight gain, which has provided a useful organizing structure for obesity neuroscience research. However, this framework, and much of the research it has informed, has given limited attention to contextual factors that may interact with key vulnerabilities to impact eating behaviors and weight gain. To fill this gap, we propose a Contextualized Neural Vulnerabilities Model of Obesity, extending the existing theory to more intentionally incorporate contextual factors that are hypothesized to interact with neural vulnerabilities in shaping eating behaviors and weight trajectories. We begin by providing an overview of the Neural Vulnerabilities Model of Obesity, and briefly review supporting evidence. Next, we suggest opportunities to add contextual considerations to the model, including incorporating environmental and developmental context, emphasizing how contextual factors may interact with neural vulnerabilities to impact eating and weight. We then synthesize earlier models and new extensions to describe a Contextualized Neural Vulnerabilities Model of Obesity with three interacting components-food reward sensitivity, top-down regulation, and environmental factors-all within a developmental framework that highlights adolescence as a key period. Finally, we propose critical research questions arising from the framework, as well as opportunities to inform novel interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy D Nelson
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Eric Stice
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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18
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Planckaert N, Duyck W, Woumans E. Is there a cognitive advantage in inhibition and switching for bilingual children? A systematic review. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1191816. [PMID: 37397328 PMCID: PMC10313409 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1191816] [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] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Several studies have pointed to beneficial effects of bilingualism on executive functioning. However, observations of these beneficial effects have at times proven difficult to reproduce. Moreover, findings of studies on cognitive effects of bilingualism have been contested altogether. These contradictory outcomes leave the research field of bilingualism at unease. In the present review article, we aim to give a systematic overview of previous research on bilingual advantages in inhibition and switching in children up to the age of 12. Particular attention is paid to the experimental tasks that have been applied and the persistence of possible effects throughout critical and post-critical periods for cognitive development in children. In doing so, the review gives an insight in both the validity and robustness of possible domain-general cognitive effects of bilingualism in children. Terminological issues are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niels Planckaert
- Department of Translation, Interpreting, and Communication, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Wouter Duyck
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
- The Accreditation Organisation of the Netherlands and Flanders (NVAO), Den Haag, Netherlands
| | - Evy Woumans
- Department of Translation, Interpreting, and Communication, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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19
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Sambol S, Suleyman E, Scarfo J, Ball M. A true reflection of executive functioning or a representation of task-specific variance? Re-evaluating the unity/diversity framework. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 236:103934. [PMID: 37156119 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2023.103934] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The unity/diversity framework, originally published by Miyake et al. (2000) has become the most cited model of executive functioning. Consequently, when researchers operationalise executive function (EF) they often exclusively assess the three "core" EFs: updating, shifting, and inhibition. However, rather than core EFs representing domain general cognitive abilities, these three EFs may instead represent specific procedural skills from the overlapping methodologies of the tasks selected. In this study, we conducted a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) which showed both the traditional three-factor and nested-factor model from the unity/diversity framework failed to reach satisfactory levels of fit. Subsequently, an exploratory factor analysis supported a three-factor model reflecting: an expanded working memory factor, a combined shifting/inhibition factor representing cognitive flexibility, and a factor comprised solely of the Stroop task. These results demonstrate that working memory remains the most robustly operationalised EF construct, whereas shifting and inhibition may represent task-specific mechanisms of a broader domain-general cognitive flexibility factor. Ultimately, there is little evidence to suggest that updating, shifting, and inhibition encapsulates all core EFs. Further research is needed to develop an ecologically valid model of executive functioning that captures the cognitive abilities associated with real world goal-directed behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stjepan Sambol
- Institute for Health and Sport (IHES), Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
| | - Emra Suleyman
- Institute for Health and Sport (IHES), Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jessica Scarfo
- Institute for Health and Sport (IHES), Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Michelle Ball
- Institute for Health and Sport (IHES), Victoria University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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20
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Ikink I, van Duijvenvoorde ACK, Huizenga H, Roelofs K, Figner B. Age differences in intertemporal choice among children, adolescents, and adults. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 233:105691. [PMID: 37150038 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2020] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/04/2023] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
When choosing between sooner-smaller and later-larger rewards (i.e., intertemporal choices), adults typically prefer later-larger rewards more often than children. Intertemporal choice preferences have been implicated in various impulsivity-related psychopathologies, making it important to understand the underlying mechanisms not only in terms of how reward magnitude and delay affect choice but also in terms of how these mechanisms develop across age. We administered an intertemporal choice paradigm to 60 children (8-11 years), 79 adolescents (14-16 years), and 60 young adults (18-23 years). The paradigm systematically varied amounts and delays of the available rewards, allowing us to identify mechanisms underlying age-related differences in patience. Compared with young adults, both children and adolescents made fewer later-larger choices. In terms of underlying mechanisms, variation in delays, absolute reward magnitudes, and relative amount differences affected choice in each age group, indicating that children showed sensitivity to the same choice-relevant factors as young adults. Sensitivity to both absolute reward magnitude and relative amount differences showed a further monotonic age-related increase, whereas no change in delay sensitivity occurred. Lastly, adolescents and young adults weakly displayed a present bias (i.e., overvaluing immediate vs. future rewards; nonsignificant and trend, respectively), whereas children showed a nonsignificant but opposite pattern, possibly indicating that specifically dealing with future rewards changed with age. These findings shed light on the underlying mechanisms that contribute to the development of patience. By decomposing overt choices, our results suggest that the age-related increase in patience may be driven specifically by stronger sensitivity to amount differences with age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Ikink
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Ghent University, 9000 Ghent, Belgium.
