Current and Potential Cognitive Development in Healthy Children: A New Approach to Raven Coloured Progressive Matrices

Interrelationship Between Intelligence Quotient and Space Maintainers Among Children: A Cross-Sectional Comparative Study

Introduction Intelligence quotient (IQ) is an indicator to measure a child's cognitive ability to learn or understand and to deal with new situations with their logical and analytical skills. Children with better IQ exhibit increased cooperation when undergoing dental treatments, leading to a positive attitude toward dental care. The primary aim of the study was to assess the interrelationship between the IQ of children, space maintainer therapy, and the behavior of children aged 6-10 years. Materials and methods A total of 104 children were divided into two groups: group 1 included children undergoing space maintainer therapy and group 2 included children who did not undergo space maintainer therapy. Their IQ scores were assessed using Raven's Coloured Progressive Matrices and behavior and the Frankl behavior rating scale. The data were analyzed by SPSS Version 23 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Independent t-tests were used to evaluate the differences between IQ and children with space maintainers, and Mann-Whitney U tests were used to assess the differences between behavior and space maintainers. Results The mean age of the participants was approximately 8.28 years. The mean IQ score of the group of children undergoing the space maintainer therapy was 90.69 ± 7.65 and that of the control group was 105.59±10.71. Based on the Frankl behavior rating scale, the mean score in the space maintainer group was 35.44 and that of the control group was 69.56. There was a significant association between IQ, behavior, and the presence of space maintainers. Conclusion The group of children undergoing space maintainer therapy demonstrated comparatively lesser IQ, and the majority of children exhibited negative behavior. Also, children wearing space maintainers had undergone one or multiple extractions, which is traumatic for children and may lead to them likely exhibiting a negative behavior than children in the control group. Hence, it may be concluded that intelligence, behavior, and space maintainers are all significantly associated with each other.

Academic Performance in Institutionalized and Noninstitutionalized Children: The Role of Cognitive Ability and Negative Lability

More research is needed to understand the factors that contribute to low academic achievement in institutionalized children. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between cognitive and emotion regulation skills and academic performance, by comparing institutionalized and noninstitutionalized Portuguese children. The sample comprised 94 participants (46 institutionalized (22 boys) and 48 noninstitutionalized (23 boys) children), aged between 6 and 10 years, matched for age and sex. We used Raven's Colored Progressive Matrices (RCPM) to measure cognitive abilities. Emotional regulation and negative lability were assessed using the Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERC). Academic performance was assessed with the Competence Academic Scale (CAS) of the Portuguese version of the Social Skills Rating System-Teacher Form (SSRS-T). Institutionalized children exhibited poorer academic performance than their noninstitutionalized counterparts (effect size, η2 = 0.174). Cognitive ability (β = 0.28) and negative lability (β = -0.28) were significant predictors of academic performance. In addition to institutionalization, cognitive ability, and the challenges of managing negative emotions may contribute to the observed differences in academic performance. Interventions aimed at fostering cognitive and emotional competencies may play a protective role for institutionalized children facing academic and social difficulties.

Optimizing the Development of Space-Temporal Orientation in Physical Education and Sports Lessons for Students Aged 8–11 Years

The purpose of this research was to analyze how we can improve the space–temporal orientation ability with the help of physical exercises in physical education and sports lessons. In total,148 children between the ages of 8 and 11 participated in this study (M = 9.70; SD = 0.79). They were subjected to three tests, which measured general intelligence (Raven Progressive Matrices) and space–temporal orientation skills (Piaget-Head test and Bender–Santucci test). The tests were carried out both in the pre-test and in the post-test period. In the case of participants in the experimental group, a specific program was applied for a period of 12 weeks. The results showed that general intelligence level was identified as a predictor of spatial–temporal orientation (beta = 0.17, t = 2.08, p = 0.03) but only for the Piaget-Head test. Similarly, no differences between children’s age groups were identified in any of the spatial–temporal orientation test scores. However, children in the “+9” age category had higher scores on the intelligence test compared to younger children (77.31 vs. 35.70). In conclusion, the intervention program had a positive effect on spatial orientation skills.