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Wu Q. The Degree of Fluctuations in Maternal Depressive Symptoms in Early Childhood is Associated with Children's Depression Risk: Initial Evidence and Replication Between Two Independent Samples. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:727-741. [PMID: 38047971 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01159-5] [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: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Guided by life history theory, the present study examined whether the degree of fluctuations in maternal depressive symptoms in early childhood was prospectively linked to children's risk for depression. This was the first study to present preliminary evidence on this topic and replicated main findings across two large, independent longitudinal samples. Study 1 included 1,364 families where maternal depressive symptoms were longitudinally assessed at child ages 1, 6, 15, 24, and 36, and 54 months, where child depressed/anxious behaviors at Grade 1 were reported. Study 2 included 1,292 families where maternal depressive symptoms were assessed at child ages 2, 6, 15, and 24 months. At 36 months, child internalizing symptoms and inhibitory control were assessed. In Study 1, findings revealed that the degree of fluctuations in maternal depressive symptoms over 54 months was associated with higher child depressed/anxious behaviors at Grade 1, only when mothers had higher but decreasing depressive symptoms. Study 2 revealed that the degree of fluctuations in maternal depressive symptoms over 24 months was related to higher child internalizing symptoms at 36 months, for mothers whose depressive symptoms were higher but decreasing, higher and increasing, and lower and decreasing. In addition, the degree of fluctuations in maternal depressive symptoms over 24 months was related to lower child inhibitory control at 36 months, for mothers who had higher but decreasing depressive symptoms. Findings highlighted the degree of fluctuations in maternal depressive symptoms during early childhood can contribute to environmental unpredictability, which can increase children's depression risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Wu
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences, Florida State University, Sandels 322, 120 Convocation Way, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA.
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2
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Eng CM, Tsegai-Moore A, Fisher AV. Incorporating Evidence-Based Gamification and Machine Learning to Assess Preschool Executive Function: A Feasibility Study. Brain Sci 2024; 14:451. [PMID: 38790430 PMCID: PMC11119088 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14050451] [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: 03/01/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Computerized assessments and digital games have become more prevalent in childhood, necessitating a systematic investigation of the effects of gamified executive function assessments on performance and engagement. This study examined the feasibility of incorporating gamification and a machine learning algorithm that adapts task difficulty to individual children's performance into a traditional executive function task (i.e., Flanker Task) with children ages 3-5. The results demonstrated that performance on a gamified version of the Flanker Task was associated with performance on the traditional version of the task and standardized academic achievement outcomes. Furthermore, gamification grounded in learning science and developmental psychology theories applied to a traditional executive function measure increased children's task enjoyment while preserving psychometric properties of the Flanker Task. Overall, this feasibility study indicates that gamification and adaptive machine learning algorithms can be successfully incorporated into executive function assessments with young children to increase enjoyment and reduce data loss with developmentally appropriate and intentional practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cassondra M. Eng
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University, 1520 Page Mill Road Stanford, Stanford, CA 94304, USA
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, 335I Baker Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;
| | - Aria Tsegai-Moore
- Department of Psychology, Columbia University, 406 Schermerhorn Hall, 1190 Amsterdam Avenue, New York, NY 10027, USA;
| | - Anna V. Fisher
- Department of Psychology, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Avenue, 335I Baker Hall, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA;
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3
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Szpakiewicz E, Stępień-Nycz M. How do the cognitive processes matter in the event-based preschoolers' prospective memory? Front Psychol 2024; 15:1279144. [PMID: 38699576 PMCID: PMC11063366 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1279144] [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: 08/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Prospective memory (PM) is the ability to remember to perform an intended action at a specific future moment. The current study examined the impact of age, task focality, and cue salience on PM in children aged 2 to 6 years, based on the multiprocess theory of PM and the executive framework of PM development. Additionally, the study explored the relationship between various cognitive abilities and their association with PM performance. Methods A total of 224 preschool-aged children, aged 2-6, engaged in event-based PM tasks with varying cognitive demands. The tasks were either focal or nonfocal, with salient or nonsalient cues. Additionally, individual differences in cognitive abilities were measured. Results The results support previous indications that even very young children can successfully complete event-based PM tasks. The accuracy of PM display improved with age, especially between the ages of 3 and 4. Better performance was observed in focal PM tasks compared to nonfocal PM tasks. Additionally, preschoolers' PM performance correlated with various cognitive abilities, including fluid intelligence, retrospective memory, inhibitory control, working memory, and language ability. These correlations varied depending on the child's age and the task's nature. For both focal and nonfocal PM tasks, cognitive abilities partially mediated the relationship between age and PM performance. Conclusion In summary, this study comprehensively explores the specific roles played by age and fundamental cognitive abilities in event-based PM performance among preschool-aged children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elżbieta Szpakiewicz
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Institute of Psychology, University of the National Education Commission, Krakow, Poland
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Qian G, Li B, Xu L, Ai S, Li X, Lei X, Dou G. Parenting style and young children's executive function mediate the relationship between parenting stress and parenting quality in two-child families. Sci Rep 2024; 14:8503. [PMID: 38605222 PMCID: PMC11009342 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-59225-x] [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: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
This study explored the relationship between parenting stress, parenting style, parenting quality, and young children's executive function. In total, 243 firstborns aged 2-9 years old (SD = 3.82) and their parents from two-child families in Beijing participated in the study, which used executive function tasks and parenting questionnaires. The results found that (1) parenting stress negatively predicted parenting quality; (2) parenting style partially mediated the relationship between parenting stress and parenting quality; (3) children's executive function partially mediated the relationship between parenting stress and parenting quality; and (4) the spoiled, democratic, permissive, and authoritarian parenting styles each play a chain mediating role with young children's executive function between parenting stress and parenting quality. Taken together, these findings provide implications for scientific parenting of children with different psychological characteristics (such as executive function) in multiple-child families under Parenting stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guoying Qian
- College of Preschool Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Bingbing Li
- College of Preschool Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Lu Xu
- College of Preschool Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Siqi Ai
- College of Preschool Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Li
- College of Preschool Education, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Xueqing Lei
- School of Education, Hubei University of Arts and Science, 296 Longzhong Road, Xiangyang, Hubei, China
| | - Gang Dou
- School of Education, Hubei University of Arts and Science, 296 Longzhong Road, Xiangyang, Hubei, China.
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Hosch A, Swanson B, Harris JL, Oleson JJ, Hazeltine E, Petersen IT. Explaining Brain-Behavior Relations: Inhibitory Control as an Intermediate Phenotype Between the N2 ERP and the Externalizing Spectrum in Childhood. Res Child Adolesc Psychopathol 2024; 52:505-520. [PMID: 38224420 PMCID: PMC10963155 DOI: 10.1007/s10802-023-01162-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: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
Identifying neural and cognitive mechanisms in externalizing problems in childhood is important for earlier and more targeted intervention. Meta-analytic findings have shown that smaller N2 event-related potential (ERP) amplitudes, thought to reflect inhibitory control, are associated with externalizing problems in children. However, it is unclear how (i.e., through which cognitive processes) N2 amplitudes relate to externalizing problems. We examined whether inhibitory control may be a cognitive process that links N2 amplitudes and externalizing problems in early childhood. Children (N = 147, 74 girls) were assessed at four time points, spanning 3-7 years of age. Children's externalizing behavior was assessed via questionnaires completed by mothers, fathers, and teachers/secondary caregivers. Children's inhibitory control was assessed using eleven performance-based tasks and two questionnaires. Developmental scaling linked differing measures of inhibitory control and externalizing behavior across ages onto the same scale. Children's N2 amplitudes were extracted from electroencephalography data collected during a go/no-go task. Smaller N2 amplitudes were associated with externalizing problems and poorer inhibitory control. A concurrent analysis of indirect effects revealed that poorer inhibitory control partially explained the association between smaller N2 amplitudes and externalizing problems, even when controlling for the child's age, sex, and socioeconomic status. This is among the first studies to link N2 amplitudes, inhibitory control, and externalizing problems during early childhood. Findings suggest that smaller N2 amplitudes may be an early neural indicator of inhibitory control deficits and externalizing psychopathology. Moreover, inhibitory control may be an important target for early intervention in the development of externalizing psychopathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Hosch
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA.
