title: Development of relational processing in hot and cool tasks.
abstract: The research investigated the role of complexity and the hot-cool distinction in cognitive development. The 120, 3- to 6-year-old children completed four hot tasks, which involved an affective component and three cool tasks, which did not. All tasks included binary- and ternary-relational items. Complexity was a major source of difficulty on all tasks, especially for younger children. Consistent with a hot-cool distinction, ternary-relational processing emerged earlier and more 4- and 5-year-olds mastered ternary-relational items in hot than cool tasks. Overall performance was better in hot than cool tasks at 4 years but this pattern was reversed at 6 years.
authors.affiliation: Applied Cognitive Neuroscience Research Unit, Behavioural Basis of Health Program, Griffith Health Institute, Australia.
authors.forename: Katie M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Bunch
authors.forename: Glenda
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Andrews
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002657:Child Development / Q000502:physiology*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D004644:Emotions / Q000502:physiology*; D056344:Executive Function / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007600:Judgment / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests