An experimental study on the impact of Wushu routine learning on executive functions of 7 - 8 years old female children

Abstract

Executive function is one of the essential components of human cognitive function. Studies have found that improving executive function has a better impact on children’s academic achievement, behavioral performance, and mental health. This study employed an experimental design to investigate the effects of different types of motor learning on the development of 7-8-year-old children's executive functions. The intervention was the Wushu routine learning; sample size was 37 female children (experimental group 23, control group14), mean age was 7.38 years. The study applied the psychological experimental research software E-prime 2.0 developed by Psychology Software Tools, Inc. to evaluate the experimental groups' inhibitory function, refreshing function, and conversion function level by completing the Flanker task, 1-back task, and more-odd shifting task. The results showed that the intervention effect of motor learning was mainly manifested in the conversion function, while it had no significant effect on the inhibitory function and refreshing function. Different intervention duration of motor learning did not have significantly different effects on executive function.