| | - Benjamin Swanson
- Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, USA
| | - Jordan L Harris
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Jacob J Oleson
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA
| | - Eliot Hazeltine
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Isaac T Petersen
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA
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May KE, Scofield J. Inhibitory Control and Patterns of Errors in Resolution of Syntactically Ambiguous Sentences. JOURNAL OF CHILD LANGUAGE 2024; 51:271-287. [PMID: 36514296 DOI: 10.1017/s0305000922000678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Sentences that have more than one possible meaning are said to be syntactically ambiguous (SA). Because the correct interpretation of these sentences can be unclear, resolving SA sentences can be cognitively demanding for children, particularly with regards to inhibitory control (IC). In this study we provide three lines of evidence supporting the importance of IC in SA resolution. First, we show that children with higher IC resolve more SA sentences correctly. Second, we show that SA resolution is worse on tasks that place higher demands on IC, even for children with high IC. Third, we show that children with higher IC make different types of SA errors than children with lower IC. This study expands understanding of the cognitive skills underlying language and suggests a need to consider task demands on IC when developing educational curriculums.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaitlyn E May
- 1Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology, and Counseling, The University of Alabama, USA
| | - Jason Scofield
- 2Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The University of Alabama, USA
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Szpakiewicz E, Józefacka NM. Time-based prospective memory in preschoolers - the role of time monitoring behavior. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1276517. [PMID: 38384342 PMCID: PMC10879596 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1276517] [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: 08/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Time-based prospective memory (TBPM) refers to the ability to remember to perform an intended activity at a specific time in the future or after a specific time interval. This article reviews TBPM memory in preschool children and explores the role of time monitoring behavior in TBPM performance. Methods A total of 242 preschool-aged children (aged 2-6) performed a prospective memory task, wherein prospective memory accuracy, ongoing task performance, and time monitoring activity were assessed. Additionally, the study examined the relationship of various cognitive abilities to TBPM performance through the use of appropriate cognitive tasks. Results The first signs of TBPM were observed in children as young as 2 years old. No significant age differences were identified; preschoolers can perform a delayed intention on their own initiative at a certain point in the future only to a minimal extent. The majority of variance in TBPM performance could be explained by time checking behavior. Conclusion The current study indicated that even 2-year-olds can perform TBPM at a basic level when the task is sufficiently understandable. While many cognitive abilities are correlated with TBPM performance, it appears that only time checking behavior plays a significant role in TBPM among preschoolers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elżbieta Szpakiewicz
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Krakow, Poland
- Institute of Psychology, University of the National Education Commission, Krakow, Poland
| | - Natalia Maja Józefacka
- Institute of Psychology, University of the National Education Commission, Krakow, Poland
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Wang S, Gai X. Bidirectional Relationship between Positive Parenting Behavior and Children's Self-Regulation: A Three-Wave Longitudinal Study. Behav Sci (Basel) 2024; 14:38. [PMID: 38247690 PMCID: PMC10813346 DOI: 10.3390/bs14010038] [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: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 01/04/2024] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, we used a cross-lagged design to explore the relationship between children's self-regulation and positive parenting behaviors. Children aged 3 years (N = 84) were tested individually three times a year for their hot and cool self-regulation, while their parents' positive parenting behaviors (warmth, structure, and autonomy support) were collected through questionnaires. In the structural equation panel model, bidirectional relations between children's inhibitory control and parental positive parenting were found. Children's inhibitory control and positive parenting predicted changes in each other for the first six months. Such a reciprocal relationship also existed between parental autonomy support and children's inhibitory control. There was a cross-lagged effect between parental warmth and children' inhibitory control rather than a simultaneous relation. Children's inhibitory control positively predicted parental structural behaviors rather than vice versa. Children's delayed waiting and positive parenting (autonomy support) were only positively correlated, rather than having a lagging effect. All the relationships faded over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su Wang
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China;
| | - Xiaosong Gai
- School of Psychology, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun 130024, China;
- Research Center of Mental Health Education in Northeast Normal University, Key Research Institute of Humanities and Social Science in Universities in Jilin Province, Changchun 130024, China
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Koopowitz SM, Maré KT, Lake M, du Plooy C, Hoffman N, Donald KA, Malcolm-Smith S, Murray L, Zar HJ, Cooper P, Stein DJ. Efficacy of a dialogic book-sharing intervention in a South African birth cohort: A randomized controlled trial. Compr Psychiatry 2024; 128:152436. [PMID: 37944255 PMCID: PMC10728827 DOI: 10.1016/j.comppsych.2023.152436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Evidence shows that dialogic book-sharing improves language development in young children in low-middle income countries (LMICs), particularly receptive and expressive language. It is unclear whether this intervention also boosts development of other neurocognitive and socio-emotional domains in children. Using a randomized controlled trial (RCT) nested in the Drakenstein Child Health Study (DCHS), a book-sharing intervention was implemented in caregivers of 3.5-year-old preschool children living in low-income South African communities. METHODS 122 Caregivers and their children (mean age 3.5 years) were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 61) or waitlist control group (n = 61). A neurocognitive battery determined baseline receptive and expressive language, executive function, theory of mind, and behavior scores. RESULTS No differences were observed between intervention and control groups on receptive and expressive language, or any of the neurocognitive or socio-emotional measures from baseline (3.5 years) to 4 months post-intervention administration (4 years). CONCLUSION The benefits noted in prior literature of book-sharing in infants did not appear to be demonstrated at 4 months post-intervention, in children from 3.5 to 4 years of age. This suggests the importance of early intervention and emphasizes the need for further research on adaptation of book-sharing for older participants in a South African context. TRIAL REGISTRATION retrospectively registered on 03/04/2022 PACTR202204697674974.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheri-Michelle Koopowitz
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa.
| | - Karen Thea Maré
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Marilyn Lake
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Christopher du Plooy
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Nadia Hoffman
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Kirsten A Donald
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Lynne Murray
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Heather J Zar
- Department of Paediatrics & Child Health, Red Cross War Memorial Children's Hospital, and South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Unit on Child and Adolescent Health, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Peter Cooper
- School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, UK
| | - Dan J Stein
- Department of Psychiatry, Neuroscience Institute, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Cape Town, South Africa; South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) Unit on Risk and Resilience in Mental Disorders, Cape Town, South Africa
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10
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Dai DWT, Brown GTL, Franke N, Gamble GD, McKinlay CJD, Nivins S, Shah R, Wouldes TA, Harding JE. Stability of executive function in children born at risk of neonatal hypoglycemia. Child Neuropsychol 2023:1-20. [PMID: 38010710 PMCID: PMC11128537 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2023.2285391] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Executive function plays an important role in promoting learning and social-emotional development in children. Neonatal hypoglycemia associates with executive function difficulties at 4.5 years, but little is known about the development of executive function over time in children born at risk of neonatal hypoglycemia. We aimed to describe the stability of executive function from early to mid-childhood in children born at risk of neonatal hypoglycemia and its association with neonatal hypoglycemia. Participants in a prospective cohort study of infants born at risk for neonatal hypoglycemia were assessed at ages 2, 4.5, and 9-10 years. We assessed executive function with batteries of performance-based and questionnaire-based measures, and classified children into one of four stability groups (persistent typical, intermittent typical, intermittent difficulty, and persistent difficulty) based on dichotomized scores (typical versus low at each age). Multinomial logistic regression was used to determine the associations between neonatal hypoglycemia and executive function stability groups. Three hundred and nine children, of whom 197 (64%) experienced neonatal hypoglycemia were assessed. The majority of children had stable and typical performance-based (63%) and questionnaire-based (68%) executive function across all three ages. Around one-third (30-36%) of children had transient difficulties, and only a few (0.3-1.9%) showed persistent difficulties in executive function at all ages. There was no consistent evidence of an association between neonatal hypoglycemia and the stability of executive function. Neonatal hypoglycemia does not appear to predict a specific pattern of development of executive function in children born at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Darren W T Dai
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gavin T L Brown
- Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Nike Franke
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Gregory D Gamble
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Christopher J D McKinlay
- Department of Paediatrics, Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
- Kidz First Neonatal Care, Counties Manukau Health, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Samson Nivins
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Rajesh Shah
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Trecia A Wouldes
- Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Jane E Harding
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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England-Mason G, Anderson A, Bell RC, Subhan FB, Field CJ, Letourneau N, Giesbrecht GF, Dewey D. Maternal Pre-Pregnancy BMI and Gestational Weight Gain Are Associated with Preschool Children's Neuropsychological Outcomes in the APrON Cohort. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1849. [PMID: 38136051 PMCID: PMC10742277 DOI: 10.3390/children10121849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2023] [Revised: 11/17/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
This study examined the associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain (GWG) and children's neuropsychological outcomes at 3 to 5 years of age. A total of 379 women and their children from the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) study participated. Covariate-adjusted robust regressions examined associations between maternal pre-pregnancy BMI, GWG class, interaction terms, and child outcomes. Each unit increase in maternal BMI was linked to a 0.48-point decrement (95% CI: -0.75 to -0.21) in children's Full Scale IQ. Higher pre-pregnancy BMI was related to poorer performance on the other intelligence indexes (B = -0.35 to -0.47, 95% CIs: -0.75, -0.02) and lower performance on measures of language (B = -0.08 to -0.09, 95% CIs: -0.16, -0.02), motor skills (B = -0.08 to -0.11, 95% CIs: -0.18, -0.01), and executive function (B = -0.09 to -0.16, 95% CIs: -0.26, -0.01). GWG below the recommended range was associated with a 4.04-point decrement (95% CI: 7.89, -0.11) in Full Scale IQ, but better performance on a spatial working memory test (B = 0.27, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.52). GWG above the recommended range was associated with lower language (B = -0.79, 95% CI: -1.52, -0.06) and memory scores (B = -0.93, 95% CI: -1.64, -0.22). Interactions were found between pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG on measures of intelligence and executive function. Maternal pre-pregnancy BMI and GWG are related to children's performance in various neuropsychological domains and may interact to predict outcomes. Optimizing maternal health and weight prior to conception and during pregnancy may enhance children's neuropsychological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian England-Mason
- Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada (N.L.); (G.F.G.)
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Alida Anderson
- O’Brien Centre for the Bachelor of Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
| | - Rhonda C. Bell
- Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (R.C.B.); (C.J.F.)
| | - Fatheema B. Subhan
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, CA 91768, USA;
| | - Catherine J. Field
- Department of Agricultural, Food & Nutritional Science, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada; (R.C.B.); (C.J.F.)
| | - Nicole Letourneau
- Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada (N.L.); (G.F.G.)
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Gerald F. Giesbrecht
- Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada (N.L.); (G.F.G.)
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - Deborah Dewey
- Department of Pediatrics, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada (N.L.); (G.F.G.)
