An event-related brain potential study of children's conservation.
To investigate the relationship between cortical activation and conservation ability, 22 children were divided into two groups based on their performance on a standard Piagetian Conservation test. Visual evoked potentials were recorded while children performed a weight conservation task. A bilateral, frontal-distributed, broad late positive component at 900 ms differed between non-conserving and conserving children, with non-conservers having a larger amplitude. The significant interaction between conservation ability and hemisphere on the amplitude of this component suggests that inferior generators gradually move from central to right frontal-central while conservation level increases. The results indicate the existence of an ERP component that reflects weight conservation ability in children and a possible relationship between conservation ability and brain activation.
Zhang
Qiong
Q
Department of Psychology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310028, PR China.
Shi
Jiannong
J
Fan
Yueyang
Y
Liu
Tongran
T
Luo
Yuejia
Y
Sang
Haiyan
H
Shen
Mowei
M
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development*; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004585:Electrooculography; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008606:Mental Processes / Q000502:physiology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology