Cognitive differentiation during childhood: A study on cognitive profiles of 5, 7, and 9-year-old children
Keywords:
Cognitive ability, Childhood, Intelligence, Intelligence quotientAbstract
Within the debate about whether intelligence is best defined by a general factor or specific skills, the hypothesis of cognitive differentiation gains relevance. Recent analyses have emphasized the importance of this issue in the investigation of cognitive skills and have highlighted its implications in education. This study examined the possibility that the differentiation of cognitive abilities may occur during childhood and investigated the moderating effect of Intelligence Quotient on the magnitude of the relationship between cognitive abilities. A battery of tests for assessing cognitive function was administered to 231 children aged 5, 7, and 9 years old, who were divided into three cognitive performance groups. The results of hierarchical cluster analysis and variance analysis indicate the lack of differentiation of cognitive functions during childhood. However, a more careful analysis suggests some differentiation supported by the heterogeneity of cognitive profiles among students with high Intelligence Quotient.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Ana Azevedo MARTINS, Diana Lopes SOARES, Lurdes BRITO, Gina Cláudia LEMOS, Ana Filipa ALVES, Leandro da Silva ALMEIDA
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