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Advisor(s)
Abstract(s)
Introdução: Existe a necessidade de caracterizar a trajetória de desenvolvimento típico
da flexibilidade cognitiva na população pré-escolar portuguesa e, a um nível global, de
explorar a sua evolução por semestres. Paralelamente são poucos os estudos que reportam
dados acerca do impacto da variável sexo sobre a flexibilidade cognitiva nesta população.
Este estudo procura responder a estas questões.
Metodologia: Foram recrutadas 90 crianças em idade pré-escolar com desenvolvimento
típico e submetidas à tarefa Card Sorting da Early Years Toolbox, a qual se baseia no
procedimento prototípico de avaliação da flexibilidade cognitiva na população préescolar.
Resultados: Observaram-se diferenças significativas no switch accuracy entre os grupos
dos três, quatro e cinco anos de idade, com os mais velhos a superar os mais novos.
Quando a amostra é dividida por semestres não se verificaram diferenças significativas
entre os grupos com mais de quatro anos e meio e o grupo do primeiro semestre dos
quatro anos. Os grupos dos cinco anos evidenciaram um desempenho significativamente
superior ao do grupo do segundo semestre dos quatro. Não foi observado qualquer efeito
significativo da variável sexo sobre o desempenho na tarefa Card Sorting.
Conclusão: O presente estudo oferece suporte à literatura que denota um aumento da
flexibilidade cognitiva ao longo do período pré-escolar e exerce um contributo ao sugerir
que o ponto de inflexão desta função executiva ocorre na transição entre o segundo
semestre dos quatro anos e o primeiro semestre dos cinco. Este estudo representa um
primeiro esforço para caracterizar o desenvolvimento da flexibilidade cognitiva na
população pré-escolar portuguesa com recurso ao procedimento prototípico para a
avaliação desta função nesta faixa etária. Considerando a possível aplicabilidade da Card
Sorting ao contexto clínico e investigativo tornam-se necessárias investigações futuras
que averiguem a consistência destes achados na população pré-escolar portuguesa.
Introduction: There is a need to characterize the typically developmental trajectory of cognitive flexibility in the Portuguese preschool population and, at a global level, to explore its evolution by semesters. In parallel, there are few studies that report data on the impact of gender on cognitive flexibility in this population. This study seeks to answer these questions. Method: We recruited 90 preschoolers with typical development and submitted them to the Card Sorting task of the Early Years Toolbox, which is based on the prototypical procedure for assessing cognitive flexibility in this population. Results: We observed significant differences in the switch accuracy variable between the groups of three, four and five years old, with older ones overcoming the youngest ones. When we split the sample by semesters, there were no significant differences between children older than four and a half years of age and the younger four-year-olds. All five years old children showed a significantly higher performance than the older four-yearolds. We observed no significant effect of sex on Card Sorting performance. Conclusion: The present study supports the literature showing an increase in cognitive flexibility over the preschool period and contributes by suggesting that the inflection point of this executive function occurs in the transition between the second semester of the four years of age and the first semester of the five. This study represents a first effort to characterize the development of cognitive flexibility in the Portuguese preschool population using to the prototypical procedure for assessing this function in this age group. Considering the applicability of Card Sorting to the clinical and investigative context, further investigations are necessary to investigate the consistency of these findings in the Portuguese preschool population.
Introduction: There is a need to characterize the typically developmental trajectory of cognitive flexibility in the Portuguese preschool population and, at a global level, to explore its evolution by semesters. In parallel, there are few studies that report data on the impact of gender on cognitive flexibility in this population. This study seeks to answer these questions. Method: We recruited 90 preschoolers with typical development and submitted them to the Card Sorting task of the Early Years Toolbox, which is based on the prototypical procedure for assessing cognitive flexibility in this population. Results: We observed significant differences in the switch accuracy variable between the groups of three, four and five years old, with older ones overcoming the youngest ones. When we split the sample by semesters, there were no significant differences between children older than four and a half years of age and the younger four-year-olds. All five years old children showed a significantly higher performance than the older four-yearolds. We observed no significant effect of sex on Card Sorting performance. Conclusion: The present study supports the literature showing an increase in cognitive flexibility over the preschool period and contributes by suggesting that the inflection point of this executive function occurs in the transition between the second semester of the four years of age and the first semester of the five. This study represents a first effort to characterize the development of cognitive flexibility in the Portuguese preschool population using to the prototypical procedure for assessing this function in this age group. Considering the applicability of Card Sorting to the clinical and investigative context, further investigations are necessary to investigate the consistency of these findings in the Portuguese preschool population.
Description
Keywords
Flexibilidade cognitiva Pré-escolar Card sorting Set shifting Cognitive flexibility Preschoolers