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Ruffini C, Berni M, Pierucci G, Pecini C. Executive functions as predictors of learning prerequisites in preschool: A longitudinal study. Trends Neurosci Educ 2024; 36:100239. [PMID: 39266119 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2024.100239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2024] [Revised: 08/08/2024] [Accepted: 08/08/2024] [Indexed: 09/14/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION This study focuses on 'learning prerequisites', cognitive and non-cognitive skills crucial for school success, often measured in preschoolers. Executive Functions (EF), like inhibition and cognitive flexibility, are vital among these prerequisites. While EF's role in early literacy and numeracy is acknowledged, some components are often overlooked. OBJECTIVE The study aims to longitudinally explore the link between EF, assessed at the beginning of the preschool year and the learning prerequites, measured at the end of the same preschool year. METHOD AND RESULTS Evaluating 70 preschoolers (62.30 months, SD 4.55), results showed that certain EF measures predicted performance in literacy and numeracy tasks. Specifically, response inhibition predicted rhyme and syllable recognition, series completion, and cognitive flexibility predicted rhyme recognition. Moreover, EF, particularly response inhibition, correlated with overall metaphonology and pre-math abilities. CONCLUSION The findings suggest the importance of integrating EF enhancement in early educational interventions, aiding in selecting and optimizing EF skills crucial for later academic success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Costanza Ruffini
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology (FORLILPSI), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, 50135 Florence, Italy.
| | - Marta Berni
- University of Florence, 50135 Florence, Italy.
| | - Giulia Pierucci
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology (FORLILPSI), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, 50135 Florence, Italy.
| | - Chiara Pecini
- Department of Education, Languages, Intercultures, Literatures and Psychology (FORLILPSI), University of Florence, Via di San Salvi 12, 50135 Florence, Italy.
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2
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Colantonio JA, Bascandziev I, Theobald M, Brod G, Bonawitz E. Predicting Learning: Understanding the Role of Executive Functions in Children's Belief Revision Using Bayesian Models. Top Cogn Sci 2024. [PMID: 39105521 DOI: 10.1111/tops.12749] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that learners who are asked to predict the outcome of an event learn more than learners who are asked to evaluate it retrospectively or not at all. One possible explanation for this "prediction boost" is that it helps learners engage metacognitive reasoning skills that may not be spontaneously leveraged, especially for individuals with still-developing executive functions. In this paper, we combined multiple analytic approaches to investigate the potential role of executive functions in elementary school-aged children's science learning. We performed an experiment that investigates children's science learning during a water displacement task where a "prediction boost" had previously been observed-children either made an explicit prediction or evaluated an event post hoc (i.e., postdiction). We then considered the relation of executive function measures and learning, which were collected following the main experiment. Via mixed effects regression models, we found that stronger executive function skills (i.e., stronger inhibition and switching scores) were associated with higher accuracy in Postdiction but not in the Prediction Condition. Using a theory-based Bayesian model, we simulated children's individual performance on the learning task (capturing "belief flexibility"), and compared this "flexibility" to the other measures to understand the relationship between belief revision, executive function, and prediction. Children in the Prediction Condition showed near-ceiling "belief flexibility" scores, which were significantly higher than among children in the Postdiction Condition. We also found a significant correlation between children's executive function measures to our "belief flexibility" parameter, but only for children in the Postdiction Condition. These results indicate that when children provided responses post hoc, they may have required stronger executive function capacities to navigate the learning task. Additionally, these results suggest that the "prediction boost" in children's science learning could be explained by increased metacognitive flexibility in the belief revision process.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Maria Theobald
- Department of Education and Human Development, DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education
- Institute of Psychology, University of Trier
| | - Garvin Brod
- Department of Education and Human Development, DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education
- Department of Psychology, Goethe University
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Terroux A, Mello C, Morin D, Rivard M. Everyday Executive Function in Preschoolers with Autism and Links with Intellectual Functioning, Adaptive Behavior, and Autism Symptoms. J Autism Dev Disord 2024:10.1007/s10803-024-06463-7. [PMID: 38990368 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-024-06463-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Impairments in executive function (EF) among individuals with autism spectrum disorder and their association with negative academic, adaptive, and social functioning outcomes have been widely reported over the past 20 years. However, there remains a lack of understanding of EF in autism during the preschool period, an age at which several crucial abilities (including EF) emerge. The present study therefore sought to document everyday EF in preschool-aged children with autism and its associations with other clinical characteristics. Parents rated the EF of their preschool-aged child with autism (M = 30-65 months, N = 288) using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version (BRIEF-P; Gioia, G. A., Espy, K. A., & Isquith, P. K. (2003). Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function-Preschool Version. Psychological Assessment Resources.). Intellectual quotient, adaptive behavior, and autism symptom severity were also assessed. Preschoolers with ASD displayed impairments in everyday EF, particularly in relation with inhibition and working memory. Greater challenges in EF were strongly associated with lower levels of adaptive behavior and a higher severity of autistic symptoms. To a lesser extent, EF challenges were also associated with lower levels of intellectual functioning. The early assessment and detection of EF difficulties in preschoolers with ASD may assist in developing and integrating specific intervention targets to improve these essential abilities within existing early intervention programs for ASD. This could help to maximize their effectiveness and limit the extent of difficulties these children may face growing up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Terroux
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Catherine Mello
- Department of Psychology, Penn State University - Berks, Tulpehocken Road, P.O. Box 7009, Reading, PA, 19610, USA.
| | - Diane Morin
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Canada
| | - Mélina Rivard
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Canada
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Chamorro Y, Mendizabal-Ruiz AP, Abreu-Mendoza RA, Morales JA, de Lourdes Ramírez-Dueñas M, Matute E. Preliminary Evidence for a Positive Relation Between the COMT rs4680 Met/Met Genotype and Math Achievement. Dev Neuropsychol 2024; 49:138-151. [PMID: 38461456 DOI: 10.1080/87565641.2024.2326879] [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: 05/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
To identify if COMT polymorphisms interact with executive functions as predictors of math skills, we assessed 38 adolescents (mean age = 16.4 ± 0.80 years, IQ > 80) from a larger study of high-school students screened for their mathematical abilities. Adolescents were genotyped for the COMT Val158Met polymorphism (grouped as Met/Met or Val-carriers) and completed the WRAT math achievement test, working-memory, inhibitory-control, and shifting tasks. Met/Met-carriers achieved higher WRAT scores than the Val-carriers (W = 229, p = .009). Genotype group was a moderate-to-strong predictor of WRAT scores (β = 0.56 to 0.74). No genotype/executive-function interaction was detected. Our findings suggest that the rs4680 Met/Met genotype is positively associated with math achievement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaira Chamorro
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Adriana P Mendizabal-Ruiz
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | | | - J Alejandro Morales
- Departamento de Ciencias Computacionales, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Exactas e Ingenierías, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - María de Lourdes Ramírez-Dueñas
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
| | - Esmeralda Matute
- Instituto de Neurociencias, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Biológicas y Agropecuarias, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
- Departamento de Estudios en Educación, Centro Universitario de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades, Universidad de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
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Palmer AR, Kalstabakken AW, Distefano R, Carlson SM, Putnam SP, Masten AS. A short executive functioning questionnaire in the context of early childhood screening: psychometric properties. Child Neuropsychol 2024:1-30. [PMID: 38511396 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2024.2329435] [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: 08/25/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/22/2024]
Abstract
Early childhood executive functioning (EF) predicts later adjustment and academic achievement. However, measuring EF consistently and efficiently across settings in early childhood can be challenging. Most researchers use task-based measures of EF, but these methods present practical challenges that impede implementation in some settings. The current study of 380 3-5-year-old children in the United States evaluated the psychometric properties of a new 14-item parent-reported measure of EF in a diverse urban school district. This questionnaire aimed to capture a normative range of EF skills in ecologically valid contexts. There was evidence for two specific subscales - one that measures children's EF challenges and another that measures children's EF skills. Results suggested that several items demonstrated differential item functioning by age and race. After adjusting for measurement differences across demographic groups and controlling for age at screening, the EF challenges subscale was more strongly related to task-based measures of EF than was the EF skills subscale. EF challenges predicted third-grade math achievement, controlling for demographic variables and a performance-based measure of children's early cognitive and academic skills. Results suggest that this parent report of EF could be a useful and effective early childhood screening tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alyssa R Palmer
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Amanda W Kalstabakken
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
- Pediatrics, University of Minnesota Medical School Minneapolis, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Rebecca Distefano
- Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, Roger Williams University, Bristol, RI, USA
| | - Stephanie M Carlson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | | | - Ann S Masten
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
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6
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Vanhala A, Widlund A, Korhonen J, Haapala EA, Sääkslahti A, Aunio P. Developmental associations of fundamental motor skills and executive functions in preschoolers - The role of the physical activity and the effects on early numeracy. Trends Neurosci Educ 2024; 34:100220. [PMID: 38499409 DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2024.100220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2023] [Revised: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 03/20/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physical activity, fundamental motor skills, executive functions and early numeracy have shown to be related, but very little is known about the developmental relations of these factors. PROCEDURE We followed 317 children (3-6 years) over two years. Fundamental motor skills and executive functions (inhibition+switching, updating) were measured at all time points (T1, T2, T3) and physical activity at T1 and early numeracy at T3. MAIN FINDINGS Children with better fundamental motor skills at T1 developed slower in inhibition and switching. Fundamental motor skills developed faster in children who had better initial inhibition and switching ability. Vigorous physical activity at T1 was associated with a weaker initial inhibition and switching. The initial level and the developmental rate of updating were related to better early numeracy skills. CONCLUSIONS Findings indicate that fundamental motor skills and executive functions are developmentally related, and updating is an important predictor for early numeracy in preschoolers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anssi Vanhala
