Lomonosov Psychology Journal
ISSN 0137-0936 (Print)
ISSN 2309-9852 (Online)
En Ru
ISSN 0137-0936 (Print)
ISSN 2309-9852 (Online)

Impact of physical activity of preschool children on the development of executive functions: theoretical review of studies

Relevance. The increase of children interest in entertainment TV programs, mobile applications and video games available on the internet causes a significant decrease in their physical activity: children get used to a sedentary or lying down lifestyle. The research problem lies in the contradiction that arises due tounderstanding of the positive effect of physical activity on the development of the regulatory functions of a preschooler, and a significant decrease in this activity in the digital conditions of the modern educational environment.The relevance and prospects of the study of the relationship between regulatory functions and physical activity of preschool children in new digital environment are not yet fully realized. 

The objective of the paper is to review the studies by foreign scientists in order to identify and describe relevant indicators of physical activity in preschool children interrelated with the main components of regulatory functions (inhibitory control, working memory, cognitive flexibility). 

Method. A theoretical review of research papers published over the past ten years (2010 –2020) on the subject of relationship of various physical activity indicators and regulatory functions in preschool children. 

Results. The paper provides a comparative analysis of studies conducted by foreign authors. It allows to reveal basic indicators of physical activity in children which are essential for the development of regulatory functions (sufficiency of physical activity; age-related appropriateness; the nature of physical activity; the form of physical activity arrangement), and particular indicators (the relationship of physical activity and regulatory functions in various sports, duration and intensity of physical activity, the availability of software for the development of physical activity in preschool children) as well. 

Conclusions. The review showed that the majority of the authors emphasized the significant role of basic physical activity indicators and their influence on regulatory functions. Aerobic exercises are the most effective in the development of regulatory functions in preschool children. Particular indicators are selected from the studies of the development of regulatory functions in specific sports (football, karate, yoga, mini-trampoline), and additional research on the duration and intensity of physical activity is needed.

References

Ackerman D.J., Friedman-Krauss A.H. (2017) Preschoolers’ executive function: Importance, contributors, research needs and assessment options. ETS Research Report Series, 1, 1–24.

Alesi M., Bianco A., Padulo J., Vella F. P., Petrucci M., Paoli A., Palma A., Pepi A. (2014) Motor and cognitive development: the role of karate. Muscles, ligaments and tendons journal, 4 (2), 114–120.

Best J.R. (2010) Effects of Physical Activity on Children's Executive Function: Contributions of Experimental Research on Aerobic Exercise. Developmental review, 30 (4), 331–551. 

Best J.R., Miller P.H. (2010) A Developmental Perspective on Executive Function. Child Development, 81, 1641–1660. 

Biddle S.J., Asare M. (2011) Physical activity and mental health in children and adolescents: a review of reviews. British journal of sports medicine, 45 (11), 886–895.

Bierman K.L., Torres M. (2016) Promoting the development of executive functions through early education and prevention programs. In J.A. Griffin, P. McCardle, & L.S. Freund (Eds.), Executive function in preschool-age children: Integrating measurement, neurodevelopment, and translational research (pp. 299–326). American Psychological Association. 

Carson V., Hunter S., Kuzik N., Wiebe S. A., Spence J. C., Friedman A., Tremblay M. S., Slater L., Hinkley T. (2016) Systematic review of physical activity and cognitive development in early childhood. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 19 (7), 573–578.

Castelli D.M., Centeio E.E., Hwang J., Barcelona J.M., Glowacki E.M., Calvert H.G., Nicksic H.M. (2014) The history of physical activity and academic performance research: informing the future. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 79 (4), 119–148.

Chaddock L., Hillman C.H., Pontifex M.B., Johnson C.R., Raine L.B., Kramer A.F. (2012) Childhood aerobic fitness predicts cognitive performance one year later. Journal of sports sciences, 30 (5), 421–430.

Chaddock-Heyman L., Erickson K.I., Voss M.W., Knecht A.M., Pontifex M.B., Castelli D.M., Hillman C.H., Kramer A.F. (2013) The effects of physical activity on functional MRI activation associated with cognitive control in children: a randomized controlled intervention. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 7, 72. 

Chang Y., Tsai Y.J., Chen T.T., Hung T.M. (2013) The impacts of coordinative exercise on executive function in kindergarten children: an ERP study. Experimental Brain Research, 225, 187–196.

Chang Y.K., Labban J.D., Gapin J.I., Etnier J.L. (2012) The effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance: a meta-analysis. Brain research, 1453, 87–101.

