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Leclercq M, Mombo WT, Clerc J. Judgments of relevance in preschoolers: a study of training and transfer of self-cueing strategies. Front Psychol 2024; 15:1341572. [PMID: 38352031 PMCID: PMC10863624 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1341572] [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: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction When facing a task, children must analyze it precisely to fully identify what its goal is. This is particularly difficult for young children, who mainly rely on environmental cues to get there. Research suggests that training children to look for the most relevant perceptual cues is promising. Furthermore, as transferring skills to a new task is difficult, the question of whether young children are able to transfer such training remains open. The aim of this study was to test the extent to which two strategies of goal self-cueing-labeling and pointing-can help 4-year-old children to identify the relevant cues to clearly identify the goal of the task. The effects of explicit strategy training were tested in a near transfer task. Method Ninety-nine typically developing 4 year olds took part in the study. They were divided into three groups: two were trained collectively in one of the two strategies and the third group as a control group with no strategy training. All children performed a cued card-sorting task four times: Pre-test, Collective training, Post-test, and Transfer with new cards. Results Results confirmed the beneficial effect of strategy training on goal identification, particularly after training (Post-test). In the transfer phase, all three groups performed equally well. Discussion This study contributes to our understanding of how young children seek information when they look for the most relevant cues for identifying the goal of a task, and the benefits they may derive in a transfer task. It seems that the use of visual cues and self-cueing strategies helps preschoolers to clearly identify the goal of a task. Results are discussed in the light of the self-regulated learning framework. Some possible classroom applications are suggested.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marion Leclercq
- Univ Lille, ULR 4072 – PSITEC: Psychologie: Interactions, Temps, Emotions, Cognition, Composante INSPE Academie de Lille HdF, Lille, France
| | - Wilfried T. Mombo
- Univ Tours, EA 2114 – PAVeA: Psychologie des Âges de la Vie et Adaptation, Tours, France
| | - Jérôme Clerc
- Univ. Grenoble Alpes, Univ. Savoie Mont Blanc, CNRS, Grenoble, France
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Stephenson KB, Wegner DR, Hershey TG, Doty T, Davis E, Steiner-Asiedu M, Saalia FK, Shani I, Manary MJ. Effect of Peanut Paste-based Ready-to-use School Meals With and Without Milk on Fluid Cognition in Northern Ghana: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Am J Clin Nutr 2023; 118:782-791. [PMID: 37567391 PMCID: PMC10579044 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2023.08.001] [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: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated the role of school feeding in low- and middle-income countries as a means of improving childhood cognition. Peanut/milk ready-to-use food (PM-RUF) or cowpea offers an affordable, scalable option that might improve cognition. OBJECTIVES To determine whether micronutrient-fortified PM-RUF or peanut/cowpea ready-to-use food (PC-RUF) would improve fluid cognition as assessed by 4 tests from the National Institutes of Health Toolbox Cognitive Battery when compared with a micronutrient-fortified millet porridge (FP) after a year of school feeding. METHODS An individually randomly assigned, investigator-blinded, controlled clinical trial was conducted at 6 schools in Mion District in rural northern Ghana. Eight hundred seventy-one school children aged 5-12 y were randomly assigned and allocated to receive PM-RUF (n = 282), PC-RUF (n = 292), or FP (n = 297), each providing ∼400 kcal/d. The primary outcomes were 4 fluid cognition test scores: Dimensional Change Card Sort test, Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention test, Pattern Comparison Processing Speed test, and a modified List Sorting Working Memory test. Secondary outcomes included a composite median ranking of the 4 primary outcomes and anthropometry changes. RESULTS Among the 871 participants (median age, 8.8 y; 47% female), 795 (91%) completed endline cognitive testing. Median attendance rates exceeded 87% in all groups. PM-RUF group demonstrated better fluid cognition on the Dimensional Change Card Sort test [odds ratio (OR): 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1, 2.0; P = 0.016] and Pattern Comparison Processing Speed test (OR: 1.4; 95% CI: 1.0, 1.9; P = 0.026) than FP, whereas there were no significant differences on Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention or List Sorting Working Memory tests. PC-RUF group demonstrated no improvement over FP on any cognitive tests. PM-RUF group had superior fluid cognition composite median rankings (OR: 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1, 2.0; P = 0.007). CONCLUSIONS Among rural Ghanaian children aged 5-12 y, PM-RUF compared with FP resulted in superior fluid cognition. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT04349007.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin B Stephenson
- Department of Medicine, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States.
| | - Donna R Wegner
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Tamara G Hershey
- Departments of Psychiatry and Radiology, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Tasha Doty
- Program in Occupational Therapy, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | - Ephious Davis
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States
| | | | - Firibu K Saalia
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Issah Shani
- Department of Nutrition and Food Science, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Mark J Manary
- Department of Pediatrics, Washington University, St. Louis, MO, United States.