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Anna Widlund
- Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland
| | - Johan Korhonen
- Faculty of Education and Welfare Studies, Åbo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland
| | - Eero A Haapala
- Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland; Institute of Biomedicine, School of Medicine, University of Eastern Finland, Finland
| | - Arja Sääkslahti
- Faculty of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Pirjo Aunio
- Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland
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He C, Peng X, Zhang J, Cheng W, Guo S, Hu W, Fang C, Huan M, Lu Y, Sang M, Zhou T, Wu H, Li L, Quan M. Effects of 12-week aerobic exercise with different frequencies on executive function in preschool children: a cluster randomized controlled trial. Psychol Health 2024:1-16. [PMID: 38287651 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2024.2309542] [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: 05/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/19/2024] [Indexed: 01/31/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the effects of a 12-week aerobic exercise program with different frequencies on executive functions (EFs) in preschool children. METHOD Four kindergartens, comprising 126 preschool children in Shanghai, were enrolled in this 12-week cluster randomized controlled trial with a 12-week follow-up period. Kindergartens were allocated to high-frequency (three times a week) or low-frequency (once a week) exercise groups using stratified block randomization. Three core sub-EFs, including inhibition, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, were assessed at baseline, post-intervention, and the 12-week follow-up. RESULTS Compared to baseline, both groups showed significant improvements in inhibition and working memory after the intervention and at the 12-week follow-up. However, only the high-frequency exercise group demonstrated a significant improvement in cognitive flexibility after the follow-up period. Nonetheless, there were no significant differences in the core sub-functions of EFs between the two groups at the end of the intervention or the follow-up periods. CONCLUSION A 12-week aerobic exercise of three times a week was insufficient to significantly improve EFs in preschool children compared to once a week. Future studies are needed to examine the dose-response relationship of aerobic exercise on EFs and to verify the effects of different exercise modalities on EFs in preschool children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Changshuang He
- School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaoying Peng
- School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Jinming Zhang
- Journal Editorial Department, Shandong First Medical University & Shandong Academy of Medical Sciences, Shandong, China
| | - Wei Cheng
- Department of Endocrinology, Yangpu Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
| | - Shaoyu Guo
- School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenwen Hu
- Department of Physical Education, Institute of Disaster Prevention, Sanhe, China
| | - Chunyi Fang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital, Hangzhou Medical College), Hangzhou, China
| | - Muyang Huan
- School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanhua Lu
- Sports Department, Zhengzhou Business University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Menghao Sang
- Institute of Health, Yantai Nanshan University, Shandong, China
| | - Tang Zhou
- School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Hua Wu
- Rehabilitation Medicine Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Longkai Li
- School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Minghui Quan
- School of Exercise and Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
- Shanghai Frontiers Science Research Base of Exercise and Metabolic Health, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
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8
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Lee CSC. Processing Speed Deficit and Its Relationship with Math Fluency in Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. J Atten Disord 2024; 28:211-224. [PMID: 37981794 DOI: 10.1177/10870547231211022] [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] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES (1) To determine the processing speed (PS) deficit in children with ADHD; and (2) To investigate if PS deficit was the primary cause of daily dysfunction in ADHD by testing the direct and indirect effects via working memory (WM) of PS on math fluency (MF). METHOD Seventy-eight children (52 children with ADHD and 26 controls) were tested on their motor, perceptual, cognitive, and verbal PS, WM, and MF. RESULTS Children with ADHD performed worse than controls on all PS, suggesting a general PS deficit. Moreover, cognitive PS was a significant predictor for MF. Mediation analysis showed that cognitive PS had direct and indirect effects via WM on MF, suggesting PS deficit might be the primary cause of MF difficulties in ADHD. CONCLUSION Findings of this study suggested a general PS deficit in ADHD. Due to the importance of PS in MF, interventions for MF underachievers should include assessment and training of PS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara S C Lee
- Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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van der Veer G, Cantell MH, Minnaert AEMG, Houwen S. The relationship between motor performance and executive functioning in early childhood: A systematic review on motor demands embedded within executive function tasks. APPLIED NEUROPSYCHOLOGY. CHILD 2024; 13:62-83. [PMID: 36395520 DOI: 10.1080/21622965.2022.2128675] [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: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
This systematic review examined to what extent response demands of executive functioning (EF) tasks influence the relationship between motor performance and EF in 2- to 6-year-old typically developing (TD) children and children with motor coordination difficulties (MCD). Eighteen of the included articles focused on TD children only and three also on children with MCD. EF tasks were subdivided based on the type of responses (i.e., motor or verbal). EF tasks requiring a motor response were subdivided into two levels (i.e., complex or simple). Results showed that the relationship between motor performance and EF in 2- to 6-year-old TD children and children with MCD was inconclusive with the strength of correlation coefficients for the most part varying from very weak to moderate. The type of EF task response did not influence the relationship between motor performance and EF. The review thus implies that other task demands than the type of EF task response need to be investigated to explain the inconsistent relationship between motor performance and EF, such as the complexity of the motor response of EF tasks, the complexity of the actual motor tasks, and additional processes (e.g., memory, intelligence, language comprehension).
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerda van der Veer
- Inclusive and Special Needs Education Unit, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Marja H Cantell
- Inclusive and Special Needs Education Unit, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Alexander E M G Minnaert
- Inclusive and Special Needs Education Unit, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
| | - Suzanne Houwen
- Inclusive and Special Needs Education Unit, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, University of Groningen, Groningen, Netherlands
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Wu M, Was CA. The Relationship between Executive Functions and Metacognition in College Students. J Intell 2023; 11:220. [PMID: 38132838 PMCID: PMC10744090 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence11120220] [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: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the relationship between executive functions and metacognition. Both constructs have been well-studied, but little research has focused on their connections. The goal of the current investigation was to increase the understanding of the relationship between metacognition and executive functions by assessing the relationships between metacognitive monitoring accuracy and the three component executive functions (updating, inhibition, and shifting) among college students. Metacognitive monitoring accuracy was measured using a knowledge monitoring accuracy (KMA) test. The three components of executive functions, updating, inhibition, and shifting were measured, respectively, using the ABCD updating task, the Stroop color-word interference test, and the letter-number task. The Tower of Hanoi task was used to measure the complex executive functions (inhibition and updating). Correlation and regression analyses were performed to examine the relationships. The results indicate that updating is the only component executive function that significantly correlated with metacognitive monitoring, suggesting that metacognition-specifically, metacognitive monitoring-is associated with at least one component of executive functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengjiao Wu
- College of Foreign Language, Shanghai Maritime University, Shanghai 201306, China;
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11
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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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12
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Spiller J, Clayton S, Cragg L, Johnson S, Simms V, Gilmore C. Higher level domain specific skills in mathematics; The relationship between algebra, geometry, executive function skills and mathematics achievement. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0291796. [PMID: 37931003 PMCID: PMC10627446 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0291796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Algebra and geometry are important components of mathematics that are often considered gatekeepers for future success. However, most studies that have researched the cognitive skills required for success in mathematics have only considered the domain of arithmetic. We extended models of mathematical skills to consider how executive function skills play both a direct role in secondary-school-level mathematical achievement as well as an indirect role via algebra and geometry, alongside arithmetic. We found that verbal and visuospatial working memory were indirectly associated with mathematical achievement via number fact knowledge, calculation skills, algebra and geometry. Inhibition was also indirectly associated with mathematical achievement via number fact knowledge and calculation skills. These findings highlight that there are multiple mechanisms by which executive function skills may be involved in mathematics outcomes. Therefore, using specific measures of mathematical processes as well as context-rich assessments of mathematical achievement is important to understand these mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayne Spiller
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
- School of Psychology and Vision Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Sarah Clayton
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Lucy Cragg
- School of Psychology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Samantha Johnson
- Department of Health Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria Simms
- School of Psychology, Ulster University, Coleraine, United Kingdom
| | - Camilla Gilmore
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, United Kingdom
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13
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Bruce M, Savla J, Bell MA. From terrible twos to sassy sixes: The development of vocabulary and executive functioning across early childhood. Dev Sci 2023; 26:e13396. [PMID: 37042169 PMCID: PMC10567994 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13396] [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: 07/11/2022] [Revised: 12/05/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/13/2023]
Abstract