| | - Anna C K van Duijvenvoorde
- Developmental and Educational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands; Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Leiden University, 2333 AK Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Hilde Huizenga
- Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Amsterdam Brain and Cognition Center, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands; Research Priority Area Yield, 1018 WS Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Karin Roelofs
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Bernd Figner
- Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, 6500 HE Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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21
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Rivella C, Zanetti A, Bertamino M, Severino M, Primavera L, Signa S, Moretti P, Viterbori P. [Formula: see text] Executive functions and psychosocial impairment in children following arterial ischemic stroke. Child Neuropsychol 2023; 29:276-298. [PMID: 35668031 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2022.2083093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the executive function (EF) of children with a history of arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) and preserved intellectual abilities, with reference to age at stroke onset, lesion characteristics, language, and motor functioning. In addition, the associations between EF and emotional and behavioral functioning were investigated. A battery of standardized neuropsychological tests was administered to children with previous AIS aged 7-12 in order to assess EF, including inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility, and attention. Parents rated questionnaires regarding real-life emotional and behavioral functioning. Finally, clinical and neuroradiological data were also gathered. Thirty patients were enrolled. Eight children fall in the lower end of the normative range or below in more than half of the EF measures, with working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility equally impaired, and attention relatively better preserved. Larger lesion size and language deficits were significantly associated with higher EF impairment. Emotional and behavioral functioning was lower in children with weaker EF. Children with a history of AIS, even those with preserved intellectual functioning, have a high risk of showing poor EF, mostly regardless of clinical features or functional impairment. EF difficulties are in turn associated with emotional and behavioral problems. Therefore, a standardized evaluation of EF in this population is mandatory as part of the follow-up, in order to ensure an early intervention and prevent related difficulties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlotta Rivella
- Department of Educational Science, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alice Zanetti
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Marta Bertamino
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Ludovica Primavera
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Sara Signa
- Department of Neuroscience, Ophthalmology, Genetics and Maternal Infantile Sciences (DINOGMI), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy.,Autoinflammatory Diseases and Immunodeficiencies Center, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paolo Moretti
- Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit, IRCCS Istituto Giannina Gaslini, Genoa, Italy
| | - Paola Viterbori
- Department of Educational Science, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy
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22
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Grüneisen L, Dörrenbächer-Ulrich L, Perels F. Differential development and trainability of self-regulatory abilities among preschoolers. Acta Psychol (Amst) 2023; 232:103802. [PMID: 36493593 DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103802] [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: 06/21/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/03/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Self-regulation (SR) as well as self-regulated learning (SRL) show large interindividual variance in preschoolers. This variance may result in differential developmental trajectories. The present study aims to investigate whether a reduction in interindividual differences over time, which could previously be found for preschoolers' SR, is also present for SRL. Furthermore, the present study aims to explore whether preschool SRL training transfers to SR and whether training effects visible in SRL depend on initial performance. A sample of 94 preschoolers participated in this intervention study. Children were assigned to either a training group or to an active control group. Additionally, the sample was divided into high- and low-SRL preschoolers based on pretest SRL performance. Repeated measures ANCOVAs revealed that in the active control group, differences between high- and low-SRL preschoolers decreased over time. The training group showed a greater increase in SRL than the active control group. Training-induced increases did not vary between high- and low-SRL preschoolers. Additionally, increases in SR were identical for training and active control group. Further research on the transferability of preschool SRL training to SR is needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Grüneisen
- Department of Educational Sciences, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany.
| | | | - Franziska Perels
- Department of Educational Sciences, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
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23
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Raffington L, Tanksley PT, Sabhlok A, Vinnik L, Mallard T, King LS, Goosby B, Harden KP, Tucker-Drob EM. Socially Stratified Epigenetic Profiles Are Associated With Cognitive Functioning in Children and Adolescents. Psychol Sci 2023; 34:170-185. [PMID: 36459657 PMCID: PMC10068508 DOI: 10.1177/09567976221122760] [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: 01/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Children's cognitive functioning and educational performance are socially stratified. Social inequality, including classism and racism, may operate partly via epigenetic mechanisms that modulate neurocognitive development. Following preregistered analyses of data from 1,183 participants, ages 8 to 19 years, from the Texas Twin Project, we found that children growing up in more socioeconomically disadvantaged families and neighborhoods and children from marginalized racial/ethnic groups exhibit DNA methylation profiles that, in previous studies of adults, were indicative of higher chronic inflammation, lower cognitive functioning, and a faster pace of biological aging. Furthermore, children's salivary DNA methylation profiles were associated with their performance on in-laboratory tests of cognitive and academic skills, including processing speed, general executive function, perceptual reasoning, verbal comprehension, reading, and math. Given that the DNA methylation measures that we examined were originally developed in adults, our results suggest that children show molecular signatures that reflect the early life social determinants of lifelong disparities in health and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurel Raffington
- Department of Psychology, The
University of Texas at Austin
- Population Research Center, The
University of Texas at Austin
- Max Planck Research Group Biosocial –
Biology, Social Disparities, and Development; Max Planck Institute for Human
Development, Berlin, Germany
| | - Peter T. Tanksley
- Department of Psychology, The
University of Texas at Austin
- Population Research Center, The
University of Texas at Austin
| | - Aditi Sabhlok
- Department of Psychology, The
University of Texas at Austin
| | - Liza Vinnik
- Department of Psychology, The
