Memory maintenance and inhibitory control differentiate from early childhood to adolescence - PubMed (original) (raw)

Memory maintenance and inhibitory control differentiate from early childhood to adolescence

Yee Lee Shing et al. Dev Neuropsychol. 2010.

Abstract

Existing evidence suggests that the organization of cognitive functions may differentiate during development. We investigated two key components of executive functions, memory maintenance and inhibitory control, by applying latent factor models appropriate for examining developmental differences in functional associations among aspects of cognition. Two-hundred and sixty-three children (aged 4 to 14 years) were administered tasks that required maintaining rules in mind or inhibiting a prepotent tendency to respond on the same side as the stimulus. Memory maintenance and inhibitory control were not separable in children of 4-7 or 7-9.5 years, but were differentiated in an older group (9.5-14.5 years).

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

FIGURE 1

FIGURE 1

Two-factor model estimated for the three age groups. Note that the following constraints were imposed: λ1 = 4 − λ2 − λ3 − λ4; λ5 = 2 − λ6; τ1 + τ2 + τ3 + τ4 = 0; τ5 + τ6 = 0. The triangle refers to a constant that equals 1 for the estimation of means.

FIGURE 2

FIGURE 2

Estimates of factor loading and intercorrelations plotted according to age group. Panel A shows age trends in factor loadings for indicators of Inhibitory Control. Panel B shows age trends in factor loadings for indicators of Memory Maintenance. Panel C shows estimates of factor intercorrelations.

References

    1. Alloway TP, Gathercole SE, Pickering SJ. Verbal and visuospatial short-term and working memory in children: Are they separable? Child Development. 2006;77(6):1698–1716. -PubMed
    1. Arnsten AFT, Robbins TW. Neurochemical modulation of prefrontal cortical function in humans and animals. In: Stuss DT, Knight RT, editors. Principles of frontal lobe function. New York: Oxford University Press; 2002. pp. 51–84.
    1. Baddeley A. Working memory, thought, and action. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2007.
    1. Baddeley A, Hitch GJ. Working memory. In: Bower GA, editor. The psychology of learning and motivation. New York: Academic Press; 1974. pp. 47–89.
    1. Baltes PB, Cornelius SW, Spiro A, Nesselroade JR, Willis SL. Integration versus differentiation of fluid/crystallized intelligence in old age. Developmental Psychology. 1980;16(6):625–635.

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources