Pub Date : 2026-01-30DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2026.101246
Vittoria Volpi , Maria Dolores de Hevia
Humans appear to rely on spatial mental structures across a wide range of cognitive domains—from reasoning about quantity and serial order to recalling events in episodic memory. While individual domains such as number, language, or memory have been associated with spatial representations, we propose a broader hypothesis: that humans possess an innate predisposition to use mental space as a foundational structuring format. We argue that this spatial scaffolding supports the organization of both concrete and abstract information, including continua (e.g., magnitude), ordered sequences (e.g., rules), and event order (e.g., what happened when). Drawing on findings from developmental and cognitive psychology, we suggest that this capacity emerges early, extends across domains, and reflects a fundamental constraint of human cognition. Understanding the origins, developmental trajectory, and functional role of this spatial predisposition can shed light on how abstract knowledge is learned, represented and reasoned about, and how space supports learning across development.
{"title":"Mental space as an innate foundational structure for cognition: from quantities to events","authors":"Vittoria Volpi , Maria Dolores de Hevia","doi":"10.1016/j.dr.2026.101246","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dr.2026.101246","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Humans appear to rely on spatial mental structures across a wide range of cognitive domains—from reasoning about quantity and serial order to recalling events in episodic memory. While individual domains such as number, language, or memory have been associated with spatial representations, we propose a broader hypothesis: that humans possess an innate predisposition to use <em>mental space</em> as a foundational structuring format. We argue that this spatial scaffolding supports the organization of both concrete and abstract information, including continua (e.g., magnitude), ordered sequences (e.g., rules), and event order (e.g., what happened when). Drawing on findings from developmental and cognitive psychology, we suggest that this capacity emerges early, extends across domains, and reflects a fundamental constraint of human cognition. Understanding the origins, developmental trajectory, and functional role of this spatial predisposition can shed light on how abstract knowledge is learned, represented and reasoned about, and how space supports learning across development.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48214,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Review","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 101246"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080594","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2026.101250
Catarina Baptista , Antonino Vallesi , Arianna Menardi
The Default Mode Network (DMN), once seen merely as a “task-negative” network, is now recognized for its involvement in various cognitive functions, including higher-order executive behaviour. Its functional connectivity changes notably across the lifespan and closely reflects the development and decline of such abilities. Although interest in age-related DMN changes has grown, age-specific evaluation of the findings remains lacking. This review examines studies published between 2015 and 2025 using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that investigate DMN connectivity from infancy through older adulthood and its role in the emergence, and later deterioration, of cognitive functions. Literature searches were conducted on PubMed and Scopus (last search: 02/04/2025), including studies in English with no age restrictions. Out of the initial pool, 98 studies were selected, involving a total of 96,927 participants. We overall report that the DMN undergoes maturation during infancy and childhood, reaching full cohesion by early adulthood. This maturation process is accompanied by the emergence of anticorrelation patterns between the DMN and task-positive networks, patterns that are linked to the individual level of cognitive efficiency. At the two ends of the aging curve (childhood and older age), the segregation among functional communities appears, however, less distinct, and active recruitment of DMN regions during challenging task conditions might, sometimes, act as a compensatory mechanism. In middle to late adulthood, the DMN exhibits a decline especially in long-range connectivity. This decline is accompanied by a worsening of cognitive performance, often associated with neuropathological mechanisms common at this stage of life.
{"title":"The default mode network throughout the lifespan: A state-of-the-art scoping review on its development and association to individual cognitive functioning","authors":"Catarina Baptista , Antonino Vallesi , Arianna Menardi","doi":"10.1016/j.dr.2026.101250","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dr.2026.101250","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Default Mode Network (DMN), once seen merely as a “task-negative” network, is now recognized for its involvement in various cognitive functions, including higher-order executive behaviour. Its functional connectivity changes notably across the lifespan and closely reflects the development and decline of such abilities. Although interest in age-related DMN changes has grown, age-specific evaluation of the findings remains lacking. This review examines studies published between 2015 and 2025 using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) that investigate DMN connectivity from infancy through older adulthood and its role in the emergence, and later deterioration, of cognitive functions. Literature searches were conducted on PubMed and Scopus (last search: 02/04/2025), including studies in English with no age restrictions. Out of the initial pool, 98 studies were selected, involving a total of 96,927 participants. We overall report that the DMN undergoes maturation during infancy and childhood, reaching full cohesion by early adulthood. This maturation process is accompanied by the emergence of anticorrelation patterns between the DMN and task-positive networks, patterns that are linked to the individual level of cognitive efficiency. At the two ends of the aging curve (childhood and older age), the segregation among functional communities appears, however, less distinct, and active recruitment of DMN regions during challenging task conditions might, sometimes, act as a compensatory mechanism. In middle to late adulthood, the DMN exhibits a decline especially in long-range connectivity. This decline is accompanied by a worsening of cognitive performance, often associated with neuropathological mechanisms common at this stage of life.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48214,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Review","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 101250"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080593","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-29DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2026.101248
Vera Snijders, Ora Oudgenoeg-Paz, Merel van Witteloostuijn, Elma Blom
Globally, numerous children are raised in multilingual environments, mixing different languages in their everyday communication. This systematic review on children’s language mixing aimed to a) identify which social, linguistic, and cognitive factors have been studied in relation to language mixing, and b) examine associations and interrelations between these factors and (different types of) language mixing, focusing on typical language development, naturalistic settings and early childhood (2–6 years). Synthesis of 80 relevant articles from the initially identified 4,239 records showed that most studies focused on social factors (n = 69), followed by linguistic (n = 46), and cognitive factors (n = 6). Key findings include that children are more likely to mix in their minority language, in the language they receive lower input in, in informal settings, and in multilingual contexts. They may also mix more in the language in which they are less proficient, and in their non-dominant language. Results on other factors remain inconclusive (e.g., interlocutor mixing, discourse strategies) or scarce (e.g., language attitudes, language distance, cognitive factors). Moreover, results for some factors (e.g., language proficiency) varied for the different mixing types. Future research should place greater emphasis on the interrelations between different factors, as several theories on child development and language mixing highlight that the social environment and child-internal factors likely interact. Moreover, there is a need for more diverse samples, especially regarding multilingual communities in the Global South, along with research on the role of executive functions in early childhood language mixing using comparable measures.
{"title":"Language mixing in young multilingual children and its correlates: a systematic review","authors":"Vera Snijders, Ora Oudgenoeg-Paz, Merel van Witteloostuijn, Elma Blom","doi":"10.1016/j.dr.2026.101248","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dr.2026.101248","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Globally, numerous children are raised in multilingual environments, mixing different languages in their everyday communication. This systematic review on children’s language mixing aimed to a) identify which social, linguistic, and cognitive factors have been studied in relation to language mixing, and b) examine associations and interrelations between these factors and (different types of) language mixing, focusing on typical language development, naturalistic settings and early childhood (2–6 years). Synthesis of 80 relevant articles from the initially identified 4,239 records showed that most studies focused on social factors (<em>n</em> = 69), followed by linguistic (<em>n</em> = 46), and cognitive factors (<em>n</em> = 6). Key findings include that children are more likely to mix in their minority language, in the language they receive lower input in, in informal settings, and in multilingual contexts. They may also mix more in the language in which they are less proficient, and in their non-dominant language. Results on other factors remain inconclusive (e.g., interlocutor mixing, discourse strategies) or scarce (e.g., language attitudes, language distance, cognitive factors). Moreover, results for some factors (e.g., language proficiency) varied for the different mixing types. Future research should place greater emphasis on the interrelations between different factors, as several theories on child development and language mixing highlight that the social environment and child-internal factors likely interact. Moreover, there is a need for more diverse samples, especially regarding multilingual communities in the Global South, along with research on the role of executive functions in early childhood language mixing using comparable measures.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48214,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Review","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 101248"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146080595","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2026.101247
Fatma Betül Zeyrek, Judith Smetana
Autonomy is considered a basic psychological need and has been widely studied in adolescence across diverse cultural contexts. Within Social-Cognitive Domain Theory (SCDT; Nucci, 2013; Smetana et al., 2014), autonomy has been examined in terms of children’s concepts of personal issues. These are seen as actions outside adult regulation and as matters of personal preference, rather than issues of right or wrong. Research on personal issues in younger children remains limited, and the developmental path of these concepts remains unclear. This meta-analysis synthesized findings from 17 studies (k = 137 effect sizes; N = 2,186; Mage = 7.01 years; 48 % boys) examining five personal choice judgments (act acceptability, rule acceptability, decision locus, emotion attributions, and compliance) in 3- to 10-year-old children in various countries. Across ages, children generally judged personal acts as acceptable, restrictions as less legitimate, and emotions as negative when personal choices were restricted. However, children were mixed in their views of whether adults or children should be able to decide personal issues, and they often endorsed compliance. Significant age effects (with older children supporting personal choice more than younger ones) emerged across act acceptability, rule acceptability, and decision locus, but not emotion attributions or compliance. Effects for country were found, but only for compliance, with children from non-North American samples endorsing compliance more than children from North American samples. These findings provide meta-analytic support for age increases, particularly for some personal choice judgments.
