A new study has shed light on why young children particularly those in kindergarten, often struggle to focus on specific tasks despite understanding instructions. Researchers from Ohio State University found that while children as young as four to six years old can comprehend directions, their natural inclination to explore their surroundings frequently distracts them from their primary objectives.
The study, published in Psychological Science, revealed that children tend to “overexplore,” spreading their attention too widely. This behavior is attributed to two main factors: their innate curiosity and the developmental limitations of their working memory. At this age, their cognitive systems are not yet fully equipped to filter out unnecessary information, causing them to gather more details than needed to complete a task.
“Children can’t seem to stop themselves from gathering more information than they need, even when they know exactly what they need,” explained Vladimir Sloutsky, co-author of the study and professor of psychology at Ohio State University.
Conducted by Sloutsky and lead author Qianqian Wan, a doctoral student in psychology at Ohio State, the research highlights that this tendency to scatter attention is a natural part of early cognitive development. As children grow older and their brains mature, they will develop stronger concentration skills and learn to better prioritize relevant information, leading to improved task focus.
The study underscores that young children’s difficulty with attention is not due to a lack of understanding or poor attention span, but rather their exploratory nature and evolving cognitive abilities.
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