Largest EF-training benefits emerge on the most demanding EF tasks and task conditions, so outcome measures must test the limits of children's EF abilities¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · review r2 · q2
Currency · newest study 2012 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? The largest differences between intervention groups and controls are consistently found on the most demanding EF tasks and task conditions. → Diamond Adele 2012

Evidence¶

Diamond Adele 2012¶

Diamond Adele. (2012). Activities and Programs That Improve Children's Executive Functions. Current Directions in Psychological Science. https://doi.org/10.1177/0963721412453722

q2 · i? · review · r2

Narrative review synthesis across EF-intervention studies (citing C. L. Davis et al., 2011; Diamond et al., 2007; Manjunath & Telles, 2001); the review states differences often emerge only when the limits of children's EF skills are pushed. No effect sizes are printed.

"In studies of EF-enhancing activities, the largest differences between intervention groups and controls are consistently found on the most demanding EF tasks and task conditions."

Discussion¶

Related Claims¶

• Sustained aerobic exercise improves children's EFs, with dose-response benefits for the most EF-demanding task and math in the high-dose group only — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• Tools of the Mind and Montessori curricula improve children's EFs, with Tools children outperforming controls especially on more EF-demanding conditions — a narrower finding that bears on this claim
• EF training demands must keep increasing as children improve, or few gains will be seen — related
• The bilingual effect tends to emerge in more complex experimental tasks with higher control demands
• Whether EF gains are seen depends on the amount of time children spend doggedly practicing and pushing themselves to improve — related
• Reducing EF demands benefits struggling learners, whereas calibrated EF challenge is hypothesised to benefit beginning learners — related