{"title":"Age differences in children’s judgments of personal choice: a meta-analysis","authors":"Fatma Betül Zeyrek, Judith Smetana","doi":"10.1016/j.dr.2026.101247","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dr.2026.101247","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Autonomy is considered a basic psychological need and has been widely studied in adolescence across diverse cultural contexts. Within Social-Cognitive Domain Theory (SCDT; Nucci, 2013; Smetana et al., 2014), autonomy has been examined in terms of children’s concepts of personal issues. These are seen as actions outside adult regulation and as matters of personal preference, rather than issues of right or wrong. Research on personal issues in younger children remains limited, and the developmental path of these concepts remains unclear. This <em>meta</em>-analysis synthesized findings from 17 studies (k = 137 effect sizes; N = 2,186; M<sub>age</sub> = 7.01 years; 48 % boys) examining five personal choice judgments (act acceptability, rule acceptability, decision locus, emotion attributions, and compliance) in 3- to 10-year-old children in various countries. Across ages, children generally judged personal acts as acceptable, restrictions as less legitimate, and emotions as negative when personal choices were restricted. However, children were mixed in their views of whether adults or children should be able to decide personal issues, and they often endorsed compliance. Significant age effects (with older children supporting personal choice more than younger ones) emerged across act acceptability, rule acceptability, and decision locus, but not emotion attributions or compliance. Effects for country were found, but only for compliance, with children from non-North American samples endorsing compliance more than children from North American samples. These findings provide <em>meta</em>-analytic support for age increases, particularly for some personal choice judgments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48214,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Review","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 101247"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146006778","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-22DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2026.101249
Tobias Constien, Sarah Moran, Brendan Rooney, Michelle Downes
Executive functions emerge gradually in early childhood and are predictive of a range of developmental outcomes. Pretend play, a type of play that is imaginative and creative, has been posited to benefit children’s early development of executive functions. Yet, previous studies on the relation between pretend play and executive functions have not consistently evidenced a clear connection. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the relation between pretend play and executive functions in early childhood via a systematic review and meta-analysis for the first time. A pre-registered, systematic literature search was conducted across five databases (i.e., ERIC, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses Index, PsycInfo, Scopus, Web of Science). The screening process identified 26 studies, which reported on 2,915 children, aged 12–72 months. A three-level, random effects meta-analysis across 131 correlational effect sizes identified a significant, small effect between executive functions and pretend play, r = 0.17, 95 % CI [.13, 0.20], SE = 0.02, t(130) = 9.93, p < 0.001, albeit with significant heterogeneity within the cumulative effect. No evidence of publication bias was identified. Effect sizes were significantly larger for studies measuring executive functions via a questionnaire compared to performance-based tasks. Other considered variables (i.e. social aspects of pretend play measures, age, socioeconomic status, study design) did not, on their own, affect the observed relation between pretend play and executive functioning in early childhood. While these results do not evidence causality, they invite further research building on the identified, extant literature. The implications of the results are discussed in terms of the direction and the potential mechanisms for the identified relation between pretend play and executive functions.
