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Cognitive processes in the Breakfast Task : Planning and monitoring
Rose, Nathan Luo, Lin Bialystok, Ellen Hering, Alexandra Lau, Karen Craik, Fergus
Rose, Nathan
Luo, Lin
Bialystok, Ellen
Hering, Alexandra
Lau, Karen
Craik, Fergus
Abstract
The Breakfast Task (Craik & Bialystok, 2006) is a computerized task that simulates the planning and monitoring requirements involved in cooking breakfast, an everyday activity important for functional independence. In Experiment 1, 28 adults performed the Breakfast Task, and outcome measures were examined with principal component analysis to elucidate the structure of cognitive processes underlying performance. Analyses revealed a 2-component structure which putatively captured global planning and local monitoring abilities. In Experiment 2, the structure of Breakfast Task performance was cross-validated on a new sample of 59 healthy older adults who also performed tests assessing working memory, processing speed, inhibition, reasoning and prospective memory. Factor analyses showed that the global planning component from the Breakfast Task was significantly correlated with individual differences in executive functions but the local monitoring component was independent of such functions. The Breakfast Task provides a fast, enjoyable, and lifelike assessment of complex everyday planning and monitoring, and their underlying processes such as working memory and executive functions.
Keywords
Date
2015
Type
Journal article
Journal
Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology
Book
Volume
69
Issue
3
Page Range
252-263
Article Number
ACU Department
Relation URI
Source URL
Event URL
Open Access Status
License
File Access
Controlled