- Owerko Centre, Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada
| | - The APrON Study Team
- University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4, Canada;
- University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB T6G 2R3, Canada
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Pouscoulous N, Perovic A. Linguistic Skills and Socioeconomic Status: Two Oft Forgotten Factors in Child Metaphor Comprehension. CHILDREN (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 10:1847. [PMID: 38136049 PMCID: PMC10741720 DOI: 10.3390/children10121847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Revised: 11/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Metaphor understanding can be tricky for children until mid-childhood, yet some research suggests that pre-schoolers are already competent. Many factors have been proposed to play a role in the development of metaphor comprehension. In this study we focus on two obvious contenders that have been overlooked in recent years: general language skills and socioeconomic status (SES). Two-hundred and seventy-two children, aged from 2;11 to 11;04 (146 girls) were recruited from 21 British schools and nurseries. Their SES was established using a composite measure linked to school location, while general language skills were assessed using a standardised measure of vocabulary comprehension. Novel metaphor comprehension was tested with a simple reference assignment task. Our study confirms that children interpret novel metaphors confidently from the age of 4. Our findings indicate that novel metaphor understanding is associated with age and, importantly, that it is linked to vocabulary skills, as well as SES, but not gender. These two factors should therefore be considered in future research on metaphor development, as well as intervention and education.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexandra Perovic
- Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, Chandler House, 2 Wakefield Street, London WC1N 1PF, UK;
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Zhai S, Hash J, Ward TM, Yuwen W, Sonney J. Analysis, evaluation, and reformulation of social cognitive theory: Toward parent-child shared management in sleep health. J Pediatr Nurs 2023; 73:e65-e74. [PMID: 37481389 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedn.2023.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
THEORETICAL PRINCIPLES Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) is a middle-range theory with triadic determinism between behavioral, environmental, and personal. SCT has been a guiding framework in health promotion research as it helps understand people's behaviors. PHENOMENA ADDRESSED Behavioral Insomnia of Childhood (BIC) is highly prevalent, affecting up to 45% of typically developing children and 80% of children with special healthcare needs. BIC leads to sleep deficiency, disrupted physical and psychological health, poor school performance, behavioral dysfunction, and negatively affects parental and family functioning. Using Fawcett's framework, we analyzed and evaluated SCT in a pediatric sleep context and propose a reformulation of SCT to better inform sleep research. RESEARCH LINKAGES SCT is individually focused and does not account for interdependence within relationships. Pediatric sleep interventions have limited long-term effects and sustainability without considering the parent-child dyadic interdependency. We advance the argument that the parent-child shared management (PCSM) perspective is beneficial for understanding pediatric sleep health. PCSM is a concept that reflects the shared responsibility and interdependence that parent and child have for managing child health. It assumes that with parents' ongoing support, children's responsibility for their health management increases over time, along with developmental progression and health-related experiences. We propose reformulating SCT by integrating PCSM in the pediatric sleep context: SCT with Shared Management (SCT-SM). The proposed SCT-SM accounts for parent-child interdependence and role transition. Shared management interventions that engage parents and children in active roles in managing sleep have potential sustainable effects in improving sleep and quality of life. (250).
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Affiliation(s)
- Shumenghui Zhai
- School of Nursing, Pacific Lutheran University, 12180 Park Ave. S, Tacoma, WA 98447, United States of America.
| | - Jonika Hash
- School of Nursing, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America
| | - Teresa M Ward
- School of Medicine, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America
| | - Weichao Yuwen
- School of Nursing & Healthcare Leadership, University of Washington Tacoma, 1922 Pacific Ave, Tacoma, WA 98402, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Sonney
- School of Nursing, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195, United States of America
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14
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Shtulman A, Harrington C, Hetzel C, Kim J, Palumbo C, Rountree-Shtulman T. Could it? Should it? Cognitive reflection facilitates children's reasoning about possibility and permissibility. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 235:105727. [PMID: 37385146 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105727] [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: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Children can be unduly skeptical of events that violate their expectations, claiming that these events neither could happen nor should happen even if the events violate no physical or social laws. Here, we explored whether children's reasoning about possibility and permissibility-modal cognition-is aided by cognitive reflection, or the disposition to privilege analysis over intuition. A total of 99 children aged 4 to 11 years judged the possibility and permissibility of several hypothetical events, and their judgments were compared with their scores on a developmental version of the Cognitive Reflection Test (CRT-D). Children's CRT-D scores predicted their ability to differentiate possible events from impossible ones and their ability to differentiate impermissible events from permissible ones as well as their ability to differentiate possibility from permissibility in general. Such differentiations were predicted by children's CRT-D scores independent of age and executive function. These findings suggest that mature modal cognition may require the ability to reflect on, and override, the intuition that unexpected events cannot happen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Shtulman
- Department of Psychology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041, USA.
| | | | - Chloe Hetzel
- Department of Psychology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041, USA
| | - Josephine Kim
- Department of Psychology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041, USA
| | - Carol Palumbo
- Department of Psychology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA 90041, USA
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15
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Mills-Koonce WR, Grewen K, O'Shea NG, Pearson B, Strange CG, Meltzer-Brody SE, Guintivano JD, Stuebe AM. The Mood, Mother and Child Study: Protocol for a Prospective Longitudinal Study and Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc 2023; 12:e51132. [PMID: 37883133 PMCID: PMC10636628 DOI: 10.2196/51132] [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: 07/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Perinatal depression affects >400,000 mother-child dyads in the United States every year and is associated with numerous adverse maternal and child developmental outcomes. Previous research implicates the dysregulation of oxytocin and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functioning in mothers and children as potential mechanisms mediating or moderating the transmission of risk associated with maternal depression. OBJECTIVE The Mood, Mother and Child study will examine the psychobiological sources of risk and resilience within mother-child dyads affected by maternal depression. This manuscript describes (1) the study rationale and aims, (2) the research design and procedures and how they were altered in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and (3) the data analysis plan to test the study hypotheses. METHODS This is a prospective longitudinal study with an embedded randomized controlled trial that examines (1) correlations among postpartum depression and anxiety symptoms, maternal and child oxytocin and HPA axis functioning, and child developmental outcomes and (2) the causal relationship between exogenous oxytocin and HPA reactivity. This study is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development with institutional review board approval. RESULTS Recruitment and data collection have commenced, and the expected results will be available in 2024. Analyses are presented for testing the proposed hypotheses. CONCLUSIONS The unique combination of a prospective longitudinal research design with an embedded randomized controlled trial will allow the Mood, Mother and Child study to apply a developmental lens to the study of maternal depression and anxiety symptoms from birth to middle childhood and the psychobiological mechanisms promoting risk and resiliency for both mother and child outcomes. This will be the first study that simultaneously evaluates (1) the role of oxytocin using multiple methodologies, (2) the causal relationships between exogenous oxytocin and HPA axis functioning among mothers with differing levels of depression and anxiety symptoms, and (3) the multiple mediating and moderating roles of parenting behaviors and maternal and child psychobiological characteristics. The goals of these aims are to provide insights into the psychobiological effects of oxytocin in women and inform future clinical trials to treat perinatal mood disorders. TRIAL REGISTRATION ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03593473; https://classic.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03593473. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/51132.
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Affiliation(s)
- W Roger Mills-Koonce
- School of Education, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Karen Grewen
- School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | | | - Brenda Pearson
- School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Chelsea Grace Strange
- School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Samantha E Meltzer-Brody
- School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Jerry Dolph Guintivano
- School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Alison M Stuebe
- School of Medicine, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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16
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Anderson L, Liberman Z, Martin A. Shared social groups or shared experiences? The effect of shared knowledge on children's perspective-taking. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 234:105707. [PMID: 37269819 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105707] [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: 07/13/2022] [Revised: 04/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Although the ability to consider others' visual perspectives to interpret ambiguous communication emerges during childhood, people sometimes fail to attend to their partner's perspective. Two studies investigated whether 4- to 6-year-olds show a "closeness-communication bias" in their consideration of a partner's perspective in a communication task. Participants played a game that required them to take their partner's visual perspective in order to interpret an ambiguous instruction. If children, like adults, perform worse when they overestimate the extent to which their perspective is aligned with that of a partner, then they should make more perspective-taking errors when interacting with a socially close partner compared with a more socially distant partner. In Study 1, social closeness was based on belonging to the same social group. In Study 2, social closeness was based on caregiving, a long-standing social relationship with a close kinship bond. Although social group membership did not affect children's consideration of their partner's perspective, children did make more perspective-taking errors when interacting with a close caregiver compared with a novel experimenter. These findings suggest that close personal relationships may be more likely to lead children to overestimate perspective alignment and hinder children's perspective-taking than shared social group membership, and they highlight important questions about the mechanisms underlying the effects of partner characteristics in perspective-taking tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Anderson
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6011, New Zealand.