执行功能在儿童早期逐渐出现，并预示着一系列的发展结果。假装游戏是一种富有想象力和创造性的游戏，被认为有益于儿童执行功能的早期发展。然而，先前关于假装游戏和执行功能之间关系的研究并没有一致地证明两者之间存在明确的联系。本研究旨在通过系统回顾和荟萃分析，首次定量评估儿童早期假装游戏与执行功能之间的关系。在五个数据库（即ERIC、ProQuest Dissertation and Theses Index、PsycInfo、Scopus、Web of Science）中进行预注册的系统文献检索。筛选过程确定了26项研究，报告了2915名12-72个月大的儿童。一项涉及131个相关效应大小的三水平随机效应荟萃分析发现，执行功能和假装游戏之间存在显著的小影响，r = 0.17, 95% CI[。]13, 0.20], SE = 0.02, t(130) = 9.93, p < 0.001，尽管在累积效应中存在显著的异质性。未发现发表偏倚的证据。与基于绩效的任务相比，通过问卷测量执行功能的研究的效应值明显更大。其他被考虑的变量（即假装游戏测量的社会方面、年龄、社会经济地位、研究设计）本身并不影响观察到的儿童早期假装游戏与执行功能之间的关系。虽然这些结果不能证明因果关系，但它们需要在已确定的现有文献基础上进行进一步的研究。研究结果的意义是在方向和潜在的机制方面进行了讨论，以确定假装游戏和执行功能之间的关系。
{"title":"A head taller: A meta-analysis on the relation between pretend play and executive functions in early childhood","authors":"Tobias Constien, Sarah Moran, Brendan Rooney, Michelle Downes","doi":"10.1016/j.dr.2026.101249","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dr.2026.101249","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Executive functions emerge gradually in early childhood and are predictive of a range of developmental outcomes. Pretend play, a type of play that is imaginative and creative, has been posited to benefit children’s early development of executive functions. Yet, previous studies on the relation between pretend play and executive functions have not consistently evidenced a clear connection. This study aimed to quantitatively assess the relation between pretend play and executive functions in early childhood via a systematic review and <em>meta</em>-analysis for the first time. A pre-registered, systematic literature search was conducted across five databases (i.e., ERIC, ProQuest Dissertation and Theses Index, PsycInfo, Scopus, Web of Science). The screening process identified 26 studies, which reported on 2,915 children, aged 12–72 months. A three-level, random effects <em>meta</em>-analysis across 131 correlational effect sizes identified a significant, small effect between executive functions and pretend play, <em>r</em> = 0.17, 95 % CI [.13, 0.20], <em>SE</em> = 0.02, <em>t</em>(130) = 9.93, <em>p</em> < 0.001, albeit with significant heterogeneity within the cumulative effect. No evidence of publication bias was identified. Effect sizes were significantly larger for studies measuring executive functions via a questionnaire compared to performance-based tasks. Other considered variables (i.e. social aspects of pretend play measures, age, socioeconomic status, study design) did not, on their own, affect the observed relation between pretend play and executive functioning in early childhood. While these results do not evidence causality, they invite further research building on the identified, extant literature. The implications of the results are discussed in terms of the direction and the potential mechanisms for the identified relation between pretend play and executive functions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48214,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Review","volume":"79 ","pages":"Article 101249"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2026-01-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146025730","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-01DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2025.101230
Valérie Camos , Nicolas Chevalier
{"title":"Conceptualising the links between working memory, executive function, and attention across the lifespan","authors":"Valérie Camos , Nicolas Chevalier","doi":"10.1016/j.dr.2025.101230","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dr.2025.101230","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":48214,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Review","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 101230"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145683616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2025.101233
Hongjian Cao , Nancy Eisenberg , Nan Zhou , Shaofan Wang , Jinhui Qiao
The field of parental emotion socialization has long been dominated by studies on parental responses to children’s negative emotions rather than parental responses to children’s positive emotions (PRCPE). Further, findings on PRCPE are scattered across studies, hindering scientific progress. In this article, we (a) provide a broader developmental and theoretical grounding for existing and future research on PRCPE; (b) summarize the current measurement of PRCPE to inform future operationalization; (c) outline an integrative, heuristic framework on the antecedents, consequences, and implicated mechanisms for PRCPE; (d) review available findings relevant to the outlined framework; and (e) propose a research agenda. PRCPE probably are guided by parents’ socialization values/goals, affected by parents’ “database” (e.g., attachment) and psychopathology, as well as shaped by child characteristics (e.g., temperament). Researchers have used diverse methods to assess a variety of PRCPE, including affirming responses that validate and enhance children’s experience and expression of positive emotions and suppressive responses that discourage and dampen children’s experience and expression of positive emotions. Parental affirming responses generally predict children’s experience and appropriate regulation of positive emotions, as well as their psychological well-being, whereas parental suppressive responses tend to be negatively related to the same child outcomes. Research is scarce on the relations of PRCPE to children’s externalizing problems and social competence, as well as mediators/moderators implicated in the relations of PRCPE to developmental outcomes. By providing a common ground for comparing/interpreting results and detecting gaps/directions for future research, we hope to fuel scientific advances in this nascent area of inquiry.
