Age-Related Performance on the Brixton Spatial Anticipation Test in Healthy Child and Adolescent Girls: A Preliminary Evaluation

Abstract

The Brixton Spatial Anticipation Test assesses individuals' cognitive flexibility in terms of rule detection and attainment. It has been used to assess executive functioning in both clinical and nonclinical adult samples. However, little is currently known about the suitability of this task for younger populations. The current study therefore aimed to provide an initial exploration of this task's suitability for young people. Brixton responses from a healthy sample of children and adolescents were presented to investigate performance in both rule detection and rule attainment, respectively. A convenience sample of 72 female participants (Mage = 14.95 years, SD = 1.53 years, range = 11-17 years; MIQ = 103.76, SD = 10.81) was studied. The sample was divided according to age into four groups (11-12 years, 13-14 years, 15 years, and 16-17 years) to allow for developmental trajectory. No significant age performance differences were found. Small effect sizes between age groups lend support to the null findings. The current study suggests that the Brixton task norms are suitable for use with individuals aged 11 to 17 years old. However, normative work is still needed in this area, incorporating an adult sample for comparison, to comment upon the developmental trajectory specific to this task.

Task Monitoring and Working Memory as Executive Components Predictive of General and Specific Academic Achievements in 6–9-Year-Old Children

“…The behavioral regulation index includes inhibition and self-monitoring. Inhibition or the control of one’s behavior is understood as the ability to suppress dominant and impulsive responses that are irrelevant to the task at hand [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. Self-supervision, in a broad sense, refers to the ability to plan voluntarily, modulating one’s behavior adaptively as needed to meet the established plan.…”

“…The ability to self-regulate one’s behavior is acquired between the ages of 6 and 8 and allows for the anticipation of events, even if a certain degree of impulsivity persists [ 19 , 20 ]. Because of its link to behavior and cognition, inhibition plays a significant role in the achievements of younger children [ 11 , 21 , 22 , 23 ]. It is also considered to be a good predictor of academic achievement up to age seven, since from three to seven years of age, a change occurs as the child progresses toward cognitive behavioral forms that require the integration of executive functions with linguistic skills [ 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ].…”