Cognitive shifting

Question 1

shifting

Answer 1

refers to he ability in updating our behaviour in response to changes in the environment

• the ability to shift between mental states, rule sets or tasks

Question 2

prerequisite processes

Answer 2

shifting is thought to arise at a slightly later age due to WM and IC being prerequisite processes

Question 3

hughes (1998); Rennie et al. (2004)

Answer 3

the ability to shift between two simple rules was shown at the age of 3-4, when the story is in context and the inhibitory demands reduced

• ability to shift between more complex stimuli is not achieved until a later age

Question 4

Luciana and Nelson (1998) - method

Answer 4

• set shifting task in children aged 4-8 (N = 181)
• progressed through stages of increasing difficulty and complexity
• this allows us to review the level of complexity in individuals shifting across the ages
• the task required participants to respond correctly, based on previous feedback, to either lines or shapes
• at various points throughout the stages, the correct response shifted

Question 5

Luciana and Nelson (1998)

Answer 5

• the main improvement within this study took place after the age of 5 (stage 7)
• findings highlighted a cognitive leap, with participants aged 5-6 scoring significantly higher than those age 4
• participants in the 7-8 year range did not score significantly higher than those ages 5-6