Transactional longitudinal relations between accuracy and reaction time on a measure of cognitive flexibility at 5, 6, and 7 years of age

Émilie Dumont; Natalie Castellanos-Ryan; Sophie Parent; Sophie Jacques; Jean R. Séguin; Philip David Zelazo

doi:10.1111/desc.13254

Transactional longitudinal relations between accuracy and reaction time on a measure of cognitive flexibility at 5, 6, and 7 years of age

Émilie Dumont, Natalie Castellanos-Ryan, Sophie Parent, Sophie Jacques, Jean R. Séguin, Philip David Zelazo

Institute of Child Development

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

8 Scopus citations

Abstract

Whereas accuracy is used as an indicator of cognitive flexibility in preschool-age children, reaction time (RT), or a combination of accuracy and RT, provide better indices of performance as children transition to school. Theoretical models and cross-sectional studies suggest that a speed-accuracy tradeoff may be operating across this transition, but the lack of longitudinal studies makes this transition difficult to understand. The current study explored the longitudinal and bidirectional associations between accuracy and RT on the DCCS (mixed block) at 5, 6, and 7 years of age using cross-lagged panel analyses. The study also examined the roles of working memory and language, as potential longitudinal mediators between RT at Time X and accuracy at Time X + 1, and explored the role of inhibitory control. The sample consisted of 425 children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Results show lagged associations from slower RT to greater improvements in accuracy between 5 and 6 years and between 6 and 7 years. Further, higher accuracy at 6 years predicted faster RT at 7 years. Only working memory acted as a partial mediator between RT at 5 years and accuracy at 6 years. These results provide needed longitudinal evidence to support theoretical claims that slower RT precedes improved accuracy in the development of cognitive flexibility, that working memory may be involved in the early stage of this process, and that accuracy and reaction time become more efficient in later stages of this process.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	e13254
Journal	Developmental Science
Volume	25
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/desc.13254
State	Published - Sep 2022

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The authors are grateful to Amélie Rivest and Maria Rosa for data management, and to their partner, the Institut de la Statistique du Québec. The authors thank all the parents and children for their generous participation in the study. This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research via grants MOP‐44072, MOP‐97910 and PJT‐165824 and an early career award to JRS; the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec via research career awards to NC‐R and JRS and grants 991027 and 981055; and the Fonds Québécois pour la recherche sur la Société et la Culture grants 2002‐RS‐79238, 2009‐RG‐124779, 2015‐RG‐178735, and 2021‐RG11‐281152. the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through Grants 410‐1999‐2251, 410‐2009‐2389, 412‐2000‐1003, and 839‐2000‐1008; Valorisation Recherche Québec through Grant 2200‐026; the National Science Foundation through Grant SBR 9513040; and the Canadian Language & Literacy Research Network through Grant 27040500. The funding sources had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.

Funding Information:
The authors are grateful to Amélie Rivest and Maria Rosa for data management, and to their partner, the Institut de la Statistique du Québec. The authors thank all the parents and children for their generous participation in the study. This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research via grants MOP-44072, MOP-97910 and PJT-165824 and an early career award to JRS; the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec via research career awards to NC-R and JRS and grants 991027 and 981055; and the Fonds Québécois pour la recherche sur la Société et la Culture grants 2002-RS-79238, 2009-RG-124779, 2015-RG-178735, and 2021-RG11-281152. the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through Grants 410-1999-2251, 410-2009-2389, 412-2000-1003, and 839-2000-1008; Valorisation Recherche Québec through Grant 2200-026; the National Science Foundation through Grant SBR 9513040; and the Canadian Language & Literacy Research Network through Grant 27040500. The funding sources had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication.

