title: Interference control in a new rule use task: age-related changes, labeling, and attention.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Victoria, BC, Canada. umueller@uvic.ca
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Philip David
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Zelazo
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hood
authors.forename: Tullia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rohrer
mesh_terms: 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