Exploring the effect of cool and hot EFs training in four-year-old children

ABSTRACT

Executive Functions (EFs) are crucial top-down processes characterized by cool and hot aspects, required for goal-directed behaviour. Only a few studies evaluated and trained concurrently cool and hot EFs. Therefore, we promote a training aiming to enhance both EFs components. A total of 91 children attending the second year of kindergarten were involved. Forty-two children attended the EFs training, while forty-nine children represented the active control group. The training was proposed twice a week for three months. The twenty sessions were divided as follows: 10 were focused on cool EFs, while the last 10 were related to hot EFs. The children were evaluated before and after the trainings with tasks including inhibition, working memory, delay of gratification, and emotion regulation. The results indicate increased cool and hot EFs abilities in children who attended the EFs training. Data are discussed in terms of developmental implications and highlights the importance to promote training focused also on hot EFs aspects.

KEYWORDS:

• Cool and hot executive functions
• cognitive control
• emotion regulation
• training
• preschoolers

Supplemental data

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed here.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

¹ For further details on the activities see supplementary materials.