University of Texas at Austin
| | - Travis Mallard
- Department of Psychology, The
University of Texas at Austin
| | - Lucy S. King
- Department of Psychology, The
University of Texas at Austin
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral
Sciences, Tulane University School of Medicine
| | - Bridget Goosby
- Population Research Center, The
University of Texas at Austin
- Department of Sociology, The University
of Texas at Austin
| | - K. Paige Harden
- Department of Psychology, The
University of Texas at Austin
- Population Research Center, The
University of Texas at Austin
| | - Elliot M. Tucker-Drob
- Department of Psychology, The
University of Texas at Austin
- Population Research Center, The
University of Texas at Austin
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24
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Burgevin M, Lacroix A, Ollivier F, Bourdet K, Coutant R, Donadille B, Faivre L, Manouvrier-Hanu S, Petit F, Thauvin-Robinet C, Toutain A, Netchine I, Odent S. Executive functioning in adolescents and adults with Silver-Russell syndrome. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0279745. [PMID: 36662731 PMCID: PMC9858375 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Silver-Russell syndrome (SRS) is a rare imprinting disorder characterized by prenatal and postnatal growth retardation. The two principal causes of SRS are loss of methylation on chromosome 11p15 (11p15 LOM) and maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome 7 (UPD(7)mat). Knowledge of the neuropsychological profile of SRS remains sparse and incomplete even if several difficulties related to attention and learning have been reported both in the literature and by patients with SRS. These difficulties could be the result of troubles in different cognitive domains, but also of executive dysfunction. Nevertheless, executive functioning has never been investigated, even though executive functions play an essential role in psychological development, and are extensively involved in daily life. The present study explored the executive functioning of individuals with SRS due to UPD(7)mat or 11p15 LOM. A battery of executive tasks assessing cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory, together with a task assessing sustained attention, was administered to 19 individuals with SRS (13-39 years) and 19 healthy controls. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function was also completed by the participants' families. The results showed that participants with SRS had similar performance (z-scores) to our controls, in a context of normal intellectual efficiency. Group comparisons with Bayesian statistics showed a single difference between the 11p15 LOM and control groups: the completion time for part A of the Trail Making Test appeared to be longer in the 11p15 LOM group than in the control group. However, at the clinical level, several participants with SRS had clinically significant scores on various measures of EFs. Thus, the cognitive phenotype of SRS did not appear to be characterized by executive dysfunction, but individuals with SRS could be at high risk of developing executive dysfunction or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. These results provide new insights into the neuropsychological profile of individuals with SRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Burgevin
- Univ Rennes, LP3C (Laboratoire de Psychologie, Cognition, Comportement et Communication)–EA 1285, FHU GenOMedS, Rennes, France
| | - Agnès Lacroix
- Univ Rennes, LP3C (Laboratoire de Psychologie, Cognition, Comportement et Communication)–EA 1285, FHU GenOMedS, Rennes, France
| | - Fanny Ollivier
- Univ Angers, Nantes Université, LPPL, SFR CONFLUENCES, Angers, France
| | | | - Régis Coutant
- Service Endocrinologie Pédiatrique, CHU Angers, Angers, France
| | - Bruno Donadille
- Endocrinologie, Service du Pr Christin-Maitre, Hôpital Saint Antoine, Sorbonne Université, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Laurence Faivre
- INSERM–University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR 1231 GAD Team, Genetics of Developmental Disorders, FHU TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Dijon, France
- CHU Dijon, Centre de Référence Maladies Rares Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Centre de Génétique, FHU TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Sylvie Manouvrier-Hanu
- CHU Lille, Centre de Référence Maladies Rares Labellisé Pour les Anomalies du Développement Nord-Ouest, Clinique de Génétique, Lille, France
- Univ Lille, EA7364 –RADEME–Maladies Rares du Développement Embryonnaire et du Métabolisme : du Phénotype au Génotype et à la Fonction, Lille, France
| | - Florence Petit
- CHU Lille, Clinique de Génétique Guy Fontaine, Lille, France
| | - Christel Thauvin-Robinet
- INSERM–University of Bourgogne Franche-Comté, UMR 1231 GAD Team, Genetics of Developmental Disorders, FHU TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Dijon, France
- CHU Dijon, Centre de Référence Maladies Rares Anomalies du Développement et Syndromes Malformatifs, Centre de Génétique, FHU TRANSLAD, CHU Dijon Bourgogne, Dijon, France
| | - Annick Toutain
- Service de Génétique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire, UMR 1253, iBrain, Université de Tours, Inserm, FHU GenOMedS, Tours, France
| | - Irène Netchine
- Sorbonne Université, INSERM UMR_S 938, Centre de Recherche Saint Antoine, APHP, Hôpital Armand Trousseau, Explorations Fonctionnelles Endocriniennes, Paris, France
| | - Sylvie Odent
- Service de Génétique Clinique, Centre Référence Anomalies du Développement CLAD Ouest, Univ Rennes, CNRS, INSERM, IGDR (Institut de Génétique et Développement de Rennes), UMR 6290 ERL 1305, FHU GenOMedS, Rennes, France
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25
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Ibbotson P. The Development of Executive Function: Mechanisms of Change and Functional Pressures. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2160719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Ibbotson
- School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
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26
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TEMİRCAN Z. Assessment of Executive Functioning and Social Emotional Learning among Adolescents. PSIKIYATRIDE GUNCEL YAKLASIMLAR - CURRENT APPROACHES IN PSYCHIATRY 2022. [DOI: 10.18863/pgy.1172105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Executive functions form a foundation for self-regulation and help adolescents build social-emotional skills, which help them manage their thoughts, behavior, and emotions and help prepare for a better transition to learning. The purpose of study was to assess the executive functioning skills and social emotional learning among adolescents. The cross-sectional study was conducted with a total 240 adolescents with a mean age of 15 ± 2.23 years, of whom 54% (130) were female and 46% (110) were male and participants completed socio-demographic form, behavior rating inventory for executive functioning and Social Emotional Learning Scale. The main findings were that female students were found to have greater social awareness skills (Mean ± SD, 15 ± 2.01) and male students were found to have greater responsible decision-making skills (Mean ± SD, 19 ± 2.28). A statistically significant positive correlation was found for shift (r=0.159), emotional control (r= 0.187) and working memory (r=0.118) of executive functioning skills with social emotional learning. The findings of the study showed that there is a relationship of the executive functioning skills and social emotional learning in adolescents, especially in relation to shift, emotional control and working memory of the executive functioning skills and social emotional learning among adolescents. Adolescents who have better executive functioning skills may acquire knowledge easily, perform better academic performance and attitudes to achieve personal goals.