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Superbia-Guimarães L, Cowan N. Disentangling Processing and Storage Accounts of Working Memory Development in Childhood. DEVELOPMENTAL REVIEW 2023; 69:101089. [PMID: 37662651 PMCID: PMC10470321 DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2023.101089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Researchers have been asking the question of what drives the development of working memory (WM) during childhood for decades. This question is particularly challenging because so many aspects of cognition develop with age that it is difficult to disentangle them and find out which factors are causal or fundamental. In this review, we first prepare to discuss this issue by inquiring whether increases in storage, processing, or both are the fundamental driving factor(s) of the age-related increase in WM capability in childhood. We contend that by experimentally manipulating either factor and observing changes in the other, it is possible to learn about causal roles in WM development. We discuss research on school-aged children that seems to suggest, by means of such an approach, that the growth of storage is causal for some phases or steps in WM tasks, but that the growth of processing is causal for other steps. In our theoretical proposal, storage capacity of the focus of attention determines earlier steps of information processing by constraining the selective encoding of information into WM, whereas processing dependent on the focus of attention determines later steps, like the detection of patterns that can simplify the effective memory load and adoption of a proactive stance of maintenance in dual-task settings. Future directions for research are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luísa Superbia-Guimarães
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, 210 McAlester Hall, Columbia MO, 65211, United States
| | - Nelson Cowan
- University of Missouri, Department of Psychological Sciences, 210 McAlester Hall, Columbia MO, 65211, United States
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Vaporova E, Zmyj N. Children's suggestibility for neutral arbitrary actions in the context of norm violations. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286241. [PMID: 37228049 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated children's false memories for neutral arbitrary actions. Five- to six-year-olds (N = 32) were taught four arbitrary actions, each following specific rules. The children then watched a televised adult performing eight actions: the four familiar actions while violating one aspect of each rule script and four unfamiliar actions. Suggestive and non-suggestive questions about all witnessed actions were asked, followed by forced-choice test questions to measure the false memory effect. The likelihood of forming false memories was higher in the suggestive condition than in the non-suggestive condition. There was no effect of previously acquired knowledge about the rules of the actions and no interaction between rule knowledge and suggestion. The results are discussed in light of previous findings in related fields of false memory research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Vaporova
- Educational Sciences and Psychology, Institute of Psychology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
| | - Norbert Zmyj
- Educational Sciences and Psychology, Institute of Psychology, TU Dortmund University, Dortmund, Germany
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Ibbotson P. The Development of Executive Function: Mechanisms of Change and Functional Pressures. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2022.2160719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Paul Ibbotson
- School of Education, Childhood, Youth and Sport, The Open University, Milton Keynes, UK
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Moreira JS, Ferreira PC, Veiga Simão AM. Dynamic assessment of self-regulated learning in preschool. Heliyon 2022; 8:e10035. [PMID: 36042725 PMCID: PMC9420351 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2022.e10035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2021] [Revised: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The assessment of self-regulated learning is a relevant research topic in early childhood development. However, there are few ecologic measures to assess self-regulated learning in preschool as a dynamic and multidimensional process. This study aims to fill this gap by presenting the development and validation of the Dynamic Assessment of Self-regulated learning in Preschool (DASP) method. A dynamic assessment of the construct may constitute an important contribution as it enables the acquisition of cross observational, verbal, and performance data. The DASP method was developed within a theoretical framework of self-regulation, including all cyclical phases, namely, forethought, performance, and self-reflection. Specifically, this method requires children to be questioned in the forethought and self-reflection phases, and observed in the performance phase, as the researcher notes their strategies. This method is used while children engage in authentic preschool tasks. To achieve the study's aim, 214 preschool children were asked to participate. In this research, children performed the Clown task (cognitive task) and the Head-Toes-Knees-Shoulders task (motor task). Item Response Theory analyses provided good item fit for the DASP method (forethought: .99, performance: 1.00, self-reflection: .99), good values of the tasks' reliability (Clown: .92; HTKS: .85), and evidence of the participants' difficulty level in completing the tasks. Results indicated that the children experienced more difficulty in the performance phase, as opposed to the other phases. The potentialities, constraints, and practical implications of the DASP method will be discussed in terms of contributions for theory and practice.
