Motor and cognitive control in a normative sample of 7-year-olds

• Published in: Developmental science Vol. 12; no. 1; pp. 175 - 181
• Main Authors: Roebers, Claudia M., Kauer, Marianne
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.01.2009; Wiley-Blackwell
• Subjects: Attention - physiology; Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder; Child; Child Development; Child psychology; Cognition & reasoning; Cognition - physiology; Cognitive Development; Cognitive Processes; Comparative studies; Correlation; Developmental Disabilities; Developmental psychology; Developmental Stages; Female; Humans; Male; Motor ability; Psychological Tests; Psychomotor Performance - physiology; Psychomotor Skills; Young Children
• ISSN: 1363-755X; 1467-7687; 1467-7687
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7687.2008.00755.x

The aim of the present study was to explore the relationship between cognitive and motor control by correlating individual performance on a variety of complex tasks in a normative sample of over 100 7‐year‐olds. While there are a few studies including children with specific developmental disorders (i.e. ADHD and DCD) showing that they share similar comorbid deficits, it is still unclear whether control processes share variance in normative samples. Results presented here reveal on the one hand that some aspects of cognitive and motor control are significantly interrelated, even when controlling for age. On the other hand, individuals’ ability to efficiently respond to the speed and accuracy demands of any of the included tasks appeared to constitute an important aspect of executive functioning.