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Chen Y, Han C, Yu X, Yang X, Jiang J, Zhao Y. Contributions of cognitive flexibility, inhibition and number label knowledge to numerical equivalence in 3- to 5-year-old children. BRITISH JOURNAL OF DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 41:140-156. [PMID: 36577546 DOI: 10.1111/bjdp.12439] [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: 07/21/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
To investigate the contributions of cognitive flexibility, inhibition and number label knowledge to children's numerical equivalence, one hundred and one 3- to 5-year-olds were administered the dimensional change card sorting task, the day-night task and the give-a-number task. The numerical equivalence was assessed with the numerical matching task in three surface similarity conditions. Results showed that, in the high surface similarity condition, cognitive flexibility and label knowledge, rather than inhibition, were significant predictors of children's performance in numerical equivalence. In the low surface similarity and the cross-mapping conditions, only cognitive flexibility, rather than number label knowledge and inhibition, significantly explained the unique variance in numerical equivalence. Besides, cognitive flexibility explained more variation in numerical equivalence in the cross-mapping condition compared with the low surface similarity condition. These findings highlight different roles of cognitive flexibility, inhibition and number label knowledge in numerical equivalence in the three surface similarity conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinghe Chen
- Faculty of Psychology, School of Developmental Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Congcong Han
- School of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, China
| | - Xiao Yu
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiujie Yang
- Faculty of Psychology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China.,State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiali Jiang
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxi Zhao
- Department of Psychology, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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An fNIRS Study of Applicability of the Unity-Diversity Model of Executive Functions in Preschoolers. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12121722. [PMID: 36552181 PMCID: PMC9776044 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12121722] [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: 10/28/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive function (EF) includes a set of higher-order abilities that control one's actions and thoughts consciously and has a protracted developmental trajectory that parallels the maturation of the frontal lobes, which develop speedily over the preschool period. To fully understand the development of EF in preschoolers, this study examined the relationship among the three domains of executive function (cognitive shifting, inhibitory control, and working memory) to test the applicability of the unity-diversity model in preschoolers using both behavioral and fNIRS approaches. Altogether, 58 Chinese preschoolers (34 boys, 24 girls, Mage = 5.86 years, SD = 0.53, age range = 4.83-6.67 years) were administered the Dimensional Card Change Sort (DCCS), go/no-go, and missing scan task. Their brain activations in the prefrontal cortex during the tasks were examined using fNIRS. First, the behavioral results indicated that the missing scan task scores (working memory) correlated with the DCCS (cognitive shifting) and go/no-go tasks (inhibitory control). However, the latter two did not correlate with each other. Second, the fNIRS results demonstrated that the prefrontal activations during the working memory task correlated with those in the same regions during the cognitive shifting and inhibitory control tasks. However, the latter two still did not correlate. The behavioral and neuroimaging evidence jointly indicates that the unity-diversity model of EF does apply to Chinese preschoolers.
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Playful Testing of Executive Functions with Yellow-Red: Tablet-Based Battery for Children between 6 and 11. J Intell 2022; 10:jintelligence10040125. [PMID: 36547512 PMCID: PMC9783916 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence10040125] [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: 10/14/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions are psychological processes of great importance for proper functioning in various areas of human development, including academic performance. For this reason, from both clinical and educational perspectives, there is great interest in how they are assessed. This article describes the development and standardization process of Yellow-Red, an instrument for directly assessing executive functions in children between 6 and 11 years of age in a playful format using digital support. The test was based on a three-factor model of executive functioning: inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility. Yellow-Red comprises six subtests: cognitive inhibition, behavioral inhibition, auditory working memory, visual working memory, cognitive flexibility, and a global assessment test of executive functions. The test was administered to 245 boys and girls between 6 and 11 years of age. Along with the Yellow-Red subtests, gold standard tests were applied for each of the executive functions assessed. The test's psychometric properties are powerful in both reliability and validity evidence. The reliability indices are all greater than 0.8. As evidence of convergent validity, correlations were established between the tests, and the tests considered gold standards. All correlations were significant, with values ranging between 0.42 and 0.73. On the other hand, the factor structure of the test was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis. Although it is possible to demonstrate the progressive differentiation of the factor structure with age, it was only possible to find two factors at older ages, one for inhibition/flexibility and one for working memory.
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Johann VE, Enke S, Gunzenhauser C, Könen T, Saalbach H, Karbach J. Executive functions in mono- and bilingual children: Factor structure and relations with fluid intelligence. J Exp Child Psychol 2022; 224:105515. [PMID: 35933882 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105515] [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: 12/11/2021] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The effects of bilingualism on executive functions (EFs) and intelligence are still controversially discussed. Most studies have focused on performance differences without considering the underlying structure of cognitive abilities. Thus, we examined whether the structure of EFs and the relations of EFs with intelligence differ between mono- and bilingual children. A total of 240 elementary school children (mean age = 8 years 6 months; 133 monolinguals and 95 bilinguals) performed two tasks measuring working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and fluid intelligence, respectively. Confirmatory factor analyses showed that one common EF factor provided the best fit to the data in both language groups, indicating that bilingualism is not associated with differences in the EF structure at this age. Moreover, there were no latent performance differences in either EFs or intelligence between mono- and bilingual children. However, we found a stronger relation between a common EF factor and fluid intelligence in bilingual children as compared with monolingual children, implying a closer coupling of EFs and intelligence abilities in bilingual children. This contributes to explaining the previous heterogeneous findings on the task level because more closely coupled cognitive functioning can be slightly beneficial for some tasks and irrelevant or even slightly obstructive for others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Verena E Johann
- Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany; Center for Research on Individual Development and Adaptive of Children at Risk (IDeA), 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Susanne Enke
- Department of Educational Psychology, Leipzig University, 04109 Leipzig, Germany; Leipzig Research Center for Early Child Development, Leipzig University, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Catherine Gunzenhauser
- Leipzig Research Center for Early Child Development, Leipzig University, 04109 Leipzig, Germany; Department of Educational Sciences, University of Freiburg, 79085 Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
| | - Tanja Könen
- Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany; Center for Research on Individual Development and Adaptive of Children at Risk (IDeA), 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; Department of Psychology, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Henrik Saalbach
- Department of Educational Psychology, Leipzig University, 04109 Leipzig, Germany; Leipzig Research Center for Early Child Development, Leipzig University, 04109 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Julia Karbach
- Department of Psychology, University of Koblenz-Landau, 76829 Landau in der Pfalz, Germany; Center for Research on Individual Development and Adaptive of Children at Risk (IDeA), 60323 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Linnavalli T, Lahti O, Törmänen M, Tervaniemi M, Cowley BU. Children's inhibition skills are associated with their P3a latency-results from an exploratory study. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2022; 18:13. [PMID: 36456950 PMCID: PMC9714064 DOI: 10.1186/s12993-022-00202-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2022] [Accepted: 11/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The P3a response is thought to reflect involuntary orienting to an unexpected stimulus and has been connected with set-shifting and inhibition in some studies. In our exploratory study, we investigated if the amplitude and the latency of the P3a response were associated with the performance in a modified flanker task measuring inhibition and set-shifting in 10-year-old children (N = 42). Children participated in electroencephalography (EEG) measurement with an auditory multifeature paradigm including standard, deviating, and novel sounds. In addition, they performed a separate flanker task requiring inhibition and set-shifting skills. RESULTS The P3a latencies for deviant sounds were associated with the reaction time reflecting inhibition: the shorter the response latencies were, the faster the reaction time was. The P3a latencies for novel sounds were not linked to the reaction times reflecting either inhibition or set-shifting. In addition, the magnitude of the P3a response was not associated with the performance in the flanker task. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that P3a response latency and reaction speed reflecting inhibitory skills are based on shared neural mechanism. Thus, the present study brings new insight to the field investigating the associations between behavior and its neural indices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Linnavalli
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Cicero Learning, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ,grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ,grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Outi Lahti
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Minna Törmänen
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ,grid.466279.80000 0001 0710 6332Institute for Professionalization and System Development, University of Teacher Education in Special Needs, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Mari Tervaniemi
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Cicero Learning, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ,grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Cognitive Brain Research Unit, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ,grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Benjamin Ultan Cowley
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland ,grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Cognitive Science, Department of Digital Humanities, Faculty of Arts, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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Dynamic functional connectivity associated with prospective memory success in children. NEUROIMAGE: REPORTS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Segura IA, Panjeh S, Cogo-Moreira H, Nouri A, Miranda MC, Esmaeili F, Seyedi H, Pompéia S. Fractionation of executive functions in adolescents from Iran: invariance across age and socioeconomic status. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03974-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
AbstractExecutive functions (EFs) are cognitive skills that regulate thoughts and behavior. The seminal EF unity and diversity theoretical framework proposes the existence of three correlated EF latent domains (inhibition, updating, and switching) that become distinguishable from a certain moment during adolescence, but it is unclear how age and socioeconomic status (SES) affect these abilities. Here, we assessed 407 9-15-year-old Iranians of variable SES using an open-access battery of executive function tests that includes two tasks of each EF domain and allows for sociocultural adaptations regarding language and stimuli. Various EF model configurations proposed in the literature were tested (one, two and three EF latent factor, nested and bifactor-S-1 models) using confirmatory factor analyses. In addition, to explore the unbiased effects of age and SES, we performed invariance testing (across age and SES) using multiple indicators multiple causes (MIMIC) model to the best fitting model solution. The three-correlated EF factor model had the best fit and was mostly invariant across age and SES, with all three EF latent traits improving with age, while SES exerted only minimal positive effects on shifting and updating. We concluded that the three separable EF domains, found in adults and adolescents of other ages from different populations, can already be detected from the beginning of adolescence when culturally and psychometrically appropriate EF tasks are used. Additionally, these abilities continue to improve with age and are little affected by SES, suggesting that the unity and diversity framework is useful to study the cross-country generality of EF development.
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Li Q, Wang Q, Xin Z, Gu H. The Impact of Gross Motor Skills on the Development of Emotion Understanding in Children Aged 3-6 Years: The Mediation Role of Executive Functions. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:14807. [PMID: 36429524 PMCID: PMC9690058 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph192214807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2022] [Revised: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
This study investigates the impact of gross motor skills on the development of emotion understanding and the role of executive function in the relation between gross motor skills and emotion understanding. A total of 662 children were tested for gross motor skills, emotion understanding, and executive function. Regression analysis showed that gross motor skills were significantly related to executive function. Multiple regression analyses showed that gross motor skills and executive function were significant predictors for emotion understanding. Furthermore, mediation analysis showed that executive function mediated the impact of gross motor skills on emotion understanding. Gross motor skills contributed to emotion understanding by improving children's executive function. The findings imply that a pathway from gross motor skills to emotion understanding is mediated by executive function, which offers a novel perspective on the developmental mechanisms of children's emotion understanding.
