The Role of Executive Functions for Motor Performance in Preschool Children as Compared to Young Adults
Christina Stuhr1, Charmayne M L Hughes2,3, Tino Stöckel1
1Sport & Exercise Psychology Unit, Department of Sport Science, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany.
Insights
Executive functions, like working memory, are crucial for motor skills in preschoolers, more so than in young adults. This highlights the importance of developmental stage in cognitive-motor development and interventions.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Psychology
- Neuroscience
- Motor Control
Background:
- Executive and motor functions are known to be interconnected.
- This relationship varies with an individual's developmental stage.
Purpose of the Study:
- To examine executive and motor functions in preschool children.
- To compare preschoolers' cognitive-motor functioning with that of young adults.
- To investigate developmental differences in cognitive-motor interactions.
Main Methods:
- Study included 41 preschool children (65-83 months) and 40 young adults (18-31 years).
- Assessed various executive functions and motor skills in both groups.
- Analyzed correlations among and between cognitive and motor variables.
Main Results:
- Young adults outperformed preschool children across all tested cognitive and motor domains.
- Motor functions showed similar inter-correlations in both age groups.
- Executive functions were correlated with each other and with motor functions only in preschool children.
- Working memory showed a stronger association with motor performance in preschoolers.
Conclusions:
- Executive functions, particularly working memory, play a more significant role in motor performance during early development.
- Cognitive-motor interactions differ significantly between preschoolers and young adults.
- Developmental stage is a critical factor in understanding cognitive-motor relationships and designing interventions.
Abstract:
Evidence suggests that executive and motor functions are functionally intertwined, with the interrelation between the two processes influenced by the developmental stage of the individual. This study examined executive and motor functions in preschool children (n = 41; 65-83 months), and investigated if, and how, preschoolers cognitive-motor functioning differs from that of young adults (n = 40; 18-31 years), who served as a control group reflecting the upper bound of cognitive-motor development. As expected, performance of young adults was significantly better than that of preschool children for all cognitive and motor domains tested. The results further showed differential associations among, and between, cognitive and motor functions in preschool children when compared to young adults. While similar correlations among motor variables are found in both groups, correlations among executive functions and between executive and motor variables are only found in preschool children. It thus appears that executive functions (especially working memory) contribute more to successful motor performance in preschool years than in young adulthood. The findings highlight the importance of considering the developmental stage and/or the proficiency level of the individual when examining cognitive-motor interactions or when drawing implications for childhood cognitive-motor training and interventions.
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