The unique contribution of working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and intelligence to reading comprehension and reading speed

Objectives: We investigated whether a school-based physical activity intervention would lead to improvements in working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility in adolescents aged 13–15 years. Methods: The adolescents at the active school ( n = 108) participated in an intervention that included increased physical activity for 20 min/day, focused on aerobic activity with low cognitive demands for an entire school year. The adolescents at the control school ( n = 59) received no extra physical activity. At the beginning (baseline) and end (follow-up) of the school year, the participants performed tests of executive function (working memory, inhibition and cognitive flexibility) and performed tests of physical fitness and health. Results: There was no change in executive functioning at follow-up when comparing the schools. However, only 46% complied with the intervention. When non-compliers were excluded from the analyses, the results remained the same, except for a small but significant increase in working memory for the active school as compared to the control school. Conclusion: These results indicate that compliance with the intervention was low and that aerobic exercise with low cognitive load does not produce improvements in executive functioning.

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Influences of executive function, language comprehension, and fluency on young children’s reading comprehension

Journal of Early Childhood Research ◽

10.1177/1476718x19875768 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 18 (1) ◽

pp. 44-57

Author(s):

Isabelle Chang

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Executive Function ◽

Reading Instruction ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Language Comprehension ◽

Reading Skills ◽

First Grade ◽

Function Language ◽

Kindergarten Class

The purpose of this study was to examine the extent to which children’s executive function predicted their reading comprehension performance. Participants were approximately 18,000 kindergartners in the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Class of 2010–2011. The results suggest that individual differences in reading comprehension were influenced by variations in executive function. Cognitive flexibility, inhibitory control, and working memory all accounted for unique variance in reading comprehension. Language comprehension and fluency mediated the relations between children’s executive function and their reading comprehension. Working memory accounted for the highest total effect among the three core aspects of executive function. Children’s first-grade language comprehension contributed the most indirect effect, while fluency had the reading comprehension. The importance of considering ways to improve executive function, language comprehension, and fluency when implementing reading instruction and what the parents can do to help their children’s executive function and reading skills are discussed.

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Imaging the Networks of Executive Functions

10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199764228.013.17 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Christen M. Holder ◽

Nicole Shay

Keyword(s):

Decision Making ◽

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Processing Speed ◽

Temporal Lobes ◽

Memory Inhibition ◽

Lesion Studies ◽

The Right

This chapter examines the different theoretical conceptualizations of executive functions and how neuroimaging can reveal their neuroanatomical mechanisms. After briefly considering various definitions and descriptions of executive function, it discusses the results of lesion studies that look into specific executive functions; namely, attention, working memory, inhibition, decision-making, planning and organization, processing speed, and cognitive flexibility or shifting. It also evaluates measures that are used to capture the executive functions just cited, along with the advances that have been achieved with the help of neuroimaging studies. On the basis of neuroimaging evidence, the authors show that the right prefrontal cortex, as well as the parietal and temporal lobes, plays an important role in executive function.

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Individual Differences in Working Memory Capacity and Other Cognitive Abilities Influence L2 Reading Comprehension With Missing Information

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e527342012-439 ◽

2007 ◽

Author(s):

Michael Bunting ◽

Scott A. Weems ◽

Dimitrios K. Donavos ◽

Elizabeth Rogler ◽

Henk J. Haarmann

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Individual Differences ◽

Cognitive Abilities ◽

Working Memory Capacity ◽

Memory Capacity ◽

Missing Information ◽

L2 Reading ◽

L2 Reading Comprehension

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A Review on a Construct of Working Memory and Its Role in L1 and L2 Reading Comprehension

English Teaching ◽

10.15858/engtea.66.1.201103.3 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 66 (1) ◽

pp. 3-22

Author(s):

오은주

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

L2 Reading ◽

L1 And L2 ◽

L2 Reading Comprehension

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Effects of working memory training on cognitive flexibility in both men and mouse

10.26226/morressier.5b31ec6b2afeeb001345ba8c ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Vasiliki Stavroulaki

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Working Memory Training ◽

Memory Training

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How do working memory, general anxiety and math anxiety affect female students’ math performance?

