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    Left, right, left, right: 24-to-36-months-olds’ planning and execution of simple alternating actions

    Schroer, Lisanne and Cooper, Rick and Mareschal, Denis (2022) Left, right, left, right: 24-to-36-months-olds’ planning and execution of simple alternating actions. Infancy 27 (6), pp. 1104-1115. ISSN 1525-0008.

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    Abstract

    This study investigated toddlers’ ability to control simple alternating pattern actions, and how this relates to motor competence and executive functions. Seventy toddlers between 24 and 36 months of age were instructed to sort coins in an alternating pattern into two boxes; left, right, left, right etc. Executive functions and memory competence performance were assessed in additional small games. The results showed that the ability to plan and execute actions according to a simple extended alternating pattern improved over toddlerhood. Furthermore, working memory and motor competence scores were both independent predictors of the ability to plan and execute simple alternating actions. These findings underscore the fact that between 24 and 36 months of age is a period in which the ability to string together multiple actions in a sequence to achieve a distal goal is still developing.

    Metadata

    Item Type: Article
    Keyword(s) / Subject(s): This study investigated toddlers’ ability to control simple alternating pattern actions, and how this relates to motor competence and executive functions. Seventy toddlers between 24 and 36 months of age were instructed to sort coins in an alternating pattern into two boxes; left, right, left, right etc. Executive functions and memory competence performance were assessed in additional small games. The results showed that the ability to plan and execute actions according to a simple extended alternating pattern improved over toddlerhood. Furthermore, working memory and motor competence scores were both independent predictors of the ability to plan and execute simple alternating actions. These findings underscore the fact that between 24 and 36 months of age is a period in which the ability to string together multiple actions in a sequence to achieve a distal goal is still developing. Keywords: Toddlers, actions, action sequences, executive functions, motor competence
    School: Birkbeck Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science > School of Psychological Sciences
    Research Centres and Institutes: Brain and Cognitive Development, Centre for (CBCD)
    Depositing User: Administrator
    Date Deposited: 14 Jul 2022 09:34
    Last Modified: 20 Aug 2024 00:10
    URI: https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/48330

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