Inhibition and Working Memory (WM) are crucial predictors of everyday life autonomies in people with Down Syndrome (DS). We aimed to investigate the possible relationship between different levels of autonomy, inhibitory sub-components and WM in people with DS. Twenty-two adolescents and adults with DS were enrolled in the study and were assessed…

In this article, we introduce the notion of "motion simulation hinge" and discuss its role in mental simulation of previously-experienced motion events and also mental simulation of scientific concepts in terms of motion events. Motion simulation hinge is defined as a static imaginary object or area around which or relative to which a…

Many researchers agree that information residing in the focus of attention in working memory benefits from a boost in memory strength and activation, as well as heightened accessibility. However, recent studies have questioned this heightened accessibility. More specifically, these recent studies found reduced accessibility for an item in the…

In this evaluation study, we investigated the extent to which Solitaired.com's online game, Solitaire, could be used to model players' performance on several validated cognitive tests commonly associated with mental acuity (i.e., memory and processing speed). Prior research found that Solitaire gameplay is affected by mild cognitive impairment and…

Executive functions (EFs) emerge in the first years of life and are essential for many areas of child development. However, intraindividual developmental trajectories of EF during toddlerhood and their associations with ongoing development of language skills remain poorly understood. The present three-wave study examined these trajectories and…

Executive function (EF) is frequently an area of vulnerability in conditions associated with intellectual disability, like Down syndrome (DS). However, current EF evaluation approaches are not designed for children with underlying neurodevelopmental conditions and may not demonstrate construct validity due to interpretational confounds. The…

Executive functions are one of the most prominent research topics investigated in explaining reading skills, which involve complex cognitive processes. In this study, a bibliometric analysis of articles on executive functions and reading in the field of education was conducted. In the study, 42 articles published between 2012 and 2024 were…

Performing two actions at the same time usually results in performance costs. However, recent studies have also reported dual-action benefits: performing only one of two possible actions may necessitate the inhibition of the initially activated, but unwarranted second action, leading to single-action costs. Presumably, two preconditions determine…

The preschool period is recognized as a crucial phase for fostering the social development of children. Self-regulation during the developmental period contributes to management skills in social contexts and thus helps establish positive standards of behavior for peer relationships. Effective interventions can improve self-regulation skills. The…

In this study, we focus on Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RTS) to explore the associations between executive function deficits and repetitive behaviors. Thirty individuals with RTS completed direct assessments of inhibition, working memory and set-shifting. Informants completed repetitive behavior and executive function questionnaires. Repetitive…

The main objective of this methodological article is to discuss the contribution of response times as a tool in education research. The use of response times in research is largely a legacy of the work carried out in cognitive psychology, which has made it possible to describe the cognitive processes involved in information processing. In…

The current study endeavors to assess the impact of the Preschool Executive Functions Intervention Program (PEFIP) on children's executive functions. A quasi-experimental design was employed, encompassing both pre-test and post-test assessments within a control group, complemented by follow-up evaluations over a 5-week period. The sample comprises…

Enhancing executive function in children and adolescents can have significant positive impact on their current and future daily lives. Upregulation of executive function associated with motor skill acquisition suggests that motor learning scenarios provide valuable developmental opportunities to optimize executive function. The present systematic…

Physical activity (PA) is well-documented to benefit students' executive function (EF) and academic performance. However, prevailing research has predominantly focused on domain-general EF (across academic domains) while overlooking domain-specific EF (within specific subjects). To address this gap, this opinion article proposes an integrative…

Identifying factors that contribute to spatial thinking is of great interest given links between spatial thinking and success in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Working memory has been found to be predictive of spatial thinking but little research has explored other components of executive function (i.e.,…