Schedule of Events | Symposia

Sketchpad Series

Relations between conflict-related midfrontal theta and parent-reported self-regulation in preschool-aged children

Poster Session A - Saturday, March 29, 2025, 3:00 – 5:00 pm EDT, Back Bay Ballroom/Republic Ballroom

Farnoosh Khandan¹ (fkhandan2@huskers.unl.edu), Carrie Clark²; ¹University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Background: Cognitive control, a core component of self-regulation, undergoes significant development during the preschool years, with children showing major improvements in inhibition and cognitive flexibility. Neural oscillatory activity in the theta frequency range (4–8 Hz) is critical in coordinating cognitive processes within neural circuits associated with self-regulation. Nonetheless, the underlying neural mechanisms contributing to cognitive control development in preschool-aged children remain poorly understood. This study investigates the relationship between conflict-related midfrontal theta power and parent-reported self-regulation in preschool-aged children. Methods: Our sample size is 80 children aged 3 to 5, with over-recruitment of 3-year-olds to ensure adequate data for this age group. Currently, we have collected data from 60 participants. Participants completed an Animals Stroop task while wearing an EEG cap. The task consisted of no-conflict trials (pictures of familiar animals) and conflict trials (chimera animals with mismatched heads), designed to generate cognitive conflict. Verbal responses were recorded for accuracy during 48 trials of each type, with a 500ms inter-trial interval and a break to check impedances. Parents also completed the Devereux Early Childhood Assessment (DECA) survey to report on their children's self-regulation and socio-emotional competencies. Results: Preliminary results will be presented in the poster. Results are pending at this stage. Discussion: The study anticipates finding a positive correlation between age and midfrontal theta power, reflecting increased cognitive control development. Higher midfrontal theta power is also expected to correlate with stronger self-regulation skills, enhancing understanding of brain development underlying cognitive control.

Topic Area: EXECUTIVE PROCESSES: Monitoring & inhibitory control