Developmental Changes in Measures of Hierarchical Stimulus Recognition in Conditions of Directed Attention in Children Aged 5–10 Years

Abstract

Reaction times and the accuracy of recognition of hierarchical letter stimuli at the local and global levels were studied in 95 children of four age groups (5–6, 6–7, 7–8, and 9–10 years) and 10 adults. Overall, children of all age groups and adults recognized hierarchical stimuli at the global level more accurately and rapidly than at the local level (the global advantage effect) and showed slowing of reactions on recognition of incongruent stimuli at the local level (the global interference effect). At younger ages (5–6 years), there were significant individual differences in measures of recognition of hierarchical letters – in some children of this age (seven of 37), the global advantage effect on recognition of incongruent stimuli was absent. Significant progressive changes in the accuracy of recognition of hierarchical stimuli at both the local and global levels were seen on development from 6–7 to 7–8 years, as well as in adults a compared with children aged 9–10 years. Different developmental dynamics in the speed of recognition of hierarchical stimuli were seen at the local and global levels: the speed of recognition of small letters increased significantly in each sequential age group, starting from 6–7 years, while recognition of large letters showed no significant decrease in reaction times in children aged 9–10 years as compared with those aged 7–8 years. In the two youngest age groups (5–6 and 6–7 years), the type of hierarchical stimulus was found to influence recognition speed: reaction times increased significantly, independently of the level of recognition, using both target (incongruent stimuli) and neutral elements at the irrelevant level. It is suggested that the nonlinear developmental dynamics of measures of the recognition of hierarchical stimuli at preschool and early school age are determined by the maturation of the mechanisms processing sense-specific information and by the formation of executive functions, especially those associated with selective extraction of significant signals.