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Children
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Cognitive Development in Children
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Cognitive Development in Children

A special issue of Children (ISSN 2227-9067). This special issue belongs to the section "Pediatric Neurology & Neurodevelopmental Disorders".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 November 2024) | Viewed by 3061

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Sandra Martín-Rodríguez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Sport Sciences, European University of Madrid, 28670 Villaviciosa de Odón, Spain
Interests: nutrition; physical activity; executive functions; adolescents; psychology; psychophysiology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Faculty of Sports Sciences, Universidad Europea de Madrid, 28670 Madrid, Spain
Interests: child stress; physiology; psychology; nutrition; health; disease; environment
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cognitive development in children is a multifaceted process encompassing the maturation of various mental faculties, including perception, memory, language, problem-solving, and reasoning abilities. This intricate progression unfolds across distinct stages, shaped by intrinsic biological factors, environmental influences, type of education, and social interactions. Contemporary research integrates aspects of both, acknowledging the interplay between individual cognitive processes, such as the development of executive functions, and sociocultural influences. Moreover, advancements in the field of neuroscience have elucidated the neural underpinnings of cognitive development, highlighting the dynamic interplay between genetic predispositions and environmental experiences.

Consequently, contributions exploring the neural underpinnings of cognitive milestones across different developmental stages are particularly welcome in this Special Issue. Additionally, research that looks into the role that genetics, brain plasticity, and environmental enrichment play in cognitive development would also help us understand how this process works. Furthermore, research examining the impact of sociocultural factors, familial interactions, and educational interventions on cognitive development contributes to a holistic understanding of this dynamic phenomenon. By exploring the psychophysiological underpinnings of cognitive growth and examining the myriad influences shaping this process, researchers endeavor to shed light on the complexities of childhood cognitive development.

Dr. Sandra Martín-Rodríguez
Prof. Dr. Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Children is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cognition
  • development
  • executive functions
  • children
  • education

