Developing adaptive control: Age-related differences in task choices and awareness of proactive and reactive control demands.

ABSTRACT: Developmental changes in executive function are often explained in terms of core cognitive processes and associated neural substrates. For example, younger children tend to engage control reactively in the moment as needed, whereas older children increasingly engage control proactively, in anticipation of needing it. Such developments may reflect increasing capacities for active maintenance dependent upon dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. However, younger children will engage proactive control when reactive control is made more difficult, suggesting that developmental changes may also reflect decisions about whether to engage control, and how. We tested awareness of temporal control demands and associated task choices in 5-year-olds and 10-year-olds and adults using a demand selection task.

SUBMITTER: Niebaum JC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10162508 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature