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The authors examined the interaction between the development of postural control and the development of the executive function of attention in 13 children and 6 adults in dual-task conditions. Participants performed an attentionally demanding cognitive task and a postural task simultaneously. The authors equalized the attentional load of the cognitive task across age groups. Comparative changes in the center of pressure in dual-and single-task conditions indicated that dual tasks interfered with postural performance in the wide stance (WS) and the modified Romberg stance (RS). Children at 4-6 years of age (but not children at ages 7-12 years of age or adults) experienced postural control interference in both stance positions, but interference was greater in the RS (p = .018). For all participants, cognitive task performance in RS was unchanged from that in WS. The knowledge gained from the results of this study will contribute to the design and implementation of academic and preacademic programming for young children. Their performance of an intentionally demanding cognitive task would be enhanced by the provision of appropriately sized desks and chairs or their use of an alternate, less demanding position. Keywords development; dual-task; executive function of attention; postural control In academic settings, younger children have often been found to have difficulties sustaining attention to the subjects being taught. Educators commonly see frequent readjustment of posture and fidgeting while sitting at a desk or standing in line in children with attentional problems. According to the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 1994), a manual used by physicians and mental health providers for the diagnosis of psychological disorders, those behaviors could be a sign of deficits in attention. However, multiple factors may contribute to attentional performance in the academic setting. For example, when children are performing a motor task (standing, walking, or reaching for an object) while also performing a cognitive task, the attentional requirements of the motor task may compete for processing resources within the limited attentional capacity of the child, causing the child to perform less efficiently on both the motor and cognitive tasks. Therefore, it is important to understand the factors competing for attentional resources during children's performance of the different tasks so that educators can create an age-appropriate academic environment that is most conducive to learning.For our purpose in this study, we define the term attention as a reservoir of processing resources on the basis of the limited capacity model of Kahneman (1973). When an individual performs two attentionally demanding tasks simultaneously, competition for processing resources may occur. The interference may lead to deterioration in the performance of one or both tasks (Neumann, 1984;Wickens, 1989).Postural control was traditionally considered to be automatic ...

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