Schooling influences on growth of executive functioning: steps to an integrative

描述(由申请人提供)：拟议的研究是一个更大的项目的一个探索性步骤，该项目旨在将神经学、认知/发展、教育和文化角度联系起来，研究幼儿执行功能的性质和成长来源。这项更广泛的计划将把来自多个学科和视角的科学家聚集在一起，研究学校教育对大脑和执行功能行为变化(特别是注意力控制和反应抑制)的影响。这项研究的范围提出了各种挑战，特别是需要收集幼儿学龄前和幼儿园儿童的电生理数据(通过事件相关电位测量)。尽管传统的脑电记录系统体积庞大，难以携带，但更新的系统更容易携带，这增加了在学校环境中对儿童进行测试的可能性。在孩子自己的学校进行测试的便利性和熟悉性使参与者和实验者更容易招募和测试参与者。此外，在学校环境中进行测试将有助于增加来自低社会经济地位背景的儿童以及其他处于危险中的儿童的参与。本应用程序在第一年的主要目的是获得并系统地测试在学校环境中来自Bio-Semi Active Two ERP系统的操作和数据。一个相关的目标是开发和评估可用于4-5岁儿童的便携式系统的执行功能的两种衡量标准。最后，在第二年，将进行一项小规模的自然实验(学校停课)，考察学校教育对执行控制的神经和行为测量的影响。 公共卫生相关性：这项研究做出了几项重要贡献。首先，研究结果将评估利用便携式ERP系统直接在学校环境中收集幼儿电生理数据的可行性。确认便携式系统的实用性将对从事这一年龄段工作的认知/发展和神经学家研究人员有重大好处。此外，研究结果将阐明早期教育对执行功能发展的影响。通过这样做，该项目将有助于更充分地了解学校环境在塑造这一基本技能成长方面的重要性。在更广泛的层面上，拟议的工作将有助于形成行政职能研究的几个新方向，整合几个层次的分析，并对行政职能的性质、其神经学基础、发展和教育意义产生更全面、更全面的理解。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed research represents an exploratory step in a larger project aimed at linking neurological, cognitive/developmental, educational and cultural perspectives in the study of the nature and sources of growth of executive functioning in early childhood. The broader initiative will bring together scientists from an array of disciplines and perspectives to study the impact of schooling on brain and behavioral changes in executive functioning (specifically attention control and response inhibition). The scope of the study poses a variety of challenges, particularly the need to gather electrophysiological data (through ERP measurements) on young pre-K and kindergarten children. Although traditional EEG recording systems were bulky and difficult to transport, more recent systems are more easily transported, raising the possibility of testing children in a school setting. The convenience and familiarity of testing in the child's own school makes recruiting and testing participants much easier for both participant and experimenter. Further, testing in the school setting will help to increase participation of children from low SES backgrounds as well as that of other children at risk. A primary aim of the present application during year 1 is to obtain and systematically test the operation and data from a Bio-Semi Active Two ERP system in the school environment. A related aim is to develop and assess two measures of executive functioning that can be used with the portable system with 4-5 year-old children. Finally, during year 2, a small-scale natural experiment (school cutoff) will be undertaken, examining the impact of schooling on neurological and behavioral measures of executive control. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The research makes several important contributions. First, findings will assess the feasibility of utilizing a portable ERP system for gathering electrophysiological data from young children directly in their school environment. Confirmation of the utility of the portable system will be of significant benefit to cognitive/developmental and neuroscientist researchers working with this age group. Further, results will illuminate the influence of early schooling on development of executive functioning. In so doing the project will contribute to fuller understanding of the importance of the schooling environment in shaping growth of this foundational skill. On a broader plane, the proposed work will help to forge several new directions in the study of executive functioning, integrating several levels of analysis and yielding a fuller, more comprehensive understanding of the nature of executive functioning, its neurological underpinnings, development and educational significance.