This study aimed to test the impact of play on the development of executive functions (EFs) in preschoolers. Thirty-two games were designed to be collectively played in groups by 70 children, in their regular classes. The games were specifically designed to promote the development of the three components of EFs: inhibition (behavioral or cognitive), working memory, and cognitive flexibility. The games focused on each function were of three types: playground games, expression games, and classroom games. Sixty 45 min play sessions were held on consecutive days for 3 months, always in the first period. The sessions were guided by two members of the research team, assisted by the four teachers of the participating classes. The intervention was carried out in two highly socially vulnerable schools in the city of Santiago de Chile. Four classes were studied in total: two experimental groups and two controls. The classes were selected using a questionnaire on teacher-student interaction quality and an age homogeneity criterion. EFs were evaluated using the Hearts and Flowers task at three points: before the intervention (T1), immediately after the end of the intervention (T2), and 8 months after the end of the intervention (T3). The results show a significant difference in the growth of EFs by comparing the experimental and control groups (p = 0.04) between T1 and T3. They also reveal a strong correlation between EFs measures at T1 and mathematics performance at T3. These results are discussed within the context of the guidelines proposed by Diamond and Ling (2016) and Barnett (2011) regarding what an EFs promotion program needs to be considered effective and high quality. The program presented in this study meets most of the requisites mentioned by the authors, which proves that following these guidelines guarantees a high probability of success.

Objective: To understand fear of death and its relationship with emotional intelligence and other variables in nursing students in the last years of study. Methods: A descriptive and correlational study. Students (n = 188) responded to a questionnaire about: socio-cultural characteristics; Fear of Death and Emotional Intelligence Scales. Results: We obtained a measure of medium to high for fear of death (x = 3.35) and also the emotional perception component was positively correlated with the fear of death, while understanding and emotional regulation were negatively correlated with fear of death. The higher scores for fear of death were associated with the female gender, with lower levels of courses, and the perception of lower academic preparation on the subject. Conclusions: High levels of emotional intelligence, associated with less fear of death, provides evidence for the necessity of developing emotional skills in students facing transcendent situations and the unknown, such as death and the dying process. Keywords: Attitude to death; Fear; Emotional intelligence; Students, nursing resumen Objetivo: Conocer el miedo a la muerte y su relación con la inteligencia emocional y otras variables en estudiantes de enfermería de los últimos años de estudio. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo y correlacional. Los estudiantes (n=188) respondieron a un cuestionario sobre: características socioculturales; Escalas de Miedo a la Muerte y de Inteligencia Emocional. Resultados: Se obtuvo un promedio medio-alto en miedo a la muerte (3,35). La percepción emocional se correlacionó positivamente con miedo a la muerte, mientras que la comprensión y la regulación emocional se correlacionaron negativamente con el miedo a la muerte. Las puntuaciones más altas de miedo a la muerte se asociaron con el sexo femenino, con los niveles inferiores de los cursos y con la percepción de menor preparación académica en el tema. Conclusiones: Los niveles altos de inteligencia emocional, se asociaron con menos miedo a la muerte, lo que evidencia la necesidad de desarrollar en los estudiantes habilidades emocionales frente a situaciones trascendentales y desconocidas, como son la muerte y el proceso de morir. Descriptores: Actitud frente a la muerte; Miedo; Inteligencia emocional; Estudiantes de enfermería resumo Objetivo: Conhecer o medo da morte e sua relação com a inteligência emocional e outras variáveis em estudantes de enfermagem dos últimos anos de estudo. Métodos: Estudo descritivo e correlacional. Os estudantes (n=188) responderam a um questionário sobre: características socioculturais; Escalas de Medo da Morte e de Inteligência Emocional. Resultados: Obteve-se uma medida de médio para alto em medo da morte (x=3,35) e também o componente percepção emocional se correlacionou positivamente com o medo da morte, enquanto a compreensão e regulação emocional se correlacionaram negativamente com o medo da morte. As pontuações mais altas de medo da morte associaram-se com o gênero feminino, com os niveis inferiores dos cursos e com a percepção...

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We assessed Executive Functions (Working Memory, Inhibitory Control and Cognitive Flexibility) in 109 children at the start and end of kindergarten, and evaluated the predictive value of these measures on performance in mathematics and language skills in those children at the end of year one (12 and 18 months after the initial Executive Functions evaluation). Our results show that an overall composite score for Executive Functions is able to predict the overall academic performance of students at the end of year one by between 15 and 23% using the evaluations at the various times the Executive Functions were measured. By establishing relationships between the different Executive Functions components and performance, only some of their components remained predictive: Working Memory, Inhibitory Control and the global measure of Executive Functions. When analysing the predictive power of Executive Functions of the various areas of learning, we saw that the overall composite score of Executive Functions explained between 14 and 10% of the domain of reading, and 19 and 9% in the domain of mathematics.