Examining cognitive determinants of planning future routine events: a pilot study in school-age Italian children ( Análisis de los determinantes cognitivos de la planificación de eventos de rutina futuros: un estudio piloto con niños italianos en edad escolar )

Abstract

Previous research addressed the cognitive antecedents of children’s ability to plan future routine events mainly in terms of executive functioning. Additionally, most studies assessed planning through ‘high structure’ tools (e.g., the Tower of London), whereas little research employed ecological ‘low structure’ paper-pencil tasks, such as the Key Search Task (KST). The primary aim of the current research was to investigate, in a sample of 45 Italian school-age children (mean_age = 5.08; SD = 0.80; range_age = 5–8 years), the role of fluid intelligence (Gf), core executive functions — CEFs (working memory, inhibition and shifting), as well as their interactions in planning performance, using the KST. Results revealed that Gf was the main predictor of planning, whereas only inhibition moderated the Gf-planning link. These findings suggested that better competencies in inhibition promote children’s ability to reason and solve problems requiring systematic and ecological plans of action. Implications and limits were also considered.