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Related Experiment Video

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Experience is Instrumental in Tuning a Link Between Language and Cognition: Evidence from 6- to 7- Month-Old Infants' Object Categorization

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Embedding cognizance in intellectual development.

George Spanoudis¹, Andreas Demetriou², Smargada Kazi³

¹University of Cyprus, 1678 Nocosia, Cyprus.

Journal of Experimental Child Psychology

|January 16, 2015

Summary

Cognitive awareness acts as a bridge between basic cognitive functions and fluid intelligence in children aged 4-8. This mediation role is specific to developmental phases, highlighting the evolving nature of cognitive development.

Keywords:

Attention control Awareness Cognizance Fluid cognition Processing speed Working memory

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Area of Science:

Developmental Psychology
Cognitive Neuroscience
Educational Psychology

Background:

Basic processing efficiency (speed, attention, working memory) underpins cognitive development.
Cognitive awareness, or metacognition, is crucial for understanding knowledge origins.
The interplay between these factors during childhood is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if cognitive awareness mediates the relationship between basic processing efficiency and fluid cognition in children.
To identify developmental phases and specific awareness types (perceptual, inferential) involved in this mediation.
To explore the developmental trajectory of attention control and its relation to working memory.

Main Methods:

Longitudinal study of children aged 4 to 8 years.
Utilized various measures for processing speed, attention control, working memory, and fluid cognition.
Employed structural equation modeling to analyze mediating roles and developmental patterns.

Main Results:

All cognitive processes studied showed systematic development from ages 4 to 8.
Cognitive awareness significantly mediated the link between basic processing efficiency and fluid cognition.
Mediation was phase-specific: perceptual awareness and theory of mind (ages 5-6), inferential awareness (ages 7-8).
Attention control appeared to emerge from working memory, not direct it, and remained largely outside awareness.

Conclusions:

Cognitive awareness plays a critical mediating role in intellectual development during early childhood.
The developmental pathway involves distinct phases of perceptual and inferential awareness.
Understanding these developmental cycles offers insights into theories of intellectual growth and cognitive development.