The task we had called 'Dots' and now call 'Hearts & Flowers'-

Try your hand at the Hearts & Flowers task with the Hearts & Flowers demo

A list of some of the studies that have used the Hearts & Flowers task appears below.

For some more information about the Hearts & Flowers task, Click Here

Wright, A. & Diamond, A. (2014). An effect of inhibitory load in children while keeping working memory load constant. Frontiers in Psychology, 5, 1-9. (Special issue on Development of Executive Function during Childhood).  doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00213  (abstract)  (pdf)

Diamond, A., Barnett, W.S., Thomas, J., & Munro, S. (2007). Preschool program improves cognitive control, Science, 318, 1387-1388.  doi:10.1126/science.1151148  (abstract)  (pdf)

Davidson, M.C., Amso, D., Anderson, L.C. , & Diamond, A. (2006). Development of cognitive control and executive functions from 4-13 years: Evidence from manipulations of memory, inhibition, and task switching. Neuropsychologia, 44, 2037 – 2078.  doi:10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2006.02.006  (abstract)  (pdf)

 

and also:

 

Ger, E., & Roebers, C. (2023). Hearts, flowers, and fruits: All children need to reveal their post-error slowing. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 226, 105552.  doi.org/10.1016/j.jecp.2022.105552

Ger, E., & Roebers, C. M. (2023). The relationship between executive functions, working memory, and intelligence in kindergarten children. Journal of Intelligence, 11, 64.  doi:10.3390/jintelligence11040064

Gambarini, A., Tobia, V., Fossati, A., Somma, A., Torelli, A., & Ogliari, A. L. (2023). The neuropsychological correlates of (sluggish) cognitive tempo scales in school-aged children. Child Neuropsychology, 29, 847-861.  doi:10.1080/09297049.2022.2138302

Keye, S. A., Walk, A. M., Cannavale, C. N., Iwinski, S., McLoughlin, G. M., Steinberg, L. G., & Khan, N. A. (2021). Six-minute walking test performance relates to neurocognitive abilities in preschoolers. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 10, 584.  doi.org/10.3390/jcm10040584

Camerota, M., Willoughby, M. T., Magnus, B. E., & Blair, C. B. (2020). Leveraging item accuracy and reaction time to improve measurement of child executive function ability. Psychological Assessment, 32, 1118-1132.  doi:10.1037/pas0000953

Abreu-Mendoza, R. A., Coulanges, L., Ali, K., Powell, A. B., & Rosenberg-Lee, M. (2020). Children’s discrete proportional reasoning is related to inhibitory control and enhanced by priming continuous representations. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 199, 104931-104931.  doi:10.1016/j.jecp.2020.104931  (abstract)  (pdf)

Camerota, M., Willoughby, M. T. & Blair, C. B. (2019). Speed and accuracy on the Hearts and Flowers task interact to predict child outcomes. Psychological Assessment, 31, 995-1005.  doi:10.1037/pas0000725  (abstract)  (pdf)

Rosas, R., Espinoza, V., Porflitt, F., & Ceric, F. (2019). Executive functions can be improved in preschoolers through systematic playing in educational settings: Evidence from a longitudinal study. Frontiers in Psychology, 10, 2024.  doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02024

Spiegler, O., & Leyendecker, B. (2017). Balanced cultural identities promote cognitive flexibility among immigrant children. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1579-1579.  doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01579

von Suchodoletz, A., Slot, P. L., & Shroff, D. M. (2017). Measuring executive function in Indian mothers and their 4-year-old daughters: Executive function in Indian mothers and daughters. PsyCh Journal (Victoria, Australia), 6, 16-28.  doi:10.1002/pchj.156

Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Oberle, E., Diamond, A., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thompson, K., & Oberlander, T.F. (2015). Enhancing cognitive and social – emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Psychology, 51, 52-66. (Special Section on Mindfulness and Compassion in Human Development)  doi:10.1037/a0038454  (abstract)  (pdf)

Blair, C., & Raver, C. (2014). Closing the achievement gap through modification of neurocognitive and neuroendocrine function: Results from a cluster randomized controlled trial of an innovative approach to the education of children in kindergarten. PLoS One, 9, e112393.  doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0112393  (abstract)  (pdf)

