Sat, Jul 11, 2026
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Ethics code: IR.UT.IRICSS.REC.1404.002
1- Institute for Cognitive Science Studies (ICSS),
2- Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran.
2- Allameh Tabatabai University, Tehran, Iran.
Abstract: (265 Views)
Introduction: Cognitive inhibition, as one of the fundamental components of executive functions, plays a fundamental role in regulating behavior, academic success, and social adaptation in children and is considered a predictor of cognitive development. In recent years, play-based cognitive interventions have been considered as an evidence-based approach to improving executive functions, because they can potentially provide enjoyable, diverse, and meaningful learning opportunities for children. In the meantime, despite the extensive emphasis of research on the importance of play, a fundamental question remains: Which method of implementing play is most effective in strengthening children's response inhibition?
The present study was conducted with the aim of determining and comparing the effectiveness of implementing cognitive play in three structured, guided, and free methods in comparison with the control group on improving cognitive inhibition in 9-year-old children.
Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all 9-year-old students in Tehran during the 2024–2025 academic year. In this study, 60 people were selected using a non-random sampling method and randomly assigned to four groups (15 people in each group). The findings were collected using the Go/No-Go task and analyzed through statistical analysis of covariance. Three groups, structured, guided, and free play, were intervened for six months in two forty-five-minute sessions per week, and the control group was engaged in regular school activities.
Findings: The results of the analysis of covariance showed that there was a significant difference between the four groups and that the effect of the intervention on cognitive inhibition was significant (p<0.05). Comparison of adjusted means indicated that guided play had the greatest effect on improving cognitive inhibition, followed by free play, and structured play did not show a significant difference with the control group. The Bonferroni post hoc test also confirmed the significant superiority of guided play over other groups and the superiority of free play over control.
Conclusion: The findings showed that the method of game implementation plays a decisive role in its effectiveness on cognitive inhibition and guided play is considered the most effective method in promoting cognitive inhibition in 9-year-old children. In guided play, the child, while enjoying relative freedom in interacting with the task, also benefits from targeted adult guidance. This combination provides an optimal level of cognitive challenge, corrective feedback, and the opportunity to practice response control, which is essential for strengthening cognitive inhibition.
The present study was conducted with the aim of determining and comparing the effectiveness of implementing cognitive play in three structured, guided, and free methods in comparison with the control group on improving cognitive inhibition in 9-year-old children.
Methods: The present study was a quasi-experimental study with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population of the study consisted of all 9-year-old students in Tehran during the 2024–2025 academic year. In this study, 60 people were selected using a non-random sampling method and randomly assigned to four groups (15 people in each group). The findings were collected using the Go/No-Go task and analyzed through statistical analysis of covariance. Three groups, structured, guided, and free play, were intervened for six months in two forty-five-minute sessions per week, and the control group was engaged in regular school activities.
Findings: The results of the analysis of covariance showed that there was a significant difference between the four groups and that the effect of the intervention on cognitive inhibition was significant (p<0.05). Comparison of adjusted means indicated that guided play had the greatest effect on improving cognitive inhibition, followed by free play, and structured play did not show a significant difference with the control group. The Bonferroni post hoc test also confirmed the significant superiority of guided play over other groups and the superiority of free play over control.
Conclusion: The findings showed that the method of game implementation plays a decisive role in its effectiveness on cognitive inhibition and guided play is considered the most effective method in promoting cognitive inhibition in 9-year-old children. In guided play, the child, while enjoying relative freedom in interacting with the task, also benefits from targeted adult guidance. This combination provides an optimal level of cognitive challenge, corrective feedback, and the opportunity to practice response control, which is essential for strengthening cognitive inhibition.
Type of Study: Research |
Received: 2026/01/5 | Accepted: 2026/06/18
Received: 2026/01/5 | Accepted: 2026/06/18
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