Attentional Fluctuations, Cognitive Flexibility, and Bilingualism in Kindergarteners

The idea of a bilingual advantage in aspects of cognitive control—including cognitive flexibility, inhibition, working memory, and attention—is disputed. Using a sample of kindergarten children, the present study investigated associations between bilingualism and cognitive flexibility—a relationship that has shown mixed findings in prior literature. We also extend prior work by exploring relationships between bilingualism and attentional fluctuations, which represent consistency in attentional control and contribute to cognitive performance. To our knowledge, no previous study has explored this association. Theoretically, attentional fluctuations might mediate or moderate the relationship between bilingualism and cognitive flexibility. However, given evidence of null findings from extant literature when confounding variables are adequately controlled and tasks are standardized, we did not expect to find a bilingual advantage in either cognitive flexibility or attentional fluctuations. Our results supported this hypothesis when considering bilingualism both continuously and categorically. The importance of expanding upon mechanistic accounts connecting bilingualism to cognitive improvements is discussed.

Download Full-text

Exploration of Attentional and Executive Abilities in French-Speaking Children Immersed in Dutch Since 1, 2, 3, and 6 Years

Frontiers in Psychology ◽

10.3389/fpsyg.2020.587574 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 ◽

Author(s):

Sophie Gillet ◽

Cristina Anca Barbu ◽

Martine Poncelet

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Functioning ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

The Other ◽

School Program ◽

Immersion Program ◽

Bilingual Advantage ◽

Primary Schooling ◽

French Speaking ◽

Cognitive Benefits

Advantages in diverse aspects of cognitive functioning have been reported in early bilinguals (Bialystok, 2011) as well as in children frequenting an early bilingual immersion school program (Nicolay and Poncelet, 2015). However, during the last decade, some studies failed to replicate these advantages. Currently, the presence of cognitive benefits in children frequenting an immersion program remains debated. The lack of consistency between the studies could come from the fact that time spent by children within the immersion program is variable from one study to the other and that studies used different tasks to assess the same cognitive function. The main aim of the present study was to determine how time spent in immersion affects the emergence of cognitive advantages along the primary schooling. We compared 196 immersed Dutch-speaking children since they were 5 years old and 195 non-immersed French-speaking children, from different grades of the primary schooling (i.e., at 6, 7, 8, and 12 years old) by using the same attentional and executive tasks as those used in previous studies having shown a bilingual advantage. Furthermore, these groups were matched on a set of variables known to influence cognitive functioning. After 1, 2, and 3 years of enrolment in this program, performances of immersed compared to non-immersed children did not differ for any task. However, after 6 years, immersed children outperformed non-immersed children on the cognitive flexibility and the working memory tasks. These results show that, in French-speaking children immersed in Dutch, cognitive advantages could depend on the length of time spent in immersion since they are not present at the beginning (after 1, 2, and 3 years) but seem to emerge at the end of it (after 6 years). In contrast, in previous studies conducted in English immersion, advantages appear at the beginning of the primary schooling but are absent at the end of it. Furthermore, these results suggest that the emergence of cognitive advantages may vary depending on the second language learned. The results are discussed in terms of linguistic characteristics and status of the languages at stake.

Download Full-text

Linking inhibitory control to math achievement via comparison of conflicting decimal numbers

10.31234/osf.io/qsuz9 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Linsah Coulanges ◽

Roberto A. Abreu-Mendoza ◽

Sashank Varma ◽

Melina Uncapher ◽

Adam Gazzaley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Math Achievement ◽

Academic Learning ◽

Whole Number ◽

Calculation Skills ◽

The Relationship ◽

Number Knowledge

The relationship between executive functions (EF) and academic achievement is well-established, but leveraging this insight to improve educational outcomes remains elusive. Here, we propose a framework for relating the role of specific EF on specific precursor skills that support later academic learning. Specifically, we hypothesize that executive functions contribute to general math skills both directly – supporting the online execution of problem solving strategies – and indirectly – supporting the acquisition of precursor mathematical content. We test this hypothesis by examining the contribution of inhibitory control on processing rational numbers pairs which conflict with individual’s prior whole number knowledge and on general math knowledge. In 97 college students (79 female, age = 20.63 years), we collected three measures of EF: working memory (backwards spatial span), inhibition (color-word Stroop) and cognitive flexibility (task switching), and timed and untimed standardized measures of math achievement. Our target precursor skill was a decimals comparison task where correct responses were inconsistent with prior whole number knowledge (e.g. 0.27 vs. 0.9). Participants performed worse on these trials relative to the consistent decimals pairs (e.g. 0.2 vs. 0.87). Individual differences on incongruent Stroop trials predicted performance on inconsistent decimal comparisons, which in turn predicted performance on both timed and untimed measures of math achievement. With respect to relating inhibitory control to math achievement, incongruent Stroop performance was an independent predictor of untimed calculation skills after accounting for age, working memory and cognitive flexibility. Finally, we found that inconsistent decimals performance partially mediated the relationship between inhibition and untimed math achievement, consistent with the hypothesis that mathematical precursor skills can explain the relationships between executive functions and academic outcomes, making them promising targets for intervention.

