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The sexual dimorphic association of cardiorespiratory fitness to working memory in children
Author(s) -
Drollette Eric S.,
Scudder Mark R.,
Raine Lauren B.,
Davis Moore R.,
Pontifex Matthew B.,
Erickson Kirk I.,
Hillman Charles H.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
developmental science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.801
H-Index - 127
eISSN - 1467-7687
pISSN - 1363-755X
DOI - 10.1111/desc.12291
Subject(s) - cardiorespiratory fitness , psychology , working memory , sexual dimorphism , association (psychology) , task (project management) , cognition , developmental psychology , physical fitness , physiology , medicine , physical therapy , neuroscience , management , economics , psychotherapist
The present investigation examined the sexual dimorphic patterns of cardiorespiratory fitness to working memory in preadolescent children (age range: 7.7–10.9). Data were collected in three separate studies (Study 1: n = 97, 42 females; Study 2: n = 95, 45 females; Study 3: n = 84, 37 females). All participants completed a cardiorespiratory fitness assessment in addition to a specific measure of working memory (i.e. the operation span task, the n ‐back task, or the Sternberg task). Results from all three samples revealed that higher cardiorespiratory fitness levels were associated with better working memory performance only for males with no such relation observed for females. In addition, the sexually dimorphic pattern was selective for the most challenging working memory conditions in each task. Together, these findings reveal new evidence that cardiorespiratory fitness is selectively related to better working memory performance for male children. This investigation provides additional insight into how interventions aimed at improving fitness may influence cognitive development differentially among preadolescent children.