| | - Zoe Liberman
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Alia Martin
- School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, Wellington 6011, New Zealand
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17
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Panesi S, Dotti M, Ferlino L. Case Report: A playful digital-analogical rehabilitative intervention to enhance working memory capacity and executive functions in a pre-school child with autism. Front Psychiatry 2023; 14:1205340. [PMID: 37840786 PMCID: PMC10570721 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1205340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is often associated with deficits in Working Memory Capacity (WMC) and Executive Functions (EFs), as early as the first years of life. Research has shown that, even young children with ASD, WMC and EF deficits can be effectively addressed through interventions employing digital and/or analogical tools. Early intervention is important because executive dysfunction can negatively impact on the quality of life, both of children and their families. However, very few studies have been carried out involving intervention with pre-schoolers with ASD. To fill this gap, we developed an intervention that promotes pre-schoolers' WMC and EFs by employing both digital apps and analogical playful activities. This study reports on the feasibility of this intervention, which was carried out in a rehabilitative context. Methods A male pre-schooler diagnosed with ASD was engaged in a total of 17 intervention sessions, all held in a clinical context, over a nine-week period. Outcomes were measured using a battery of pre- and post-treatment tasks focusing on WMC, EFs and receptive language. The clinician who administered the intervention made written observations and noted any improvements in the child's performance emerging from the digital and analogical activities. Results The pre- and post-test scores for the cognitive tasks revealed qualitative improvements in the following cognitive domains: (a) WMC in the language receptive domain; (b) updating in WMC; (c) inhibition, specifically concerning control of motor response; (d) receptive vocabulary. Furthermore, when monitoring the child's performance, the clinician noted improvement in almost all the playful activities. Particularly notable improvements were observed in interaction with the apps, which the child appeared to find very motivating. Conclusion This study supports feasibility of a playful digital-analogical intervention conducted by a clinician in a rehabilitation context to promote cognitive abilities in pre-schoolers with ASD. Further studies are needed to establish whether the intervention's effectiveness can be generalized to a broad sample of children with ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Panesi
- Institute for Educational Technology of the CNR, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Lucia Ferlino
- Institute for Educational Technology of the CNR, Genoa, Italy
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18
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Güntekin B, Alptekin S, Yıldırım E, Aktürk T, Uzunlar H, Çalışoğlu P, Ada FE, Atay E, Ceran Ö. Immature event-related alpha dynamics in children compared with the young adults during inhibition shown by day-night stroop task. Front Hum Neurosci 2023; 17:1218559. [PMID: 37822709 PMCID: PMC10562703 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2023.1218559] [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: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 10/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Inhibitory control develops gradually from infancy to childhood and improves further during adolescence as the brain matures. Related previous studies showed the indispensable role of task-related alpha power during inhibition both in children and young adults. Nonetheless, none of the studies have been able to investigate the direct differences in brain responses between children and young adults when confronted with a stimulus that should be inhibited. Because, unlike event-related designs, task-related designs involve continuous tasks over a certain period, which precludes the possibility of making such a comparison. Accordingly, by employing event-related design, the present study first time in the literature, aimed to analyze the event-related alpha phase locking and event-related alpha synchronization/ desynchronization to differentiate the inhibitory processes in children compared to young adults. Methods Twenty children between the ages of 6 to 7 years and 20 healthy young adult subjects between the ages of 18 to 30 years were included in the study. Day-night Stroop task was applied to all subjects during 18-channel EEG recordings. Event-related time-frequency analysis was performed with the complex Morlet Wavelet Transform for the alpha frequency band (8-13 Hz). Event related spectral perturbation (ERSP) in three different time windows (0-200 ms, 200-400 ms, 400-600 ms) and Event-related phase locking in the early time window (0-400 ms) was calculated. Results The children had increased alpha power in early and late time windows but decreased alpha phase locking in the early time windows compared to young adults. There were also topological differences between groups; while young adults had increased alpha phase-locking in frontal and parietal electrode sites, children had increased occipital alpha power and phase locking. Discussion The shift in event-related alpha power observed from posterior to anterior regions with age may suggest a progressive maturation of the frontal areas involved in inhibitory processes from childhood to adulthood. The results of the present study showed that children and young adults had different EEG oscillatory dynamics during inhibitory processes at alpha frequency range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bahar Güntekin
- Department of Biophysics, School of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technologies (SABITA), Neuroscience Research Center, Clinical Electrophysiology, Neuroimaging and Neuromodulation Lab, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Simay Alptekin
- Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technologies (SABITA), Neuroscience Research Center, Clinical Electrophysiology, Neuroimaging and Neuromodulation Lab, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Ebru Yıldırım
- Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technologies (SABITA), Neuroscience Research Center, Clinical Electrophysiology, Neuroimaging and Neuromodulation Lab, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Program of Electroneurophysiology, Vocational School, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Tuba Aktürk
- Research Institute for Health Sciences and Technologies (SABITA), Neuroscience Research Center, Clinical Electrophysiology, Neuroimaging and Neuromodulation Lab, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
- Program of Electroneurophysiology, Vocational School, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Hakan Uzunlar
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Pervin Çalışoğlu
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Health Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Figen Eroğlu Ada
- Department of Psychology, Humanities and Social Sciences, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Enver Atay
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
| | - Ömer Ceran
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine, Istanbul Medipol University, Istanbul, Türkiye
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19
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Thiede N, Stengelin R, Seibold A, Haun DBM. Testing Causal Effects of Empathy on Children's Prosociality in Politeness Dilemmas - An Intervention Study. Open Mind (Camb) 2023; 7:691-710. [PMID: 37840762 PMCID: PMC10575560 DOI: 10.1162/opmi_a_00102] [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: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Empathy is commonly considered a driver of prosociality in child ontogeny, but causal assumptions regarding this effect mostly rely on correlational research designs. Here, 96 urban German children (5-8 years; 48 girls; predominantly White; from mid-to-high socioeconomic backgrounds) participated in an empathy intervention or a control condition before prosocial behaviors (polite lie-telling: rating the drawing as good; prosocial encouragement: utterances interpreted as cheering up the artist) were assessed in an art-rating task. Contrasting children's empathy at baseline with their empathy after the intervention indicated promoted empathy compared to the control group. Despite the intervention's effect on children's empathy, there were no simultaneous changes in prosocial behaviors. At the same time, children's empathy at baseline was associated with their prosocial encouragement. These results indicate conceptual associations between children's empathy and prosociality. However, they do not support strict causal claims regarding this association in middle childhood. Further applications of the novel short-time intervention to address causal effects of empathy on prosociality and other developmental outcomes are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noemi Thiede
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roman Stengelin
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Psychology and Social Work, University of Namibia, Windhoek, Namibia
| | | | - Daniel B. M. Haun
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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20
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Davis MM, Navarro E, Carpenter KLH, Copeland WE, Small B, Egger HL, Sheridan MA. Early life adversity and psychopathology in preschoolers: mechanisms and moderators. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2023:10.1007/s00787-023-02295-5. [PMID: 37725168 DOI: 10.1007/s00787-023-02295-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2023] [Accepted: 09/01/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
Developmental theories suggest that exposure to early life adversity (ELA) alters developing emotional response systems, predicting risk for psychopathology across the life span. The present study examines whether negative emotionality (NE), a trait-like measure of emotionality that develops during early childhood, mediates the association between ELA and psychopathology in a representative sample of 917 preschoolers (Mage = 3.84). Additionally, we explored whether cognitive control, which supports attentional focusing and inhibition and has been identified as a transdiagnostic protective factor, moderates the impact of heightened emotionality following adversity on psychopathology risk. We utilized parent report of adversity, psychopathology, and NE and parent report and task-based measures of cognitive control. Structural equation modeling of cross-sectional data revealed that NE partially mediated the link between ELA and psychopathology symptoms. Moreover, parent-reported cognitive control buffered this link such that the effect of ELA on psychopathology through NE was stronger in children with low versus high cognitive control. These results identify elevated NE as one mechanism linking ELA and psychopathology, specifically among children with poorer top-down control, informing our understanding of key risk and protective factors among adversity-exposed children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan M Davis
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 235 E. Cameron St., Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA.
| | - Esmeralda Navarro
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 235 E. Cameron St., Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Margaret A Sheridan
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 235 E. Cameron St., Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, USA
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21
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Chongwo EJ, Wedderburn CJ, Nyongesa MK, Sigilai A, Mwangi P, Thoya J, Odhiambo R, Ngombo K, Kabunda B, Newton CR, Abubakar A. Neurocognitive outcomes of children exposed to and living with HIV aged 3-5 years in Kilifi, Kenya. FRONTIERS IN REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH 2023; 5:1193183. [PMID: 37732169 PMCID: PMC10508958 DOI: 10.3389/frph.2023.1193183] [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: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Globally, 1.7 million children are living with HIV, with the majority of them residing in sub-Saharan Africa. Due to reduced rates of vertical transmission of HIV, there is an increasing population of children born to HIV-infected mothers who remain uninfected. There is a growing concern around the development of these children in the antiretroviral therapy era. This study examined the neurocognitive outcomes of children who are HIV-exposed infected (CHEI), HIV-exposed uninfected (CHEU) and HIV-unexposed uninfected (CHUU) and explored the relationship between child neurocognitive outcomes and child's biomedical and caregivers' psychosocial factors. Methods CHEI, CHUU and CHEU aged 3-5 years and their caregivers were recruited into the study. Neurocognitive outcomes were assessed using a validated battery of assessments. One-way analysis of variance and covariance (ANOVA and ANCOVA) were used to evaluate differences among the three groups by neurocognitive outcomes. Linear regression models were used to investigate the association between child neurocognitive outcomes and biomedical factors (nutritional status, HIV disease staging) and caregivers' psychosocial factors [symptoms of common mental disorders (CMDs) and parenting behaviour]. Results The study included 153 children and their caregivers: 43 (28.1%) CHEI, 52 (34.0%) CHEU and 58 (39.9%) CHUU. ANOVA and ANCOVA revealed a significant difference in cognitive ability mean scores across the child groups. Post hoc analysis indicated that CHEU children had higher cognitive ability mean scores than the CHUU group. Better nutritional status was significantly associated with higher cognitive ability scores (β = 0.68, 95% CI [0.18-1.18], p = 0.008). Higher scores of CMDs were negatively associated with inhibitory control (β = -0.28, 95% CI [-0.53 to 0.02], p = 0.036). While comparing HIV stages 2 and 3, large effect sizes were seen in working memory (0.96, CI [0.08-1.80]) and cognitive ability scores (0.83 CI [0.01-1.63]), indicating those in stage 3 had poor performance. Conclusions Neurocognitive outcomes were similar across CHEI, CHEU and CHUU, although subtle differences were seen in cognitive ability scores where CHEU had significantly higher cognitive mean scores than the CHUU. Well-designed longitudinal studies are needed to ascertain these findings. Nonetheless, study findings underscore the need for strategies to promote better child nutrition, mental health, and early antiretroviral therapy initiation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Catherine J. Wedderburn