Chen A.-G., Yan J., Yin H.-C., Pan C.-Y., Chang Y.-K. (2014) Effects of acute aerobic exercise on multiple aspects of executive function in preadolescent children. Psychol. Sport Exerc. 15, 627–636.

de Greeff J.W., Bosker R.J., Oosterlaan J., Visscher C., Hartman E. (2018) Effects of physical activity on executive functions, attention and academic performance in preadolescent children: a meta-analysis. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21 (5), 501–507.

Diamond A. (2015) Effects of Physical Exercise on Executive Functions: Going beyond Simply Moving to Moving with Thought. Annals of Sports Medicine and Research, 2 (1), 1011.

Diamond A., Ling D.S. (2016) Conclusions about interventions, programs, and approaches for improving executive functions that appear justified and those that, despite much hype, do not. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 18, 34–48.

Donnelly J.E., Hillman C.H., Castelli D., Etnier J.L., Lee, S., Tomporowski P., Lambourne K., Szabo-Reed A.N. (2016). Physical activity, fitness, cognitive function, and academic achievement in children: A systematic review. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 48 (6), 1223–1224.

Federal'nyi zakon «O fizicheskoi kul'ture i sporte v Rossiiskoi Federatsii» (ot 04.12.2007, № 329–FZ). Elektronnyi resurs URL: https://base.garant.ru/12157560/Data obrashcheniya 25.04.2020 (in Russ.).

Gentile A., Boca S., Şahin F.N., Güler Ö., Pajaujiene S., Indriuniene V., Demetriou Y., Sturm D., Gómez-López M., Bianco A., Alesi M. (2020) The Effect of an Enriched Sport Program on Children’s Executive Functions: The ESA Program. Frontiers Psychology, 11, 657.

Hillman C.H., Pontifex M.B., Castelli D.M., Khan N.A., Raine L.B., Scudder M.R., Drollette E.S., Moore R.D., Wu C.-T., Kamijo K. (2014) Effects of the FITKids randomized controlled trial on executive control and brain function. Pediatrics, 134 (4), e1063–e1071.

Hillman C.H., Schott N. (2013) Der Zusammenhang von Fitness, kognitiver Leistungsfähigkeit und Gehirnzustand im Schulkindalter: Konsequenzen für die schulische Leistungsfähigkeit. Zeitschrift fur Sportpsychologie, 20 (1), 33–41. 

Jarraya S., Wagner M., Jarraya M., Engel F.A. (2019) 12 Weeks of Kindergarten-Based Yoga Practice Increases Visual Attention, Visual-Motor Precision and Decreases Behavior of Inattention and Hyperactivity in 5-Year-Old Children. Frontiers in psychology, 10, 796. 

Kohl H.W., 3rd, Craig C.L., Lambert E.V., Inoue S., Alkandari J.R., Leetongin G., Kahlmeier S., Lancet Physical Activity Series Working Group (2012) The pandemic of physical inactivity: global action for public health. Lancet (London, England), 380 (9838), 294–305. 

Mavilidi M.F., Okely A.D., Chandler P., Cliff D.P., Paas F. (2015) Effects of integrated physical exercises and gestures on preschool children’s foreign language vocabulary learning. Educational Psychology Review, 27 (3), 413–426.

McClelland M.M., Cameron C.E. (2012) Self-Regulation in Early Childhood: Improving Conceptual Clarity and Developing Ecologically Valid Measures. Child Development Perspectives, 6, 136–142.

McMorris T., Sproule J., Turner A., Hale B. J. (2011) Acute, intermediate intensity exercise, and speed and accuracy in working memory tasks: a meta-analytical comparison of effects. Physiology & behavior, 102 (3–4), 421–428.

Miyake A., Friedman N.P., Emerson M.J., Witzki A.H., Howerter A., Wager T. (2000) The unity and diversity of executive functions and their contributions to complex «frontal lobe» tasks: A latent variable analysis. Cognitive Psychology, 41, 49–100.

Niederer I., Kriemler S., Gut J., Hartmann T., Schindler C., Barral J., Puder J.J. (2011) Relationship of aerobic fitness and motor skills with memory and attention in preschoolers (Ballabeina): a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. BMC pediatrics, 11, 34.

Nisa L., Wuryandani W. (2018) Effect of Gross Motor Activity on Self-Regulation of Preschool Children. 10th International Conference on Languages, Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (LHESS-18), 67–71.

Palmer K.K., Chinn K.M., Robinson L.E. (2017) Using Achievement Goal Theory in Motor Skill Instruction: A Systematic Review. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 47 (12), 2569–2583. 

Palmer K.K., Miller M.W., Robinson L.E. (2013) Acute exercise enhances preschoolers' ability to sustain attention. Journal of sport & exercise psychology, 35 (4), 433–437.

