Maurer, Michelle N.; Roebers, Claudia M. (2021). New insights into visual-motor integration exploring process measures during copying shapes. Psychology of Sport and Exercise (55), p. 101954. 10.1016/j.psychsport.2021.101954

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The link between visual-motor integration (VMI) and executive functions (EF) has been repeatedly documented in preschool children. VMI is often assessed using the Copy Design task measuring the product, thereby neglecting the processes that lead to a specific copy. Furthermore, EF are assumed to be mainly involved when a task is new. The involvement of EF after minimal practice in VMI, however, is unknown. Therefore, the present study investigated product- (i.e., accuracy) and process-based measures, namely velocity, and fluency, in five consecutive trials of copying shapes. Contributions of manual dexterity and EF to both VMI product and VMI processes across five trials were investigated in a sample of 5- to 6-year-old kindergarten children. Results revealed that children did not copy the shapes more accurately across the five trials, but quicker and more fluently. In line with previous findings, children's performance on VMI, manual dexterity, and EF were interrelated. The results indicate that over and above the copy's accuracy, also fluency of copying is a crucial indicator of VMI, which is related to EF and manual dexterity. Furthermore, findings on the VMI–EF link point to strong EF involvement during copying when the task is new and to a decreasing EF involvement with increasing practice, already after five trials. New insights into VMI in preschool children are discussed with regard to underlying cognitive processes.

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