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Can I Afford One More Candy? How Motivational Contexts Shape Adaptive Cognitive Control in Children

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Title: Can I Afford One More Candy? How Motivational Contexts Shape Adaptive Cognitive Control in Children
Language: English
Authors: Lisa Toffoli (ORCID 0000-0002-1664-7744), Margherita Calderan, Fiorella Del Popolo Cristaldi, Gian Marco Duma, Antonio Calcagnì, Massimiliano Pastore, Vincenza Tarantino, Giovanni Mento
Source: Developmental Psychology. 2026 62(4):765-778.
Availability: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
Peer Reviewed: Y
Page Count: 14
Publication Date: 2026
Document Type: Journal Articles
Reports - Research
Descriptors: Foreign Countries, Intelligence Tests, Young Children, Adjustment (to Environment), Executive Function, Self Motivation, Thinking Skills, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Rating Scales, Risk, Child Behavior
Geographic Terms: Italy
Assessment and Survey Identifiers: Raven Progressive Matrices, Conners Rating Scales
DOI: 10.1037/dev0001976
ISSN: 0012-1649
1939-0599
Abstract: Recent findings suggest that preschoolers are capable of adapting cognitive control (CC) through bottom-up associative learning. However, it is not clear how motivational contextual triggers may influence this ability. This study investigated adaptive CC in a "hot" experimental context administering a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task to 170 children (83 F; 4-7 years). Specifically, a proportion manipulation induced different risky attitudes based on item-specific features (i.e., the balloon color). Overall, children were capable of inferring environmental regularities embedded in the context to optimize their performance. Regarding their ability to exploit and update these regularities for flexible CC adaptation, results suggest that reversal learning is ambiguous at the block level--overshadowed by a general increase in risk-taking--but tentatively present at the sub-block level, with asymmetric effects. Indeed, children seem to successfully adapt CC when going from a low to a high advantageous context but not vice versa. Moreover, different adaptive CC profiles were predictive of daily behavioral difficulties revealed by parental questionnaires.
Abstractor: As Provided
Notes: https://osf.io/shuq2/?view_only=d782e9a30df643dd8e73f445354d74de
Entry Date: 2026
Accession Number: EJ1503361
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Can I Afford One More Candy? How Motivational Contexts Shape Adaptive Cognitive Control in Children
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Lisa+Toffoli%22">Lisa Toffoli</searchLink> (ORCID <externalLink term="https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1664-7744">0000-0002-1664-7744</externalLink>)<br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Margherita+Calderan%22">Margherita Calderan</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Fiorella+Del+Popolo+Cristaldi%22">Fiorella Del Popolo Cristaldi</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Gian+Marco+Duma%22">Gian Marco Duma</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Antonio+Calcagnì%22">Antonio Calcagnì</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Massimiliano+Pastore%22">Massimiliano Pastore</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Vincenza+Tarantino%22">Vincenza Tarantino</searchLink><br /><searchLink fieldCode="AR" term="%22Giovanni+Mento%22">Giovanni Mento</searchLink>
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SO" term="%22Developmental+Psychology%22"><i>Developmental Psychology</i></searchLink>. 2026 62(4):765-778.
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  Data: American Psychological Association. Journals Department, 750 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002. Tel: 800-374-2721; Tel: 202-336-5510; Fax: 202-336-5502; e-mail: order@apa.org; Web site: http://www.apa.org
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  Data: 0012-1649<br />1939-0599
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Recent findings suggest that preschoolers are capable of adapting cognitive control (CC) through bottom-up associative learning. However, it is not clear how motivational contextual triggers may influence this ability. This study investigated adaptive CC in a "hot" experimental context administering a modified version of the Balloon Analogue Risk Task to 170 children (83 F; 4-7 years). Specifically, a proportion manipulation induced different risky attitudes based on item-specific features (i.e., the balloon color). Overall, children were capable of inferring environmental regularities embedded in the context to optimize their performance. Regarding their ability to exploit and update these regularities for flexible CC adaptation, results suggest that reversal learning is ambiguous at the block level--overshadowed by a general increase in risk-taking--but tentatively present at the sub-block level, with asymmetric effects. Indeed, children seem to successfully adapt CC when going from a low to a high advantageous context but not vice versa. Moreover, different adaptive CC profiles were predictive of daily behavioral difficulties revealed by parental questionnaires.
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  Data: 2026
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