Understanding how deficits in sub- and higher- order cognitive processes impact problem-solving abilities in childhood
type: CreativeWork
description: Fluid Intelligence describes the ability to solve complex problems under novel conditions and predicts success in a wide range of areas. The overarching aim of this thesis was to explore the cognitive processes necessary for the completion of complex cognitive tasks in children with and without intellectual disabilities. Cognitive segmentation, the ability to separate a complex problem into component parts, is vital for the successful completion of fluid intelligence tasks (Duncan, 2013). In the first empirical chapter, Chapter 2, I describe the development of a child-appropriate measure of cognitive segmentation that is used in the experimental work in Chapters 4 and 5. Two versions of the task were developed. In one, participants were presented with a traditional 2x2 matrix reasoning problem and asked to draw the missing matrix item in a response box below. In the second, the problem was broken down into its component features across three separate cells, reducing the need for participants to segment the problem. The task development process took 12 months and involved the creation of multiple stimuli, several rounds of revisions, and two pilot sessions. This study presents the first attempt to develop a child-appropriate version of Duncan et al.’s (2017) cognitive segmentation task. Chapter 3 outlines the methodology used in experimental Chapters 4 and 5. The second empirical chapter, Chapter 4, builds on Duncan et al.’s (2017) work to test whether cognitive segmentation improves performance on complex fluid intelligence problems in children aged 6-10 years in the same way as it does for some adults. The effects of age were explored to test whether younger children fail to segment more than older children. The influence of additional within-task characteristics (e.g., the number and type of rules in each item) on performance were also investigated. The results revealed that cognitive segmentation is crucial for problem-solving success in children, irrespective of…
abstract: Fluid Intelligence describes the ability to solve complex problems under novel conditions and predicts success in a wide range of areas. The overarching aim of this thesis was to explore the cognitive processes necessary for the completion of complex cognitive tasks in children with and without intellectual disabilities. Cognitive segmentation, the ability to separate a complex problem into component parts, is vital for the successful completion of fluid intelligence tasks (Duncan, 2013). In the first empirical chapter, Chapter 2, I describe the development of a child-appropriate measure of cognitive segmentation that is used in the experimental work in Chapters 4 and 5. Two versions of the task were developed. In one, participants were presented with a traditional 2x2 matrix reasoning problem and asked to draw the missing matrix item in a response box below. In the second, the problem was broken down into its component features across three separate cells, reducing the need for participants to segment the problem. The task development process took 12 months and involved the creation of multiple stimuli, several rounds of revisions, and two pilot sessions. This study presents the first attempt to develop a child-appropriate version of Duncan et al.’s (2017) cognitive segmentation task. Chapter 3 outlines the methodology used in experimental Chapters 4 and 5. The second empirical chapter, Chapter 4, builds on Duncan et al.’s (2017) work to test whether cognitive segmentation improves performance on complex fluid intelligence problems in children aged 6-10 years in the same way as it does for some adults. The effects of age were explored to test whether younger children fail to segment more than older children. The influence of additional within-task characteristics (e.g., the number and type of rules in each item) on performance were also investigated. The results revealed that cognitive segmentation is crucial for problem-solving success in children, irrespective of…
author: O'Brien, Sinead
language: eng
keywords: Cognitive segmentation, fluid intelligence, problem-solving, analogical reasoning, matrix reasoning, STXBP1, neurodevelopmental disorder
license: https://www.rioxx.net/licenses/all-rights-reserved/
date published: 2021-12-25
date modified: 2026-07-22T22:24:32Z
provider: Cambridge University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: University of Cambridge

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.17863/CAM.85626