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 425 KiB  
Article
Executive Functions and Special Educational Needs and Their Relationship with School-Age Learning Difficulties
by Juan Manuel Núñez, Ana Soto-Rubio and Marián Pérez-Marín
Children 2024, 11(11), 1398; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11111398 - 19 Nov 2024
Viewed by 356
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The relationship between executive functions, special educational needs (SEN), and learning difficulties in school-aged children is critical for developing effective educational interventions. This study explores the connection between executive functions and SEN in primary school students, examining differences in executive function profiles [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The relationship between executive functions, special educational needs (SEN), and learning difficulties in school-aged children is critical for developing effective educational interventions. This study explores the connection between executive functions and SEN in primary school students, examining differences in executive function profiles between those with and without SEN and their impact on learning difficulties. Methods: In total, 123 primary school students aged 6 to 12 and their teachers and parents participated in this study. The Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2) and the Prediscal test were used to assess difficulties in reading and mathematics, and sociodemographic and clinical data were collected through ad hoc records. Results: The results indicated that students with SEN exhibited significantly more affected executive function profiles compared to their peers without SEN in both family and school contexts, highlighting areas such as cognitive flexibility, initiative, working memory, planning and organisation, task supervision, and material organisation. Additionally, significant negative correlations were found between executive functions and performance in reading and mathematics, suggesting that deficits in executive functions are strongly associated with SEN. Conclusions: These findings underscore the critical role of executive functions in understanding and addressing SEN and learning difficulties, emphasising the need for comprehensive assessment programmes and early intervention targeting executive function deficits to support the academic and overall development of students with SEN. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive Development in Children)
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12 pages, 411 KiB  
Article
Loneliness and Problematic Internet Use in Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Dissociation
by Alessio Matiz, Fabio D’Antoni, Stefania Pascut, Rebecca Ciacchini, Ciro Conversano, Angelo Gemignani and Cristiano Crescentini
Children 2024, 11(11), 1294; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11111294 - 25 Oct 2024
Viewed by 836
Abstract
Background/Objectives. Problematic Internet uUse (PIU) is a multifaceted syndrome characterized by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges, or behaviors regarding Internet use leading to significant impairments in daily life and mental health. Previous research has separately related PIU to loneliness and dissociation, both [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives. Problematic Internet uUse (PIU) is a multifaceted syndrome characterized by excessive or poorly controlled preoccupations, urges, or behaviors regarding Internet use leading to significant impairments in daily life and mental health. Previous research has separately related PIU to loneliness and dissociation, both in adults and adolescents. The aim of the present study is to analyze the mutual relationship between PIU, loneliness, and dissociation in an adolescent sample, in particular evaluating the indirect effect of dissociation on the relationship between loneliness and PIU. Methods. A cross-sectional design was used with 243 Italian high school students (69.1% females), from year 9 to 13 (age: M = 17.1, SD = 1.4 years), who participated in the study from January to June 2020. They completed measures of PIU (Generalized Problematic Internet Use Scale-2), loneliness (UCLA Loneliness Scale), and dissociation (Adolescent Dissociative Experiences Scale). Socio-demographic and contextual variables were also collected (i.e., age, gender, type of school, school year, sport practice, hobby engagement, assessment before/during the COVID-19 pandemic). Data were analyzed using regression, Pearson’s correlation, and mediation analysis. Results. Severe PIU was observed in 8.6% of the sample. None of the socio-demographic and contextual variables had a significant effect on PIU. Positive medium-sized correlations were observed between PIU, loneliness, and dissociation. Mediation analyses showed an indirect effect of loneliness on PIU through dissociation. Conclusions. Feelings of loneliness may significantly exacerbate adolescents’ PIU by increasing their dissociative tendency. Understanding this dynamic is crucial for developing targeted interventions to address both loneliness and dissociation in efforts to mitigate PIU among adolescents. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive Development in Children)
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17 pages, 1663 KiB  
Article
Differential Impact of WM Load on Attention in Young Adults Versus Children and Adolescents
by Hyojin Park and So-Yeon Kim
Children 2024, 11(9), 1057; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11091057 - 29 Aug 2024
Viewed by 592
Abstract
Background: This study aimed to examine how concurrent working memory (WM) loads affect selective attention, and to explore developmental differences between young adults and children/adolescents aged 10 to 14 years. Methods: We employed a modified Stroop task with verbal or spatial WM [...] Read more.
Background: This study aimed to examine how concurrent working memory (WM) loads affect selective attention, and to explore developmental differences between young adults and children/adolescents aged 10 to 14 years. Methods: We employed a modified Stroop task with verbal or spatial WM loads to assess their impact on attention. Results: In adults, we found increased Stroop effects when WM load overlapped with target processing and decreased Stroop effects when WM load overlapped with distractor processing. Conversely, in children/adolescents, WM loads did not significantly impact target or distractor processing, indicating no change in Stroop effects under dual-task conditions. Interestingly, results from the correlational analyses revealed that as participants’ ages increase, the interference effect under the WM load that shares resources with distractor processing in the attention task decreases. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the interaction between attention and WM differs across developmental stages. While adults showed distinctive effects of concurrent WM loads on attention processing depending on the cognitive resources utilized, children/adolescents failed to show the interaction between the two cognitive systems. Furthermore, a significant relationship between age and the effects of WM load on attention was observed, providing insights into the development of the interaction between WM and attention. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive Development in Children)
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12 pages, 293 KiB  
Article
Comparative Analysis of Academic, Behavioral, and Psychophysiological Variables in Male and Female Vocational Training Students
by Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez, Ana Isabel Beltrán-Velasco, Daniel Mendoza-Castejón, Stephanie Rodríguez-Besteiro, Francisco López-Varas and Alexandra Martín-Rodríguez
Children 2024, 11(7), 851; https://doi.org/10.3390/children11070851 - 13 Jul 2024
Viewed by 766
Abstract
Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not there are notable differences between male and female vocational training students in terms of academic, behavioral, and psychophysiological characteristics. Methods: A total of 411 vocational training students, 210 of whom were [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not there are notable differences between male and female vocational training students in terms of academic, behavioral, and psychophysiological characteristics. Methods: A total of 411 vocational training students, 210 of whom were male and 201 of whom were female, participated in an online survey that assessed academic, behavioral, and psychophysiological patterns. Results: In terms of extraversion and openness to experience, our research revealed that no statistically significant differences were noticed. When it came to agreeableness, however, significant differences were seen, with female students getting higher marks than male students. Furthermore, we found that there were significant gender differences in terms of neuroticism and conscientiousness, with female students achieving higher scores than male students. When compared to their male counterparts, females displayed higher performance in terms of academic success. They also demonstrated superior values in terms of reported stress, anxiety, and cognitive inflexibility. Conclusions: The findings of this study provide a more in-depth understanding of the numerous factors that have an impact on students engaging in vocational training. This will serve as a foundation for the development of individualized instructional and support programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Cognitive Development in Children)
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