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Enhancing the Executive Functions of 3‐Year‐Olds in the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task
Author(s) -
Perone Sammy,
Molitor Stephen J.,
Buss Aaron T.,
Spencer John P.,
Samuelson Larissa K.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
child development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.103
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1467-8624
pISSN - 0009-3920
DOI - 10.1111/cdev.12330
Subject(s) - card sorting , sort , psychology , task (project management) , dimension (graph theory) , sorting , matching (statistics) , cognitive psychology , fourth dimension , arithmetic , computer science , algorithm , mathematics , management , economics , statistics , physics , quantum mechanics , spacetime , pure mathematics
Executive functions enable flexible thinking, something young children are notoriously bad at. For instance, in the dimensional change card sort ( DCCS ) task, 3‐year‐olds can sort cards by one dimension (shape), but continue to sort by this dimension when asked to switch (to color). This study tests a prediction of a dynamic neural field model that prior experience with the postswitch dimension can enhance 3‐year‐olds' performance in the DCCS . In Experiment 1A, a matching game was used to preexpose 3‐year‐olds ( n = 36) to color. This facilitated switching from sorting by shape to color. In [Section 10. Experiment 1B], 3‐year‐olds ( n = 18) were preexposed to shape. This did not facilitate switching from sorting by color to shape. The model was used to explain this asymmetry.