Across the early childhood period of development, young children exhibit considerable growth in their executive functioning (EF) and vocabulary abilities. Understanding the developmental trajectory of these seemingly interrelated processes is important as both early vocabulary and EF have been shown to predict critical academic and socio-emotional outcomes later in childhood. Although previous research suggests that EF and vocabulary are correlated in early childhood, much of the existing longitudinal research has focused on unidirectional relations among preschool child samples. The current large-scale study, therefore, sought to examine whether children's vocabulary and EF abilities are bidirectionally related over time across four measurement waves in early childhood (i.e., at ages 2, 3, 4, and 6). At each timepoint, children's vocabulary skills were positively correlated with their concurrent EF abilities. After controlling for child sex and maternal education status, the best-fitting, cross-lagged panel model was a unidirectional model whereby children's early vocabulary scores predicted their later EF performance at each timepoint. Although age 2 EF significantly predicted age 3 vocabulary size, this association was no longer significant after accounting for maternal education status. Our results illustrate that vocabulary size plays an important role in predicting children's later EF performance across various timepoints in early childhood, even after controlling for children's initial EF scores. These findings have important implications for intervention research as fostering early vocabulary acquisition may serve as a possible avenue for improving EF outcomes in young children. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Children's vocabulary size is positively correlated with their concurrent executive functioning skill at ages 2, 3, 4, and 6 Young children's early vocabulary scores predict their later EF performance across measurement waves, even after controlling for initial EF skill There is stability in children's relative vocabulary size and executive functioning performance over time in early childhood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Bruce
- Virginia Tech, Department of Psychology, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Jyoti Savla
- Virginia Tech, Department of Human Development & Family Science, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Martha Ann Bell
- Virginia Tech, Department of Psychology, Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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14
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Petit D, Touchette E, Pennestri MH, Paquet J, Côté S, Tremblay RE, Boivin M, Montplaisir JY. Nocturnal sleep duration trajectories in early childhood and school performance at age 10 years. J Sleep Res 2023; 32:e13893. [PMID: 36973015 DOI: 10.1111/jsr.13893] [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: 11/24/2022] [Revised: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023]
Abstract
Sleep plays a fundamental role in brain development and resultant functions. The aim was to verify whether nocturnal sleep duration during early childhood has long-term associations with academic achievement at age 10 years. The present study is part of the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development, a representative cohort of infants born in 1997-1998 in the province of Quebec, Canada. Children with known neurological conditions were excluded from this cohort. Four trajectories of parent-reported nocturnal sleep duration at ages 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6 years were determined using a SAS procedure named PROC TRAJ. Sleep duration at age 10 years was also reported. Teachers provided data on academic performance when the children were age 10 years. These data were available for 910 children (430 boys, 480 girls; 96.6% Caucasians). Univariate and multivariable logistic regressions were performed using SPSS. Children who slept less than 8 hr per night at 2.5 years but normalized later on (Traj1) had three-five times the odds of having grades below the class average in reading, writing, mathematics and science compared with children who slept sufficiently (Traj3-4: 10-11 hr per night). Children who slept about 9 hr per night throughout childhood (Traj2) had two-three times the odds of being below the class average in mathematics and science. Sleep duration at age 10 years was not correlated with the academic performance. These results point to the presence of a very important early period during which sufficient sleep is needed to fine-tune the functions necessary for academic achievement later on.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominique Petit
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, CIUSSS du Nord-de-I'lle-de-Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Evelyne Touchette
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, CIUSSS du Nord-de-I'lle-de-Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychoeducation, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Marie-Hélène Pennestri
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, CIUSSS du Nord-de-I'lle-de-Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Hôpital en Santé Mentale Rivière-des-Prairies, CIUSSS du Nord-de-I'lle-de-Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jean Paquet
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, CIUSSS du Nord-de-I'lle-de-Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Sylvana Côté
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Richard E Tremblay
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- School of Public Health, Physiotherapy and Population Science, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Michel Boivin
- Research Unit on Children's Psychosocial Maladjustment, Laval University, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
| | - Jacques Y Montplaisir
- Center for Advanced Research in Sleep Medicine, Hôpital du Sacré-Cœur de Montréal, CIUSSS du Nord-de-I'lle-de-Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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15
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Akhavein K, Clark CA, Nelson JM, Espy KA, Finch JE. The Longitudinal Contributions of Preschool Executive Functions and Early Math Abilities to Arithmetic Skills in Elementary School. COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT 2023; 68:101388. [PMID: 38045024 PMCID: PMC10688433 DOI: 10.1016/j.cogdev.2023.101388] [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: 12/05/2023]
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) are linked to children's overall math performance, although few studies have considered the joint role of prior math abilities for specific math subskills, such as arithmetic. The current study examined the longitudinal contributions of preschool EFs and early math abilities to children's accuracy and reaction time on arithmetic problems. Two hundred and eighty-three children completed EF and numeracy assessments at 5.25 years old. Children completed an arithmetic problem task in first (Mage = 7.14), second (Mage = 8.09), and third grade (Mage = 9.08). Results indicated that preschool EFs and math abilities are uniquely linked to children's accuracy and reaction time at age 7, whereas preschool EFs alone continue to predict accuracy at age 8 and reaction time at age 9, even after accounting for intervening arithmetic performance. The study highlights the sustained, unique importance of early EFs for children's arithmetic acquisition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimia Akhavein
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
| | - Caron A.C. Clark
- Department of Educational Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
| | | | | | - Jenna E. Finch
- Department of Psychology, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
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16
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Dumontheil I, Wilkinson HR, Farran EK, Smid C, Modhvadia R, Mareschal D. How Do Executive Functions Influence Children's Reasoning About Counterintuitive Concepts in Mathematics and Science? JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE ENHANCEMENT 2023; 7:257-275. [PMID: 38186609 PMCID: PMC10770252 DOI: 10.1007/s41465-023-00271-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024]
Abstract
Many scientific and mathematical concepts are counterintuitive because they conflict with misleading perceptual cues or incorrect naive theories that we build from our everyday experiences of the world. Executive functions (EFs) influence mathematics and science achievement, and inhibitory control (IC), in particular, might facilitate counterintuitive reasoning. Stop & Think (S&T) is a computerised learning activity that trains IC skills. It has been found effective in improving primary children's mathematics and science academic performance in a large scale RCT trial (Palak et al., 2019; Wilkinson et al., Journal of Cognitive Enhancement, 4, 296-314, 2020). The current study aimed to investigate the role of EFs and the moderating effects of S&T training on counterintuitive mathematics and science reasoning. A sample of 372 children in school Years 3 (7- to 8-year-olds) and 5 (9- to 10-year-olds) were allocated to S&T, active control or teaching as usual conditions, and completed tasks assessing verbal and visuospatial working memory (WM), IC, IQ, and counterintuitive reasoning, before and after training. Cross-sectional associations between counterintuitive reasoning and EF were found in Year 5 children, with evidence of a specific role of verbal WM. The intervention benefited counterintuitive reasoning in Year 3 children only and EF measures were not found to predict which children would most benefit from the intervention. Combined with previous research, these results suggest that individual differences in EF play a lesser role in counterintuitive reasoning in younger children, while older children show a greater association between EFs and counterintuitive reasoning and are able to apply the strategies developed during the S&T training to mathematics and science subjects. This work contributes to understanding why specifically the S&T intervention is effective. This work was preregistered with the ISRCTN registry (TRN: 54726482) on 10/10/2017. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s41465-023-00271-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iroise Dumontheil
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, Henry Wellcome Building, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Hannah R. Wilkinson
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, Henry Wellcome Building, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX UK
| | - Emily K. Farran
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Claire Smid
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK
| | - Roshni Modhvadia
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
| | - Denis Mareschal
- Centre for Educational Neuroscience, Birkbeck, University of London, London, UK
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck College, University of London, Henry Wellcome Building, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7HX UK
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17
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Irwin Harper LN, Groves NB, Marsh CL, Cole AM, Kofler MJ. [Formula: see text] Does training working memory or inhibitory control produce far-transfer improvements in set shifting for children with ADHD? A randomized controlled trial. Child Neuropsychol 2023; 29:825-845. [PMID: 36331068 PMCID: PMC10156903 DOI: 10.1080/09297049.2022.2138301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Children with ADHD show impairments in set shifting task performance. However, the limited available evidence suggests that directly training shifting may not improve shifting performance in this population. We hypothesized that this incongruence may be because impairments exhibited by children with ADHD during shifting tasks are due to deficits in other executive functions, as shifting tasks also engage children's working memory and/or inhibitory control abilities. This randomized controlled trial examined the extent to which neurocognitive training of working memory vs. inhibitory control can produce downstream (far-transfer) improvements in set shifting task performance. Children with ADHD ages 8-12 (M = 10.41, SD = 1.46; 12 girls; 74% White/Non-Hispanic) were randomized to either central executive training (CET; n = 25) or inhibitory control training (ICT; n = 29), two next-generation digital therapeutics previously shown to improve their intended neurocognitive targets. Two criterion set shifting tests were administered at pre- and post-treatment. Results indicated that ICT was superior to CET for improving shifting accuracy (treatmentxtime: p = .03, BF10 = 3.01, η2 = .09, d = 0.63). ICT was also superior to CET for improving shifting speed, albeit on only one of the two outcome tasks (p = .02, BF10 = 4.53, η2 = .08, d = 0.59). CET did not produce improvements in shifting speed or accuracy on either task (p > .52, BF01 > 2.62), but showed evidence for more general (non-shifting-specific) improvement in response times on one of the outcome tasks (shift trials, d = 0.70; non-shift trials, d = 0.68). Taken together, these findings confirm that inhibitory control is important for successful performance on shifting tests, and suggest that training inhibitory control may reflect a method for improving set shifting difficulties in children with ADHD.
