Tablet use affects preschoolers’ executive function: fNIRS evidence from the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

Philip Li; Dandan Wu; Jinfeng Yang; Jiutong Luo; Sha Xie; Chunqi Chang

doi:10.3390/brainsci11050567

Tablet use affects preschoolers’ executive function: fNIRS evidence from the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

Philip Li^*, Dandan Wu, Jinfeng Yang, Jiutong Luo, Sha Xie, Chunqi Chang^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

19 Citations (Scopus)

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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.

Original language	English
Article number	567
Pages (from-to)	1-12
Number of pages	12
Journal	Brain Sciences
Volume	11
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci11050567
Publication status	Published - May 2021

Bibliographical note

Copyright the Author(s) 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

Keywords

pad use
executive function
fNIRS evidence
Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS) task
preschoolers

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10.3390/brainsci11050567Licence: CC BY

Publisher version (open access)Final published version, 2.65 MBLicence: CC BY

Cite this

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title = "Tablet use affects preschoolers{\textquoteright} 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{\textquoteright} 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 {\textquoteleft}heavy-user{\textquoteright}. The results indicated that: (1) the {\textquoteleft}non-user{\textquoteright} outperformed the {\textquoteleft}heavy-user{\textquoteright} 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 {\textquoteleft}non-user{\textquoteright} pattern is normal and healthy, whereas the {\textquoteleft}heavy-user{\textquoteright} pattern is not normal and needs further exploration.",

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author = "Philip Li and Dandan Wu and Jinfeng Yang and Jiutong Luo and Sha Xie and Chunqi Chang",

note = "Copyright the Author(s) 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.",

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doi = "10.3390/brainsci11050567",

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AU - Li, Philip

AU - Wu, Dandan

AU - Yang, Jinfeng

AU - Luo, Jiutong

AU - Xie, Sha

AU - Chang, Chunqi

N1 - Copyright the Author(s) 2021. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher.

PY - 2021/5

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N2 - 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.

AB - 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.

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Tablet use affects preschoolers’ executive function: fNIRS evidence from the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

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Keywords

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