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Souissi S, Chamari K, Bellaj T. Assessment of executive functions in school-aged children: A narrative review. Front Psychol 2022; 13:991699. [PMID: 36405195 PMCID: PMC9674032 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.991699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction In the past three decades, there has been increasing interest in assessing children's Executive Functions (EF). However, studies on the conceptualization and operationalization of this construct are incongruent and guidance for clinicians and researchers aiming to assess EF is insufficient due to measurement variability. Aims The purpose of this article was to examine current theories and models of EF in children, identify their assessment instruments, issues, and challenges, and discuss their impact on children's cognitive, behavioral, social and/or emotional development. Methods This narrative review reflected on English and French scholarly articles on EF assessment in children. References were identified through searches of PubMed, Medline, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and APA PsychNet throughout the last two decades up to June 2022. Results There are commonalities despite divergence in the definition and operationalization of EF. Assessment of EF requires psychometric tests as well as rating scales that must be integrated and interpreted considering the child's biological makeup, environmental background, and cultural specificities. Conclusion Current EF theories, assessment tools, issues, and challenges were discussed in addition to the impact of their components' dysfunctions on children's development. Further studies should be conducted to develop new measurement methods and technologies to improve the ecological and ethological validity of youth assessment, treatment, and interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofiane Souissi
- Aspetar, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Doha, Qatar
- Psychology Laboratory, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Tunis, Tunis University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Karim Chamari
- Aspetar, Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Doha, Qatar
- Department of Biological Sciences, ISSEP Ksar-Said, La Manouba University, Tunis, Tunisia
| | - Tarek Bellaj
- Psychology Program, Department of Social Sciences, College of Arts and Science, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar
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Zonneveld AK, Serpell Z, Parr T, Ellefson MR. Executive function measurement in urban schools: Exploring links between performance-based metrics and teacher ratings. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13319. [PMID: 36106899 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13319] [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: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
When compared to research centered on the executive function development of white, middle-class children, relatively little is known about their non-white, low socioeconomic status peers. In an effort to harmonize how executive functions are measured within under-represented contexts, the present study addresses gaps in the evaluation of everyday executive functioning to better understand whether behavior rating scales completed by teachers (BASC2EF - BASC executive function scale, 2nd edition; BASC3EF - BASC executive function scale, 3rd edition) capture distinctions between performance-based measures. This study includes two large samples of older, ethnic minority children from high-poverty backgrounds (Sample 1. N = 243; Mage = 9.28 years, SDage = 0.80; nfemale = 125; nAfricanAmerican = 216, nLatinAmerican = 15, nAsianAmerican = 6; Sample 2. N = 229; Mage = 10.02 years, SDage = 1.01; nfemale = 120; nAfricanAmerican = 132, nLatinAmerican = 92, nWhite = 3, nPacificIslander = 1). Based on structural equation models testing the links between computerized performance-based measures and the teacher rating scales, the results indicate that BASC2EF in its original form might be a good fit for some populations but there is not a strong factor structure for the current high-poverty samples. In addition, post-hoc analyses suggest that only including BASC2EF items also in BASC3EF or using BASC3EF is best practice for high-poverty populations. BASC3EF seems better able to capture different components of performance-driven tasks, whereas BASC2EF captures overall executive functioning better than individual tasks. These findings encourage continued questioning surrounding metrics used to assess everyday executive functions in older children from diverse backgrounds. HIGHLIGHTS: This study explores whether teacher ratings of children's everyday executive functioning (using standardized behavior rating scales) capture distinctions between performance-based measures. Results indicate that BASC2EF teacher rating scale (Karr & Garcia-Barrera, 2017) is not a good representation of everyday executive function behaviors by children from schools in high-poverty communities. The findings suggest that restricting BASC2EF analyses to only items included in BASC3EF (Reynolds & Kamphaus, 2015) or using BASC3EF for high-poverty populations. BASC3EF seems better able to capture the different components of performance-driven tasks, whereas BASC2EF captures overall executive functioning better than individual tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zewelanji Serpell
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Teresa Parr
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
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Michel E, Bimmüller A. The factorial structure of executive functions in kindergarten children: an explorative study. Child Neuropsychol 2022:1-24. [DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2022.2138303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva Michel
- Department of Psychology IV, University of Wuerzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Antonia Bimmüller
- Department of Psychology IV, University of Wuerzburg, Würzburg, Germany
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Poon K, Ho MS, Chou KL. Executive functions as mediators between socioeconomic status and academic performance in Chinese school-aged children ☆. Heliyon 2022; 8:e11121. [PMID: 36339996 PMCID: PMC9626878 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e11121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It is well-documented that socioeconomic status (SES) and academic performance in school-aged children are closely related. However, little is known about how the three core executive functions (EFs), inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, mediate the association between the two. Moreover, most previous studies examined SES disparities in Western countries, how such disparities in EF and academic performance manifest in the Chinese context, where a distinctive EF profile and learning experience are observed, remains uncertain. The current study explored: (1) the mediating effects of the three core EFs in the association between SES and academic performance; and (2) the differences in EF and academic performance in three core subjects between Chinese children who are below and above the poverty line. Methods Of the 385 students sampled, 205 are in the low-SES group and 180 are in the middle-high SES group. Results A structural equation model showed that the SES-academic performance relationship was fully mediated by cognitive flexibility and working memory but not inhibition. Working memory was a much stronger mediator than cognitive flexibility, suggesting that working memory may correlate with childhood SES and academic performance in Chinese children. An analysis of covariance suggested that compared to the middle-high SES group, the low-SES group demonstrated poorer working memory and academic performance in all three subjects after controlling for age and IQ. Interestingly, children with low-SES were found to have better cognitive flexibility than children with middle-high SES. Conclusions These findings suggest that interventions targeting working memory may be an important area to improve children's academic performance. This study examined (1) the mediating effects of executive function in the association between socioeconomic status and academic performance; and (2) the differences in executive function and academic performance in three core subjects between Chinese children who are below and above the poverty line. Both socioeconomic status groups exhibited differences in cognitive flexibility, working memory, and academic performance in all three core subjects. The socioeconomic status-achievement relationship was mediated by cognitive flexibility and working memory but not inhibition. Working memory was a stronger mediator than cognitive flexibility in explaining academic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kean Poon
- School of Education, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia,Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong,Corresponding author.
