In the digital age, the integration of both analog and digital tools to study the
development of Executive Function (EF), particularly the "updating" component, in
preschoolers is crucial. Few studies have focused on updating tasks for young children,
and even fewer have compared analog and digital versions of these tasks. Additionally,
the developmental growth of Working Memory (WM) capacity is likely to significantly
impact performance in updating tasks. This study examined an updating task for
preschoolers, the Magic House task, comparing analog and digital versions to identify
potential differences. It also explored how changes in WM capacity influenced
performance in both versions. A total of 127 children aged 4 to 6 years participated in
the study. They completed both analog and digital versions of the Magic House task and
two WM capacity tasks (Mr. Cucumber and BWS) in balanced order. Results revealed significant differences in performance between analog and digital versions, with analog
version yielding higher average scores, regardless of task order. Furthermore, children
with lower WM capacity struggled more to achieve threshold scores, particularly in the
digital version.
These findings suggest that preschoolers find the analog version of the Magic House
task easier than the digital version. The study also highlights qualitative differences in
the cognitive processes required for each version, emphasizing the need to consider WM
capacity when designing and implementing digital updating tasks for young children.