{"title":"Parental responses to children’s positive emotions: An integrative, heuristic framework and literature review","authors":"Hongjian Cao , Nancy Eisenberg , Nan Zhou , Shaofan Wang , Jinhui Qiao","doi":"10.1016/j.dr.2025.101233","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dr.2025.101233","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The field of parental emotion socialization has long been dominated by studies on parental responses to children’s negative emotions rather than parental responses to children’s positive emotions (PRCPE). Further, findings on PRCPE are scattered across studies, hindering scientific progress. In this article, we (a) provide a broader developmental and theoretical grounding for existing and future research on PRCPE; (b) summarize the current measurement of PRCPE to inform future operationalization; (c) outline an integrative, heuristic framework on the antecedents, consequences, and implicated mechanisms for PRCPE; (d) review available findings relevant to the outlined framework; and (e) propose a research agenda. PRCPE probably are guided by parents’ socialization values/goals, affected by parents’ “database” (e.g., attachment) and psychopathology, as well as shaped by child characteristics (e.g., temperament). Researchers have used diverse methods to assess a variety of PRCPE, including affirming responses that validate and enhance children’s experience and expression of positive emotions and suppressive responses that discourage and dampen children’s experience and expression of positive emotions. Parental affirming responses generally predict children’s experience and appropriate regulation of positive emotions, as well as their psychological well-being, whereas parental suppressive responses tend to be negatively related to the same child outcomes. Research is scarce on the relations of PRCPE to children’s externalizing problems and social competence, as well as mediators/moderators implicated in the relations of PRCPE to developmental outcomes. By providing a common ground for comparing/interpreting results and detecting gaps/directions for future research, we hope to fuel scientific advances in this nascent area of inquiry.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48214,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Review","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 101233"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568719","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-21DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2025.101234
Stefanie Hoehl , Anna Bánki , Alicja Brzozowska , Alessandro Carollo , Kathrin Kostorz , Trinh Nguyen , Carolina Pletti , Susanne Reisner , Verena T. Schäfer , Christina Schaetz , Markus R. Tünte
Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS), the temporal alignment of brain activities between individuals, has been proposed as a biomarker for successful communication and smooth social interaction. Surging empirical evidence shows that INS emerges spontaneously between infants, children, and their caregivers from early on in development. Yet, little is known about the developmental preconditions and functions of INS in childhood. This paper presents a developmental framework for understanding INS, integrating insights from structural and functional brain maturation, as well as behavioral, social, and cognitive development. We discuss how early caregiver-infant interactions, characterized by shared perceptual rhythms, facilitate the emergence of INS. Given initial limitations in temporal precision of neural processing, early INS is likely constrained to low-frequency brain rhythms and evolves alongside the maturation of neural networks and socio-cognitive abilities. We outline how INS may support critical developmental processes, including social learning, language acquisition, and attachment formation, through enabling mutual prediction and co-regulation between caregivers and children. Furthermore, we hypothesize that tasks requiring higher-order mutual understanding are linked to qualitative changes in INS patterns over time. This framework highlights the potential of INS as both a marker and a driver of developmental change, offering new avenues for research and intervention. Longitudinal studies and rhythm-based interventions could deepen our understanding of how INS supports development, with implications for enhancing social learning and attachment in populations at risk for developmental challenges. This work underscores the importance of adopting a developmental perspective in INS research.
