Executive Function and the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task

Recruit children between the ages of 3 and 5 with no visual impairment, color blindness, or hearing impairment. For the purposes of this demonstration, only one child is tested. Larger sample sizes are recommended when conducting any experiments.

1. Data collection

1. Setup
   1. Create a set of 16 cards, including 2 target cards and 14 test cards.
      1. Target cards depict a red boat and a blue rabbit on a white background.
      2. Test cards are split evenly between pictures of red rabbits and blue boats.
   2. Place two small trays on a table and affix one target card to each tray.
   3. Place one red rabbit card and one blue boat card aside. Shuffle the remaining test cards.
   4. Examine the cards, and reshuffle them if there is a run of more than two cards of the same type (e.g., if there are three or more blue boats in a row).
   5. Once the cards are pseudo-randomized, place them face down and add the two pre-selected cards on top of the deck. 
2. Demonstration phase
   1. Instruct the child to sit within view of the trays and target cards.
   2. Label the two target cards by saying, “Here is a red boat and here is a blue rabbit.”
   3. Introduce the pre-switch rules by saying, “Now, we’re going to play a card game. In the color game, all the blue ones go here, and all the red ones go here.” The experimenter points to relevant target cards.
   4. The experimenter draws a test card, labels its color aloud (e.g., “This is a blue one, so it goes here”), and then narrates as they place it face down into the appropriate tray as a demonstration to the child.
   5. Repeat the color game rules.
   6. Draw a second card, label it, and then ask the child which tray it should go into (e.g., “Here’s a red one. Where does this one go?”).
   7. Encourage the child to take the card and place it face down in the appropriate tray.
      1. If the child makes an error in placing the card (e.g., puts it in the wrong tray or indicates the wrong tray), the experimenter should correct them and ensure that the card is placed face down in the correct tray. 
3. Pre-switch phase
   1. Tell the child it is their turn and present six pre-switch trials to the child.
   2. On each pre-switch trial, the experimenter states the pre-switch rules, selects a card, labels the card for the child, and then asks the child to sort the card (e.g., “Here’s a red one, where does it go?”). 
4. Post-switch phase
   1. Tell the child, “Now we’re going to play a new game. We’re not going to play the color game anymore. We’re going to play the shape game. In the shape game, all the rabbits go here, and all the boats go here. Remember, if it’s a rabbit, put it here, but if it’s a boat, put it here.” Point to the appropriate tray while stating the instructions.
   2. Draw the remaining six cards, label them by the relevant dimension (e.g., boat or rabbit), and ask, “Where does this one go?”
   3. Note that the rules are not repeated in the post-switch phase. 

2. Analysis

1. Children 3 and older typically sort all cards correctly during the pre-switch phase.
2. Use the Dimensional Change Card Sort Task to classify children as either passing or failing.
3. A child must correctly sort 5 out of 6 post-switch trials to pass this task. Mean average accuracy on post-switch trials may also be analyzed using an ANOVA to compare performance between age groups.