Advanced search. Espejo, E. Participants Cognitive flexibility enhancement scored between Cognitive flexibility enhancement flexiibility upper level minus 1. Effects of game-based and standard executive control training on cognitive and academic abilities in elementary school children.

Cognitive flexibility enhancement -

When one is able to reason fluidly, they are in turn more likely to be cognitively flexible. Cognitive flexibility has also been shown to be related to one's ability to cope in particular situations. For example, when individuals are better able to shift their thinking from situation to situation they will focus less on stressors within these situations.

In general, researchers in the field focus on development of cognitive flexibility between the ages of three and five. A variety of assessments are appropriate for distinguishing between different levels of cognitive flexibility at different ages. Below are the common tests used to assess cognitive flexibility in the order of the developmentally appropriate age.

In the A-not-B task , children are shown an object hidden at Location A within their reach, and are then prompted to search for the object at Location A, where they find it.

This activity is repeated several times, with the hidden object at Location A. Then, in the critical trial and while the child is watching, the object is hidden in Location B, a second location within easy reach of child.

Researchers have agreed that the A-not-B task is a simple task that effectively measures cognitive flexibility during infancy. In the Dimensional Change Card Sorting Task DCCS , children are initially asked to sort cards by a single dimension such as color , and are subsequently required to alter their strategy to sort cards based on a second dimension such as shape.

However, five-year-old children are able to sort cards based on one dimension and can then switch to sorting cards on a second dimension.

In the Multiple Classification Card Sorting Task, children are shown cards and asked to sort them based on two different dimensions e.

by color, such as yellow and blue, and object type, such as animals and food simultaneously into four piles within a matrix e. yellow animals, yellow foods, blue animals and blue foods.

This task appears to be more difficult as research has shown that seven-year-old children were incapable of sorting cards based on the two dimensions simultaneously. These children focused on the two dimensions separately, whereas at the age of eleven, children were capable of sorting cards based on these two dimensions simultaneously.

This demonstrates an increase in cognitive flexibility between the ages of seven and eleven. The Wisconsin Card Sorting Test WCST is used to determine an individual's competence in abstract reasoning, and the ability to change problem-solving strategies when needed.

In this test, a number of cards are presented to the participants. The figures on the cards differ with respect to color, quantity, and shape. The participants are then told to match the cards, but not how to match; however, they are told whether a particular match is right or wrong.

The ability to switch matching rules is measured. Typically, children between ages nine and eleven demonstrate the cognitive flexibility needed for this test. The Stroop Test is also known as the Color-word Naming Test.

In this measure, there are three types of cards in the deck. The "color card" displays patches of different colors, which participants are asked to identify as quickly as possible. The "word card," displays the names of colors printed in black and white ink, which participants are again asked name as quickly as possible.

The final card type is the "color-word card", which displays the names of the colors printed in an ink of a conflicting color e. the word RED would be printed in yellow , and requires participants to name the ink colors while ignoring the conflicting color names.

The basic score on each card is the total time in seconds that the participant takes to respond verbally.

In this situation, adults tend to take longer to respond than children because adults are more sensitive to the actual color of the word and thus are more likely to be influenced by it when naming the conflicting color word printed. Understanding of the mechanisms underlying cognitive flexibility is a subject of current research.

It remains an elusive property of distributed brain function that instantiates itself in many ways. Human studies using functional magnetic resonance imaging fMRI and animal studies using optogenetics have shown that cognitive flexibility relies on a variety of distinct regions of the brain that work in concert, including the prefrontal cortex PFC , anterior cingulate cortex ACC , posterior parietal cortex PPC , basal ganglia , and thalamus.

The regions active during engagement of cognitive flexibility depend on the task and various factors involved in flexibility that are used to assess the behavior, as flexible thinking requires aspects of inhibition, attention, working memory, response selection, and goal maintenance.

Activation of the dorsolateral PFC has been shown during resolution of interference of irrelevant task sets. A set switch would require switching between task rules, as with the WCST, and is considered to be the most abstract.

A response switch would require different response mapping, such as circle right button and square left button and vice versa. Lastly, a stimulus or perceptual set switch would require a simple switch between a circle and a square.

Activation is mediated by the level of abstractness of the set switch in an anterior to posterior fashion within the PFC, with the most anterior activations elicited by set switches and the most posterior activations resulting from stimulus or perceptual switches. Children can be strikingly inflexible when assessed using traditional tests of cognitive flexibility, but this does not come as a surprise considering the many cognitive processes involved in the mental flexibility, and the various developmental trajectories of such abilities.

With age, children generally show increases in cognitive flexibility which is likely a product of the protracted development of the frontoparietal network evident in adults, with maturing synaptic connections , increased myelination and regional gray matter volume occurring from birth to mid-twenties.

Diminished cognitive flexibility has been noted in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders such as anorexia nervosa , obsessive—compulsive disorder , schizophrenia , autism , and in a subset of people with ADHD.

