Chess for Life:

Analyzing Executive Functions in at-Risk Adolescent Populations

Wevers, R., Roussel, J., Oldfield, J., Olson, K., Gonzalez, C.L.R., Grigg, L., Gibb, R.

Background Analyses Initial Conclusions

Executive Functions are a range of cognitive abilities that can
be grouped into three interrelated functions.
• Inhibition: self-control or the ability to resist an impulsive
response.
• Working memory: the ability to hold information in the
present mind, such as the temporal and spatial order of
current events, and work with it mentally.
• Cognitive flexibility (shifting): the ability to quickly and
flexibly adapt to various situations, see things from
differing perspectives, and shift from one frame of
reference to another (Best & Miller, 2010; Diamond, 2013).
The development of EFs is essential for mental and physical
health, success in school and life, and cognitive, social, and
psychological development (Diamond, 2013).
Chess has been shown to promote EFs like self-regulation
and planning, and these skills are even more critical for at-
risk youth. Chess has been shown to have positive effects on
participants’ language and mathematical abilities (Gliga &
Flesner, 2014), ADHD symptomatology (Blasco-Fontecilla et
al., 2016), overall general cognitive improvements (Aciego et
al., 2012; Gliga & Flesner, 2014), socio-affective development
(Aciego et al., 2012) and hot executive function skills (also
known as emotional control; Urra, 2015); being able to
manage emotions and social interactions.
Methods
Subjects:
• Adolescents, aged 12-18
• Incarcerated adults, aged 18-30
Procedure:
• 25 hours of chess play and instruction (Chess
Curriculum)
• Pre and Post Testing
Analyses:
• Demographic Survey
• BRIEF (& BRIEF-SR)
• Lego Motor Task
• NIH Toolbox (iPad)
• Stroop (removed for the Incarcerated adult pop.)
• Dimensional Card Sort
• Picture Word Vocabulary Test
• Word List Sorting Working Memory Task
• Flanker Inhibitory Task
25hrs of Chess
Week 1:
Instruction &
Pre-Testing
Play
Run
Lego Video
Scoring Analyses
RESEARCH POSTER PRESENTATION DESIGN © 2011
• Picture Vocabulary Test: For H.N., the score improved,
indicating a potential increase in EF, which results in
increases in other cognitive abilities.
Figure 2: NIH Toolbox •
Flanker Inhibitory task
being completed. • List Sorting Working Memory Test: For H.N., no
difference between pre and post-test was seen.
• Dimensional Change Card Sort Test: For H.N., the score
decreased.
• Flanker Inhibitory Control and Attention Test: For H.N.,
the score improved, indicating a potential increase in
Figure 3: NIH Toolbox inhibition control and cognitive flexibility.
Dimensional Change
Card Sort task being • Stroop: For H.N., while the number of correct responses
Figure 1: Lego Motor Task: (2) sets of Lego totaling (6) models completed.
remained consistent, the average total time per response
(three 3D and three 2D), general spacing of the pieces which
splits the table into four quadrants to track hand grasps and
decreased.
hand preferences.
In other game-related research (Building Brains Together
Case Study: H.N (BBT)), the initial trends between the congruent and
incongruent scores for the Stroop test differed, showing a
H.N. is a youth who completed 25 hours of chess instruction through the C4L program. While it is difficult to draw conclusions positive change in executive function scores. We currently
based on individual data, H.N. ’s data does allow us to analyze possible program outcomes.
have very little to no data on the Chess for Life and LCC
populations. However, starting March 27th, 2024, we will
begin the data-gathering process with the LCC and predict
positive results from this project.
Future Directions & Acknowledgments
• We have connected with interested partners in
Edmonton, Calgary, and Brooks to help support the
program’s expansion.
• We have built a chess "curriculum" that anyone can
teach, regardless of their experience with chess.
• Chess for Life expanded into multiple senior centers, with
the promise of research to follow
• To date, well over 50 youth have gone through the
program.
This research has been, or is, supported by several
Figure 4: Age-corrected standard score on NIH Toolbox tests for Figure 5: Average response time (s) on Stroop test for H.N pre- and
people who deserve due recognition:
H.N pre- and post-25 hours of chess instruction. H.N. showed post-25 hours of chess instruction. H.N.’s average response time on
improvement in both the Picture Vocabulary Test and the Flanker the Stroop Test dropped from 1.66 seconds during the pre-test to • Dr. Robbin Gibb, University of Lethbridge
Inhibitory Control and Attention Test after 25 hours of chess 1.55 seconds during the post-test, showing a 7% decrease in • Dr. Claudia Gonzalez, University of Lethbridge
instruction. H.N. showed no difference in the List Sorting Working response time after 25 hours of chess instruction. The number of • Dr. Lance Grigg, University of Lethbridge
Memory Test and showed a decrease in performance on the correct responses remained consistent across the pre-test and post- • Jade Oldfield, MSc Candidate (U of L)
Dimensional Change Card Sort Test. test. • Kaileb Olson, Postgrad Student Researcher (U of L)
Week 9-13: More Information:
Post-Testing
University of Lethbridge, University of Lethbridge,
Gibb Lab, Gibb Lab,
Interpret Results Jonathan Roussel, BSc Candidate Rylee Wevers, BSc Candidate
/ Review
jonathan.roussel@uleth.ca rylee.wevers@uleth.ca
Progress

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