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18
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Schröer L, Cooper RP, Mareschal D. Assessing executive functions in free-roaming 2- to 3-year-olds. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1210109. [PMID: 37457086 PMCID: PMC10338926 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1210109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Core aspects of executive functions (EFs) are known to be related to academic skills such as literacy and numeracy. However, school outcomes may also be related to higher-level functions such as planning. Nevertheless, few studies have considered assessing natural manifestations of higher-level EFs in children who are on the cusp of entering formal schooling. One reason for this is the difficulty of obtaining ecologically valid measures of EFs in preschool-aged children. Method We describe a novel task - building a striped Duplo tower subject to two constraints - designed to assess planning in real-world multi-action situation. Children were instructed to build a tower to a certain height by alternating between two different colors of blocks. Results Performance on one of the constraints in this task was found to vary with age. Importantly, distinct components of multiple constraints planning performance predicted laboratory-based measures of inhibitory control and working memory efficacy. Discussion Thus, this task provides a simple, cheap and effective way of assessing executive function in toddlers through the observation of natural behavior. It also opens up possibilities to investigate the neurodevelopment of EF in the real world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisanne Schröer
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Richard P. Cooper
- Centre for Cognition, Computation and Modelling, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Denis Mareschal
- Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Cognition, Computation and Modelling, Birkbeck, University of London, London, United Kingdom
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Gagliano A, Costanza C, Bazzoni M, Falcioni L, Rizzi M, Scaffidi Abbate C, Vetri L, Roccella M, Guglielmi M, Livio F, Ingrassia M, Benedetto L. Effectiveness of an Educational Filmmaking Project in Promoting the Psychological Well-Being of Adolescents with Emotive/Behavioural Problems. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1695. [PMID: 37372813 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11121695] [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: 04/03/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence suggests that adolescents respond positively to simple, early interventions, including psychosocial support and educational interventions, even when offered in non-clinical settings. Cinematherapy can help manage life challenges, develop new skills, increase awareness, and offer new ways of thinking about specific problems. This pilot trial was conducted in Italy, aiming to investigate the effects of a six-week filmmaking course on the psychological well-being of adolescents (N = 52) with emotional/behavioural problems and neurodevelopmental disorders. At the end of the project, most participants showed improvements mostly in social skills, such as social cognition (p = 0.049), communication (p = 0.009), and motivation (p = 0.03), detected using the SRS Social Responsiveness Scale. In addition, social awareness (p = 0.001) increased in all patients. Statistically significant differences resulted in four sub-scales of Youth Self-Report Scale: withdrawn/depressed (p = 0.007), social problems (p = 0.003), thought problems (p < 0.001), and rule-breaking behaviour (p = 0.03); these results showed a decrease in emotional and behavioural problems. This study is an innovative therapeutic and educational approach based on the filmmaking art. This research can offer an empirical basis for the effectiveness of alternative therapeutic tools in child and adolescent psychiatric disorders. At the same time, it can be replicated in broader contexts (e.g., school and communities) to promote children's psychological well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonella Gagliano
- Department of Human and Pediatric Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
| | - Carola Costanza
- Department of Sciences for Health Promotion and Mother and Child Care "G. D'Alessandro", University of Palermo, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Marzia Bazzoni
- University of Cagliari & "A. Cao" Pediatric Hospital, Brotzu Hospital Trust, 09047 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Ludovica Falcioni
- University of Cagliari & "A. Cao" Pediatric Hospital, Brotzu Hospital Trust, 09047 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Micaela Rizzi
- University of Cagliari & "A. Cao" Pediatric Hospital, Brotzu Hospital Trust, 09047 Cagliari, Italy
| | - Costanza Scaffidi Abbate
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90141 Palermo, Italy
| | - Luigi Vetri
- Oasi Research Institute-IRCCS, Via Conte Ruggero 73, 94018 Troina, Italy
| | - Michele Roccella
- Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, 90141 Palermo, Italy
| | - Massimo Guglielmi
- Department of Human and Pediatric Pathology "Gaetano Barresi", University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
| | - Filippo Livio
- Rehabilitation and Education Center "Dismed Onlus-Centro Studi per Le Disabilita' del Mediterraneo", 98100 Messina, Italy
| | - Massimo Ingrassia
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
| | - Loredana Benedetto
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Messina, 98122 Messina, Italy
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20
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Duncan A, Risley S, Combs A, Lacey HM, Hamik E, Fershtman C, Kneeskern E, Patel M, Crosby L, Hood AM, Zoromski AK, Tamm L. School Challenges and Services Related to Executive Functioning for Fully Included Middle Schoolers with Autism. FOCUS ON AUTISM AND OTHER DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES 2023; 38:90-100. [PMID: 37388555 PMCID: PMC10309140 DOI: 10.1177/10883576221110167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
The educational services available for fully included middle schoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in the general education setting are not well known. Even less is known about how the executive functioning (EF) deficits of such youth are addressed in the classroom. The current study sought to identify the challenges, including EF, that middle schoolers with ASD face and the services that they receive on their Individualized Education Program (IEP), and also explore specific strategies used to build EF skills at school. A convenience data sample was obtained from focus groups with educational personnel (n = 15), and qualitative analyses of IEPs were conducted in middle schoolers with ASD with EF deficits (n = 23). Results confirmed that social communication and EF challenges are common. Multiple services and accommodations were identified, although EF challenges were rarely targeted on IEPs. Factors that may facilitate the success of EF strategies in the classroom are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amie Duncan
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Lori Crosby
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | | | - Allison K. Zoromski
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
| | - Leanne Tamm
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- University of Cincinnati College of Medicine
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21
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Rempe G, Petranovich C, Narad ME, Yeates KO, Taylor HG, Stancin T, Wade S. Trajectories of Executive Functions After Early Childhood Traumatic Brain Injury: Teacher Ratings in the Initial 81 Months Postinjury. J Head Trauma Rehabil 2023; 38:E203-E211. [PMID: 36730995 PMCID: PMC10102250 DOI: 10.1097/htr.0000000000000833] [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: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore teacher-rated trajectories of executive functioning (EF) after early childhood traumatic brain injury (TBI) and to identify injury-related, academic, and family factors associated with growth trajectories using latent class growth analysis. PARTICIPANTS A total of 121 children who sustained a TBI or orthopedic injury (OI) between the ages of 3 and 7 years were recruited from 3 tertiary care children's hospitals and a general hospital in Ohio, including 57 with moderate or severe TBI and 64 with OI. DESIGN Assessments were completed at baseline (0-3 months postinjury) and an average of 6, 12, 18, and 81 months postinjury. Changes in teacher-rated EF were modeled across time and heterogeneity in recovery and moderating factors was examined. MEASURES Study variables included participant demographics, teacher-rated EF (Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function), family functioning (McMaster Family Assessment Device), and parenting style (Parenting Practices Questionnaire). RESULTS Analysis of teacher-rated EF yielded 2 trajectories: Normative (64.71%) and At-Risk (35.29%). Traumatic brain injury was a weak predictor of membership in the At-Risk trajectory ( P = .05). Membership in the At-Risk trajectory (compared with Normative category) was associated with a higher incidence of Individualized Education Programs, higher baseline EF concerns, increased endorsement of authoritarian parenting, lower socioeconomic status, and non-White race. CONCLUSION Teacher-rated EF after pediatric TBI differs from OI. Increased EF concerns over time were associated with increased baseline EF and characteristics of the home and school environment. These findings extend previous research on recovery of EF to educational settings and outline potentially modifiable risk factors that can maximize success in the school settings for children who experience early-childhood traumatic injury.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary Rempe
- Neuropsychological Services of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico (Dr Rempe); Children's Hospital Colorado and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Aurora, Colorado (Dr Petranovich); Division of Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Psychology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio (Dr Narad); Department of Psychology, Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute and Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary, Alberta, Calgary (Dr Yeates); Abigail Wexner Research Institute, Nationwide Children's Hospital and Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio (Dr Taylor); MetroHealth Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio (Dr Stancin); Department of Rehabilitation, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio (Dr Wade)
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22
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van der Wurff ISM, von Schacky C, Bergeland T, Zeegers MP, Kirschner PA, de Groot RHM. Krill oil supplementation's effect on school grades in typically developing adolescents. Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acids 2023; 191:102553. [PMID: 36878083 DOI: 10.1016/j.plefa.2023.102553] [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: 09/30/2022] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2023]
Abstract
Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) are important for brain development and functioning and with that, possibly school performance. Several cross-sectional studies have shown significant positive associations between fish consumption, an important source of LCPUFA and school grades in adolescents. The effect of LCPUFA supplementation on school grades in adolescents has not been investigated yet. The goal of the current study was to investigate (I) the associations between the Omega-3 Index (O3I) at baseline and after 12 months respectively and school grades and (II) the effect of one year krill oil supplementation (source of LCPUFA) on school grades in adolescents with a low O3I at baseline. A double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial with repeated measurements was executed. Participants received either 400 mg eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) per day for the first three months in Cohort 1 and the nine months thereafter 800 mg EPA + DHA per day, Cohort 2 started immediately with 800 mg EPA + DHA per day,or a placebo. The O3I was monitored with a finger prick at baseline, three, six and twelve months. Subject grades for English, Dutch and math were collected, a standardised mathematics test was executed at baseline and at 12 months. Data was analysed with (I) explorative linear regressions to investigate associations at baseline and follow-up and (II) mixed model analyses separately for each of the subject grades and the standardised mathematics test to investigate the effect of supplementation after 12 months. The krill oil group had a small significant increase in the mean O3I at all time points. However, very few participants achieved the intended target O3I range of 8-11%. At baseline a significant association between baseline O3I and English grade was show, additionally a trend for an association with Dutch grade was shown. After 12 months no significant associations were found. Additionally, there was no significant effect of krill oil supplementation on subject grades or standardised mathematics test score. In this study, no significant effect of krill oil supplementation on subject grades or standardised mathematics test performance was found. However, as many participants dropped out and/or were non-adherent, results should be interpreted with caution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Inge S M van der Wurff
- Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Open Univerity of the Netherlands, 6419 AT Heerlen, the Netherlands.