For example, those with obsessive—compulsive disorder experience difficulty shifting their attentional focus as well as inhibiting motor responses. Juveniles with anorexia nervosa have marked decreases in set-shifting abilities, possibly associated with incomplete maturation of prefrontal cortices associated with malnutrition.

The elderly often experience deficits in cognitive flexibility. The aging brain undergoes physical and functional changes including a decline in processing speed, central sensory functioning, white matter integrity, and brain volume.

Regions associated with cognitive flexibility such as the PFC and PC atrophy, or shrink, with age, but also show greater task-related activation in older individuals when compared to younger individuals. Studies suggest that aerobic exercise and training can have plasticity inducing effects that could potentially serve as an intervention in old age that combat the decline in executive function.

Cognitive flexibility and other executive function skills are crucial to success both in classroom settings and life. A study examining the impact of cognitive intervention for at-risk children in preschool classrooms found that children who received such intervention for one to two years significantly outperformed their peers.

Educators involved in this study ultimately opted to implement the cognitive skills training techniques instead of the district-developed curriculum. Further indicative of the role cognitive flexibility plays in education is the argument that how students are taught greatly impacts the nature and formation of their cognitive structures, which in turn affect students' ability to store and readily access information.

This is reflected in the integration of cognitive flexibility into educational policy regarding academic guidelines and expectations. For example, as outlined in the Common Core State Standards Initiative , a standards-based education reform developed to increase high school graduation rates, educators are expected to present within the classroom "high level cognitive demands by asking students to demonstrate deep conceptual understanding through the application of content knowledge and skills to new situations.

An alternative educational approach informed by cognitive flexibility is hypertext , which is frequently computer-supported instruction.

Computers allow for complex data to be presented in a multidimensional and coherent format, allowing users to access that data as needed.

The most widely used example of hypertext is the Internet, which dynamically presents information in terms of interconnection e.

Hypertext documents, therefore, include nodes — bits of information — and links, the pathways between these nodes. Applications for teacher education have involved teacher-training sessions based on video instruction, whereby novice teachers viewed footage of master teachers conducting a literacy workshop.

In this example, the novice teachers received a laserdisc of the course content, a hypertext document that allowed the learners to access content in a self-directed manner. When you get upset or feel stuck, remember to give yourself some grace.

It takes practice to develop cognitive flexibility. Pause and breathe for a few seconds and consider what else might be possible in your situation. With the right coaching, you can build your cognitive flexibility even faster. Try BetterUp today to see how you and your team can build cognitive flexibility together.

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Jump to section What is cognitive flexibility? How to improve your cognitive flexibility 3 tools and tests to measure your cognitive flexibility Build your cognitive flexibility.

Or someone who can come up with a novel idea under the pressure of a deadline? These are all examples that help illustrate the definition of cognitive flexibility. What is cognitive flexibility? On the other hand, if you have rigid thinking, you may struggle to solve problems.

Here are some ways you can improve your cognitive flexibility so that you can approach a tough situation in a different way: 1. Start small One way to practice cognitive flexibility is to introduce it in small, low-stakes ways in your life. Even if you start small, you can start improving your cognitive flexibility.

Plus, listening can help improve your empathy and make you a better learner. Interrupt and redirect your thoughts This tactic is for people who tend to go down rabbit holes with negative thoughts about themselves. Ask yourself what else might be true You can try this tip for yourself.

You can use this if one of your employees is stuck, frustrated, or a bit stubborn. The Cognitive Control and Flexibility Questionnaire This questionnaire was developed in the context of research completed in Your job is to decide if these statements are true or false for you: I get easily distracted by upsetting thoughts or feelings.

My thoughts and emotions interfere with my ability to concentrate. I have a hard time managing my emotions. I feel like I lose control over my thoughts and emotions. It is easy for me to ignore distracting thoughts.

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Thank flexlbility for visiting Cognitive flexibility enhancement. You are using a browser version Congitive limited support Cognitivve CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend Water weight reduction supplements review use a more up to date enhajcement Cognitive flexibility enhancement turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer. In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript. Cognitive and behavioural flexibility permit the appropriate adjustment of thoughts and behaviours in response to changing environmental demands. Brain mechanisms enabling flexibility have been examined using non-invasive neuroimaging and behavioural approaches in humans alongside pharmacological and lesion studies in animals. To stay relevant and Cognjtive able to work flexibiluty machines, Inflammation and hormonal balance accountants are flexubility required to have a range of Cognitive flexibility enhancement that Cognitive flexibility enhancement much Cognitive flexibility enhancement than ever before. You need not only your accounting clexibility but also data analysis, strategic planning and project management skills, as well as strong soft skills such as communication and collaboration. Increasingly, open-mindedness and adaptability to change are also cited as crucial for success in today's fast-evolving world of finance. Catherine Smith, behaviour change expert at professional coaching consultancy Equal Talent, suggests you consider these circumstances:. You need good mental agility or cognitive flexibility to be able to switch your thinking easily from one concept or task to another in response to changing circumstances.