Foster children who received the control intervention scored significantly lower on the post-switch task than never-fostered comparison children¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study · causal r2 · q3 · i3 large
Currency · newest study 2012 · checked against its sources 2026-10-20 (automated, 1 of 1 entry) · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q3 i3 Foster-care control children scored significantly lower than never-fostered comparison children on the post-switch card sort (d = 1.12). → Lewis-Morrarty 2012

Evidence¶

Lewis-Morrarty 2012¶

Lewis-Morrarty, E., Dozier, M., Bernard, K., Terracciano, S., & Moore, S. (2012). Cognitive Flexibility and Theory of Mind Outcomes Among Foster Children: Preschool Follow-up Results of a Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of Adolescent Health. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.05.005

q3 · i3 · causal · r2

In the Bonferroni-adjusted follow-up contrasts from the same ANCOVA, foster-care control children scored significantly lower than never-fostered comparison children on the post-switch card sort, with a large effect size (d = 1.12). This contrast is between the randomised foster-care control arm and a separate, non-randomised group of never-fostered children who differed on several demographic variables (the result held when controlling for them), and the authors call the results preliminary; it is a group difference, not evidence that early adversity caused the lower post-switch scores.

"However, children in the FCC group scored significantly lower on the post-switch task than children in the NFC group (Mcontrast = −1.52, p = .00, CI 95: −2.40, −0.64), and the effect size was large (d = 1.12)."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Adverse Experiences — predictor: learners who differ on it differ in outcomes
• Executive Function — outcome: instruction changes it

Related Claims¶

• Foster children who received the ABC intervention in infancy showed stronger cognitive flexibility at preschool age than foster children who received a control intervention — related
• Foster children who received the ABC intervention showed stronger theory of mind at preschool age than foster children who received a control intervention — related
• Foster children who received a control intervention showed a specific post-switch (set-shifting) deficit on the card-sort task, with no group difference on the pre-switch trials — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Group differences in receptive language did not hold when controlling for SES, and receptive language was the covariate retained in the main analyses — related
• Children typically perseverate on the Dimensional Change Card Sort at age 3 but can switch sorting rules from age 4 — related