Zaitchik, D., Iqbal, Y., & Carey, S. (2014). The effect of executive function on biological reasoning in young children: An individual differences study. Child Development, 85, 160-175.  doi:10.1111/cdev.12145  (abstract)  (pdf)

Edgin, J. O., Mason, G. M., Allman, M. J., Capone, G. T., DeLeon, I., Maslen, C., ...Nadel, L. (2010). Development and validation of the Arizona Cognitive Test Battery for Down syndrome. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 2, 149-164.  doi:10.1007/s11689-010-9054-3  (abstract)  (pdf)

Stroth, S., Reinhardt, R. K., Thöne, J., Hille, K., Schneider, M., Härtel, S., ...Spitzer, M. (2010). Impact of aerobic exercise training on cognitive functions and affect associated to the COMT polymorphism in young adults. Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 94, 364-372.  doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2010.08.003  (abstract)  (pdf)

Flanker/Reverse-Flanker task -

Try your hand at the Flanker/Reverse-Flanker task with the Flanker/Reverse-Flanker demo

A list of some of the studies that have used the Flanker/Reverse-Flanker task appears below.

For some of our lab’s findings with the Flanker/Reverse-Flanker task, Click Here

Silvestri, F., Campanella, M., Bertollo, M., Albuquerque, M. R., Bonavolontà, V., Perroni, F., Baldari, C., Guidetti, L., & Curzi, D. (2023). Acute effects of Fitlight™ training on cognitive-motor processes in young basketball players. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 817.  doi:10.3390/ijerph20010817

Liu, J., Taneepanichskul, S., Zhang, B., & Xenos, P. (2023). The effect of a single bout of Chinese archery on core executive functions in preadolescent children in Shanghai. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 1415.  doi:10.3390/ijerph20021415

Hooper, B., Faria, L. O., Fortes, L. d. S., Wanner, S. P., & Albuquerque, M. R. (2022). Development and reliability of a test for assessing executive functions during exercise. Applied Neuropsychology. Adult, 29, 750-760.  doi:10.1080/23279095.2020.1807984

Albuquerque, M. R., Rennó, G. V. C., Bruzi, A. T., Fortes, L. d. S., & Malloy-Diniz, L. F. (2022). Association between motor competence and executive functions in children. Applied Neuropsychology. Child, 11, 495-503.  doi:10.1080/21622965.2021.1897814

Siersbaek, G. M., Have, M., & Wedderkopp, N. (2022). The effect of leisure time sport on executive functions in Danish 1st grade children. Children (Basel), 9, 1458.  doi:10.3390/children9101458

Liu, J., Li, Y., Zhou, T., Lu, Y., Sang, M., Li, L., Fang, C., Hu, W., Sun, X., Quan, M., & Liu, J. (2022). Relationship between gross motor skills and inhibitory control in preschool children: A pilot study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16, 848230.  doi:10.3389/fnhum.2022.848230

von Suchodoletz, A., Slot, P. L., & Shroff, D. M. (2017). Measuring executive function in Indian mothers and their 4-year-old daughters: Executive function in Indian mothers and daughters. PsyCh Journal (Victoria, Australia), 6, 16-28.  doi.org/10.1002/pchj.156

Schonert-Reichl, K. A., Oberle, E., Diamond, A., Lawlor, M. S., Abbott, D., Thompson, K., & Oberlander, T.F. (2015). Enhancing cognitive and social – emotional development through a simple-to-administer mindfulness-based school program for elementary school children: A randomized controlled trial. Developmental Psychology, 51, 52-66. (Special Section on Mindfulness and Compassion in Human Development)  doi:10.1037/a0038454  (abstract)  (pdf)

Zaitchik, D., Iqbal, Y., & Carey, S. (2014). The effect of executive function on biological reasoning in young children: An individual differences study. Child Development, 85, 160-175.  doi:10.1111/cdev.12145  (abstract)  (pdf)

Diamond, A., Barnett, W.S., Thomas, J., & Munro, S. (2007). Preschool program improves cognitive control, Science, 318, 1387-1388.  doi:10.1126/science.1151148  (abstract)  (pdf)

Munro, S., Chau, C., Gazarian, K. & Diamond, A. (2006). Dramatically larger Flanker effects (6-fold elevation). Presentation, Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA.  doi:10.13140/RG.2.1.4289.8402  (abstract)  (pdf)