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Cited by 1,579Developmental and Educational NeuropsychologyNeural and Behavioral Psychology StudiesChild and Animal Learning Development

The Dimensional Change Card Sort (DCCS): A method of assessing executive function in children

Zelazo, Philip David·2006·Nature Protocols
DOI 10.1038/nprot.2006.46
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Abstract

The dimensional change card sort (DCCS) is an easily administered and widely used measure of executive function that is suitable for use with participants across a wide range of ages. In the standard version, children are required to sort a series of bivalent test cards, first according to one dimension (e.g., color), and then according to the other (e.g., shape). Most 3-year-olds perseverate during the post-switch phase, exhibiting a pattern of inflexibility similar to that seen in patients with prefrontal cortical damage. By 5 years of age, most children switch when instructed to do so. Performance on the DCCS provides an index of the development of executive function, and it is impaired in children with disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism. We describe the protocol for the standard version (duration = 5 min) and the more challenging border version (duration = 5 min), which may be used with children as old as 7 years.

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  • The Dimensional Change Card Sort is based on Luria's seminal work on rule use and has been used extensively to study the development of executive function in childhood.

    “This task, designed by Zelazo and colleagues (e.g., Frye, Zelazo, & Palfai, 1995; Zelazo, 2006), is based on Luria’s seminal work on rule use and has been used extensively to study the development of EF in childhood.”

    From NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (CB): Validation of Executive Function Measures in Adults (2014) · cites this paper as Zelazo, 2006

  • Children had to pass pretest trials and complete at least 75% of test trials to receive a score, following standard practice for executive function measures in children.

    “As is standard for executive function measures with children (Zelazo, 2006), children were required to successfully complete pretest trials for all tasks in which they clearly demonstrated knowledge of the rules for the task and the ability to successfully complete the pretest trials as instructed. Children were also required to complete 75% of test trials in a given task in order to receive a sc”

    From Salivary cortisol mediates effects of poverty and parenting on executive functions in early childhood (2011) · cites this paper as Zelazo, 2006

  • The Dimensional Change Card Sort task has been used extensively to evaluate shifting attention in preschoolers.

    “The Dimensional Change Card Sort task has been used extensively to evaluate shifting attention in preschoolers (P.D. Zelazo, Muller, Frye, & Marcovitch, 2003;P. D. Zelazo, 2006).”

    From Assessing Executive Function in Preschoolers (2012) · cites this paper as P. D. Zelazo, 2006

  • Typically-developing 5-year-olds can perform the DCCS switch correctly, while younger children tend to continue sorting by the first dimension.

    “Typically-developing 5-yearolds are able to perform the switch correctly, while younger children tend to continue sorting by the first dimension”

    From Can Bilingualism Mitigate Set-Shifting Difficulties in Children With Autism Spectrum Disorders? (2019) · cites this paper as Zelazo, 2006

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Authors
Zelazo, P. D.
Affiliations
University of Toronto (CA)
Corresponding author
Zelazo, Philip David
ORCID
Zelazo, Philip David
Venue
Nature Protocols
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2006-06
Volume
1
Issue
1
Pages
297-301
ISSN
  • 1750-2799 (ISSN-L)
  • 1754-2189
DOI
10.1038/nprot.2006.46
OpenAlex
W1988579368
Cited by
1,579
References
21
Citations by year
2026: 128 · 2025: 135 · 2024: 155 · 2023: 141 · 2022: 146 · 2021: 99 · 2020: 111 · 2019: 102 · 2018: 99 · 2017: 83 · 2016: 61 · 2015: 57 · 2014: 69 · 2013: 68 · 2012: 38
FWCI
12.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • Nature Protocols (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Neuropsychology and Physiological Psychology › Developmental and Educational Neuropsychology
  • Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Neural and Behavioral Psychology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Developmental and Educational Psychology › Child and Animal Learning Development
Keywords
Dimensional Change Card Sort, executive function, children, cognitive flexibility, task switching, perseveration, prefrontal cortex, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism spectrum disorder, developmental assessment, test protocol
MeSH terms
Child, Child, Preschool, Color, Form Perception, Humans, Intelligence Tests

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