Task switching and shifting between stopping and going: Developmental change in between-trial control adjustments
Mariëtte Huizinga1, Maurits W van der Molen
1Department of Developmental Psychology, University of Amsterdam, 1018 Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.huizinga@uva.nl
Journal of Experimental Child Psychology
|November 25, 2010
Summary
Cognitive flexibility improves with age, particularly in tasks requiring inhibition and task switching. Young children show greater difficulty with these executive functions compared to older children and adults.
Area of Science:
- Cognitive Psychology
- Developmental Neuroscience
Background:
- Executive functions, including task switching and inhibition, are crucial for cognitive flexibility.
- Developmental changes in these abilities impact decision-making and goal-directed behavior.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related differences in task switching and shifting abilities.
- To examine the interplay between response inhibition and subsequent task performance across development.
Main Methods:
- A switch task and a shift task involving Go/NoGo and choice elements were administered to 7-year-olds, 11-year-olds, and young adults.
- Stimuli varied by shape and color, with cues indicating task demands (e.g., respond to shape vs. color, Go vs. NoGo).
- Performance metrics included reaction times and error rates for switch, repeat, shift, and repeat trials.
Main Results:
- A delay in Go trial responding after NoGo trials was observed across all age groups.
- Slowing on choice trials following NoGo trials diminished with increasing age.
- Switch trials were slower than repeat trials, with a disproportionately larger slowing effect in younger children.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive control adjustments, likely mediated by prefrontal cortex networks, underlie developmental improvements in task switching and inhibition.
- Age-related decreases in post-inhibition slowing and switch costs suggest enhanced executive function development.