| | - Clemens von Schacky
- Omegametrix, 82 152 Martinsried, Germany; Preventive Cardiology, Medical Clinic and Poli-Clinic I, Ludwig Maximilians-University Munich, 80336 Munich, Germany
| | - Trygve Bergeland
- former employee of Aker BioMarine Antarctic AS, NO-1327 Lysaker, Norway
| | - Maurice P Zeegers
- Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism (School NUTRIM), Maastricht University,6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands; Care and Public Health Research Institute (School CAPHRI), Maastricht University, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands
| | - Paul A Kirschner
- Health Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Open Univerity of the Netherlands, 6419 AT Heerlen, the Netherlands; Expertise Centre Effective Learning (ExCEL), Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, 2000 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Renate H M de Groot
- Conditions for Lifelong Learning, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Open University of the Netherlands, 6419 AT Heerlen, the Netherlands
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23
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Fekson VK, Michaeli T, Rosch KS, Schlaggar BL, Horowitz-Kraus T. Characterizing different cognitive and neurobiological profiles in a community sample of children using a non-parametric approach: An fMRI study. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 60:101198. [PMID: 36652896 PMCID: PMC9853310 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Revised: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive Functions (EF) is an umbrella term for a set of mental processes geared towards goal-directed behavior supporting academic skills such as reading abilities. One of the brain's functional networks implicated in EF is the Default Mode Network (DMN). The current study uses measures of inhibitory control, a main sub-function of EF, to create cognitive and neurobiological "inhibitory control profiles" and relate them to reading abilities in a large sample (N = 5055) of adolescents aged 9-10 from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study. Using a Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) approach, data related to inhibitory control was divided into four inhibition classes. For each class, functional connectivity within the DMN was calculated from resting-state data, using a non-parametric algorithm for detecting group similarities. These inhibitory control profiles were then related to reading abilities. The four inhibitory control groups showed significantly different reading abilities, with neurobiologically different DMN segregation profiles for each class versus controls. The current study demonstrates that a community sample of children is not entirely homogeneous and is composed of different subgroups that can be differentiated both behaviorally/cognitively and neurobiologically, by focusing on inhibitory control and the DMN. Educational implications relating these results to reading abilities are noted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Khalfin Fekson
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Israel
| | - Tomer Michaeli
- Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Technion, Israel
| | - Keri S Rosch
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bradley L Schlaggar
- Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus
- Educational Neuroimaging Group, Faculty of Education in Science and Technology, Technion, Israel; Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD, USA; Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Faculty of Biomedical Engineering, Technion, Israel.
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24
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Lee CSC. Relationship Between Inhibitory Control and Arithmetic in Elementary School Children With ADHD: The Mediating Role of Working Memory. J Atten Disord 2023; 27:899-911. [PMID: 36915040 DOI: 10.1177/10870547231161527] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/16/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To test if inhibitory control was a significant predictor for arithmetic in children with ADHD and if the relationship between inhibitory control and arithmetic was mediated by working memory. METHODS Eighty-four children (ADHD, n = 54; Non-ADHD, n = 30) were tested on their interference control, behavioral inhibition, working memory, and arithmetic. Regression analysis was used to test the predictive role of inhibitory control in arithmetic. Moreover, mediation analysis was done to test whether working memory mediated the relationship between inhibitory control and arithmetic memory. RESULTS Interference control but not behavioral inhibition was a significant predictor for arithmetic. In addition, interference control had direct and indirect effects via working memory on arithmetic. CONCLUSIONS Results demonstrated that inhibitory control contributed to arithmetic in children with ADHD. Furthermore, interference control had direct and indirect effects via working memory on arithmetic, suggesting interventions for arithmetic difficulties should involve training on both inhibition and working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clara S C Lee
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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25
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Perpiñà Martí G, Sidera F, Senar Morera F, Serrat Sellabona E. Executive functions are important for academic achievement, but emotional intelligence too. Scand J Psychol 2023. [PMID: 36843137 DOI: 10.1111/sjop.12907] [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: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 11/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/24/2023] [Indexed: 02/28/2023]
Abstract
Finding predictors of academic achievement has caught the interest of many educational researchers in the last decades. Two of the variables that have received considerable attention are emotional intelligence (EI) and executive functions (EF). However, only a few studies have considered their influence in the primary school stage. The aim of this study is to identify which EI components and specific EF are most related to academic achievement and to explore if these relationships vary among subjects. The sample comprised of 180 students between 8-11 years old. We administered the BarOn EI Inventory, tasks of EF and tests of mathematic and linguistic competences. The results showed that EF are better predictors of school performance than EI. Inhibition and working memory were the EF most associated with achievement while adaptability emerged as the EI dimension most linked to it. This study suggests that EI and EF should be consciously developed in classrooms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Francesc Sidera
- Department of Psychology, University of Girona, Girona, Spain
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26
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Gallen CL, Schaerlaeken S, Younger JW, Anguera JA, Gazzaley A. Contribution of sustained attention abilities to real-world academic skills in children. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2673. [PMID: 36792755 PMCID: PMC9932079 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29427-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Sustained attention is a critical cognitive ability that improves over the course of development and predicts important real-world outcomes, such as academic achievement. However, the majority of work demonstrating links between sustained attention and academic skills has been conducted in lab-based settings that lack the ecological validity of a more naturalistic environment, like school. Further, most studies focus on targeted academic measures of specific sub-skills and have not fully examined whether this relationship generalizes to broad measures of academic achievement that are used for important, real-world, academic advancement decisions, such as standardized test scores. To address this gap, we examined the role of sustained attention in predicting targeted and broad assessments of academic abilities, where all skills were assessed in group-based environments in schools. In a sample of over 700 students aged 9-14, we showed that attention was positively related to performance on targeted assessments (math fluency and reading comprehension), as well as broad academic measures (statewide standardized test scores). Moreover, we found that attention was more predictive of targeted math sub-skills compared to assessments of broad math abilities, but was equally predictive of reading for both types of measures. Our findings add to our understanding of how sustained attention is linked to academic skills assessed in more 'real-world', naturalistic school environments and have important implications for designing tools to support student's academic success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Courtney L Gallen
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
| | - Simon Schaerlaeken
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Jessica W Younger
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Joaquin A Anguera
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Adam Gazzaley
- Department of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Neuroscape, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
- Department of Physiology, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA.
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27
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Medrano J, Prather RW. Rethinking Executive Functions in Mathematical Cognition. JOURNAL OF COGNITION AND DEVELOPMENT 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/15248372.2023.2172414] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Josh Medrano
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
| | - Richard W. Prather
- Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, USA
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28
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Socio-economic Status Exceeds Executive Function as a Central Role Player in Academic Achievement of Grade 7 Primary School Boys and Girls: the NW-CHILD Study. TRENDS IN PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s43076-022-00252-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
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29
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Screen Media Exposure in Early Childhood and Its Relation to Children’s Self-Regulation. HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES 2022. [DOI: 10.1155/2022/4490166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Self-regulation, the ability to control thoughts, emotions, and behavior for goal-directed activities, shows rapid development in infancy, toddlerhood, and preschool periods. Early self-regulatory skills predict later academic achievement and socioemotional adjustment. An increasing number of studies suggest that screen media use may have negative effects on children’s developing self-regulatory skills. In this systematic review, we summarized and integrated the findings of the studies investigating the relationship between young children’s screen media use and their self-regulation. We searched the ERIC, PsycINFO, PubMed, and Web of Science databases and identified 39 relevant articles with 45 studies. We found that screen time in infancy is negatively associated with self-regulation, but findings were more inconsistent for later ages suggesting that screen time does not adequately capture the extent of children’s screen media use. The findings further indicated that background TV is negatively related to children’s self-regulation, and watching fantastical content seems to have immediate negative effects on children’s self-regulatory skills. We suggest that future studies should take the content and context of children’s screen media use into account and also focus on parent- and home-related factors such as parental behaviors that foster the development of self-regulatory skills.
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Carpentier P, Morneau-Vaillancourt G, Aubé S, Matte-Gagné C, Denault AS, Brendgen M, Larose S, Petitclerc A, Ouellet-Morin I, Carbonneau R, Feng B, Séguin J, Côté S, Vitaro F, Tremblay RE, Dionne G, Boivin M. A sequential model of the contribution of preschool fluid and crystallized cognitive abilities to later school achievement. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0276532. [PMID: 36399469 PMCID: PMC9674147 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0276532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study documented in two distinct population-based samples the contribution of preschool fluid and crystallized cognitive abilities to school achievement in primary school and examined the mediating role of crystallized abilities in this sequence of predictive associations. In both samples, participants were assessed on the same cognitive abilities at 63 months (sample 1, n = 1072), and at 41 and 73 months (sample 2, n = 1583), and then with respect to their school achievement from grade 1 (7 years) to grade 6 (12 years). Preschool crystallized abilities were found to play a key role in predicting school achievement. They contributed substantially to school achievement in the early school years, but more modestly in the later years, due to the strong auto-regression of school achievement. They also mediated the association between fluid abilities and later school achievement in the early grades of school, with the former having modest direct contribution to the latter in the later grades. These findings are discussed regarding their implication for preventive interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sophie Aubé
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | - Mara Brendgen
- Department of Psychology, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Simon Larose
- Faculty of Education Science, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | | | | | - René Carbonneau
- Department of Pediatrics and Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Bei Feng
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean Séguin
- Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sylvana Côté
- Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Frank Vitaro
- School of Psycho-Education, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Richard E. Tremblay
- Department of Pediatrics and Psychology, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Ginette Dionne
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
| | - Michel Boivin
- School of Psychology, Université Laval, Québec, Québec, Canada
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31
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Demetriou A, Spanoudis GC, Greiff S, Makris N, Panaoura R, Kazi S. Changing priorities in the development of cognitive competence and school learning: A general theory. Front Psychol 2022; 13:954971. [PMID: 36248549 PMCID: PMC9557948 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.954971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
This paper summarizes a theory of cognitive development and elaborates on its educational implications. The theory postulates that development occurs in cycles along multiple fronts. Cognitive competence in each cycle comprises a different profile of executive, inferential, and awareness processes, reflecting changes in developmental priorities in each cycle. Changes reflect varying needs in representing, understanding, and interacting with the world. Interaction control dominates episodic representation in infancy; attention control and perceptual awareness dominate in realistic representations in preschool; inferential control and awareness dominate rule-based representation in primary school; truth and validity control and precise self-evaluation dominate in principle-based thought in adolescence. We demonstrate that the best predictors of school learning in each cycle are the cycle's cognitive priorities. Also learning in different domains, e.g., language and mathematics, depends on an interaction between the general cognitive processes dominating in each cycle and the state of the representational systems associated with each domain. When a representational system is deficient, specific learning difficulties may emerge, e.g., dyslexia and dyscalculia. We also discuss the educational implications for evaluation and learning at school.
