Executive functions in children engaging in open- and closed-skilled sports

Executive functions (EFs) are an important skill set for human cognition as well as achievement and can be separated into different components (inhibition, switching, updating). To date, it remains poorly understood whether the sport type children engage in is related to differences in their EFs. Thus, in the present study, we investigated whether children with regular engagement in open- and closed-skilled sports perform differently on tasks assessing inhibition, switching, and updating skills. Cross-sectional data from 113 children aged 8-13 years was used, of those 42 children engaged exclusively in open-skilled sports (e.g., soccer), 44 engaged exclusively in closed-skilled sports (e.g., swimming), and 27 engaged in both sport types as indicated by parental report. Children took part in three computerized tasks assessing their inhibitory, switching, and updating skills. Additionally, their verbal-reasoning skills, motor abilities, and aerobic fitness were assessed using acknowledged tasks. Results showed no differences with respect to children's inhibitory and updating skills among the groups. However, it was found that children engaged in open-skilled sports showed lower switch costs in the switching task as compared to children engaged in closed-skilled sports. Follow-up analyses demonstrated that this held particularly true for children with a high level of engagement in open-skilled sports. Our findings indicate that children with a regular participation in open-skilled sports show higher switching skills as peers with a regular engagement in closed-skilled sports, suggesting that children's experience in a dynamic, unpredictable sport exercise may be closely related to their EFs.

Automated summary

Children who engage in open-skilled sports show better switching skills compared to those who engage in closed-skilled sports, indicating a relationship between children's experience in dynamic, unpredictable sports and their executive functions (EFs).