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Keywords

DCCS
cognitive flexibility
cross-lagged panel
longitudinal
school transition
working memory

Publisher link

10.1111/desc.13254

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Cite this

@article{c07a341cd05d43a9968a46f0cf719df5,

title = "Transactional longitudinal relations between accuracy and reaction time on a measure of cognitive flexibility at 5, 6, and 7 years of age",

abstract = "Whereas accuracy is used as an indicator of cognitive flexibility in preschool-age children, reaction time (RT), or a combination of accuracy and RT, provide better indices of performance as children transition to school. Theoretical models and cross-sectional studies suggest that a speed-accuracy tradeoff may be operating across this transition, but the lack of longitudinal studies makes this transition difficult to understand. The current study explored the longitudinal and bidirectional associations between accuracy and RT on the DCCS (mixed block) at 5, 6, and 7 years of age using cross-lagged panel analyses. The study also examined the roles of working memory and language, as potential longitudinal mediators between RT at Time X and accuracy at Time X + 1, and explored the role of inhibitory control. The sample consisted of 425 children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Results show lagged associations from slower RT to greater improvements in accuracy between 5 and 6 years and between 6 and 7 years. Further, higher accuracy at 6 years predicted faster RT at 7 years. Only working memory acted as a partial mediator between RT at 5 years and accuracy at 6 years. These results provide needed longitudinal evidence to support theoretical claims that slower RT precedes improved accuracy in the development of cognitive flexibility, that working memory may be involved in the early stage of this process, and that accuracy and reaction time become more efficient in later stages of this process.",

keywords = "DCCS, cognitive flexibility, cross-lagged panel, longitudinal, school transition, working memory",

author = "{\'E}milie Dumont and Natalie Castellanos-Ryan and Sophie Parent and Sophie Jacques and S{\'e}guin, {Jean R.} and Zelazo, {Philip David}",

note = "Funding Information: The authors are grateful to Am{\'e}lie Rivest and Maria Rosa for data management, and to their partner, the Institut de la Statistique du Qu{\'e}bec. The authors thank all the parents and children for their generous participation in the study. This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research via grants MOP‐44072, MOP‐97910 and PJT‐165824 and an early career award to JRS; the Fonds de Recherche en Sant{\'e} du Qu{\'e}bec via research career awards to NC‐R and JRS and grants 991027 and 981055; and the Fonds Qu{\'e}b{\'e}cois pour la recherche sur la Soci{\'e}t{\'e} et la Culture grants 2002‐RS‐79238, 2009‐RG‐124779, 2015‐RG‐178735, and 2021‐RG11‐281152. the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through Grants 410‐1999‐2251, 410‐2009‐2389, 412‐2000‐1003, and 839‐2000‐1008; Valorisation Recherche Qu{\'e}bec through Grant 2200‐026; the National Science Foundation through Grant SBR 9513040; and the Canadian Language & Literacy Research Network through Grant 27040500. The funding sources had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication. Funding Information: The authors are grateful to Am{\'e}lie Rivest and Maria Rosa for data management, and to their partner, the Institut de la Statistique du Qu{\'e}bec. The authors thank all the parents and children for their generous participation in the study. This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research via grants MOP-44072, MOP-97910 and PJT-165824 and an early career award to JRS; the Fonds de Recherche en Sant{\'e} du Qu{\'e}bec via research career awards to NC-R and JRS and grants 991027 and 981055; and the Fonds Qu{\'e}b{\'e}cois pour la recherche sur la Soci{\'e}t{\'e} et la Culture grants 2002-RS-79238, 2009-RG-124779, 2015-RG-178735, and 2021-RG11-281152. the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through Grants 410-1999-2251, 410-2009-2389, 412-2000-1003, and 839-2000-1008; Valorisation Recherche Qu{\'e}bec through Grant 2200-026; the National Science Foundation through Grant SBR 9513040; and the Canadian Language & Literacy Research Network through Grant 27040500. The funding sources had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.",

year = "2022",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1111/desc.13254",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "25",

journal = "Developmental Science",

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AU - Dumont, Émilie

AU - Castellanos-Ryan, Natalie

AU - Parent, Sophie

AU - Jacques, Sophie

AU - Séguin, Jean R.

