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ERIC Number: EJ1139540
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2017
Pages: 14
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1524-8372
EISSN: N/A
Validating the Electric Maze Task as a Measure of Planning
Sheppard, Kelly W.; Cheatham, Carol L.
Journal of Cognition and Development, v18 n2 p309-322 2017
The Electric Maze Task (EMT) is a novel planning task designed to allow flexible testing of planning abilities across a broad age range and to incorporate manipulations to test underlying planning abilities, such as working-memory and inhibitory control skills. The EMT was tested in a group of 63 typically developing 7- to 12-year-olds. Participants completed 4 mazes designed to alter working-memory demands (by increasing the number of steps required from 6 to 8) and inhibitory control demands (by using a modified Dimensional Change Card Sort task) and 3 standardized measures using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery. The EMT was found to correlate with measures of visual memory, working memory, and planning. The 6-step mazes were simpler for participants to solve and mapped on to performance on the visual memory task. The 8-step mazes were more difficult and mapped on to performance on the spatial working-memory and planning tasks. Children who were 10 to 12 years old were also better than 7- to 9-year-olds at solving all mazes, as evidenced by fewer errors and fewer errors later in solving the mazes. Younger children also struggled more than older children after a rule switch. Performance on the maze task differentiated 7- to 12-year-old children with better planning skills, and manipulations of the maze task were successful in altering the working-memory and inhibitory control demands.
Routledge. Available from: Taylor & Francis, Ltd. 530 Walnut Street Suite 850, Philadelphia, PA 19106. Tel: 800-354-1420; Tel: 215-625-8900; Fax: 215-207-0050; Web site: http://www.tandf.co.uk/journals
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A