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32
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Ernst JR, Grenell A, Carlson SM. Associations between executive function and early math and literacy skills in preschool children. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH OPEN 2022; 3:100201. [PMID: 36578863 PMCID: PMC9794199 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijedro.2022.100201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
The current study directly compared the magnitude of associations between executive function (EF) and math versus literacy and investigated whether they differed by age within the preschool years. Participants were 92 typically developing, preschool children in the United States (M age=58.53 months; 47.8% Female; 58.7% White; 29.3% Non-White). Children completed a developmentally sensitive battery of direct EF assessments, math and literacy achievement tests, and IQ tests. Results showed an EF Composite was associated with math, but not literacy, after controlling for age, verbal and nonverbal IQ, and socioeconomic status. Extending prior work to a younger age, we examined whether the association between EF and academic achievement was moderated by age but found no significant interactions. These findings support the link between EF and math before kindergarten and indicate a similar magnitude of associations in younger and older preschoolers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jasmine R. Ernst
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 51 E River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
| | - Amanda Grenell
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, 1101 E 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47405, United States
| | - Stephanie M. Carlson
- Institute of Child Development, University of Minnesota – Twin Cities, 51 E River Road, Minneapolis, MN 55455, United States
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33
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Southon C. The relationship between executive function, neurodevelopmental disorder traits, and academic achievement in university students. Front Psychol 2022; 13:958013. [PMID: 36118426 PMCID: PMC9478894 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.958013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Difficulties with executive function have often been identified in individuals with various neurodevelopmental disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Developmental Co-ordination Disorder (DCD). Additionally, in childhood and adolescence, executive functioning is an important predictor of academic achievement. However, less research has explored these relationships in adult students, and those with a high level of neurodevelopmental disorder traits but no clinical diagnosis. Therefore, the current study aimed to assess whether ASD, ADHD, and DCD traits can predict academic achievement in university students, and whether traits of these neurodevelopmental conditions moderate the relationship between executive function and academic achievement. Both neurotypical students and those with a clinical diagnosis of a neurodevelopmental disorder were able to participate, with the majority being neurotypical. Participants completed four self-report questionnaires and provided a measure of academic achievement based on their university assignment results. Traits of ASD, ADHD, and DCD alone did not predict achievement, however, traits of ADHD and DCD significantly moderated the relationship between executive function and academic achievement. ASD traits did not significantly moderate this relationship. Implications and suggestions for future research are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloe Southon
- Department of Psychology, Social Work and Counselling, School of Human Sciences, University of Greenwich, London, United Kingdom
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34
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Anderson EM, Seemiller ES, Smith LB. Scene saliencies in egocentric vision and their creation by parents and infants. Cognition 2022; 229:105256. [PMID: 35988453 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Across the lifespan, humans are biased to look first at what is easy to see, with a handful of well-documented visual saliences shaping our attention (e.g., Itti & Koch, 2001). These attentional biases may emerge from the contexts in which moment-tomoment attention occurs, where perceivers and their social partners actively shape bottom-up saliences, moving their bodies and objects to make targets of interest more salient. The goal of the present study was to determine the bottom-up saliences present in infant egocentric images and to provide evidence on the role that infants and their mature social partners play in highlighting targets of interest via these saliences. We examined 968 unique scenes in which an object had purposefully been placed in the infant's egocentric view, drawn from videos created by one-year-old infants wearing a head camera during toy-play with a parent. To understand which saliences mattered in these scenes, we conducted a visual search task, asking participants (n = 156) to find objects in the egocentric images. To connect this to the behaviors of perceivers, we then characterized the saliences of objects placed by infants or parents compared to objects that were otherwise present in the scenes. Our results show that body-centric properties, such as increases in the centering and visual size of the object, as well as decreases in the number of competing objects immediately surrounding it, both predicted faster search time and distinguished placed and unplaced objects. The present results suggest that the bottom-up saliences that can be readily controlled by perceivers and their social partners may most strongly impact our attention. This finding has implications for the functional role of saliences in human vision, their origin, the social structure of perceptual environments, and how the relation between bottom-up and top-down control of attention in these environments may support infant learning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Linda B Smith
- Psychological and Brain Sciences, Indiana University, USA
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35
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Xu Y, Zhang W, Zhang K, Feng M, Duan T, Chen Y, Wei X, Luo Y, Ni G. Basketball training frequency is associated with executive functions in boys aged 6 to 8 years. Front Hum Neurosci 2022; 16:917385. [PMID: 35937678 PMCID: PMC9353049 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2022.917385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigates the relationship between the frequency of basketball training and executive functions (inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility) in boys aged 6 to 8. A total of 40 boys recruited from a local after-school basketball training club were divided into a low-frequency group (once a week) and a high-frequency group (at least twice a week). An additional 20 age-matched boys recruited from a local elementary school were considered as the control group (no training experience). All subjects conducted the Stop-signal task, the N-back task, and the switching task at rest. The mean reaction time and accuracy data obtained from each task were used in statistical analysis. There was no significant group difference in either the accuracy or reaction time of inhibitory control. Meanwhile, no significant difference was found in the reaction time of working memory across groups. However, the high-frequency group exhibited significantly higher accuracy (93.00 ± 4.31%) with regard to working memory than the low-frequency group (85.4 ± 6.04%, P < 0.001) and the control group (83.73 ± 7.70%, P < 0.001), respectively. A positive correlation was also found between the accuracy of working memory and groups. Furthermore, in comparison with the control group, the high-frequency group exhibited significantly higher cognitive flexibility accuracy (91.93 ± 7.40% vs. 85.70 ± 9.75%, P = 0.004) and shorter reaction time (934.24 ± 213.02 ms vs. 1,122.06 ± 299.14 ms, P < 0.001). There was also a positive correlation between the accuracy of cognitive flexibility and groups. These findings suggest that regular basketball training, especially with higher frequency, is beneficial to working memory and cognitive flexibilityin boys aged 6 to 8.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Xu
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Wanxia Zhang
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Kexin Zhang
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Min Feng
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Tianqi Duan
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Yilin Chen
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Xuexiang Wei
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanlin Luo
- Department of Neurobiology, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yanlin Luo Guoxin Ni
| | - Guoxin Ni
- School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
- *Correspondence: Yanlin Luo Guoxin Ni
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36
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Silver AM, Libertus ME. Environmental influences on mathematics performance in early childhood. NATURE REVIEWS PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 1:407-418. [PMID: 36330081 PMCID: PMC9624502 DOI: 10.1038/s44159-022-00061-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/15/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Math skills relate to lifelong career, health, and financial outcomes. Individuals' own cognitive abilities predict math performance and there is growing recognition that environmental influences including differences in culture and variability in math engagement also impact math skills. In this Review, we summarize evidence indicating that differences between languages, exposure to math-focused language, socioeconomic status, attitudes and beliefs about math, and engagement with math activities influence young children's math performance. These influences play out at the community and individual level. However, research on the role of these environmental influences for foundational number skills, including understanding of number words, is limited. Future research is needed to understand individual differences in the development of early emerging math skills such as number word skills, examining to what extent different types of environmental input are necessary and how children's cognitive abilities shape the impact of environmental input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M. Silver
- Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
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37
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Silver AM, Elliott L, Libertus ME. Parental math input is not uniformly beneficial for young children: The moderating role of inhibitory control. JOURNAL OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 2022; 114:1178-1191. [PMID: 36061985 PMCID: PMC9439076 DOI: 10.1037/edu0000679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/07/2023]
Abstract
Recent work has stressed the importance of considering child-level propensities and environmental opportunities when studying early math achievement; however, few studies investigate the interaction between these factors. This study examined whether children's inhibitory control moderates the association between parental math input and children's math performance. Parental math input via number talk and parent-reported frequencies of math activities were measured in 123 children (M age = 3.9 years) and one of their parents. High levels of parent number talk were associated with higher math achievement among children with higher inhibitory control. This association was not seen in children with lower inhibitory control, for children's vocabulary as the outcome measure, or for parents' overall talk or parent-reported math activities as the opportunity measures. Thus, children may differentially benefit from parental math input depending on their cognitive abilities and this association is specific to parental number talk and children's math abilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Silver
- Department of Psychology, Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, 3939 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Leanne Elliott
- Department of Psychology, Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, 3939 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
| | - Melissa E Libertus
- Department of Psychology, Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh, 3939 O'Hara Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15260
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38
