Cognitive flexibility children across the transition to school: A longitudinal study

Nihal Yeniad; Maike Malda; Judi Mesman; Marinus H. van IJzendoorn; Rosanneke A. G. Emmen; Marielle J. L. Prevoo

doi:10.1016/j.cogdev.2014.02.004

Cognitive flexibility children across the transition to school: A longitudinal study

Nihal Yeniad, Maike Malda, Judi Mesman^*, Marinus H. van IJzendoorn, Rosanneke A. G. Emmen, Marielle J. L. Prevoo

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

9 Citations (Web of Science)

Abstract

Longitudinal research exploring the development of cognitive flexibility is lacking. In this study we investigated the speed-accuracy pattern in cognitive flexibility performance in 87 5-6-year-olds across the transition to formal education. Overall, longitudinal change was observed in accuracy but not in speed of responding. Children with low accuracy scores in kindergarten were faster than those with high accuracy scores, but the low-accuracy group showed a significant performance gain in accuracy over time, whereas high-accuracy kindergartners only gained in speed. These results suggest an important role of formal schooling in cognitive flexibility in narrowing the performance gap between more and less able children. The findings also identify existence of diverse paths in development of flexible thinking. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	35-47
Number of pages	13
Journal	Cognitive Development
Volume	31
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2014.02.004
Publication status	Published - 2014
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Flexibility
Shifting
Executive function
Speed
Accuracy
Longitudinal patterns
EXECUTIVE FUNCTION
PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN
DEVELOPMENTAL-CHANGES
WORKING-MEMORY
INHIBITION
READINESS
CHILDHOOD
SKILLS
PERSEVERATION
TRAJECTORIES

Access to Document

10.1016/j.cogdev.2014.02.004

Cite this

@article{8947b8415aa54b4f9ee3d154715f4832,

title = "Cognitive flexibility children across the transition to school: A longitudinal study",

abstract = "Longitudinal research exploring the development of cognitive flexibility is lacking. In this study we investigated the speed-accuracy pattern in cognitive flexibility performance in 87 5-6-year-olds across the transition to formal education. Overall, longitudinal change was observed in accuracy but not in speed of responding. Children with low accuracy scores in kindergarten were faster than those with high accuracy scores, but the low-accuracy group showed a significant performance gain in accuracy over time, whereas high-accuracy kindergartners only gained in speed. These results suggest an important role of formal schooling in cognitive flexibility in narrowing the performance gap between more and less able children. The findings also identify existence of diverse paths in development of flexible thinking. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.",

keywords = "Flexibility, Shifting, Executive function, Speed, Accuracy, Longitudinal patterns, EXECUTIVE FUNCTION, PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN, DEVELOPMENTAL-CHANGES, WORKING-MEMORY, INHIBITION, READINESS, CHILDHOOD, SKILLS, PERSEVERATION, TRAJECTORIES",

author = "Nihal Yeniad and Maike Malda and Judi Mesman and {van IJzendoorn}, {Marinus H.} and Emmen, {Rosanneke A. G.} and Prevoo, {Marielle J. L.}",

year = "2014",

doi = "10.1016/j.cogdev.2014.02.004",

language = "English",

volume = "31",

pages = "35--47",

journal = "Cognitive Development",

issn = "0885-2014",

publisher = "Elsevier Science",

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T2 - A longitudinal study

AU - Yeniad, Nihal

AU - Malda, Maike

AU - Mesman, Judi

AU - van IJzendoorn, Marinus H.

AU - Emmen, Rosanneke A. G.

AU - Prevoo, Marielle J. L.

PY - 2014

Y1 - 2014

N2 - Longitudinal research exploring the development of cognitive flexibility is lacking. In this study we investigated the speed-accuracy pattern in cognitive flexibility performance in 87 5-6-year-olds across the transition to formal education. Overall, longitudinal change was observed in accuracy but not in speed of responding. Children with low accuracy scores in kindergarten were faster than those with high accuracy scores, but the low-accuracy group showed a significant performance gain in accuracy over time, whereas high-accuracy kindergartners only gained in speed. These results suggest an important role of formal schooling in cognitive flexibility in narrowing the performance gap between more and less able children. The findings also identify existence of diverse paths in development of flexible thinking. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AB - Longitudinal research exploring the development of cognitive flexibility is lacking. In this study we investigated the speed-accuracy pattern in cognitive flexibility performance in 87 5-6-year-olds across the transition to formal education. Overall, longitudinal change was observed in accuracy but not in speed of responding. Children with low accuracy scores in kindergarten were faster than those with high accuracy scores, but the low-accuracy group showed a significant performance gain in accuracy over time, whereas high-accuracy kindergartners only gained in speed. These results suggest an important role of formal schooling in cognitive flexibility in narrowing the performance gap between more and less able children. The findings also identify existence of diverse paths in development of flexible thinking. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

KW - Flexibility

KW - Shifting

KW - Executive function

KW - Speed

KW - Accuracy

KW - Longitudinal patterns

KW - EXECUTIVE FUNCTION

KW - PRESCHOOL-CHILDREN

KW - DEVELOPMENTAL-CHANGES

KW - WORKING-MEMORY

KW - INHIBITION

KW - READINESS

KW - CHILDHOOD

KW - SKILLS

KW - PERSEVERATION

KW - TRAJECTORIES

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