Traditional Tae-Kwon-Do training produces greater gains than standard physical education on all studied dimensions of EFs, with gains greatest for older children and boys¶

Claim · All claims
Evidence · 1 study (2 entries) · causal r? · q2
Currency · newest study 2011 · not yet checked against its sources · not reviewed by a person

Subclaims¶

q2 i? Children receiving traditional Tae-Kwon-Do showed greater EF gains than children in standard physical education on all dimensions studied, generalizing across contexts and measures. → Diamond Adele 2011 q2 i? Gains were greatest for the oldest children (Grades 4 & 5), least for the youngest (K & Grade 1), and greater for boys than girls. → Diamond Adele 2011 (2)

Evidence¶

Diamond Adele 2011¶

Diamond Adele, Lee Kathleen. (2011). Interventions shown to Aid Executive Function Development in Children 4–12 Years Old. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1204529

q2 · i? · causal · r?

The review reports a study in which children 5–11 years old were randomly assigned by homeroom class to Tae-Kwon-Do with incrementing challenge or standard PE; gains generalized to multiple contexts.

"Children getting traditional Tae-Kwon-Do training were found to show greater gains than children in standard physical education on all dimensions of EFs studied (e.g., cognitive [distractible—focused] and affective [quitting—persevering]) (28)."

Diamond Adele 2011 (2)¶

Diamond Adele, Lee Kathleen. (2011). Interventions shown to Aid Executive Function Development in Children 4–12 Years Old. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1204529

q2 · i? · review · r2

The review reports moderators of the Tae-Kwon-Do effect: age and gender, with the oldest children and boys gaining most; participants were socioeconomically advantaged.

"Gains were greatest for the oldest children (Grades 4 & 5) and least for the youngest (K & Grade 1) and greater for boys than girls."

Discussion¶

Learner Variables¶

• Age and Developmental Stage — moderator: an instructional effect differs with it

Related Claims¶

• Physical activities combining exercise with character development or mindfulness improved children's EFs more than exercise alone: tae kwon do outperformed standard PE, and a yoga pilot improved planning — possibly the same claim (merge candidate)
• Whether EF gains are produced depends on how an activity is done: traditional tae kwon do reduced aggression while modern competitive martial arts worsened outcomes in juvenile delinquents — related
• Mindfulness training improves EFs most in 7–9 year-olds with initially poorer EFs, and yoga improves EFs where physical training alone does not — related
• Whether EF gains are seen depends on the amount of time children spend doggedly practicing and pushing themselves to improve — related
• Open-skill exercises yield larger executive function benefits than closed-skill exercises for inhibitory control and working memory — related
• Music interventions show moderately strong evidence for EF change including inhibitory control, possibly stronger with greater intensity and longevity — related