Influence of Training Attention in Early Childhood on Schooling

根据之前的一项拨款，我们（包括大卫沃什伯恩）调整了培训方法， Rumbaugh和Washburn（1995年）已经开发出训练猴子的方法，供NASA用于年轻人。 儿童（Rueda等人，2005年，2007年）。我们发现这些方法在改善 潜在的执行注意力网络的效率和培训的推广远远超出了 提高儿童智商的特定训练领域。这些发现一直被 在对正常儿童的研究中重复和扩展（Rueda等人，正在进行中）， 已经应用于ADHD的临床研究（Tamm等人，出版中）和自闭症（Ozonoff等人，在 过程）。其他小组的调查结果也表明了课堂教学的有效性。 训练注意力的干预措施（Diamond等人，2007; Fanning等人，2007年）。虽然 课堂方法对于注意力训练的实际应用很重要，我们的方法 展示关键技能快速提高的优势，这些技能详细说明如下： 计算机程序。Alberta et al.（2008）还表明，执行效率 注意力预测中学生在学校表现的重要方面。 当前研究的一个重要方面是识别与以下相关的注意网络： 儿童和成人调节他们的思想和感情的能力（Posner & Rothbart， 2007年）。自我调节是发展心理学的一个核心概念。了解其 神经基础提供了一个重要的研究问题，对于理解是否 注意力的训练可以是一种有效的方法，以提高学校的表现，在一些或所有 学龄前儿童 我们目前的纵向研究开始时，孩子们是7个月大，他们是 在2008年夏天完成了大约3.5岁。我们将观察到这些 孩子们的注意力在3年内得到了发展，他们现在已经达到了适当的水平。 注意力训练的年龄我们的纵向研究结果显示， 气质和基因的差异与执行力的发展有关 注意力网络和行为。这个小组提供了一个独特的机会来研究如何 受过训练的儿童在上学早期的注意力发展和表现会有所不同 在控制条件下的儿童。文献为可能的 成功的企业（布莱尔和拉扎，2007年）。我们认识到，其他团体已经并将 追求这一建议的各个方面（Blair & Raza，2007; Diamond等人，2007），但我们的研究 有两个好处。第一，我们的训练方法是很好的指定，也可以使用 动物模型，第二，我们已经确定了改善的神经基础，包括一些 可能涉及的基因。这似乎是一个独特的机会，以确定如何 注意力及其培训影响到学校教育的关键方面。

Under a previous grant that we (including David Washburn) adapted the training methods that Rumbaugh and Washburn (1995) had developed to train monkeys for NASA to use with young children (Rueda et al., 2005, 2007). We found these methods to be successful in improving the efficiency of the underlying executive attention network and the training generalized far beyond the specific domain of training to improve the childrens' IQ. These findings have since been replicated and extended in studies with normal children (Rueda et al., in process) and have been applied in clinical studies of ADHD (Tamm et al., in press) and Autism (Ozonoff et al., in process). Findings from other groups have also shown the effectiveness of classroom interventions in training attention (Diamond et al., 2007; Fanning et al., 2007). Although classroom methods are important for practical applications of attention training, our method has the advantage of demonstrating rapid improvement in key skills, which are specified in detail by the computer programs. Checa et al. (2008) have also shown that the efficiency of executive attention predicts important aspects of school performance in middle school children. An important aspect of current research is the identification of an attentional network related to the ability of children and adults to regulate their thoughts and feelings (Posner & Rothbart, 2007). Self regulation is a central concept in developmental psychology. Understanding its neural basis provides an important research question and is critical to understanding whether training in attention can be an effective method for improving school performance in some or all preschool children. Our current longitudinal study began when the children were 7 months old and they were completed at about age 3.5 years in the summer of 2008. We will have observed these children's development of attention over a 3 year period, and they are now of an appropriate age for attention training. Results from our longitudinal study showed how individual differences in temperament and genes were related to the development of the executive attention network and behavior. This group provides a unique opportunity to examine how trained children will differ in attentional development and performance in the early school years from children in a control condition. The literature provides encouragement for the likely success of this enterprise (Blair & Raza, 2007). We recognize that other groups have and will pursue aspects of this proposal (Blair & Raza, 2007; Diamond et al., 2007), but our research has two advantages. One, our training methods are well specified and can also be used with animal models, and two, we have identified the neural basis for improvement, including some of the genes likely to be involved. It appears to be a unique opportunity to determine how attention and its training influence critical aspects of schooling.