Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2025
Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
The Acute Effects of Cognitively Demanding Physical Activity on Inhibitory and Affective Responses in Children: An
Ricardo M G Martins1, Emiliano Mazzoli2, Michael J Duncan1
1Centre for Sport, Exercise and Life Sciences, Coventry University, Coventry CV1 5FB, UK.
Insights
Cognitively demanding physical activity (CDPA) did not improve children's inhibitory control or affect more than simple physical activity (SPA). Both activities showed similar enjoyment levels, with children preferring outdoor and group settings for enhanced engagement.
Area of Science:
- Child Psychology
- Exercise Science
- Cognitive Neuroscience
Background:
- Physical activity (PA) is known to benefit cognitive function in children.
- The specific impact of cognitively demanding physical activity (CDPA) versus simple physical activity (SPA) on children's executive functions and affect requires further investigation.
- Understanding children's preferences for PA settings is crucial for promoting engagement.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the acute effects of CDPA versus SPA on children's inhibitory control and affective responses.
- To explore children's enjoyment and preferences related to different types of physical activity.
- To compare mental and physical exertion levels between CDPA and SPA.
Main Methods:
- A counterbalanced within-subjects crossover design was employed with 39 children aged 9-12 years.
- Participants completed 15-minute online CDPA and SPA bouts via ZOOM.
- Inhibitory responses were measured using the Stroop test; affect, mental, and physical exertion were assessed via self-report. Semi-structured focus groups explored enjoyment factors.
Main Results:
- No significant differences were found in inhibitory responses, affect, or physical exertion between CDPA and SPA (p > 0.05).
- CDPA induced significantly higher mental exertion compared to SPA (p < 0.05).
- Focus groups revealed themes of physical exertion, social interaction, environment, and emotion; some children found CDPA confusing and preferred outdoor or group activities.
Conclusions:
- CDPA does not offer additional benefits over SPA for inhibitory responses, affect, or enjoyment in children.
- While CDPA increases mental exertion, neither activity type demonstrated superior affective or inhibitory outcomes.
- The findings suggest that simple and cognitively demanding physical activities can be implemented in various settings, with children's preferences for social and environmental factors influencing enjoyment.
Abstract:
This online study investigated the acute effects of a cognitively demanding physical activity (CDPA) vs a simple physical activity (SPA) bout on children’s inhibitory and affective responses. Using a counterbalanced within-subjects’ crossover design, thirty-nine participants aged 9−12 years old (29 boys; Mage = 11 ± 1 years) performed a CDPA and a SPA bout online (via ZOOM) for 15 min. Inhibition (Stroop test) was measured at the baseline, 1 and 30 min following the physical activity (PA) bouts, and self-report measures of affect, mental and physical exertion were taken prior, during and post-PA. Additionally, 31 children took part in semi-structured focus groups to explore the factors affecting their enjoyment. The quantitative results suggest no significant differences on inhibitory responses, affect and physical exertion (all p > 0.05). However, the CDPA induced more mental exertion than the SPA did (p < 0.05). In the focus groups, four themes were identified: physical exertion (e.g., tiredness), social (e.g., teams/groups), environment (e.g., outdoors and competition) and emotional (e.g., fun/enjoyment). Some children (n = 18) reported that the CDPA condition confused them, and to make these activities more interesting and enjoyable, they suggested performing the activities outdoors (n = 15) and including other children as part of a group/team (n = 19). The findings suggest no additional benefit of a cognitively enriched physical activity compared to an SPA bout on the inhibitory responses, affect and enjoyment. Using the instructions provided and given the low cost, the easy administration and the minimal amount of equipment and time involved, either of the approaches may be used in a diversity of contexts (i.e., online, schools or outdoors), and it is worth exploring the effects of these conditions on other aspects of executive function.