Paschen L., Lehmann T., Kehne M., Baumeister J. (2019) Effects of acute physical exercise with low and high cognitive demands on executive functions in children: A systematic review. Pediatric Exercise Science, 31 (3), 267–281.

Pis'mo Ministerstva prosveshcheniya RF «O napravlenii metodicheskikh rekomendatsii» (ot 25.03.2020, № GD-65/03). Elektronnyi resurs URL: https://www.garant.ru/products/ipo/prime/doc/73731126/?prime. Data obrashcheniya 15.04.2020 (in Russ.).

Reimers A.K., Boxberger K., Schmidt S., Niessner C., Demetriou Y., Marzi I., Woll A. (2019) Social Support and Modelling in Relation to Physical Activity Participation and Outdoor Play in Preschool Children. Children (Basel, Switzerland), 6 (10), 115.

Robinson L.E., Palmer K.K., Bub K.L. (2016). Effect of the Children’s Health Activity Motor Program on Motor Skills and Self-Regulation in Head Start Preschoolers: An Efficacy Trial. Frontiers in Public Health, 4, 1–9.

Sember V., Kovač M., Starc G., Jurak G. (2019) Physical activity and academic performance in slovenian schoolchildren. Didactica Slovenica – Pedagoska Obzorja, 34 (3), 3–18.

Sibley B.A., Etnier J.L. (2003) The relationship between physical activity and cognition in children: аMeta-Analysis. Pediatric exercise science 15 (3), 243–256.

Sofi F., Valecchi D., Bacci D., Abbate R., Gensini G.F., Casini A., Macchi C. (2011) Physcal activity and risk of cognitive decline: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. Journal of internal medicine, 269 (1), 107–117.

Stein M., Auerswald M., Ebersbach M. (2017) Relationships between Motor and Executive Functions and the Effect of an Acute Coordinative Intervention on Executive Functions in Kindergartners. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 859.

Timmons B.W., Leblanc A.G., Carson V., Connor Gorber S., Dillman C., Janssen I., Kho M. E., Spence J. C., Stearns J. A., Tremblay M. S. (2012) Systematic review of physical activity and health in the early years (aged 0–4 years). Applied physiology, nutrition, and metabolism = Physiologie appliquee, nutrition et metabolisme, 37 (4), 773–792. 

Tortella P., Fumagalli G., Coppola R., Schembri R., Pignato S. (2019) The role of the educator/adult in supporting children of pre-school age in learning difficult tasks: The case of the playground “Primo sport 0246”. Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 19 (5), 2015–2023. 

Tortella P., Haga M., Loras H., Sigmundsson H., Fumagalli G. (2016) Motor Skill Development in Italian Pre-School Children Induced by Structured Activities in a Specific Playground. PloS one, 11 (7), e0160244.

Verbeken S., Braet C., Goossens L., van der Oord S.  (2013). Executive function training with game elements for obese children: a novel treatment to enhance self-regulatory abilities for weight-control. Behaviour research and therapy, 51 (6), 290–299.

Verburgh L., Königs M., Scherder E.J., Oosterlaan J. (2014) Physical exercise and executive functions in preadolescent children, adolescents and young adults: a meta-analysis. British journal of sports medicine, 48 (12), 973–979.

Wen X., Zhang Y., Gao Z., Zhao W., Jie J., Bao L. (2018) Effect of mini-trampoline physical activity on executive functions in preschool children. [Electronic resource]. BioMed Research International. URL: https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/2712803(date of retrieval: 25.06.2020). 

World Health Organization (2010) Global recommendations on physical activity for health. WHO Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data [Electronic resource]. URL: https://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/publications/9789241599979/en/ (date of retrieval: 17.07.2020).

Zeng N., Ayyub M., Sun H., Wen X., Xiang P., Gao Z. (2017). Effects of Physical Activity on Motor Skills and Cognitive Development in Early Childhood: A Systematic Review. BioMed research international, 2017, 2760716.

Zeng X., Cai L., Wong S.H., Lai L., Lv Y., Tan W., Jing J., Chen Y. (2020). Association of Sedentary Time and Physical Activity With Executive Function Among Children. [Electronic resource]. Academic Pediatrics. URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acap.2020.02.027(date of retrieval: 06.06.2020). 

Тompsett C., Sanders R., Taylor C., Cobley S. (2017) Pedagogical Approaches to and Effects of Fundamental Movement Skill Interventions on Health Outcomes: A Systematic Review. Sportsmedicine(Auckland, N.Z.), 47 (9), 1795–1819.

Recieved: 06/29/2020

Accepted: 08/03/2020

Published: 09/20/2020

Keywords: preschool age; physical development; physical activity; regulatory functions; working memory; inhibitory control; cognitive flexibility

Available online since: 20.09.2020

Issue 3, 2020