Abstract

AYDMUNE, Yesica; STELZER, Florencia; VILLAROIA, Gisele  and  INTROZZI, Isabel. Training on inhibitory processes in elementary education. Analysis of transfer on mathematics performance. A pilot study. Rev. psicodebate: psicol. cult. soc. [online]. 2024, vol.24, n.1, pp.64-79.  Epub June 01, 2024. ISSN 2451-6600.  http://dx.doi.org/10.18682/pd.v24i1.10635.

Inhibitory processes - perceptual, cognitive and response inhibition - are core executive functions and domain-general processes. Training tasks have been developed in order to optimize them, and eventually generate an impact on related skills. These tasks have been tested in isolation. Thus, here a global inhibitory training program was formed (with these training tasks), and their effects on performance in mathematics were analyzed, in schoolchildren in the first years of primary school. The sample was made up of 25 students, an experimental design, with an experimental group (training), a control group, a pre-test and a post-test, was applied. The training involved the execution of tasks designed to demand perceptual, cognitive and response inhibition, over six 10-15 minute sessions. In the pre- and post-test instances, all participants were evaluated on their inhibitory capacity and mathematics performance. The main results did not show significant differences between groups in the post-test, although at the intragroup level, only the experimental group significantly changed, their performance from pre to post-test on a task that requires successive subtractions, Z = -2.69, p = .007, r = -.69, observing marginal differences in the other mathematics activities (ps > .05). Considering performance in the pre-test, relationships were found between subtraction performance and inhibitory processes (ps < .05). The scope of the pilot study and the importance of considering the size of the groups and the evaluation instruments in future work are discussed. It is suggested that, at this stage, performing subtractions may imply greater executive demand - specifically inhibitory processes.

Keywords : Inhibitory processes; training; math; primary school.

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