Being Optimally Aroused Matters: Effects of a Weak Stress Manipulation on Children’s Executive Functions Are Moderated by Temperament and Age

Regula Neuenschwander, Claudia Roebers and Clancy Blair

Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology, 2014, vol. 4, issue 1, 194

Abstract: We tested a core assumption of the bidirectional model of executive function (EF) (Blair & Ursache, 2011)indicating that EF is dependent on arousal. From a bottom-up perspective the performance on EF tasks isassumed to be curvilinearly related to arousal, with very high or low levels of arousal impairing EF. N = 107 4-and 6-year-olds’ performance on EF tasks was explored as a function of a weak stress manipulation aiming toraise children’s emotional arousal. EF (Stroop, Flanker, Go/no-go, and Backwards Color Recall) was assessedand stress was induced in half of the children by imposing a mild social-evaluative threat. Furthermore,children’s temperament was assessed as a potential moderator. We found that stress effects on children’s EFperformance were moderated by age and temperament- 4-year-olds with high Inhibitory Control and highAttentional Focusing were negatively affected by the stressor. However, it is unclear whether these effects weremediated by self-reported arousal. Our findings disconfirmed the hypotheses that adverse effects of the stressorare particularly high in children high on emotional reactivity aspects of temperament and low on self-regulatoryaspects of temperament. Further, 6-year-olds did not show any stress effects. Results will be discussed within theframework of the Yerkes-Dodson law and with regard to stress manipulations in children.

Date: 2014
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