10.31234/osf.io/dbp7t ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Nachshon Korem ◽

Orly Rubinsten

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Latent Variables ◽

Math Anxiety ◽

Verbal Working Memory ◽

Math Performance ◽

Equation Modeling ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Unique Contribution ◽

Shared Variance ◽

Numeric Information

Current evidence suggests that math anxiety and working memory govern math performance. However, these conclusions are largely based on simple correlations, without considering these variables as a network or examining correlations at the latent variables level. Thus, questions remain regarding the role of the unique and shared variance between math anxiety, working memory and math performance. The purpose of the current study was to (i) uncover the underlying relationships between the variables to understand the unique contribution of each element to the network; (ii) measure the shared variance and identify the interactions between affect and cognition that control math performance. Our analytical approach involved both network analysis approach and structural equation modeling, with a sample of 116 female students.Results show that math anxiety and working memory affect math performance by different mechanisms. Only working memory tests that included numeric information were correlated to math anxiety. Each of the various working memory tasks correlated differently to math performance: working memory as a single latent variable was a better predictor of math performance than visuospatial and verbal working memory as two separate latent variables. Overall, both working memory and math anxiety affect math performance. Working memory tasks that include numeric information can affect performance in math anxious individuals.

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Exploring which test-taker characteristics predict young L2 learners’ performance on listening and reading comprehension tests

Language Testing ◽

10.1177/0265532221991134 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 026553222199113

Author(s):

Sarah Sok ◽

Hye Won Shin ◽

Juhyun Do

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Reading Comprehension ◽

Test Performance ◽

Test Taker ◽

Phonological Working Memory ◽

Young Learners ◽

L2 Learners ◽

L2 Listening ◽

Comprehension Tests ◽

Reading Comprehension Tests

Test-taker characteristics (TTCs), or individual difference variables, are known to be a systematic source of variance in language test performance. Although previous research has documented the impact of a range of TTCs on second language (L2) learners’ test performance, few of these studies have involved young learners. Given that young L2 learners undergo rapid maturational changes in their cognitive abilities, are susceptible to affective factors in unique ways, and have little autonomy with respect to the context of L2 acquisition, the relationship between their personal attributes and their test performance merit separate research attention. To fill this gap, we investigated the extent to which sixth-grade, Korean-L1, EFL learners’ ( n = 107) TTCs predicted their performance on tests of L2 listening and reading comprehension. The TTCs under investigation included three cognitive characteristics (aptitude, phonological working memory, L1 competence), one affective factor (motivation), and two demographic variables (socioeconomic status and gender). Results showed that aptitude and phonological working memory significantly predicted participants’ performance on both L2 listening and reading comprehension tests, whereas motivation predicted performance on the L2 listening comprehension test only. These findings suggest that higher aptitude, phonological working memory, and motivation contribute positively to young learners’ L2 outcomes.

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Effects of Sport-Based Interventions on Children’s Executive Function: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11060755 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 755

Author(s):

Falonn Contreras-Osorio ◽

Christian Campos-Jara ◽

Cristian Martínez-Salazar ◽

Luis Chirosa-Ríos ◽

Darío Martínez-García

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Scientific Evidence ◽

Healthy Children ◽

Meta Analyses ◽

The Impact

One of the most studied aspects of children’s cognitive development is that of the development of the executive function, and research has shown that physical activity has been demonstrated as a key factor in its enhancement. This meta-analysis aims to assess the impact of specific sports interventions on the executive function of children and teenagers. A systematic review was carried out on 1 November 2020 to search for published scientific evidence that analysed different sports programs that possibly affected executive function in students. Longitudinal studies, which assessed the effects of sports interventions on subjects between 6 and 18 years old, were identified through a systematic search of the four principal electronic databases: Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and EBSCO. A total of eight studies, with 424 subjects overall, met the inclusion criteria and were classified based on one or more of the following categories: working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility. The random-effects model for meta-analyses was performed with RevMan version 5.3 to facilitate the analysis of the studies. Large effect sizes were found in all categories: working memory (ES −1.25; 95% CI −1.70; −0.79; p < 0.0001); inhibitory control (ES −1.30; 95% CI −1.98; −0.63; p < 0.00001); and cognitive flexibility (ES −1.52; 95% CI −2.20; −0.83; p < 0.00001). Our analysis concluded that healthy children and teenagers should be encouraged to practice sports in order to improve their executive function at every stage of their development.

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