{"title":"A developmental framework of interpersonal neural synchrony","authors":"Stefanie Hoehl , Anna Bánki , Alicja Brzozowska , Alessandro Carollo , Kathrin Kostorz , Trinh Nguyen , Carolina Pletti , Susanne Reisner , Verena T. Schäfer , Christina Schaetz , Markus R. Tünte","doi":"10.1016/j.dr.2025.101234","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dr.2025.101234","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Interpersonal neural synchrony (INS), the temporal alignment of brain activities between individuals, has been proposed as a biomarker for successful communication and smooth social interaction. Surging empirical evidence shows that INS emerges spontaneously between infants, children, and their caregivers from early on in development. Yet, little is known about the developmental preconditions and functions of INS in childhood. This paper presents a developmental framework for understanding INS, integrating insights from structural and functional brain maturation, as well as behavioral, social, and cognitive development. We discuss how early caregiver-infant interactions, characterized by shared perceptual rhythms, facilitate the emergence of INS. Given initial limitations in temporal precision of neural processing, early INS is likely constrained to low-frequency brain rhythms and evolves alongside the maturation of neural networks and socio-cognitive abilities. We outline how INS may support critical developmental processes, including social learning, language acquisition, and attachment formation, through enabling mutual prediction and co-regulation between caregivers and children. Furthermore, we hypothesize that tasks requiring higher-order mutual understanding are linked to qualitative changes in INS patterns over time. This framework highlights the potential of INS as both a marker and a driver of developmental change, offering new avenues for research and intervention. Longitudinal studies and rhythm-based interventions could deepen our understanding of how INS supports development, with implications for enhancing social learning and attachment in populations at risk for developmental challenges. This work underscores the importance of adopting a developmental perspective in INS research.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48214,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Review","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 101234"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145568718","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-09DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2025.101229
Yiyi Deng , Ye Zhang , Jiatian Zhang , Silin Huang
Mindful movement is considered a potentially effective approach for enhancing cognitive functioning among children and adolescents. However, the beneficial effects of mindful movement interventions on cognitive functioning have yet to be fully elucidated. In particular, no previous meta-analyses have comprehensively examined the effectiveness of different types of mindful movements on various cognitive domains or the potential factors that may promote or inhibit the impact of mindful movement interventions. Therefore, the current meta-analysis aimed to investigate the impact of mindful movement on specific cognitive functions, as well as to examine whether the timing of intervention (i.e., ages), participants’ cognitive status and cultural background may influence its effectiveness. A total of 84 empirical studies involving 11,015 children and adolescents were included. The results indicated that mindful movement had significant effects on attention (g = 0.62), processing speed (g = 1.22), working memory (g = 0.28) and executive functioning (g = 0.57), with small to large effect sizes. Furthermore, age significantly and cultural background marginally moderated the effects of mindful movement on executive functioning, with greater benefits observed among older participants or among those from Eastern cultures. Duration of the intervention was a key facilitator of cognitive improvements. This study highlighted the efficacy of mindful movement interventions for enhancing cognitive functioning among children and adolescents, and the results provide important guidance for theoretical development and clinical practice.