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Association of Family Nutrition and Physical Activity with Preschooler's Working Memory: A Cross-Sectional Study among Mexican Children. CHILDREN-BASEL 2021; 8:children8060506. [PMID: 34203778 PMCID: PMC8232659 DOI: 10.3390/children8060506] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2021] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Healthy eating and active lifestyles are associated with children’s healthy weight and cognitive development. This study examines whether family behaviors relevant for nutrition and activity levels are associated with children’s working memory, independent of their weight status. A convenience sample of child–caregiver dyads (n = 85 dyads) were recruited from a public preschool serving a low-income community in central Mexico. Caregivers reported the frequency of ten family behaviors using the Family Nutrition and Physical Activity screening tool. Children completed a test of their ability to recall four words after a 60-s distraction task, an assessment of working memory. Multiple linear regression models were used to test the association of children’s working memory with each family behavior, adjusting for children’s sex, age, mother’s age and education, and subjective social status and then also adjusting for children’s age- and sex-specific body mass index percentile (BMI-P) and covariates. Higher frequency of breakfast intake was significantly associated with working memory (β = 0.57, p = 0.013). This association was independent of children’s BMI-P. Other family behaviors (frequent family mealtimes, limiting screen time, and others) were not significantly associated with children’s working memory. Frequent breakfast intake could benefit young children’s working memory, regardless of their weight status. This association merits further investigation.
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Fitamen C, Camos V. Play First Before Doing Your Exercise: Does Acting in a Game-Like Task Improve 5-Year-Olds' Working Memory Performance? Front Psychol 2021; 12:659020. [PMID: 33995220 PMCID: PMC8113615 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.659020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been shown that acting in a game-like task improves preschoolers’ working memory when tested in a reconstruction task. The game context and the motor activity during the game would provide goal cues bringing support to the memory processes. The aim of the present study was to test this hypothesis by examining preschoolers’ working memory performance in a game-like task compared to an exercise-like task, which offers less goal cues. In the present study, 5-year-olds had to maintain a series of fruits and vegetables while acting in a game-like task or remaining static during the same task presented in a school-exercise context (within-subject factor). Memory performance was tested either through oral recall or reconstruction of the series of memory items (between-subject factor). Despite the fact that memory performance did not differ between the two conditions (game vs. exercise) whatever the type of memory tests, performance was worst in the game-like than in the exercise condition when the exercise was presented first. No difference emerged between conditions when the game condition was performed first. This result suggests that preschoolers were able to take advantage of acting in the game-like condition to integrate some task requirements, which were beneficial for performing the exercise condition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Fitamen
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.,Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive, UMR 7290, Université d'Aix-Marseille and CNRS, Marseille, France
| | - Valérie Camos
- Département de Psychologie, Université de Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland
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Bonin P, Poulin-Charronnat B, Lukowski Duplessy H, Bard P, Vinter A, Ferrand L, Méot A. IMABASE: A new set of 313 colourised line drawings standardised in French for name agreement, image agreement, conceptual familiarity, age-of-acquisition, and imageability. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2020; 73:1862-1878. [PMID: 32478594 DOI: 10.1177/1747021820932822] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We provide normative data for a new set of 313 colourised line drawings. The drawings were standardised on name agreement (N = 60 participants), image agreement (N = 34), conceptual familiarity (N = 36), age of acquisition (N = 35), and imageability (N = 35). Objective visual complexity measures are given for the pictures, and objective word frequencies are provided for the modal names of the drawings. Reliability measures for the collected norms are very high. There are high levels of agreement between the names given by the participants and the drawings and comparative analyses indicate that the distribution of name agreement scores is very similar in both our own database and the MultiPic database (Duñabeitia et al., 2018). A novel "picture-choice task" used to assess name-image agreement (N = 30) reveals that the great majority of the IMABASE pictures that are also present in MultiPic are rated as providing better pictorial representations of the corresponding concepts. Finally, most of the correlations are comparable with those reported in other normative studies on colourised drawings. The whole set of pictures is freely available from https://leadserv.u-bourgogne.fr/~lead/imabase/ and the norms are available as Supplementary Material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Bonin
- LEAD - CNRS UMR5022, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | | | | | - Patrick Bard
- LEAD - CNRS UMR5022, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Annie Vinter
- LEAD - CNRS UMR5022, Univ. Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
| | - Ludovic Ferrand
- LAPSCO - CNRS UMR6024, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Alain Méot
- LAPSCO - CNRS UMR6024, Université Clermont Auvergne, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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Bertrand R, Stan-Zahno I, Camos V. The rate of forgetting over time in working memory during early childhood. ANNEE PSYCHOLOGIQUE 2020. [DOI: 10.3917/anpsy1.202.0157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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