TY - JOUR
T1 - Working memory in young children
T2 - A pilot study on the gender-mediated effect of Touch Screen Device use
AU - Buhrs, S.
AU - van Amelsvoort, T. A.M.J.
AU - Strik, J. J.M.H.
AU - Lousberg, R.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank the included children and primary school ‘De Wereldster’ for their cooperation and enthusiasm.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Authors
PY - 2024/3/1
Y1 - 2024/3/1
N2 - Objective: To investigate a possible gender-mediated relation between the use of Touch Screen Devices (TSDs), such as smartphones and tablets, and the performance on a visuospatial working memory task in children aged 5–11. Methods: Thirty-eight children from a Dutch primary school participated in the Corsi Block-Tapping Task and were systematically interviewed about their TSD use. Multilevel analyses and linear regression analyses were used to model effects on three outcomes: odds of reproducing a sequence correctly, Corsi Span, and cumulative score. Results: Moderate to high TSD use significantly decreases the odds of reproducing a sequence correctly for girls (OR = 0.21), but significantly increase the odds for boys (OR = 3.50). Additionally, there are strong indications that moderate to high TSD use is related to an increase in the Corsi Span (T = -1.978, p = .057) and the cumulative score (T = -2.985, p = .005) in boys, but not in girls. Conclusion: Despite the small study sample, it seems to be justified to conclude that there is a gender-mediated relation between TSD use and working memory in young children. The practical relevance of these findings and the importance of more research in this field are discussed.
AB - Objective: To investigate a possible gender-mediated relation between the use of Touch Screen Devices (TSDs), such as smartphones and tablets, and the performance on a visuospatial working memory task in children aged 5–11. Methods: Thirty-eight children from a Dutch primary school participated in the Corsi Block-Tapping Task and were systematically interviewed about their TSD use. Multilevel analyses and linear regression analyses were used to model effects on three outcomes: odds of reproducing a sequence correctly, Corsi Span, and cumulative score. Results: Moderate to high TSD use significantly decreases the odds of reproducing a sequence correctly for girls (OR = 0.21), but significantly increase the odds for boys (OR = 3.50). Additionally, there are strong indications that moderate to high TSD use is related to an increase in the Corsi Span (T = -1.978, p = .057) and the cumulative score (T = -2.985, p = .005) in boys, but not in girls. Conclusion: Despite the small study sample, it seems to be justified to conclude that there is a gender-mediated relation between TSD use and working memory in young children. The practical relevance of these findings and the importance of more research in this field are discussed.
KW - Children
KW - Digital technology use
KW - Neuropsychology
KW - Screen time
KW - Working memory
U2 - 10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100360
DO - 10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100360
M3 - Article
SN - 2451-9588
VL - 13
JO - Computers in Human Behavior Reports
JF - Computers in Human Behavior Reports
M1 - 100360
ER -