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de Santana AN, Roazzi A, de Nobre APMC. The Relationship between Cognitive Flexibility and Mathematical Performance in Children: A Meta-Analysis. Trends Neurosci Educ 2022; 28:100179. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tine.2022.100179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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Shi Y, Yu H, Di S, Ma C. Body Mass Index and Academic Achievement Among Chinese Secondary School Students: The Mediating Effect of Inhibitory Control and the Moderating Effect of Social Support. Front Psychol 2022; 13:835171. [PMID: 35265020 PMCID: PMC8899538 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.835171] [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: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Based on Embodied Cognition Theory, Inhibitory Decline Theory, and Risk Protective Factors Model, this study verified that body mass index (BMI) affects secondary school students’ academic performance through the mechanism of inhibitory control. In addition, it was verified that the strength of this mechanism depends on the teacher, parent, and peer support received by secondary school students. By using height and weight measurements, the classic stroop task, and the social support scale, 264 secondary school students in Shanxi Province, China, were surveyed and their academic performance was collected. The results showed that students with high BMI had poorer academic performance, and inhibitory control partially mediated the effect between BMI and academic performance, with the inhibitory control mediated effect accounting for 36.68% of the total effect. Support from teachers, parents, and peers can ameliorate the negative effects of BMI on academic performance, with teacher support and parental support also ameliorating the negative effects of BMI on inhibitory control. Thus, high BMI impairs inhibitory control and thus has a negative impact on academic performance, which can be buffered by social support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaohui Shi
- Normal College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Haibo Yu
- Normal College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Siyu Di
- Normal College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
| | - Chao Ma
- Normal College, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China.,Center of Application of Psychological Research, Shihezi University, Shihezi, China
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Blair C, Ku S. A Hierarchical Integrated Model of Self-Regulation. Front Psychol 2022; 13:725828. [PMID: 35317011 PMCID: PMC8934409 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.725828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
We present a hierarchical integrated model of self-regulation in which executive function is the cognitive component of the model, together with emotional, behavioral, physiological, and genetic components. These five components in the model are reciprocally and recursively related. The model is supported by empirical evidence, primarily from a single longitudinal study with good measurement at each level of the model. We also find that the model is consistent with current thinking on related topics such as cybernetic theory, the theory of allostasis and allostatic load, and the theory of skill development in harsh and unpredictable environments, referred to as “hidden talents.” Next, we present literature that the integrative processes are susceptible to environmental adversity, poverty-related risk in particular, while positive social interactions with caregivers (e.g., maternal sensitivity) would promote self-regulatory processes or mitigate the adverse effect of early risk on the processes. A hierarchical integrative model of self-regulation advances our understanding of self-regulatory processes. Future research may consider broader social contexts of the integrative self-regulation system, such as neighborhood/community contexts and structural racism. This can be an integral step to provide children with equitable opportunities to thrive, even among children living in socioeconomically and psychosocially disadvantaged environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clancy Blair
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
- Department of Applied Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- *Correspondence: Clancy Blair
| | - Seulki Ku
- Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, United States
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De Vita C, Costa HM, Tomasetto C, Passolunghi MC. The contributions of working memory domains and processes to early mathematical knowledge between preschool and first grade. PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2022; 86:497-511. [PMID: 33677704 PMCID: PMC8885495 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-021-01496-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2020] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022]
Abstract
Working Memory (WM) plays a crucial role in supporting children's mathematical learning. However, there is no consensus on the relative contributions of different WM domains (i.e., verbal, visuo-spatial, and numerical-verbal) and processes (i.e., low-control and high-control) to mathematical performance, specifically before and after the onset of formal education. This cross-sectional study examined the relations between WM domains and processes and early mathematical knowledge, comparing a group of children in the second year of preschool (N = 66) to a group of first graders (N = 110). Results of multigroup path analysis showed that whereas visuo-spatial low-control WM significantly predicted early mathematical knowledge only among preschoolers, verbal low-control WM was a significant predictor only among first graders. Instead, the contribution of visuo-spatial high-control WM emerged as significant for both age groups, as well as that of numerical-verbal WM, although the latter to a greater extent among preschoolers. These findings provide new insights into the WM domains and processes most involved in early mathematical knowledge at different developmental stages, with potential implications for the implementation of age-appropriate training interventions targeting specific WM skills before and after the onset of formal education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chiara De Vita
- Department of Life Sciences, Gaetano Kanizsa Psychology Unit, University of Trieste, via Weiss 21, 34128, Trieste, Italy
| | - Hiwet Mariam Costa
- Department of Life Sciences, Gaetano Kanizsa Psychology Unit, University of Trieste, via Weiss 21, 34128, Trieste, Italy
| | - Carlo Tomasetto
- Department of Psychology, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Maria Chiara Passolunghi
- Department of Life Sciences, Gaetano Kanizsa Psychology Unit, University of Trieste, via Weiss 21, 34128, Trieste, Italy.
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42
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Poltz N, Quandte S, Kohn J, Kucian K, Wyschkon A, von Aster M, Esser G. Does It Count? Pre-School Children’s Spontaneous Focusing on Numerosity and Their Development of Arithmetical Skills at School. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12030313. [PMID: 35326269 PMCID: PMC8946726 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12030313] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Children’s spontaneous focusing on numerosity (SFON) is related to numerical skills. This study aimed to examine (1) the developmental trajectory of SFON and (2) the interrelations between SFON and early numerical skills at pre-school as well as their influence on arithmetical skills at school. Method: Overall, 1868 German pre-school children were repeatedly assessed until second grade. Nonverbal intelligence, visual attention, visuospatial working memory, SFON and numerical skills were assessed at age five (M = 63 months, Time 1) and age six (M = 72 months, Time 2), and arithmetic was assessed at second grade (M = 95 months, Time 3). Results: SFON increased significantly during pre-school. Path analyses revealed interrelations between SFON and several numerical skills, except number knowledge. Magnitude estimation and basic calculation skills (Time 1 and Time 2), and to a small degree number knowledge (Time 2), contributed directly to arithmetic in second grade. The connection between SFON and arithmetic was fully mediated by magnitude estimation and calculation skills at pre-school. Conclusion: Our results indicate that SFON first and foremost influences deeper understanding of numerical concepts at pre-school and—in contrast to previous findings –affects only indirectly children’s arithmetical development at school.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadine Poltz
- Department of Inclusive Education, University of Potsdam, 14476 Potsdam, Germany
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +49-331-9776376
| | - Sabine Quandte
- Academy of Psychotherapy and Intervention Research Potsdam, 14467 Potsdam, Germany; (S.Q.); (J.K.); (A.W.); (G.E.)
| | - Juliane Kohn
- Academy of Psychotherapy and Intervention Research Potsdam, 14467 Potsdam, Germany; (S.Q.); (J.K.); (A.W.); (G.E.)
| | - Karin Kucian
- Center for MR-Research, University Children’s Hospital, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland;
| | - Anne Wyschkon
- Academy of Psychotherapy and Intervention Research Potsdam, 14467 Potsdam, Germany; (S.Q.); (J.K.); (A.W.); (G.E.)
| | - Michael von Aster
- Center for Special Educational and Psychological Needs, DRK Kliniken Berlin Westend, 14050 Berlin, Germany;
| | - Günter Esser
- Academy of Psychotherapy and Intervention Research Potsdam, 14467 Potsdam, Germany; (S.Q.); (J.K.); (A.W.); (G.E.)
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43
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Wongupparaj P, Kadosh RC. Relating mathematical abilities to numerical skills and executive functions in informal and formal schooling. BMC Psychol 2022; 10:27. [PMID: 35148787 PMCID: PMC8832645 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-022-00740-9] [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: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The current evidence on an integrative role of the domain-specific early mathematical skills and number-specific executive functions (EFs) from informal to formal schooling and their effect on mathematical abilities is so far unclear. The main objectives of this study were to (i) compare the domain-specific early mathematics, the number-specific EFs, and the mathematical abilities between preschool and primary school children, and (ii) examine the relationship among the domain-specific early mathematics, the number-specific EFs, and the mathematical abilities among preschool and primary school children.
Methods The current study recruited 6- and 7-year-old children (Ntotal = 505, n6yrs = 238, and n7yrs = 267). The domain-specific early mathematics as measured by symbolic and nonsymbolic tasks, number-specific EFs tasks, and mathematics tasks between these preschool and primary school children were compared. The relationship among domain-specific early mathematics, number-specific EFs, and mathematical abilities among preschool and primary school children was examined. MANOVA and structural equation modeling (SEM) were used to test research hypotheses.
Results The current results showed using MANOVA that primary school children were superior to preschool children over more complex tests of the domain-specific early mathematics; number-specific EFs; mathematical abilities, particularly for more sophisticated numerical knowledge; and number-specific EF components. The SEM revealed that both the domain-specific early numerical and the number-specific EFs significantly related to the mathematical abilities across age groups. Nevertheless, the number comparison test and mental number line of the domain-specific early mathematics significantly correlated with the mathematical abilities of formal school children. These results show the benefits of both the domain-specific early mathematics and the number-specific EFs in mathematical development, especially at the key stages of formal schooling. Understanding the relationship between EFs and early mathematics in improving mathematical achievements could allow a more powerful approach in improving mathematical education at this developmental stage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peera Wongupparaj
- Cognitive Science and Innovation Research Unit, College of Research Methodology and Cognitive Science, Burapha University, Saen Suk, Thailand.
| | - Roi Cohen Kadosh
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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44
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What Ability Can Predict Mathematics Performance in Typically Developing Preschoolers and Those with Autism Spectrum Disorder? J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 53:2062-2077. [PMID: 35113327 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05454-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Research evaluating predictors of mathematics ability in preschoolers with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is scarce and inconclusive. The present study first compared the mathematics ability and cognitive abilities of preschoolers with ASD and age-matched typically developing (TD) peers. Then, we examined the relative contributions of cognitive abilities to the mathematics ability of preschoolers with ASD and TD. The results show that compared to those of their age-matched TD peers, the mathematics and cognitive abilities of preschoolers with ASD were impaired. The predictors of mathematics ability were found to differ among preschoolers with ASD and their age-matched TD peers. For TD preschoolers, the domain-specific approximate number system (ANS) was the key predictor of mathematics ability. For preschoolers with ASD, domain-general working memory (WM) was most important.
