Interference control in a new rule use task: age-related changes, labeling, and attention.
Three experiments examined 3- to 6-year-olds' interference control using a task in which children saw 2 corresponding sets of colored cards, a large set in front of them and a small set behind them. A colored candy (Smartie) was placed on a large card with mismatching color, and children could win the Smartie by selecting the small card that matched the color of the large card. Three-year-olds performed poorly whereas older children performed well. Having children label the correct color before responding improved 3-year-olds' performance (Experiment 2), as did pointing to the large card (Experiment 3); decreasing the affective salience of the stimuli (colored beads vs. Smarties) did not (Experiment 3). Results reveal the role of selective attention in action control.
Müller
Ulrich
U
Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, BC, Canada. umueller@uvic.ca
Zelazo
Philip David
PD
Hood
Suzanne
S
Leone
Tullia
T
Rohrer
Lisa
L
D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition; D003118:Color Perception; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010988:Play and Playthings; D011214:Practice, Psychological; D011597:Psychomotor Performance; D014705:Verbal Behavior