The Effects of a Cognitively Challenging Physical Activity Intervention on School Children’s Executive Functions and Motivational Regulations

Athanasios Kolovelonis, Caterina Pesce and Marios Goudas ()
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Athanasios Kolovelonis: Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, 42100 Trikala, Greece
Caterina Pesce: Department of Movement, Human and Health Sciences, Italian University Sport and Movement “ForoItalico”, 00135 Rome, Italy
Marios Goudas: Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, 42100 Trikala, Greece

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 19, 1-18

Abstract: This study examined the effects of a physical education intervention consisting of cognitively challenging physical activity games on school children’s executive functions and motivational regulations. Ninety-nine fourth- and fifth-grade children participated in this two-group, repeated measures, quasi-experimental study with a cross-over design. Children’s executive functions (measured with the design fluency and Stroop and flanker tests) and motivational regulations were measured pre- and post-intervention and one month later. At post-test, the experimental group children outperformed the waiting-list control group children in all design fluency test conditions and accuracy in the Stroop and flanker tests. Both groups improved from pre- to post-intervention their speed (reaction time) in the Stroop and flanker tests. The waiting-list control group children, after receiving the intervention, improved their performance in the executive function tests except for Stroop test accuracy and flanker test speed. The positive effects were reduced significantly one month after the end of the intervention but remained significantly higher compared to pre-intervention. No intervention effects were found for the motivational regulations. These results showed that the intervention had positive effects on children’s executive functions and supported the new shift of designing physical activity programs for developing combinedly children’s physical and cognitive development.

Keywords: physical education; inhibition; cognitive flexibility; long-term intervention; retention (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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