Inhibitory control training for anxiety and math achievement in primary-school children: Protocol for a proof-of-concept study (Preprint)

Abstract

Cognitive control training (CCT) has shown potential to reduce emotional vulnerability in adults and adolescents. However, there is scant literature testing the efficacy of CCT for reduction of anxiety and transferring the effects to educational outcomes in children. Building on the evidence that a greater ability to suppress a prepotent response (inhibitory control) is associated with higher math achievement in children, it is plausible that training inhibitory processes using a CCT paradigm may be beneficial for reducing anxiety, improving inhibitory control, and in turn increasing math achievement.

This proof-of-concept study aims to investigate the efficacy of 15 sessions of inhibitory control training for reduction in anxiety and improvement in math achievement in primary-school children.

We will use a 2 (Group: CCT, adaptive Go/No-Go vs. Active Control, 1-back task) x 4 (Time: pre- vs. post-training vs. 1-month vs. 6-month follow-up) randomised design in a non-selected sample of 100 children aged 8-10 years. Both groups will complete 10 minutes of daily training for three weeks at school. The dependent variables will be anxiety and correlates (Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children, Revised Children’s’ Anxiety and Depression Scale, Child Response Style Questionnaire, Modified Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale), inhibitory control (Go/No-Go task), shifting (Colour-shape shifting task), updating (n-back task), and math achievement (Applied Problems, Calculation, and Math Facts Fluency subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement).

We opened enrolment in September 2023. Initial results are expected to be published in late 2024. We predict that children in the CCT group will show a reduction in emotional symptoms and demonstrate improvement in inhibition, updating, shifting and math achievement from pre- to post-training and these effects will be sustained at 1- and 6-month follow up, compared to children in the Active Control group.

The CCT paradigm used in our study will provide a greater understanding of emotional and cognitive transfer effects with children and inform future work. Specifically, the findings will advance the knowledge of deploying inhibitory control training with children and provide valuable insights into its use for reducing anxiety and advancing math achievement.

Open Science Framework (OSF) registration: https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/DE2QA