Tablet Use Affects Preschoolers’ Executive Function: fNIRS Evidence from the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

Abstract

This study aims to examine the impact of heavy use of tablets on preschoolers’ executive function during the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task using the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Altogether, 38 Chinese preschoolers (Mage = 5.0 years, SD = 0.69 years, 17 girls) completed the tasks before the COVID-19 lockdown. Eight children never used tablets, while 16 children were diagnosed as the ‘heavy-user’. The results indicated that: (1) the ‘non-user’ outperformed the ‘heavy-user’ with a significantly higher correct rate in the DCCS task; (2) the two groups differed significantly in the activation of the prefrontal cortex (BA 9): the ‘non-user’ pattern is normal and healthy, whereas the ‘heavy-user’ pattern is not normal and needs further exploration.

U-Shape by Quadratic Equation: A Best-fit for Modelling Hemodynamic Changes in the DCCS Task

“…They conducted t-tests and GLM to compare the hemodynamic changes in the Non-user and the Heavyuser groups and found a significant difference between the two groups in activating the prefrontal cortex (BA 9). The 'Non-user' activation pattern was 'normal and healthy', whereas the 'Heavy-user' pattern was 'not normal thus needs further exploration' [4]. However, they presented no further statistical evidence to demonstrate how 'abnormal' the 'Heavy-user' pattern was.…”

“…They found that the Non-users outperformed the Heavy-users with a significantly higher correct rate in the DCCS task. And the two groups differed significantly in the activation of BA9 (ch 16), indicating that the Non-user pattern was 'normal and healthy' [4]. In contrast, the Heavy-user pattern was 'not normal and needs further exploration'.…”

“…Recently, Li et al [4] adopted the Mixed-order design DCCS and GLM by Moriguchi & Lertladaluck [10] and Xie et al [11] to examine the impact of tablet use on preschoolers' executive function. They found that the Non-users outperformed the Heavy-users with a significantly higher correct rate in the DCCS task.…”

“…However, they presented no further statistical evidence to demonstrate how 'abnormal' the 'Heavy-user' pattern was. In addition, the hemodynamic changes over time in brain areas are a nonlinear rather than linear relationship; thus, the GLM analysis conducted by Li et al [4] might not be appropriate or accurate. Therefore, this study aims to re-analyze the same data with a quadratic or cubic equation to identify the best-fit way to model the hemodynamic responses in the DCCS task.…”

“…It can generate time-sensitive data that could be analyzed using general linear modeling (GLM) to estimate the oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO) changes between the task and baseline. For instance, Li et al examined the effect of heavy tablet use on preschoolers' executive function during the Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task using fNIRS [4]. They conducted t-tests and GLM to compare the hemodynamic changes in the Non-user and the Heavyuser groups and found a significant difference between the two groups in activating the prefrontal cortex (BA 9).…”