Download Full-text

Performance and belief-based emotion regulation capacity and tendency: Mapping links with cognitive flexibility and perceived stress

10.31234/osf.io/3wsa2 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Joao F Guassi Moreira ◽

Razia Sahi ◽

Emilia Ninova ◽

Carolyn Parkinson ◽

Jennifer A Silvers

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Emotion Regulation ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Perceived Stress ◽

Cognitive Skills ◽

Cognitive Reappraisal ◽

Healthy Adults ◽

Emotion Regulation Strategies ◽

Regulation Strategies ◽

The Relationship

Cognitive reappraisal is among the most effective and well-studied emotion regulation strategies humans have at their disposal. Here, in 250 healthy adults across two preregistered studies, we examined whether reappraisal capacity (the ability to reappraise) and tendency (the propensity to reappraise) differentially relate to perceived stress. In Study 1, we also investigated whether cognitive flexibility, a skill hypothesized to support reappraisal, accounts for associations between reappraisal capacity and tendency, and perceived stress. Intriguingly, cognitive flexibility was unrelated to reappraisal and perceived stress. Both Studies 1 and 2 showed that reappraisal tendency was associated with perceived stress, whereas the relationship between reappraisal capacity and perceived stress was less robust. Further, Study 2 suggested that self-reported beliefs about one’s emotion regulation capacity and tendency were predictive of wellbeing, whereas no such associations were observed with performance-based assessments of capacity and tendency. That associations between reappraisal capacity and tendency and perceived stress were not accounted for by cognitive flexibility or working memory, core cognitive skills, alone, suggests that reappraisal’s links to wellbeing cannot be sufficiently explained by its underlying cognitive parts. Moreover, these data suggest that self-reported perceptions of reappraisal skills may be more predictive of wellbeing than actual reappraisal ability.

Download Full-text

Musical Activities, Prosocial Behaviors, and Executive Function Skills of Kindergarten Children

Music & Science ◽

10.1177/20592043211054829 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 4 ◽

pp. 205920432110548

Author(s):

Beatriz Ilari ◽

Susan Helfter ◽

Tina Huynh ◽

Alice Bowmer ◽

Kathryn Mason ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Function ◽

Public Schools ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

The United States ◽

Kindergarten Children ◽

Prosocial Behaviors ◽

Prosocial Skills ◽

Music Program

Prosocial behaviors and executive function are staples of child development. Engagement in music has been associated with enhanced prosocial behaviors and executive function skills in children and youth. Yet, research concerning the role of formal music programs in the development of these important behaviors and skills remains elusive. The aim of this exploratory study was to investigate the role of a 5-week music program on prosocial behaviors (instrumental helping and sharing) and executive function skills (cognitive flexibility and working memory/inhibition control) of 103 kindergarten children from two public schools in a large urban center in the United States, serving predominantly Latinx children from underserved communities. Our data suggested that the short music program positively influenced children's cognitive flexibility, but not working memory, nor prosocial skills (sharing and helping). Findings are discussed in light of earlier studies, methodological issues, and limitations, and in relation to developmental and cultural issues surrounding child participants. Implications for future research and practice are outlined.

Download Full-text

The relationship between visual working memory and attention: retention of precise colour information in the absence of effects on perceptual selection

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2013.0061 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 368 (1628) ◽

pp. 20130061 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Andrew Hollingworth ◽

Seongmin Hwang

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Visual Working Memory ◽

Alternative Hypothesis ◽

Memory And Attention ◽

Single Form ◽

Feature Based ◽

Precise Representation ◽

Feature Memory ◽

The Relationship ◽

Perceptual Selection

We examined the conditions under which a feature value in visual working memory (VWM) recruits visual attention to matching stimuli. Previous work has suggested that VWM supports two qualitatively different states of representation: an active state that interacts with perceptual selection and a passive (or accessory) state that does not. An alternative hypothesis is that VWM supports a single form of representation, with the precision of feature memory controlling whether or not the representation interacts with perceptual selection. The results of three experiments supported the dual-state hypothesis. We established conditions under which participants retained a relatively precise representation of a parcticular colour. If the colour was immediately task relevant, it reliably recruited attention to matching stimuli. However, if the colour was not immediately task relevant, it failed to interact with perceptual selection. Feature maintenance in VWM is not necessarily equivalent with feature-based attentional selection.

