Card sorting as a method for cognitive flexibility assessment in 3 to 8 year old children Cover Image

Sortowanie kart jako metoda badania giętkości poznawczej u dzieci w wieku 3–8 lat
Card sorting as a method for cognitive flexibility assessment in 3 to 8 year old children

Author(s): Sławomir Jabłoński, Izabela Kaczmarek, Katarzyna Kaliszewska-Czeremska, Marzenna Zakrzewska
Subject(s): Education
Published by: Instytut Badań Edukacyjnych
Keywords: cognitive psychology; developmental psychology; Dimensional Change Card Sort; Children Card Sort; executive function; cognitive flexibility; task-switching; perseveration

Summary/Abstract: Two parallel versions of Children Card Sort (CCS) designed by the authors on the basis of the Dimensional Children Card Sort (DCCS) are presented. Both of these versions of CCS have been standardized for application in the investigation of child executive functioning. In the pilot study, 41 healthy children aged 3–8 were tested and the reliability of both types of CCS investigated. The validity of a method for calculating final scores for different aspects of CCS was also tested. The research confirmed the reliability of both versions of CCS and showed the need for new procedures to calculate final scores. Theoretical foundations of the card sort method, commonly used in the research of child executive functions are described and the concepts of inhibitory control, memory, conceptual reasoning and theories of complexity are discussed. Since none of these concepts are commonly accepted to explain the processes underlying card sorting the authors suggest interpretation of CCS as a measure of cognitive flexibility.

  • Issue Year: 121/2013
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 54-72
  • Page Count: 19
  • Language: Polish