The Relation between Electronic Game Play and Executive Function among Preschoolers
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ORIGINAL PAPER
The Relation between Electronic Game Play and Executive Function among Preschoolers Xiaohui Yang1,2,3 Zhenhong Wang1 Xiaoju Qiu2,3 Liqi Zhu2,3 ●
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© Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature 2020
Abstract We examined the relation between electronic game play and executive function (EF) in Chinese preschoolers. One hundred and nineteen 3- to 6-year-old children participated. Children’s working memory, inhibition, and planning were assessed as measures of EF development. Parents completed a questionnaire regarding children’s electronic game play time and the game content. The results showed that time spent on electronic games (M = 0.30 h, SD = 0.41, ranging from 0 to 2.14 h per day) was positively related to EF when controlling for other relevant factors, such as children’s age, gender, and socioeconomic status. However, action content in electronic games was negatively related to one inhibition aspect of EF, but not two other aspects, namely working memory and planning. The results of the present study indicate time spent using media is associated with EF development in children but that evidence for content-related issues is inconclusive. Keywords Electronic games Executive function Preschoolers ●
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Highlights Whether electronic games are beneficial or harmful to children is a matter of public debate. ● Children’s working memory, inhibition, and planning were assessed as measures of executive function (EF). ● Time spent on electronic games was positively related to EF. ● Action game content was negatively but weakly correlated with inhibition, but not working memory or planning. ●
Executive function (EF) refers to a family of top-down mental processes that aid in the monitoring and control of thought and action; it develops at an unprecedented rate during the preschool period and follows a protracted period of development into early adulthood (Best et al. 2009). EF abilities are important for cognitive, social, and psychological development (Diamond 2013). Children with better EF have an easier transition to formal schooling (Blair and
* Liqi Zhu [email protected] 1
School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Shaanxi Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shaanxi Provincial Key Research Center of Child Mental and Behavioral Health, Xi’an 710062, China
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CAS Key Laboratory of Behavioral Science, Institute of Psychology, Beijing 100101, China
3
Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Diamond 2008) and behave more appropriately in the classroom (Riggs et al. 2003). The importance of EF in children’s functioning has prompted investigations of factors that influence its development (Diamond and Lee 2011). Both genetical (Goldberg and Weinberger 2004) and environmental factors (Bernier et al. 2012) play important roles in the development of EF. Children’s EF is more sensitive to environmental influences due to the rapid growth and malleability of the brain during the p
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