Age-related changes inAge-related changes in children’s executichildren’s executive functions andve functions and strategy selection:strategy selection: A stuA stu

dy indy in computationalcomputational estimationestimation

Patrick Lemaire , Mireille Lecacheur∗Patrick Lemaire , Mireille Lecacheur∗

Journal: Cognitive DevelopmentJournal: Cognitive Development

Impact Factor: 1.686Impact Factor: 1.686

• Age-related changes in children’s executive functions and strategy selection: A study in computational estimation

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Contents

Abstract1

Terms2

Method3

Results4

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Abstract

Third, fifth and seventh graders selected the best strategy (rounding up or rounding down) for estimating answers to two-digit addition problems.

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Abstract

Data from three executive function measures (inhibition,flexibility, and task monitoring) showed that

children’s skill at both strategy selection and execution improved with age.

increased efficiency in executive functions contributed significantly to age-related improvement in children’s strategy selection skill.

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Abstract

These findings have implications for understanding of age—related differences in computational estimation, strategy selection processes, and mechanisms of strategic development in children.

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Terms

executive functionsstrategy selectioncomputational estimationrounding up/downinhibitionflexibilitytask monitoringage—related differencesmechanisms of strategic development

执行功能 策略选择 估算 上调 / 下调（策略） 抑制 灵活性 任务监测 与年龄有关的变化 策略发展的机制

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Terms

strategy efficacyAn Einstellung effectstrategy adoptionexecutive processesoptimal strategy selectionmental operationsworking memoryneuropsychological testsa dual-task methodload

策略有效性 定势效应 策略选择 执行加工 最佳策略选择 心理操作 工作记忆 神经心理测验 双任务范式 负荷

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Terms

retrieval strategypositive correlationcognitive flexibilitymixed—design ANOVAhomogeneous problemsheterogeneous problemsmediational effectssemi-partial correlationshierarchical regression significant main effects

提取策略正相关认知灵活性混合设计方差分析同质性问题异质性问题中介效应半偏相关系数分层回归显著的主效应

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Method

Computational estimation task

Procedure

Neuropsychological assessment of executive functions

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the standard Stroop Color task

Excluded Letter Fluency Test(ELFT)

Trail Making Test(TMT)

inhibitory control monitoring cognitive

flexibility

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result 3

result 2

Text in here

result 1 Age differences in performance

Age differences in strategy use

The role of executive functions in age-related differences in strategy selection

Results

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Age differences in performance

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Age differences in performance

Mean percent errors and solution times(Table 2) were analyzed using a 3 (group: seventh, fifth, and third graders)×2 (strategy: rounding down, rounding up)×2 (problem type: homogeneous, heterogeneous problems)mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Mean solution times:Seventh graders were faster than fifth graders, who were faster than third graders.

Mean percent errors:Analyses of errors revealed that children made few errors (6.4%), and there were no significant main or interaction effects.

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Age differences in performance

Mean solution times:Participants answered more quickly when solving homogeneous problems than when solvingheterogeneous problems.This difference was not significant for third graders,but was significant for fifth graders and for seventh graders.

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Age differences in strategy use

Mean percent use of the rounding-

down and the best strategy(Table 2)

were analyzed using a 3 (group:

seventh, fifth, and third graders)×2

(problem type:homogeneous,

heterogeneous problems)mixed-

design ANOVA.

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Age differences in strategy use

Age differences in rounding-down strategy use:Participants rounded down more often on homogeneous problems than on heterogeneous problems.

There was a significant main effect of age.Third graders rounded down more often than fifth graders;fifth andseventh graders rounded down equally often.

Third and fifth graders rounded down equally often on homogeneous and heterogeneous problems,Seventh graders, however, used the rounding-down strategy more often for heterogeneous problems than for homogeneous problems.

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Age differences in strategy use

Age differences in the best strategy use:Analyses of mean percent use of the best strategy for each problem showed a main effect of age and of problem type.There was also an interaction of age andproblem type.

Seventh graders selected the best strategy on each problem as often as fifth graders, and fifth graders did so more often than third graders.

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The role of executive functions in age-related differences in strategy selection

Correlation analysis

We conducted two separate sets of analyses:

Regression analysis

The second examined potential mediating effects of executive functions on age-related differences

The first examined correlations among age, executivefunctions and strategy selection

If statistical control of the executive function measures results in substantial attenuation of the age-related variance in strategy selection, it can be inferred that executive functions likely play a mediating role in the relations between age and strategy selection.

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Correlation analysis

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Regression analysis

This analysis revealed some attenuation of the relations between age and mean percent use of the best strategy when measures of inhibition (Stroop) and cognitive flexibility (TMT) were controlled (attenuation 44%),but not when the monitoring measure (ELFT) was controlled (attenuation 11%).

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Regression analysis

The proportion of age-related variance decreased significantly by 72% aftercontrolling for executive functions when the three measures contribute to composite measure of executive functions, and by 56%when only the two correlated measures of executive functions, Stroop and TMT, contribute to composite measure of executive functions.

This result suggests that age-related growth in executive functions contributes significantly to age-related improvement in children’s strategy selection.

Think about the following questions:

1.How to write a title?2.How to write an abstract for a manuscript?3.How to introduce the problem? How to explore

importance of the problem? How to describe the relevant scholarship? How to state hypotheses and their correspondence to research design?

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4. How to describe participant characteristics? What is the sample ? What is the research

design?5. How to manipulate or intervene the experiment?6. How to make statistics and analyze data ?

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