Contextual Transparency Supports Cognitive Control by Reducing Prefrontal Activation and Enhancing Cue Prioritization in Children
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| Title: | Contextual Transparency Supports Cognitive Control by Reducing Prefrontal Activation and Enhancing Cue Prioritization in Children |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Cachal Neuburger (ORCID |
| Source: | Developmental Science. 2026 29(3). |
| Availability: | Wiley. Available from: John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030. Tel: 800-835-6770; e-mail: cs-journals@wiley.com; Web site: https://www.wiley.com/en-us |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 16 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Research |
| Descriptors: | Children, Cues, Cognitive Processes, Child Behavior, Brain, Eye Movements |
| DOI: | 10.1111/desc.70188 |
| ISSN: | 1363-755X 1467-7687 |
| Abstract: | As children grow older, they engage cognitive control (i.e., goal-directed regulation of attention and actions) with increasing flexibility in response to contextual demands, which stems in part from more efficient processing of contextual cues. The present study investigated the neurocognitive mechanisms through which contextual cue transparency (i.e., the clarity or intuitiveness of task cues) benefits children's performance. Five- to 10-year-old children completed a cued task-switching paradigm in which they switched between color- and shape-matching rules as a function of either transparent or arbitrary task cues, while fNIRS or eye-tracking data were recorded. Relative to arbitrary cues, transparent cues led to improved behavioral performance, reduced lateral prefrontal activation, and a higher frequency of efficient gaze patterns (i.e., fixating the cue before the target). Furthermore, distinct patterns of prefrontal activation were associated with cue transparency and switching demands. Thus, greater cue transparency reduced the neurocognitive resources needed to identify goals and facilitated cue prioritization, but they did not appear to enhance attentional shifting. |
| Abstractor: | As Provided |
| Notes: | https://osf.io/yvg6s/?view_only=0b7d431e0cff4c5680b7ba52cebc37bb |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1504549 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | As children grow older, they engage cognitive control (i.e., goal-directed regulation of attention and actions) with increasing flexibility in response to contextual demands, which stems in part from more efficient processing of contextual cues. The present study investigated the neurocognitive mechanisms through which contextual cue transparency (i.e., the clarity or intuitiveness of task cues) benefits children's performance. Five- to 10-year-old children completed a cued task-switching paradigm in which they switched between color- and shape-matching rules as a function of either transparent or arbitrary task cues, while fNIRS or eye-tracking data were recorded. Relative to arbitrary cues, transparent cues led to improved behavioral performance, reduced lateral prefrontal activation, and a higher frequency of efficient gaze patterns (i.e., fixating the cue before the target). Furthermore, distinct patterns of prefrontal activation were associated with cue transparency and switching demands. Thus, greater cue transparency reduced the neurocognitive resources needed to identify goals and facilitated cue prioritization, but they did not appear to enhance attentional shifting. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1363-755X 1467-7687 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/desc.70188 |
