2-214 - Mechanisms Supporting the Development of Future-oriented Thinking

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

“Future thinking” involves sampling from past experiences to anticipate future outcomes. Future thinking is believed to emerge during early childhood (e.g., Atance, 2015), and while its emergence has been readily investigated (for review see Suddendorf, 2017), less is known of the mechanisms supporting its development. The primary aim of this international symposium is to address this gap in the literature through highlighting current investigations on the mechanisms supporting the development of future-oriented thinking. Paper 1 examines whether 3-5 year olds are able to generate, rather than passively select, solutions for a future problem, and the mechanisms supporting this ability. Paper 2 highlights the role of executive functioning, across both behavioral and parent-report measures, in supporting prospective thinking during early to middle childhood (3-7 years). Paper 3 investigates how goal orientation may support future thinking in toddlers (2-years), an age-group that is understudied in future thinking research. Finally, paper 4 teases apart the roles of memory retrieval and planning processes in episodic future thinking during early childhood (3-4 years). Together, these papers help us to understand the mechanisms supporting the development of future thinking during early childhood.

Sub Unit

• Attention, Learning, Memory

Chair

• Tashauna Blankenship, Boston University

Individual Presentations

• Assessing “Generative” Forms of Future Thought and Their Underlying Mechanisms in Young Children - Presenting Author: Cristina M. Atance, University of Ottawa; Non-Presenting Author: Seyda Nur Celebi, University of Ottawa; Non-Presenting Author: Sarah Mitchinson, Laurier University; Non-Presenting Author: Caitlin E. V. Mahy, Brock University

• Examining the Relation Between Prospective Memory and Executive Function Using Parent-Report Measures - Presenting Author: Tessa Mazachowsky, Brock University; Non-Presenting Author: Caitlin E. V. Mahy, Brock University

• Goal Orientation Boosts Future Thinking in Toddlers - Presenting Author: Janani Prabhakar, University of California, Davis and National Institute of Mental Health; Non-Presenting Author: Sarah Leckey, University of California, Davis; Non-Presenting Author: Elliott Gray Johnson, University of California, Davis; Non-Presenting Author: Kelsey Davinson, University of California, Davis; Non-Presenting Author: Simona Ghetti, University of California, Davis

• Separate Cognitive Mechanisms Limit Episodic Future Thinking in 3- and 4-year-olds - Presenting Author: Tashauna Blankenship, Boston University; Non-Presenting Author: Melissa M. Kibbe, Boston University