The Recruitment of Shifting and Inhibition in On-line Science and Mathematics Tasks.

The Recruitment of Shifting and Inhibition in On-line Science and Mathematics Tasks. Cogn Sci. 2018 Jun 13;: Authors: Vosniadou S, Pnevmatikos D, Makris N, Lepenioti D, Eikospentaki K, Chountala A, Kyrianakis G Abstract Prior research has investigated the recruitment of inhibition in the use of science/mathematics concepts in tasks that require the rejection of a conflicting, nonscientific initial concept. The present research examines if inhibition is the only EF skill recruited in such tasks and investigates whether shifting is also involved. It also investigates whether inhibition and/or shifting are recruited in tasks in which the use of science/mathematics concepts does not require the rejection of an initial concept, or which require only the use of initial concepts. One hundred and thirty-three third- and fifth-grade children participated in two inhibition and shifting tasks and two science and mathematics conceptual understanding and conceptual change (CU&C) tasks. All the tasks were on-line, and performance was measured in accuracy and RTs. The CU&C tasks involved the use of initial concepts and of science/mathematics concepts which required conceptual changes for their initial formation. Only in one of the tasks the use of the science/mathematics concepts required the concurrent rejection of an initial concept. The results confirmed that in this task inhibition was recruited and also showed that the speed of shiftin...
Source: Cognitive Science - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Cogn Sci Source Type: research