title: Teaching others rule-use improves executive function and prefrontal activations in young children.
abstract: Intervention of executive function during early childhood is an important research topic. This study examined the effect of a child-friendly intervention program, where children interacted with a doll or a puppet. Children were presented with cognitive shifting tasks before and after an intervention. In the intervention, children interacted with a doll or a puppet, and taught rules of the cognitive shifting tasks to the object. As the results, 3- to 5-year-old children significantly improved the performances and strengthened activations in the lateral prefrontal regions as measured by near-infrared spectroscopy. The results suggest that interaction with a doll or a puppet may have a significant impact on the development of executive function.
authors.affiliation: Department of School Education, Joetsu University of Education , Joetsu, Japan ; Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology, Japan Science and Technology Agency , Kawaguchi, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Moriguchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Aichi Shukutoku University , Nagakute, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sakata
authors.affiliation: Department of School Education, Joetsu University of Education , Joetsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Mikako
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Aichi Shukutoku University , Nagakute, Japan.
authors.forename: Yusuke
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishikawa
keywords: executive function; prefrontal cortex; pretend play; teaching