- Department of Clinical Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Paediatrics and Child Health and Neuroscience Institute, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Antipa Sigilai
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Paul Mwangi
- Institute for Human Development, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Janet Thoya
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Rachel Odhiambo
- Institute for Human Development, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Katana Ngombo
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Beatrice Kabunda
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kilifi, Kenya
| | - Charles R. Newton
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kilifi, Kenya
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Amina Abubakar
- Institute for Human Development, Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya
- KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Research Programme, Centre for Geographic Medicine Research (Coast), Kilifi, Kenya
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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22
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Elsayed NM, Luby JL, Barch DM. Contributions of socioeconomic status and cognition to emotion processes and internalizing psychopathology in childhood and adolescence: A systematic review. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 152:105303. [PMID: 37414378 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105303] [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: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 07/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
This systematic review evaluated evidence from 25 manuscripts regarding three possible relationships of socioeconomic disadvantage (SESD) and cognition to emotion knowledge (EK), emotion regulation (ER), and internalizing psychopathology (IP) across development; a) independent contributions of disadvantage and cognition; b) cognition mediates relations of disadvantage; or c) cognition moderates' relations of disadvantage. Results support associations between SESD and cognition to emotion that differ by cognitive domain and developmental epoch. For EK, in early and middle childhood language and executive functions contribute to EK independent of SESD, and early childhood executive functions may interact with socioeconomic status (SES) to predict prospective EK. Regarding ER, language contributes to ER independent of SES across development and may mediate associations between SES and ER in adolescence. Regarding IP, SES, language, executive function, and general ability have independent contributions to IP across development; in adolescence executive function may mediate or moderate associations between SES and IP. Findings highlight the need for nuanced and developmentally sensitive research on the contributions of SESD and domains of cognition to emotion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Joan L Luby
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Deanna M Barch
- Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO, USA; Washington University in St. Louis, MO, USA
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23
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Veiga G, Guerreiro D, Marmeleira J, Santos GD, Pomar C. OUT to IN: a body-oriented intervention program to promote preschoolers' self-regulation and relationship skills in the outdoors. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1195305. [PMID: 37599760 PMCID: PMC10435744 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1195305] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Time for movement and outdoor experiences has decreased in children's daily lives. Nevertheless, a growing body of research has shown that body-oriented interventions and outdoor time benefit preschoolers' social-emotional development, a foundation for mental health. OUT to IN is a body-oriented intervention program implemented outdoors, designed to promote preschoolers' social-emotional competence. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of OUT to IN on preschoolers' self-regulation and relationship skills. Methods A cluster randomized trial with multi-method and multi-informant assessment was implemented including 233 children between 3 and 6 years (122 boys, Mage = 5.07 years), from 4 preschools (8 groups with OUT to IN intervention, 4 groups without intervention - control group). The 153 children allocated to the OUT to IN group participated in biweekly sessions for 10 weeks. OUT to IN sessions followed a body-oriented approach comprising exercise play, relaxation, and symbolization activities, implemented outdoors by a psychomotor therapist and the preschool teacher. Sessions enabled children to feel, observe and control their bodily states and understand the relationship between their bodies and emotions. Teachers participated in a brief course and on 20 biweekly relaxation sessions. Children's self-regulation was measured through specific tasks and a parent questionnaire. Relationship skills (i.e., empathy, communication, cooperation and sociability) were measured through parents' and preschool teachers' questionnaires. Mann-Whitney test was used to study differences at baseline between the OUT to IN group and the control group, and to study differences in the 10-week changes between both groups. Wilcoxon Test was used for intragroup comparisons. Results After the 10-week intervention period, children who participated in OUT to IN showed significant improvements on self-regulation and relationship skills (empathy, cooperation and sociability), in comparison to the control group who did not show any significant improvements. Large size effects (η2 > 0.14) were found for most of the variables related to self-regulation and small (η2 > 0.01), medium (η2 > 0.06) and large size effects (η2 > 0.14) were found for the variables related to relationship skills. Conclusion OUT to IN showed to be an effective body-oriented intervention program in improving children's self-regulation and relationship skills, which are recognized foundations for mental health and well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guida Veiga
- Departamento de Desporto e Saúde, Escola de Saúde e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Daniela Guerreiro
- Departamento de Desporto e Saúde, Escola de Saúde e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - José Marmeleira
- Departamento de Desporto e Saúde, Escola de Saúde e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Graça Duarte Santos
- Departamento de Desporto e Saúde, Escola de Saúde e Desenvolvimento Humano, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Comprehensive Health Research Centre (CHRC), Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
| | - Clarinda Pomar
- Departamento de Pedagogia e Educação, Escola de Ciências Sociais, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
- Centro de Investigação em Educação e Psicologia, Universidade de Évora, Évora, Portugal
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Bruce M, Ermanni B, Bell MA. The longitudinal contributions of child language, negative emotionality, and maternal positive affect on toddler executive functioning development. Infant Behav Dev 2023; 72:101847. [PMID: 37300924 PMCID: PMC10527090 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2023.101847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Executive functions (EF) develop rapidly across early childhood and play a prominent role in promoting adaptive outcomes later in development. Although the existing literature suggests that the development of early EF is sensitive to the influence of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, limited research has examined the joint contributions of multiple child and contextual factors in infancy/toddlerhood. The purpose of our longitudinal study was therefore to identify early environmental, behavioral, biologically-based factors that influence children's EF outcomes in late toddlerhood. Participants included 409 mother-child dyads (209 girls) and the data was collected across children's first three postnatal years. Parent-report measures were used to assess infant negative affectivity (5-months; IBQ-R) and toddler language (age 2; MCDI), and both maternal positive affect (5-months) and toddler frustration (age 2) were coded during mother-child interaction tasks. A battery of behavioral tasks was used to measure child EF in late toddlerhood (age 3). After controlling for maternal education (a proxy for children's socio-economic environment), path analysis indicated that both infant and maternal affect at 5-months directly predicted toddlers' language skills and frustration expression at age 2. Toddler language (but not frustration) also predicted child performance on multiple EF tasks at age 3. Finally, 5-month infant and maternal affect indirectly predicted age 3 EF via age 2 language. Our results identify language as a mechanism through which children's early caregiving environment influences their EF development. Taken together, these findings illustrate the importance of applying a biopsychosocial perspective to the examination of early childhood EF development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Bruce
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA.
| | - Briana Ermanni
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Martha Ann Bell
- Department of Psychology, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
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25
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Deodhar AV, Bertenthal BI. How attention factors into executive function in preschool children. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1146101. [PMID: 37502749 PMCID: PMC10369189 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1146101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive Function consists of self-regulation processes which underlie our ability to plan, coordinate, and complete goal-directed actions in our daily lives. While attention is widely considered to be central to the emergence and development of executive function during early childhood, it is not clear if it is integral or separable from other executive function processes. Previous studies have not addressed this question satisfactorily because executive function and attention are multidimensional constructs, but they are often studied without differentiating the specific processes that are tested. Moreover, some studies consist of only one task per process, making it difficult to ascertain if the pattern of results is attributable to different processes or more simply to task variance. The main aim of this study was to more fully investigate how attention factored into the underlying structure of executive function in preschool children. Preschool children (n = 137) completed a battery of tasks which included executive function (i.e., response inhibition, working memory) and attentional control (i.e., sustained attention, selective attention) processes; there were two tasks per process. Confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were conducted to test which of three models fit the data best: (1) a unitary one-factor model with attention loading onto the same factor as other executive function processes, (2) a two-factor model with attention loading onto a separate factor than other executive function processes, or (3) a three-factor model with attention, response inhibition, and working memory as separate factors. Fit indices and model comparisons indicated that the two-factor model fit the data best, suggesting that attentional control and executive function were related, but separable. Although this study is not the first to advocate for a two-factor model during the preschool years, it is the first to suggest that the two factors are attentional control and executive function, not working memory and response inhibition. One important implication of these findings is that a complete assessment of executive function during the preschool years necessitates measuring not only response inhibition and working memory, but attentional control as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aditi V. Deodhar
- HANDS in Autism Interdisciplinary Training and Resource Center, Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health, Department of Psychiatry, IU School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, United States
| | - Bennett I. Bertenthal
- Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University-Bloomington, Bloomington, IN, United States
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26
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Duncan RJ, Anderson KL, Finders JK, Purpura DJ, Schmitt SA. Factor structure of school readiness skills: conceptual vs. statistical distinctions. Front Psychol 2023; 14:962651. [PMID: 37492444 PMCID: PMC10363606 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.962651] [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: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction School readiness skills are a broad set of abilities that children develop in early childhood that support achievement once they enter formal schooling. Three components of school readiness skills are of focus in the current study: executive function (EF), language/literacy, and mathematics. The current study examines to what extent 13 direct assessments of these skills statistically align with theoretical models for distinct construct- and timepoint-specific latent factors. Methods The sample included 684 children (52.34% male; 42% Black/African American; Mage = 4.80 years in the fall of prekindergarten) assessed in the fall and spring of the prekindergarten year. Results Factor analyses revealed the most statistical support for a model with a latent random intercept across timepoints and constructs, along with timepoint-specific latent factors in the fall and spring of prekindergarten (independent of the random intercept). The timepoint-specific latent factors primarily consisted of early literacy and mathematics assessments. Discussion These findings challenge commonly held practices of creating construct-specific latent factors in early childhood research and, to a lesser extent, timepoint-specific latent factors without consideration of the substantial shared variance across different constructs and timepoints. Implications for the factor structure and developmental theory of school readiness skills are considered, as well as practical considerations for future research.
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Ding N, Miller R, Clayton NS. Inhibition and cognitive flexibility are related to prediction of one's own future preferences in young British and Chinese children. Cognition 2023; 236:105433. [PMID: 37001438 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
The ability to shift from current to future perspective is pivotal to future-oriented cognition. With two distinct cultural groups, UK (N = 92) and China (N = 90), we investigated 3 to 5-year-olds' understanding of preference changes occurring within themselves and their peers (another child). We administered a battery of representative tasks of executive function and theory of mind to examine their underlying relationships with children's ability to predict future preferences. British 3-year-olds outperformed Chinese children in predicting future preferences, while no country differences were observed between the 4- and 5-year-olds. Across the UK and China, children were more accurate when predicting for their peers than for themselves. They were also more accurate when their current preferences were identified first, i.e. before answering questions about the future. Chinese children outperformed their British counterparts on inhibition and cognitive flexibility tasks whereas there were no Eastern and Western differences in their theory of mind abilities. After controlling for age and children's knowledge of generic adult preferences, children's performance in the inhibition and cognitive flexibility tasks were significantly correlated with the prediction of their own future preferences, but they were not significantly correlated when predicting for a peer. These results are discussed in relation to the conflicts between multiple perspectives and the cognitive correlates of future-oriented cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ning Ding
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Rachael Miller
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nicola S Clayton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
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Tepper D, Shnookal J, Howell T, Bennett P. Can Interacting with Animals Improve Executive Functions? A Systematic Review. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2080. [PMID: 37443878 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132080] [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: 05/08/2023] [Revised: 06/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
There has been growing interest in the potential benefits of using human-animal interactions to improve executive functions: cognitive processes that allow individuals to plan, solve problems, and self-regulate behaviour. To date, no comprehensive review has been conducted. The purpose of this study was to evaluate existing literature, adopting broad inclusion criteria. Following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, 16 papers were identified from peer-reviewed literature. Additional papers were identified from grey literature, including 6 dissertations and 1 thesis. A review of these 23 studies found that human-animal interactions and executive functions are investigated in three main ways: (1) exploring the potential benefits of the human-pet relationship, (2) exploring the impact of an animal's presence during administration of executive function tests, and (3) evaluating the efficacy of animal-assisted services (e.g., animal-assisted therapy) on executive functions. Five of the included studies reported a significant improvement across all measured domains of executive functions, but effect sizes were underreported. Comparatively, 9 studies reported mixed findings, d = 0.32-0.55, while 8 studies reported no significant results. The overall rigour of the research was limited, with great heterogeneity between the study methodologies and outcome measures used. It is recommended that future studies utilise high-quality research methodologies through the use of randomisation, pre- and postmeasures, and appropriate control conditions, where possible.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanna Tepper
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia
| | - Joanna Shnookal
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia
| | - Tiffani Howell
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia
| | - Pauleen Bennett
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3550, Australia
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29
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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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Kabha L, Berger A. When kindergarteners are tempted to deceive: A study of factors predicting lie-telling for personal gain. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 233:105697. [PMID: 37224705 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105697] [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: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The current study examined the relations between children's cognitive and emotion abilities with their likelihood to tell a lie for personal gain in a tempting situation. These relations were examined using behavioral tasks and questionnaires. A total of 202 Israel Arab Muslim kindergarten children participated in this study. Our results showed that behavioral self-regulation was positively associated with children's likelihood to tell a lie for personal gain. Children with higher behavioral self-regulation actually tended to lie more for their own gain, suggesting that the likelihood to tell a lie might be related to children's ability to mobilize and integrate their cognitive abilities to self-regulate their behavior. In addition, through exploratory analysis, we found a positive relation between theory of mind and children's likelihood to tell a lie, which was moderated by inhibition. Specifically, only among children with low inhibition was there a positive correlation between their theory of mind and the likelihood to lie. Moreover, age and gender were related to children's lie-telling; older children tended more to lie for their own gain, and this likelihood was higher for boys than for girls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Kabha
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel; Department of Education, Al-Qasemi Academic College, Baqa-El-Gharbia, Israel.
| | - Andrea Berger
- Department of Psychology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel; School of Brain Sciences and Cognition, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
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31
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Wu Q, Jalapa K, Han SJ, Tawfiq D, Cui M. A dynamic systems perspective towards executive function development: Susceptibility at both ends for inhibitory control. Dev Psychopathol 2023; 35:782-790. [PMID: 35232518 PMCID: PMC9437139 DOI: 10.1017/s0954579422000037] [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] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
In light of the dynamic systems perspective, the current study expanded existing literature by examining the moderating effect of maternal sensitivity on the quadratic association between infant negative reactivity and future executive function development. Using a longitudinal, multimethod design, we addressed executive function development among preschoolers. This study utilized data from the Family Life Project (N = 1292). Infant negative reactivity at 6 months, maternal sensitivity across first 3 years, and executive functions during preschool age were observational assessed. A path model with moderation analyses revealed a U-shaped quadratic association between infant negative reactivity and preschoolers' inhibitory control, only when maternal sensitivity was high. The results suggest that maternal sensitivity may assist infants with both low and high, but not moderate, levels of negative reactivity towards better executive function development. Findings support the ongoing nonlinear person-environment interplay during early years of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiong Wu
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University. Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Karina Jalapa
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University. Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Soo Jin Han
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University. Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Dania Tawfiq
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University. Tallahassee, FL, USA
| | - Ming Cui
- Department of Human Development & Family Science, College of Health and Human Sciences, Florida State University. Tallahassee, FL, USA
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32
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Becker L, Condy E, Kaat A, Thurm A. How do 3-year-olds do on the NIH Toolbox Cognitive Battery? Child Neuropsychol 2023; 29:521-542. [PMID: 35876076 PMCID: PMC9873835 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2022.2100337] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The NIH Toolbox includes a cognitive battery that provides an Early Childhood Composite score for children age 3-7. However, very few studies have evaluated feasibility when it is used in the youngest segment of this age range-3-year-olds. The current study evaluated performance on the four cognitive subtests composing the early childhood composite, two of which assess executive function, in a large sample of 3-year-olds enrolled in a Vanguard pilot of the National Children's Study. Results found that in a cohort of 609 3-year-olds (mean age = 39.6 months, SD = 1.6, 53% male, 64% White, 87% Non-Hispanic) who were administered four subtests included in the Early Childhood Composite, up to approximately 30% were unable to pass practice items on the Flanker, Dimensional Change Card Sort, and Picture Sequence Memory, whereas only approximately 3% were unable to pass practice items on the Picture Vocabulary Test. Furthermore, of those that did pass practice and achieve scores on the subtests, approximately 70% and 80% performed at or below chance level on the executive function tasks (Flanker and Dimensional Change Card Sort) and Picture Sequence Memory, respectively. Ultimately, the average 3-year-old has difficulty with three of the four NIH Toolbox tasks composing the Early Childhood Composite and may not yet have developed the requisite skills. These findings indicate that changes compatible with the developmental level of preschoolers are recommended to increase the feasibility and effectiveness of the NIH Toolbox in measuring individual cognition differences in 3-year-old children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsey Becker
- Division of Translational Medicine, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Emma Condy
- Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping Service, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Aaron Kaat
- Medical Social Science, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Audrey Thurm
- Neurodevelopmental and Behavioral Phenotyping Service, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
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33
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Similarity, dissimilarity, and learning from puppets. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2023.101299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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34
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Baker ER, Woodward AM. The preschooler’s moral self and executive functions: An experimental approach with exclusion. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2023.101310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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35
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Clark-Whitney E, Melzi G. Executive Function and Narrative Language Abilities in Emergent Bilingual Preschoolers: An Exploratory Study. Lang Speech Hear Serv Sch 2023; 54:584-599. [PMID: 36930879 DOI: 10.1044/2022_lshss-21-00190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2023] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE In light of the importance of preschool oral narrative skills as precursors to literacy, this exploratory study examined expressive language skills among emergent bilingual Latine preschoolers using a naturalistic personal narrative task. To understand the factors that support language use in the personal narrative context for this population, we examined the contribution of children's executive function (EF) skills to their narrative language abilities. METHOD Children completed two subtests from the Preschool Self-Regulation Assessment to measure EF and produced two personal narratives in response to conversational prompts. A series of linear regressions were used to evaluate the relation between children's EF skills and their narrative production ability, narrative organization, and expressive language skills derived from automated analyses of narrative samples. RESULTS EF was found to predict children's ability to produce a personal narrative but not the language skills children demonstrated in these narratives. CONCLUSIONS The current findings suggest that EF is implicated in emergent bilingual Latine children's narrative abilities. At the preschool age, the contribution of EF to narrative language production is apparent in the global task of producing a narrative, rather than in the organizational or linguistic features of the narrative. As such, supporting both EF and narrative skills might be an important means of facilitating preliteracy among bilingual children.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gigliana Melzi
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, NY
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36
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Wei W, Lu WT, Huang MM, Li Y. Revisiting the relationship between maternal parenting behaviors and executive functions in young children: Effect of measurement methods. Front Psychol 2023; 14:985889. [PMID: 36998351 PMCID: PMC10043369 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.985889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The past decade of studies showed that parenting behaviors (e.g., warmth, autonomy, and control) were associated with children’s executive functions (EF) in the early years. However, different measurement methods had been used across studies, making it hard to compare the effects of parenting on EF across studies. Therefore, the present study aimed to examine the effect of the measurement methods on the relationship between maternal parenting behaviors and children’s EF among a group of Chinese preschoolers. One hundred and twenty-six children (62 boys; Mage = 48.65 months) were assessed with direct measures on children’s EF (inhibition and working memory tasks), and parenting behaviors of their mothers during interaction with children were observed and coded. Mothers also reported their parenting practices and children’s difficulties in executive functions. The results of structural equation modeling showed that the latent performance-based EF was uniquely predicted by maternal positive control and negative control in mother–child interaction, while children’s EF difficulties reported by mothers were predicted by mother-reported warmth and support, and autonomy granting. Overall, the results suggest that the relationship between maternal parenting and children’s EF depends on the measurement methods of parenting and executive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Wei
- Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Early Child Development Research Center, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wen-Ting Lu
- Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Min-Min Huang
- Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
| | - Yan Li
- Shanghai Institute of Early Childhood Education, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
- Early Child Development Research Center, Shanghai Normal University, Shanghai, China
- *Correspondence: Yan Li,
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37
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Yan S, Li M, Yan Z, Hu B, Zeng L, Lv B. Associations among teacher-child interaction, children's executive function and children's comprehensible vocabulary. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1077634. [PMID: 36969678 PMCID: PMC10030885 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1077634] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective To understand the working mechanism and the relationships among the quality of teacher-child interaction (TCI), children's comprehensible vocabulary (CV) and executive function (EF). Methods Using stratified sampling, 900 children (boys 50.2%) and 60 preschool teachers were recruited from 4 places in China for testing, and five measurement tools, including the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS), the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT-R), the Stroop test, a card sorting task, and the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), were used. Results For every additional unit of TCI, EF increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of EF, CV increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of CV, EF increases by 0.55 units; For every additional unit of CV, TCI increases by 0.38 units; For every additional unit of TCI, CV increases by 0.38 units. In the Model of TCI-EF-CV, the estimated value of TCI and the total effect of comprehensible vocabulary is 0.18; Z = 9.84, which is significantly greater than 1.96 at the bias-corrected 95% confidence interval and at the percentile 95% confidence interval (0.15, 0.23), both of which do not contain 0. The direct effect of TCI and CV is significant and indirect effects account for 39%. In the Model of TCI-CV-EF, the total effect of TCI on executive function is 0.09 (Z = 6.14), the direct effect is not significant with bias-corrected 95% confidence interval and 95% confidence interval (-0.01, 0.03), both of which include 0. Conclusion There are two-way effects among children's EF and CV, TCI and CV. EF plays a mediating role in the influence of TCI on CV. TCI positively predicts children's EF, but this mainly depends on CV. Therefore, TCI plays a positive role in the development of children's CV and EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shi Yan
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Min Li
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Zhonglian Yan
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Biying Hu
- Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Taipa, Macau SAR, China
| | - Li Zeng
- Faculty of Education, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Bo Lv
- Faculty of Education, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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38
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Ribner A, Silver AM, Elliott L, Libertus ME. Exploring effects of an early math intervention: The importance of parent-child interaction. Child Dev 2023; 94:395-410. [PMID: 36321367 PMCID: PMC9991950 DOI: 10.1111/cdev.13867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
We explore whether training parents' math skills or playing number games improves children's mathematical skills. Participants were 162 parent-child dyads; 88.3% were white and children (79 female) were 4 years (M = 46.88 months). Dyads were assigned to a number game, shape game, parent-only approximate number system training, parent-only general trivia, or a no-training control condition and asked to play twice weekly for 8 weeks. Children in the number game condition gained over 15% SD on an assessment of mathematical skill than did those in the no-training control. After 8 additional weeks without training, effects diminished; however, children of parents in the ANS condition underperformed those in the no-treatment control, which was partially explained by changes in the home numeracy environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Ribner
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Alex M Silver
- University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
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39
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Salvador-Cruz J, Becerra-Arcos JP. The Relationship Between Executive Functions and Externalizing and Internalizing Behaviors in Mexican Preschoolers. Dev Neuropsychol 2023; 48:81-96. [PMID: 36637372 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2023.2166939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Executive functions allow the regulation of behavior and emotions. This study aimed to analyze the association of executive functions with externalizing and internalizing behaviors in 30 Mexican preschoolers with typical development (age M = 53.63 months; SD = 7.83 months; 40% girls) from homes of middle-low socioeconomic status. Behavioral and cognitive measures were used to assess executive functions and analyzed them using robust statistical methods. We found that executive functions are related to externalizing and internalizing behaviors at the behavioral level. Only Forward Digit Span predicts attentional problems. Individual differences in children's cognitive development in a Mexican context were adressed, and they have clinical and educational implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Judith Salvador-Cruz
- Laboratorio de Neuropsicología del Desarrollo, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Jessica Paola Becerra-Arcos
- Laboratorio de Neuropsicología del Desarrollo, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, México
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Sakata C, Ueda Y, Moriguchi Y. The contextual cueing effect disappears during joint search in preschool children. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 227:105592. [PMID: 36442326 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105592] [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: 06/27/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
During preschool years, children's interacting with others increases. One of the involved developmental skills is task co-representation, through which children aged 5 years and older represent a partner's task in a similar way to their own task. In adults, task co-representation makes participants attend to and form memories of objects relevant to both their own task and their partner's task; however, it is unclear whether children can also form such memories. In Experiment 1, we examined the memory facilitation of joint search using a contextual cueing effect paradigm. Children were presented with search displays repeatedly with the same or random layouts and searched and responded to the target either alone (the single group; n = 32; Mage = 73.6 months, range = 61-80) or with their parent (the joint group; n = 32; Mage = 74.3 months, range = 64-81). Results showed that the search with the same layouts was faster than that with the random layouts for the single group, indicating that children form associative memories of target and distractors relevant to their own task. For the joint group, this effect was not statistically different from that of the single group, with exploratory analysis suggesting that it was disrupted. In Experiment 2, children performed the search with a peer (n = 32; Mage = 72.7 months, range = 67-79) and the effect was also not found. Our findings suggest that the self's and partner's tasks are represented but might not be incorporated into associative memory in 5- and 6-year-old children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chifumi Sakata
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan.
| | - Yoshiyuki Ueda
- Institute for the Future of Human Society, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Yusuke Moriguchi
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
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How does play foster development? A new executive function perspective. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2022.101064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Marks LC, Hund AM, Finan LJ, Kannass KN, Hesson-McInnis MS. Understanding academic readiness for kindergarten: The interactive role of emotion knowledge and teacher-child closeness. J Exp Child Psychol 2023; 227:105585. [PMID: 36423440 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105585] [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: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
One goal of this study was to test the role of emotion knowledge and teacher-child closeness and conflict in predicting academic readiness for kindergarten over and above demographic factors and executive functioning skills (especially inhibitory control) known to predict readiness. Another goal was to test teacher-child closeness as a moderator of the association between emotion knowledge or executive functioning and academic readiness. A total of 141 4- and 5-year-old children completed emotion knowledge, academic readiness, and inhibitory control measures. Preschool teachers reported their perceived relationship closeness and conflict with individual students. Accounting for child age in months, family income, and inhibitory control, emotion knowledge and teacher-child closeness were positively associated with academic readiness. Teacher-child closeness moderated the relationship between emotion knowledge and academic readiness, suggesting that teacher-child closeness may be especially important in promoting academic readiness for preschool students with low emotion knowledge.
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Moriguchi Y, Phillips S. Evaluating the Distinction between Cool and Hot Executive Function during Childhood. Brain Sci 2023; 13:brainsci13020313. [PMID: 36831856 PMCID: PMC9953946 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13020313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2023] [Accepted: 02/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
This article assesses the cool-hot executive function (EF) framework during childhood. First, conceptual analyses suggest that cool EF (cEF) is generally distinguished from hot EF (hEF). Second, both EFs can be loaded into different factors using confirmatory factor analyses. Third, the cognitive complexity of EF is similar across cEF tasks, and the cognitive complexity of cEF is similar to hEF tasks. Finally, neuroimaging analysis suggests that children activate the lateral prefrontal regions during all EF tasks. Taken together, we propose that the cool-hot framework is a useful, though not definitive way of characterizing differences in EF.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuke Moriguchi
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Yoshidahoncho, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +81-75-753-2852
| | - Steven Phillips
- Mathematical Neuroscience Group, Human Informatics and Interaction Research Group, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba 305-8566, Japan
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Willoughby MT, Camerota M, King KM, Nduku T, Piper B. Leveraging item-level accuracy and reaction time to address ceiling effects in the measurement of inhibitory control in preschool-aged children. Front Psychol 2023; 14:861441. [PMID: 36818066 PMCID: PMC9937058 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.861441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Preschool-aged children's performance on inhibitory control tasks is typically represented by the overall accuracy of their item responses (e.g., mean proportion correct). However, in settings where children vary widely in age or ability level, inhibitory control tasks are susceptible to ceiling effects, which undermine measurement precision. We have previously demonstrated a general approach for scoring inhibitory control tasks that combines item-level accuracy and reaction-time information to minimize ceiling effects. Here, we extend that approach by incorporating additional item-level reaction time data from an adjunct (simple reaction time) task. We contrast three approaches for scoring inhibitory control tasks, two of which rely exclusively on item accuracy information and a third which also considers item reaction time information. We demonstrate the impacts of these different approaches to scoring with two inhibitory control tasks that were included in a recent evaluation of the Red Light, Purple Light intervention in preprimary classrooms in Nairobi County, Kenya. We limited our study to children who met inclusion criteria at pre-test (N = 418; 51% male; mean age = 4.8 years) or post-test (N = 386; 51% male; mean age = 4.8 years). Children's performance on individual inhibitory control tasks was strongly correlated regardless of the scoring approach (rs = 0.73-0.97 across two tasks). However, the combined accuracy and reaction time scores eliminated ceiling effects that were common when only accuracy information was used. The combined accuracy and reaction time models also distinguished item-level RT into inhibitory control and processing speed components, which are distinct constructs. Results are discussed with respect to the challenges and nuances of the estimation and interpretation of inhibitory control task scores with children of varied ages and ability levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael T. Willoughby
- Education and Workforce Development, RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, United States,*Correspondence: Michael T. Willoughby, ✉
| | - Marie Camerota
- Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | | | - Tabitha Nduku
- International Education, RTI International, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Benjamin Piper
- International Education, RTI International, Nairobi, Kenya
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Rodríguez C, Ferreira RA. To what extent is dot comparison an appropriate measure of approximate number system? Front Psychol 2023; 13:1065600. [PMID: 36704683 PMCID: PMC9873381 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.1065600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Number sense has been systematically measured using dot comparison tasks. However, recent studies have reported that performance on dot comparison might be influenced inhibitory control and visual properties of dot arrays. In the present study, we analysed the influence of continuous magnitude, inhibitory control, and numerical ratio on the dot comparison performance of preschool children. Methods Participants were 517 preschool children from 13 different schools in Chile. Children completed a dot comparison and two inhibitory control tasks. Gebuis and Reynvoet method was used to create well-controlled dot arrays for use in the dot comparison task. A logistic mixed effects model was conducted to predict participants' dot comparison accuracy. Continuous magnitude and ratio were entered as level-1 predictors and inhibitory control as level-2 predictors. Results The results showed that all predictors made a significant contribution to dot comparison accuracy. Furthermore, a significant double interaction (inhibitory control x continuous magnitude) and a triple interaction (inhibitory control x continuous magnitude x ratio) showed that the contribution of inhibitory control skills in dot comparison accuracy depends on the continuous properties of dot arrays and ratio. Discussion These findings suggest that preschool children rely more on continuous magnitudes than numerosity in dot comparison tasks. They also indicate that the greater children's inhibitory control, the more able they are to respond based on numerosity in fully incongruent trials, particularly when ratio is low (easiest items). Taken together, the above findings support the competing processes account provided that both ANS and inhibitory control skills influence performance on dot comparison tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Rodríguez
- Millennium Nucleus for the Science of Learning (MiNSoL), Talca, Chile,Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile,*Correspondence: Cristina Rodríguez,
| | - Roberto A. Ferreira
- Millennium Nucleus for the Science of Learning (MiNSoL), Talca, Chile,Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación, Universidad Católica del Maule, Talca, Chile
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Peretti G, Manzi F, Di Dio C, Cangelosi A, Harris PL, Massaro D, Marchetti A. Can a robot lie? Young children's understanding of intentionality beneath false statements. INFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/icd.2398] [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)
- Giulia Peretti
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan Italy
| | - Federico Manzi
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan Italy
| | - Cinzia Di Dio
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan Italy
| | | | - Paul L. Harris
- Graduate School of Education Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts USA
| | - Davide Massaro
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan Italy
| | - Antonella Marchetti
- Research Unit on Theory of Mind, Department of Psychology Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Milan Italy
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Litmanovitch E, Geva R, Leshem A, Lezinger M, Heyman E, Gidron M, Yarmolovsky J, Sasson E, Tal S, Rachmiel M. Missed meal boluses and poorer glycemic control impact on neurocognitive function may be associated with white matter integrity in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2023; 14:1141085. [PMID: 37091855 PMCID: PMC10113499 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1141085] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The notion that pediatric type 1 diabetes impacts brain function and structure early in life is of great concern. Neurological manifestations, including neurocognitive and behavioral symptoms, may be present from childhood, initially mild and undetectable in daily life. Despite intensive management and technological therapeutic interventions, most pediatric patients do not achieve glycemic control targets for HbA1c. One of the most common causes of such poor control and frequent transient hyperglycemic episodes may be lifestyle factors, including missed meal boluses. Objective The aim of this study was to assess the association between specific neurocognitive accomplishments-learning and memory, inhibition ability learning, and verbal and semantic memory-during meals with and without bolusing, correlated to diffusion tensor imaging measurements of major related tracts, and glycemic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes compared with their healthy siblings of similar age. Study design and methods This is a case-control study of 12- to 18-year-old patients with type 1 diabetes (N = 17, 8 male patients, diabetes duration of 6.53 ± 4.1 years) and their healthy siblings (N = 13). All were hospitalized for 30 h for continuous glucose monitoring and repeated neurocognitive tests as a function of a missed or appropriate pre-meal bolus. This situation was mimicked by controlled, patient blinded manipulation of lunch pre-meal bolus administration to enable capillary glucose level of <180 mg/dl and to >240 mg/d 2 hours after similar meals, at a similar time. The diabetes team randomly and blindly manipulated post-lunch glucose levels by subcutaneous injection of either rapid-acting insulin or 0.9% NaCl solution before lunch. A specific neurocognitive test battery was performed twice, after each manipulation, and its results were compared, along with additional neurocognitive tasks administered during hospitalization without insulin manipulation. Participants underwent brain imaging, including diffusion tensor imaging and tractography. Results A significant association was demonstrated between glycemic control and performance in the domains of executive functions, inhibition ability, learning and verbal memory, and semantic memory. Inhibition ability was specifically related to food management. Poorer glycemic control (>8.3%) was associated with a slower reaction time. Conclusion These findings highlight the potential impairment of brain networks responsible for learning, memory, and controlled reactivity to food in adolescents with type 1 diabetes whose glycemic control is poor.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edna Litmanovitch
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Ronny Geva
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Department of Psychology, The Developmental Neuropsychology Lab, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Avital Leshem
- Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Institute, Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center, Be'er Ya'akov, Israel
| | - Mirit Lezinger
- Pediatric Neurology and Epilepsy Department, Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center, Be’er Ya’akov, Israel
| | - Eli Heyman
- Pediatric Neurology and Epilepsy Department, Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center, Be’er Ya’akov, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Maor Gidron
- Department of Psychology, The Developmental Neuropsychology Lab, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Jessica Yarmolovsky
- Department of Psychology, The Developmental Neuropsychology Lab, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Efrat Sasson
- Radiology Department, Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center, Be'er Ya'akov, Israel
| | - Sigal Tal
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Radiology Department, Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center, Be'er Ya'akov, Israel
| | - Marianna Rachmiel
- Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes Institute, Shamir (Assaf Harofeh) Medical Center, Be'er Ya'akov, Israel
- Sackler School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- *Correspondence: Marianna Rachmiel,
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Cao H, Zhou N, Liang Y, Li Q, Yu Q, Bao T. Early Risk of Tobacco Smoke Exposure and Preschoolers' Hot and Cool Inhibitory Control: Promotive and Protective Roles of Maternal Positivity in Early Mother-child Interaction. PREVENTION SCIENCE : THE OFFICIAL JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR PREVENTION RESEARCH 2023; 24:50-63. [PMID: 35939179 DOI: 10.1007/s11121-022-01419-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Early tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) in utero and/or during the first years after birth poses threats to the development of child executive functioning and self-regulation skills, including inhibitory control. Efforts are still needed to examine under what conditions such effects may occur and thus identify modifiable intervention targets. In addition, a distinction between cool and hot inhibitory control is also important to obtain greater nuance in such links. The cool inhibitory control refers to children's suppression of prepotent automatic responses to a distracting stimulus in solving arbitrary and decontextualized problems, whereas the hot inhibitory control refers to children's control of impulse in motivationally and emotionally high-stake situations. Using data derived from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development, we examined the links between early risk of TSE and preschoolers' hot and cool inhibitory control and tested the potential promotive/protective roles of maternal positivity in early mother-child interactions. Results indicate that early risk of TSE was negatively linked to child cool inhibitory control when maternal positivity was low, but this link was nonsignificant when maternal positivity was high (i.e., the protective role of maternal positivity). The link between early risk of TSE and child later hot inhibitory control was not moderated by maternal positivity; instead, early risk of TSE and maternal positivity were negatively and positively associated with child hot inhibitory control above and beyond each other, respectively (i.e., the promotive role of maternal positivity). Accordingly, building a tobacco-free environment during pregnancy and infancy likely yields long-term benefits for child self-regulation development. Improving early mothering may offset the negative link between early TSE and child cool inhibitory control and also facilitate child hot inhibitory control even in the face of early TSE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongjian Cao
- Applied Psychology Program, School of Humanities and Social Science, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, No. 2001 Longxiang Boulevard, Longgang District, Shenzhen, 518172, China
| | - Nan Zhou
- Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Avenida da Universidade, E33 Building, Taipa, Macau, 999078, China.
| | - Yue Liang
- School of Social Development and Public Policy, Beijing Normal University, Hai Dian District, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Street, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Qi Li
- Faculty of Education, Institute of Early Childhood Education, Beijing Normal University, Hai Dian District, 512 Ying Dong Building, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Street, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Qianwen Yu
- Faculty of Education, Institute of Early Childhood Education, Beijing Normal University, Hai Dian District, 512 Ying Dong Building, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Street, Beijing, 100875, China
| | - Tingting Bao
- Faculty of Education, Institute of Early Childhood Education, Beijing Normal University, Hai Dian District, 512 Ying Dong Building, No. 19 Xin Jie Kou Wai Street, Beijing, 100875, China
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Wente A, Gopnik A, Fernández Flecha M, Garcia T, Buchsbaum D. Causal learning, counterfactual reasoning and pretend play: a cross-cultural comparison of Peruvian, mixed- and low-socioeconomic status U.S. children. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210345. [PMID: 36314148 PMCID: PMC9620747 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Pretend play universally emerges during early childhood and may support the development of causal inference and counterfactual reasoning. However, the amount of time spent pretending, the value that adults place on pretence and the scaffolding adults provide vary by both culture and socioeconomic status (SES). In middle class U.S. preschoolers, accuracy on a pretence-based causal reasoning task predicted performance on a similar causal counterfactual task. We explore the relationship between cultural environment, pretence and counterfactual reasoning in low-income Peruvian (N = 62) and low-income U.S. (N = 57) 3- to 4-year olds, and contrast findings against previous findings in an age-matched, mixed-SES U.S. sample (N = 60). Children learned a novel causal relationship, then answered comparable counterfactual and pretence-based questions about the relationship. Children's responses for counterfactual and pretence measures differed across populations, with Peruvian and lower-income U.S. children providing fewer causally consistent responses when compared with middle class U.S. children. Nevertheless, correlations between the two measures emerged in all populations. Across cohorts, children also provided more causally consistent answers during pretence than counterfactually. Our findings strengthen the hypothesis that causal pretend play is related to causal counterfactual reasoning across cultural contexts, while also suggesting a role for systematic environmental differences. This article is part of the theme issue 'Thinking about possibilities: mechanisms, ontogeny, functions and phylogeny'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne Wente
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Alison Gopnik
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | | | - Teresa Garcia
- Department of Psychology, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Daphna Buchsbaum
- Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI 02912, USA
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Chami S, Charalambous C, Knijnik SR, Docking K. Language and executive function skills as predictors of semantic fluency performance in pre-school children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SPEECH-LANGUAGE PATHOLOGY 2022; 24:626-635. [PMID: 34866507 DOI: 10.1080/17549507.2021.2008005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Purpose: To explore how language and executive function skills of pre-school-aged children contribute to semantic fluency (a form of verbal fluency) performance. This study investigated effect of age and contribution of vocabulary and executive function on qualitative aspects of the semantic fluency task.Method: Forty typically developing Australian-English-speaking pre-school children, aged 4;0-5;11 (mean age = 55.5 months, SD = 5.21) participated. Eight assessment tasks were presented in random order examining semantic fluency, vocabulary knowledge and executive function. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses determined the extent to which measures of executive function and vocabulary accounted for fluency (number of words correctly produced) and qualitative aspects of the semantic fluency task (number of clusters, number of clustered words, number of switches).Result: While executive function and vocabulary were positively correlated with fluency and all qualitative measures of semantic fluency performance, they were not significant predictors of any aspect of task performance. Age and vocabulary were the only significant predictors of fluency, number of words clustered, and number of switches. Performance on these tasks was strongly related to vocabulary and automated retrieval processes.Conclusion: Pre-school children do not predominantly rely on executive function during semantic fluency. The influence that vocabulary has on semantic fluency task performance outweighs that accounted for by age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Chami
- Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Carla Charalambous
- Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
- Macarthur Children's Developmental Clinic, StarKids Australia, Sydney, Australia
| | - Stefani R Knijnik
- Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kimberley Docking
- Speech Pathology, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
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