Download Full-text

The Relationship Between Physical Activity and Executive Functions Among Youth in Low-Income Urban Schools in the Northeast and Southwest United States

Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology ◽

10.1123/jsep.2019-0111 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 42 (4) ◽

pp. 292-306

Author(s):

Jesse Mala ◽

Jennifer McGarry ◽

Kristen E. Riley ◽

Elaine C.-H. Lee ◽

Lindsay DiStefano

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Working Memory ◽

Multivariate Analysis ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Low Income ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

High Poverty ◽

The Relationship ◽

Pearson Correlations

The purpose of this study was to examine if physical activity is related to greater executive functions among youth in poverty. Executive functions (cognitive flexibility, inhibition, and working memory) and physical activity were measured in participants (N = 149) in the fifth to eighth grade from three schools located in high-poverty districts. Pearson correlations revealed a statistically significant correlation between physical activity and cognitive flexibility (r = .18, p < .05). Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that physical activity significantly improved prediction for cognitive flexibility, R2 = .09, F(6, 142) = 2.26, p = .041, adjusted R2 = .05, above sex, maturity, and school district. A two-way multivariate analysis of covariance revealed statistically significant differences in working memory in more active youth compared with less active but no statistically significant differences in cognitive flexibility or inhibition (p < .05). Greater physical activity is associated with greater working memory among youth in poverty.

Download Full-text

Working Memory and Cognitive Flexibility Mediates Visuoconstructional Abilities in Older Adults with Heterogeneous Cognitive Ability

Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society ◽

10.1017/s135561771500034x ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 21 (5) ◽

pp. 392-398 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Rafaela T. Ávila ◽

Jonas J. de Paula ◽

Maria A. Bicalho ◽

Edgar N. Moraes ◽

Rodrigo Nicolato ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Older Adults ◽

Working Memory ◽

Cognitive Impairment ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Inhibitory Control ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Mediation Effect ◽

Multiple Mediation ◽

Planning Ability ◽

The Relationship

AbstractPrevious studies suggest that executive functions influence the performance on visuoconstructional tasks. This study aims to investigate whether the relationship between planning ability and the copy of complex figures is mediated by distinct components of executive functions (i.e., working memory, inhibitory control and cognitive flexibility). We included a 129 older adults with Alzheimer’s disease (n=36, AD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI, n=67), and with no evidence of cognitive impairment (controls, n=26). We evaluated the mediation effect of planning abilities, working memory, cognitive flexibility and inhibitory control on visuoconstructional tasks using a multiple mediation models. We found a significant direct effect of planning on visuoconstructional abilities and a partial mediation effect of working memory and cognitive flexibility on visuoconstructional abilities. The present results indicate that the performance on visuoconstructional task is mediated by multiple interrelated executive functions components, in particular working memory and cognitive flexibility. (JINS, 2015, 21, 392–398)

Download Full-text

The relationship between early musical training and executive functions: Validation of effects of the sensitive period

Psychology of Music ◽

10.1177/0305735620978690 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 030573562097869

Author(s):

Jiejia Chen ◽

Meike Scheller ◽

Chuanyu Wu ◽

Biyu Hu ◽

Rong Peng ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Working Memory ◽

Executive Functions ◽

Cognitive Flexibility ◽

Response Inhibition ◽

Musical Training ◽

Sensitive Period ◽

Control Group ◽

Music Training ◽

Inhibition Response ◽

The Relationship

Interest in the influence of musical training on executive functions (EFs) has been growing in recent years. However, the relationship between musical training and EFs remains unclear. By dividing EFs into inhibitory control, working memory, and cognitive flexibility, this study systematically examined its association with musical training in children, and further verified whether there was a sensitive period for the influence of music training on EFs. In Experiment 1, musically trained and untrained children were asked to complete the Go/No-go, Stroop, Continuous Performance, and Switching tasks. Results showed that musically trained children had an advantage in attention inhibition, response inhibition, and working memory, but not in cognitive flexibility. Moreover, the level of musical training was positively correlated with response inhibition and working memory abilities. In Experiment 2, results showed that early-trained musicians performed better on measures of attention inhibition, response inhibition, and working memory than did the age-matched control group, but late-trained musicians only performed better in attention inhibition. Thus, our findings suggest that music training is associated with enhanced EF abilities and provide the first evidence that early childhood is a sensitive period when musical training has a more powerful effect on the development of EFs.

Download Full-text