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45
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Jarraya S, Jarraya M, Engel FA. Kindergarten-Based Progressive Muscle Relaxation Training Enhances Attention and Executive Functioning in 5-6-year-old Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Percept Mot Skills 2022; 129:644-669. [PMID: 35090365 DOI: 10.1177/00315125221080334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
In the present study we assessed the impact of kindergarten-based progressive muscle relaxation (PMR) on attention and executive functioning of 5-6-year-old children. In this randomized-controlled trial, 52 children (26 female; 26 male; M age = 5.4, SD = 0.2 years) from two private Tunisian kindergartens were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. Over 12 weeks, 18 children performed PMR in two 30-minute sessions/week, another 17 children performed generic physical education (PE) for two 30-minute sessions/week, and 17 children in a control group (CG) had no systematically guided physical activity and engaged in usual self-chosen activities like free play or artisanal activities during Kindergarten hours. Prior to (T0) and after (T1) the 12-week PMR intervention, all participants completed the Visuomotor Precision and Statue subtests of the Neuropsychological Evaluation Battery (NEPSY-2), the Teddy Bear Cancellation Test, and the Rey Simple Figure Test. While there were no significant group differences at T0, repeated measures analysis of variance revealed higher scores for the PMR group relative to both the PE and CG groups on measures of attention, visuomotor precision, memory, and motor inhibition. PMR provided an effective relaxation technique and enhanced attention and executive functioning of these 5-6-year-old children, with important implications for assisting learning and academic achievement among young children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Jarraya
- Research Unit, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education
| | - Mohamed Jarraya
- Research Unit, High Institute of Sport and Physical Education
| | - Florian A Engel
- Integrative & Experimental Exercise Science & Training9190Universität Würzburg
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46
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Silver AM, Elliott L, Reynvoet B, Sasanguie D, Libertus ME. Teasing apart the unique contributions of cognitive and affective predictors of math performance. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2022; 1511:173-190. [PMID: 35092064 PMCID: PMC9117397 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.14747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Math permeates everyday life, and math skills are linked to general educational attainment, income, career choice, likelihood of full-time employment, and health and financial decision making. Thus, researchers have attempted to understand factors predicting math performance in order to identify ways of supporting math development. Work examining individual differences in math performance typically focuses on either cognitive predictors, including inhibitory control and the approximate number system (ANS; a nonsymbolic numerical comparison system), or affective predictors, like math anxiety. Studies with children suggest that these factors are interrelated, warranting examination of whether and how each uniquely and independently contributes to math performance in adulthood. Here, we examined how inhibitory control, the ANS, and math anxiety predicted college students' math performance (n = 122, mean age = 19.70 years). Using structural equation modeling, we find that although inhibitory control and the ANS were closely related to each other, they did not predict math performance above and beyond the effects of the other while also controlling for math anxiety. Instead, math anxiety was the only unique predictor of math performance. These findings contradict previous results in children and reinforce the need to consider affective factors in our discussions and interventions for supporting math performance in college students.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M. Silver
- Department of Psychology, Learning Research and Development Center University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
| | - Leanne Elliott
- Department of Psychology, Learning Research and Development Center University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
| | - Bert Reynvoet
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences KU Leuven @Kulak Leuven Belgium
| | - Delphine Sasanguie
- Research Centre for Learning in Diversity University College Ghent (HOGENT) Ghent Belgium
| | - Melissa E. Libertus
- Department of Psychology, Learning Research and Development Center University of Pittsburgh Pittsburgh Pennsylvania
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47
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Sun J, Sun P. The relationship between numerosity perception and mathematics ability in adults: the moderating role of dots number. PeerJ 2022; 9:e12660. [PMID: 35036148 PMCID: PMC8706323 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12660] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background It has been proposed that numerosity perception is the cognitive underpinning of mathematics ability. However, the existence of the association between numerosity perception and mathematics ability is still under debate, especially in adults. The present study examined the relationship between numerosity perception and mathematics ability and the moderating role of dots number (i.e., the numerosity of items in dot set) in adults. Methods Sixty-four adult participants from Anshun University completed behavioral measures that tested numerosity perception of small numbers and large numbers, mathematics ability, inhibition ability, visual-spatial memory, and set-switching ability. Results We found that numerosity perception of small numbers correlated significantly with mathematics ability after controlling the influence of inhibition ability, visual-spatial memory, and set-switching ability, but numerosity perception of large numbers was not related to mathematics ability in adults. Conclusions These findings suggest that the dots number moderates the relationship between numerosity perception and mathematics ability in adults and may contribute to explaining the contradictory findings in the previous literature about the link between numerosity perception and mathematics ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Sun
- School of Education Science, Anshun University, Anshun, Guizhou, China.,Department of Psychology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, Beijing, China
| | - Pei Sun
- Department of Psychology, Tsinghua University, Beijing, Beijing, China
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48
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Prefrontal and frontostriatal structures mediate academic outcomes associated with ADHD symptoms. BRAIN DISORDERS 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.dscb.2021.100023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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49
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Howard SJ, Vasseleu E, Neilsen-Hewett C, de Rosnay M, Chan AYC, Johnstone S, Mavilidi M, Paas F, Melhuish EC. Executive Function and Self-Regulation: Bi-Directional Longitudinal Associations and Prediction of Early Academic Skills. Front Psychol 2021; 12:733328. [PMID: 34777117 PMCID: PMC8579059 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.733328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite a tendency to study executive function (EF) and self-regulation (SR) separately, parallel lines of research suggest considerable overlap between the two abilities. Specifically, both show similar developmental trajectories (i.e., develop rapidly in the early years), predict a broad range of overlapping outcomes across the lifespan (e.g., academic success, mental and physical health, and social competence), and have overlapping neural substrates (e.g., prefrontal cortex). While theoretical frameworks diverge in how they reconcile EF and SR – ranging from treating the two as functionally synonymous, to viewing them as related yet distinct abilities – there is no consensus and limited empirical evidence on the nature of their relationship and how this extends developmentally. The current study examined bi-directional longitudinal associations between early EF and SR, and their longitudinal associations with subsequent early academic skills, in a sample of 199 3- to 5-year-old pre-school children. The adopted measures permitted EF and SR to be modelled as composite indices for these analyses, thereby decreasing task-specific components of these associations. Early academic skills were captured by a standardized direct assessment. Bi-directional associations between EF and SR were found, with both accounting for unique variance in early academic skills 7 and 19months later. The current results provide important evidence to distinguish between EF and SR abilities, yet also for their reciprocal influence in situ and across early development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Howard
- School of Education, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Early Start, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Elena Vasseleu
- School of Education, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Early Start, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Cathrine Neilsen-Hewett
- School of Education, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Early Start, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Marc de Rosnay
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Early Start, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Amy Y C Chan
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Early Start, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Stuart Johnstone
- School of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Early Start, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Myrto Mavilidi
- School of Education, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Early Start, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Fred Paas
- Early Start, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Department of Psychology, Education and Child Studies, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands
| | - Edward C Melhuish
- Early Start, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia.,Department of Education, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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50
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Murnan AW, Keim SA, Yeates KO, Boone KM, Sheppard KW, Klebanoff MA. Behavioral and Cognitive Differences in Early Childhood related to Prenatal Marijuana Exposure. JOURNAL OF APPLIED DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY 2021; 77:101348. [PMID: 34840377 PMCID: PMC8622818 DOI: 10.1016/j.appdev.2021.101348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Prenatal marijuana exposure (PME) negatively impacts child development and behavior; however, few studies have examined these associations at early ages among children exposed to today's highly potent marijuana. Using a prospective prenatal cohort (Columbus, Ohio, USA), PME was determined from maternal self-report, medical chart abstraction, and urine toxicology from prenatal visits and delivery. At age 3.5 years, 63 offspring children completed tasks assessing executive function (EF), visual spatial ability, emotion regulation, and aggressive behavior. Caregivers reported on children's EF and problem behaviors. Logistic regressions and analyses of covariance controlling for key variables were used to examine associations between PME and child outcomes. Compared to non-exposed children, children with PME had more sleep-related problems, withdrawal symptoms, and externalizing problems, including aggressive behaviors and oppositional defiant behaviors. Children with and without PME did not differ in terms of executive functioning. Findings suggest behavioral problems associated with PME may manifest by age 3.5.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron W. Murnan
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Childrens Drive, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43215
| | - Sarah A. Keim
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Childrens Drive, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43215
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, 370 W. 9 Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43210
- Division of Epidemiology, The Ohio State University College of Public Health, 1841 Neil Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43210
| | - Keith Owen Yeates
- Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive NW, Calgary, Alberta, Canada, T2N 1N4
| | - Kelly M. Boone
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Childrens Drive, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43215
| | - Kelly W. Sheppard
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Childrens Drive, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43215
| | - Mark A. Klebanoff
- Center for Biobehavioral Health, The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Childrens Drive, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43215
- Department of Pediatrics, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, 370 W. 9 Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43210
- Center for Perinatal Research, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Childrens Drive, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43215
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, 370 W. 9 Avenue, Columbus, Ohio, USA, 43210
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