{"title":"The efficacy of mindful movement for improving cognitive functioning among children and adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis","authors":"Yiyi Deng , Ye Zhang , Jiatian Zhang , Silin Huang","doi":"10.1016/j.dr.2025.101229","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dr.2025.101229","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Mindful movement is considered a potentially effective approach for enhancing cognitive functioning among children and adolescents. However, the beneficial effects of mindful movement interventions on cognitive functioning have yet to be fully elucidated. In particular, no previous <em>meta</em>-analyses have comprehensively examined the effectiveness of different types of mindful movements on various cognitive domains or the potential factors that may promote or inhibit the impact of mindful movement interventions. Therefore, the current <em>meta</em>-analysis aimed to investigate the impact of mindful movement on specific cognitive functions, as well as to examine whether the timing of intervention (i.e., ages), participants’ cognitive status and cultural background may influence its effectiveness. A total of 84 empirical studies involving 11,015 children and adolescents were included. The results indicated that mindful movement had significant effects on attention (<em>g</em> = 0.62), processing speed (<em>g</em> = 1.22), working memory (<em>g</em> = 0.28) and executive functioning (<em>g</em> = 0.57), with small to large effect sizes. Furthermore, age significantly and cultural background marginally moderated the effects of mindful movement on executive functioning, with greater benefits observed among older participants or among those from Eastern cultures. Duration of the intervention was a key facilitator of cognitive improvements. This study highlighted the efficacy of mindful movement interventions for enhancing cognitive functioning among children and adolescents, and the results provide important guidance for theoretical development and clinical practice.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48214,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Review","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 101229"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145519865","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-11-05DOI: 10.1016/j.dr.2025.101231
Qiyu Huang , Xiuli Liu
Sensitivity to false beliefs is an early-developing ability to spontaneously exhibit adaptive responses towards others who hold false beliefs, thereby serving as an important indicator of social nature. Current research on sensitivity to false beliefs typically operates under the assumption that stability and existence are mutually inferable, positing that if sensitivity to false beliefs exists, it should be expressed stably across individuals and situations. However, this perspective overlooks the potential instability inherent in sensitivity to false beliefs. We argue that stability is not a necessary condition for the existence of sensitivity to false beliefs. Instead, sensitivity to false beliefs is inherently unstable, as evidenced by individual and situational differences in its manifestation. To account for this instability, we propose a Three-Stage Processing Model of sensitivity to false beliefs. According to this model, the complete manifestation of sensitivity to false beliefs is better conceptualized as a dynamic process, which sequentially includes processing stages of motivation arousal, knowledge access, and response formation. The core reason for the instability of sensitivity to false beliefs lies in the susceptibility of these three processing stages to individual and situational factors. Shifting the research focus to the dynamic process of sensitivity to false beliefs has the potential to break through the bottleneck of interpreting mixed findings in the field and to broaden research avenues for uncovering the patterns governing the variations of sensitivity to false beliefs.
{"title":"The instability of sensitivity to false beliefs: How and why","authors":"Qiyu Huang , Xiuli Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.dr.2025.101231","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.dr.2025.101231","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sensitivity to false beliefs is an early-developing ability to spontaneously exhibit adaptive responses towards others who hold false beliefs, thereby serving as an important indicator of social nature. Current research on sensitivity to false beliefs typically operates under the assumption that stability and existence are mutually inferable, positing that if sensitivity to false beliefs exists, it should be expressed stably across individuals and situations. However, this perspective overlooks the potential instability inherent in sensitivity to false beliefs. We argue that stability is not a necessary condition for the existence of sensitivity to false beliefs. Instead, sensitivity to false beliefs is inherently unstable, as evidenced by individual and situational differences in its manifestation. To account for this instability, we propose a Three-Stage Processing Model of sensitivity to false beliefs. According to this model, the complete manifestation of sensitivity to false beliefs is better conceptualized as a dynamic <em>process</em>, which sequentially includes processing stages of motivation arousal, knowledge access, and response formation. The core reason for the instability of sensitivity to false beliefs lies in the susceptibility of these three processing stages to individual and situational factors. Shifting the research focus to the dynamic process of sensitivity to false beliefs has the potential to break through the bottleneck of interpreting mixed findings in the field and to broaden research avenues for uncovering the patterns governing the variations of sensitivity to false beliefs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48214,"journal":{"name":"Developmental Review","volume":"78 ","pages":"Article 101231"},"PeriodicalIF":5.6,"publicationDate":"2025-11-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145466646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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