AU - Zelazo, Philip David

N1 - Funding Information: The authors are grateful to Amélie Rivest and Maria Rosa for data management, and to their partner, the Institut de la Statistique du Québec. The authors thank all the parents and children for their generous participation in the study. This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research via grants MOP‐44072, MOP‐97910 and PJT‐165824 and an early career award to JRS; the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec via research career awards to NC‐R and JRS and grants 991027 and 981055; and the Fonds Québécois pour la recherche sur la Société et la Culture grants 2002‐RS‐79238, 2009‐RG‐124779, 2015‐RG‐178735, and 2021‐RG11‐281152. the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through Grants 410‐1999‐2251, 410‐2009‐2389, 412‐2000‐1003, and 839‐2000‐1008; Valorisation Recherche Québec through Grant 2200‐026; the National Science Foundation through Grant SBR 9513040; and the Canadian Language & Literacy Research Network through Grant 27040500. The funding sources had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication. Funding Information: The authors are grateful to Amélie Rivest and Maria Rosa for data management, and to their partner, the Institut de la Statistique du Québec. The authors thank all the parents and children for their generous participation in the study. This study was funded by the Canadian Institutes for Health Research via grants MOP-44072, MOP-97910 and PJT-165824 and an early career award to JRS; the Fonds de Recherche en Santé du Québec via research career awards to NC-R and JRS and grants 991027 and 981055; and the Fonds Québécois pour la recherche sur la Société et la Culture grants 2002-RS-79238, 2009-RG-124779, 2015-RG-178735, and 2021-RG11-281152. the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada through Grants 410-1999-2251, 410-2009-2389, 412-2000-1003, and 839-2000-1008; Valorisation Recherche Québec through Grant 2200-026; the National Science Foundation through Grant SBR 9513040; and the Canadian Language & Literacy Research Network through Grant 27040500. The funding sources had no role in the study design, collection, analysis or interpretation of the data, writing the manuscript, or the decision to submit the paper for publication. Publisher Copyright: © 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2022/9

Y1 - 2022/9

N2 - Whereas accuracy is used as an indicator of cognitive flexibility in preschool-age children, reaction time (RT), or a combination of accuracy and RT, provide better indices of performance as children transition to school. Theoretical models and cross-sectional studies suggest that a speed-accuracy tradeoff may be operating across this transition, but the lack of longitudinal studies makes this transition difficult to understand. The current study explored the longitudinal and bidirectional associations between accuracy and RT on the DCCS (mixed block) at 5, 6, and 7 years of age using cross-lagged panel analyses. The study also examined the roles of working memory and language, as potential longitudinal mediators between RT at Time X and accuracy at Time X + 1, and explored the role of inhibitory control. The sample consisted of 425 children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Results show lagged associations from slower RT to greater improvements in accuracy between 5 and 6 years and between 6 and 7 years. Further, higher accuracy at 6 years predicted faster RT at 7 years. Only working memory acted as a partial mediator between RT at 5 years and accuracy at 6 years. These results provide needed longitudinal evidence to support theoretical claims that slower RT precedes improved accuracy in the development of cognitive flexibility, that working memory may be involved in the early stage of this process, and that accuracy and reaction time become more efficient in later stages of this process.

AB - Whereas accuracy is used as an indicator of cognitive flexibility in preschool-age children, reaction time (RT), or a combination of accuracy and RT, provide better indices of performance as children transition to school. Theoretical models and cross-sectional studies suggest that a speed-accuracy tradeoff may be operating across this transition, but the lack of longitudinal studies makes this transition difficult to understand. The current study explored the longitudinal and bidirectional associations between accuracy and RT on the DCCS (mixed block) at 5, 6, and 7 years of age using cross-lagged panel analyses. The study also examined the roles of working memory and language, as potential longitudinal mediators between RT at Time X and accuracy at Time X + 1, and explored the role of inhibitory control. The sample consisted of 425 children from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development. Results show lagged associations from slower RT to greater improvements in accuracy between 5 and 6 years and between 6 and 7 years. Further, higher accuracy at 6 years predicted faster RT at 7 years. Only working memory acted as a partial mediator between RT at 5 years and accuracy at 6 years. These results provide needed longitudinal evidence to support theoretical claims that slower RT precedes improved accuracy in the development of cognitive flexibility, that working memory may be involved in the early stage of this process, and that accuracy and reaction time become more efficient in later stages of this process.

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