| | - Mimi S.H. Ho
- Department of Special Education and Counselling, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
| | - Kee-Lee Chou
- Department of Asian and Policy Studies, The Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
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Yu Y, Ma Q, Groth SW. Association between maternal psychological factors and offspring executive function: analysis of African-American mother-child dyads. Pediatr Res 2022; 92:1051-1058. [PMID: 35505078 DOI: 10.1038/s41390-022-02084-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/07/2022] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Executive function (EF) develops throughout childhood and adolescence; however, little is known about whether and how early life factors are associated with EF during these two stages. This secondary analysis examined the associations between maternal psychological characteristics at 2 years after childbirth and offspring EF at 6 and 18 years. METHODS Data were from the 18-year New Mothers' Study in Memphis, TN. Women who self-identified as African-American were included (mother-child dyads: N = 414). Maternal psychological characteristics (e.g., depressive symptoms, self-esteem) were assessed using standardized questionnaires; offspring EF at 6 (i.e., working memory, response inhibition) and 18 years (e.g., working memory, sustained attention) were assessed using age-appropriate cognitive tasks. Statistical analyses included principal component analysis (PCA) and regression models. RESULTS PCA reduced the correlated psychological characteristics to two factors: emotionality (depressive symptoms, emotional instability) and psychological resources (self-esteem, mastery, active coping). After controlling for maternal IQ, maternal emotionality was associated with worse working memory and response inhibition (marginally significant) at 6 years. Maternal psychological resources were marginally associated with better working memory at 6 years. CONCLUSIONS Maternal psychological characteristics may be associated with later EF in offspring. Future studies are needed to replicate these findings and to explore potential mediators. IMPACT African-American mothers' depressive symptoms and emotional instability at 2 years after childbirth were associated with offspring executive function at 6 and 18 years. African-American mothers' psychological resources at 2 years after childbirth were marginally associated with offspring working memory at 6 years. Maternal IQ attenuated all of the associations observed between maternal psychological status and offspring executive function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Yu
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA.
| | - Qianheng Ma
- School of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, 5841S Maryland Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA
| | - Susan W Groth
- School of Nursing, University of Rochester, 601 Elmwood Avenue, Rochester, NY, 14642, USA
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Menu I, Rezende G, Le Stanc L, Borst G, Cachia A. Inhibitory control training on executive functions of children and adolescents: A latent change score model approach. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Schirmbeck K, Runge R, Rao N, Wang R, Richards B, Chan SWY, Maehler C. Assessing executive functions in preschoolers in Germany and Hong Kong: testing for measurement invariance. JOURNAL OF CULTURAL COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s41809-022-00112-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Valcke A, Nilsen ES. The Influence of Context and Player Comments on Preschoolers’ Social and Partner-Directed Communicative Behavior. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2119976] [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]
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Dutra NB, Chen L, Anum A, Burger O, Davis HE, Dzokoto VA, Fong FTK, Ghelardi S, Mendez K, Messer EJE, Newhouse M, Nielsen MG, Ramos K, Rawlings B, dos Santos RAC, Silveira LGS, Tucker-Drob EM, Legare CH. Examining relations between performance on non-verbal executive function and verbal self-regulation tasks in demographically-diverse populations. Dev Sci 2022; 25:e13228. [PMID: 35025126 PMCID: PMC10782846 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13228] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2021] [Revised: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Self-regulation is a widely studied construct, generally assumed to be cognitively supported by executive functions (EFs). There is a lack of clarity and consensus over the roles of specific components of EFs in self-regulation. The current study examines the relations between performance on (a) a self-regulation task (Heads, Toes, Knees Shoulders Task) and (b) two EF tasks (Knox Cube and Beads Tasks) that measure different components of updating: working memory and short-term memory, respectively. We compared 107 8- to 13-year-old children (64 females) across demographically-diverse populations in four low and middle-income countries, including: Tanna, Vanuatu; Keningau, Malaysia; Saltpond, Ghana; and Natal, Brazil. The communities we studied vary in market integration/urbanicity as well as level of access, structure, and quality of schooling. We found that performance on the visuospatial working memory task (Knox Cube) and the visuospatial short-term memory task (Beads) are each independently associated with performance on the self-regulation task, even when controlling for schooling and location effects. These effects were robust across demographically-diverse populations of children in low-and middle-income countries. We conclude that this study found evidence supporting visuospatial working memory and visuospatial short-term memory as distinct cognitive processes which each support the development of self-regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natália B. Dutra
- Laboratório de Evolução do Comportamento Humano, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
- Núcleo de Teoria e Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Lydia Chen
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Adote Anum
- Department of Psychology, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Oskar Burger
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Helen E. Davis
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Vivian A. Dzokoto
- Department of African American Studies, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA
| | - Frankie T. K. Fong
- Early Cognitive Development Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Sabrina Ghelardi
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Kimberly Mendez
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Emily J. E. Messer
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Morgan Newhouse
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Mark G. Nielsen
- Early Cognitive Development Centre, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Faculty of Humanities, The University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Karlos Ramos
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Bruce Rawlings
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
- Department of Psychology, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Renan A. C. dos Santos
- Laboratório de Evolução do Comportamento Humano, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | - Lara G. S. Silveira
- Laboratório de Evolução do Comportamento Humano, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Brazil
| | | | - Cristine H. Legare
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
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Menu I, Rezende G, Le Stanc L, Borst G, Cachia A. A network analysis of executive functions before and after computerized cognitive training in children and adolescents. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14660. [PMID: 36038599 PMCID: PMC9424216 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-17695-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) play a key role in cognitive and socioemotional development. Factor analyses have revealed an age dependent structure of EFs spanning from a single common factor in early childhood to three factors in adults corresponding to inhibitory control (IC), switching and updating. IC performances change not only with age but also with cognitive training. Surprisingly, few studies have investigated training-related changes in EFs structure. We used the regularized partial correlation network model to analyze EFs structure in 137 typically developing children (9-10 years) and adolescents (15-17 years) before and after computerized cognitive training. Network models (NMs) -a graph theory-based approach allowing us to describe the structure of complex systems- can provide a priori free insight into EFs structures. We tested the hypothesis that training-related changes may mimic developmental-related changes. Quantitative and qualitative changes were detected in the EFs network structure with age and also with cognitive training. Of note, the EFs network structure in children after training was more similar to adolescents' networks than before training. This study provided the first evidence of structural changes in EFs that are age and training-dependent and supports the hypothesis that training could accelerate the development of some structural aspects of EFs. Due to the sample size, these findings should be considered preliminary before replication in independent larger samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Menu
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education, UMR CNRS 8240, Universite Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Gabriela Rezende
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education, UMR CNRS 8240, Universite Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Lorna Le Stanc
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education, UMR CNRS 8240, Universite Paris Cité, Paris, France
| | - Grégoire Borst
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education, UMR CNRS 8240, Universite Paris Cité, Paris, France.,Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Arnaud Cachia
- Laboratoire de Psychologie du Développement et de l'Education, UMR CNRS 8240, Universite Paris Cité, Paris, France. .,Imaging Biomarkers for Brain Development and Disorders, UMR INSERM 1266, GHU Paris psychiatrie & neurosciences, Universite Paris Cité, 75005, Paris, France.
