Hanges in the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test Performances of 6- to 11-Year-Old Children

Objective:

This study aimed to explore developmental trajectories of different cognitive skills required for Wisconsin card sorting test (WCST) performance in a sample including a number of 643 children aged between 6-11 years old.

Method:

With that purpose, WCST was administered to all 643 children that were included in the study.

Results:

Our results have revealed that high- level cognitive skills that WCST should comprise were made up of three main sub-components as such diffi culties in conceptual thinking, perseveration, and failure to maintain set. Conceptual thinking and perseveration improved with age and displayed developmental spurts at different time points, whereas set maintenance did not revealany signifi cant changes. In addition, children with parents that had a history of lower degrees ofeducation were under the risk of disrupted development of cognitive fl exibilitiy and this observed risk was thought to have become much more apparent around 11 years of age. At this age, children of parents with lower degrees of education (primary school) displayed signifi cantly more perseveration errors compared to those of children that hadparentswith relatively higher degrees of education (high school education or above).

Discussion:

Findings stress out the importance of recognizing children being brought up in households with limited cognitive resources, detecting their diffi culties regarding fl exible thinking and problem solving skills early on, all whileproviding support for them through implementing preventive interventions.