[Interactive formats and executive functions in early development].

INTRODUCTION

Cognitive control improve planning, action selection to get a goal (flexibly) and their modifiability. Executive functions are a functional construct related with solving process and goal maintenance.

AIM

Among executive functions we will study the resistance of interference, stopping irrelevant information and the inhibition of a dominant but inapropiate scheme as well as the influence of the type of tutoring during action execution.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS

We studied 15 infants with alternative courses of development (typical babies and Down' syndrome babies) at a developmental level equivalent to 15 months old, and 6 months later. Infant' spontaneous activity is videotaped longitudinally for a 15 minutes period, activity units are codified by a mixed system of categories and quantified in order to know the significative differences on tutoring types, their dynamic an effects associated with infant's executive functions.

RESULTS

a) Adult's directive tutoring is more frequent with Down's syndrome babies than with typical babies; b) Directive tutoring is less adjusted and produces more interferences; c) There is a differential capacity to interference resistance, less present in the Down's syndrome babies; d) Executive functioning shows developmental and differential trends.

CONCLUSIONS

If development is individual and socially influenced, the individual differential efficacy of executive functions and the type of tutoring contributes to typical or atypical developmental course. Educational and health consequences are proposed.