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45
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Starr A, Leib ER, Younger JW, Uncapher MR, Bunge SA. Relational thinking: An overlooked component of executive functioning. Dev Sci 2022; 26:e13320. [PMID: 36030539 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Relational thinking, the ability to represent abstract, generalizable relations, is a core component of reasoning and human cognition. Relational thinking contributes to fluid reasoning and academic achievement, particularly in the domain of math. However, due to the complex nature of many fluid reasoning tasks, it has been difficult to determine the degree to which relational thinking has a separable role from the cognitive processes collectively known as executive functions (EFs). Here, we used a simplified reasoning task to better understand how relational thinking contributes to math achievement in a large, diverse sample of elementary and middle school students (N = 942). Students also performed a set of ten adaptive EF assessments, as well as tests of math fluency and fraction magnitude comparison. We found that relational thinking was significantly correlated with each of the three EF composite scores previously derived from this dataset, albeit no more strongly than they were with each other. Further, relational thinking predicted unique variance in students' math fluency and fraction magnitude comparison scores over and above the three EF composites. Thus, we propose that relational thinking be considered an EF in its own right as one of the core, mid-level cognitive abilities that supports cognition and goal-directed behavior. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Relational thinking, the process of identifying and integrating relations, develops over childhood and is central to reasoning. We collected data from nearly 1000 elementary and middle schoolers on a test of relational thinking, ten standard executive function tasks, and two math tests. Relational thinking predicts unique variance in math achievement not accounted for by canonical EFs throughout middle childhood. We propose that relational thinking should be conceptualized as a core executive function that supports cognitive development and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel Starr
- Department of Psychology University of Washington Seattle WA USA
| | - Elena R. Leib
- Department of Psychology University of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Jessica W. Younger
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco San Francisco CA USA
| | - Melina R. Uncapher
- Neuroscape, Department of Neurology, Weill Institute for Neurosciences University of California San Francisco San Francisco CA USA
| | - Silvia A. Bunge
- Department of Psychology University of California Berkeley CA USA
- Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute University of California Berkeley CA USA
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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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47
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Cognitive load-induced pupil dilation reflects potential flight ability. CURRENT PSYCHOLOGY 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s12144-022-03430-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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48
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Shokrkon A, Nicoladis E. The Directionality of the Relationship Between Executive Functions and Language Skills: A Literature Review. Front Psychol 2022; 13:848696. [PMID: 35928417 PMCID: PMC9343615 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.848696] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been demonstrated that executive functions play a significant role in different aspects of the development of children. Development of language is also one of the most important accomplishments of the preschool years, and it has been linked to many outcomes in life. Despite substantial research demonstrating the association between executive function and language development in childhood, only a handful of studies have examined the direction of the developmental pathways between EF skills and language skills, therefore little is known about how these two constructs are connected. In this review paper, we discuss three possible directional relationships between EFs and language development throughout childhood. First, we discuss how EF might affect language functioning. Next, we discuss how language functioning might affect EF. Lastly, we consider other possible relationships between EF and language. Given that children with better EF and language skills are more likely to succeed in educational settings and demonstrate greater social–emotional competencies, investigating the relationship between EF and language in the preschool period provides insight into mechanisms that have not been extensively studied. Furthermore, it could create new opportunities for designing effective and efficient interventions aimed at addressing EF and language deficits during the preschool period which could in turn influence later development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anahita Shokrkon
- Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
- *Correspondence: Anahita Shokrkon,
| | - Elena Nicoladis
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC, Canada
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49
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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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50
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Vanhala A, Haapala EA, Sääkslahti A, Hakkarainen A, Widlund A, Aunio P. Associations between Physical Activity, Motor Skills, Executive Functions and Early Numeracy in Preschoolers. Eur J Sport Sci 2022:1-9. [PMID: 35726577 DOI: 10.1080/17461391.2022.2092777] [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] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACTWe investigated direct and indirect cross-sectional associations of physical activity, fundamental motor skills, executive functions, and early numeracy in preschoolers. The participants were 214 preschoolers aged three to five years. Time spent in moderate and vigorous physical activity was measured by hip-worn accelerometers and fundamental motor skills using the tasks assessing locomotor, object control, and stability skills. Inhibition/switching and working memory/updating, as components of executive functions, were assessed by computerized tests and a standardized test was used to assess early numeracy. Path analyses were used to examine direct and indirect associations between the constructs. Our results showed that stability skills were indirectly positively associated with early numeracy through inhibition/switching (β = 0.07, p < 0.05, 95% CI [0.02, 0.14]) and locomotor skills through working memory/updating (β = 0.13, p = 0.001, 95% CI [0.06, 0.20]). Vigorous physical activity was positively associated with early numeracy through locomotor skills and working memory/updating (β = 0.04, p = 0.01, 95% CI [0.01, 0.07]) and negatively associated with early numeracy through inhibition/switching (β = -0.06, p < 0.05, 95% CI [-0.11, -0.02]).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anssi Vanhala
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Eero A Haapala
- Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland.,Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio 70211, Finland
| | - Arja Sääkslahti
- Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä 40014, Finland
| | - Airi Hakkarainen
- Open University, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
| | - Anna Widlund
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland.,Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa 65100, Finland
| | - Pirjo Aunio
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki 00014, Finland
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