| The ability to think flexibly is vital in our ability to function optimally. This study looked at constructs that may contribute to cognitive flexibility in children (age 6--11), including processing speed, inhibition, working memory strength, and age. Results showed a significant age-related decline in global, but not in local, switch costs. Age and processing speed accounted for significant variances in global switch cost, and inhibition for local switch cost, suggesting that the maintenance of multiple task-sets is affected by maturation and basic speed, and that inhibition is needed for suppression of the irrelevant task or response-set representations. A key finding is that both inhibition and working memory strength accounted for significant variance in local switch cost in older children age 10--11, suggesting working memory strength does in fact contribute to the ability to switch when age-appropriate tasks are used. |
