# Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying Preschoolers' Uncertainty Monitoring

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS · 2022 · $33,557

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT. Children’s ability to reflect upon and monitor their subjective feelings of
uncertainty, i.e., engage in uncertainty monitoring, is important for both cognitive and social development.
Uncertainty monitoring is a necessary skill for optimal self-guided learning and strategic decision making, and it
promotes children’s information seeking behavior and general curiosity about the world. Recent research has
revealed that this ability is present even during the preschool-years, is associated with children’s learning and
decisions, and even predicts longitudinal improvements in IQ. However, despite the importance of the
emergence of uncertainty monitoring during the preschool years, little is known about the neurocognitive
mechanisms underlying this ability. The proposed project will address this gap in the literature while providing
an opportunity for training in the use of ERP methods, experimental design, repeated measures, as well as
intervention methods utilized in developmental cognitive neuroscience research. For Aim 1, we will investigate
two ERP components, the N2 and ERN, which have been identified as indicators of conflict detection and error
monitoring in executive functioning tasks. We propose to test alternative hypotheses predicting these ERP
components will also be associated with 4- and 5-year-old’s uncertainty monitoring ability. Children’s N2 and
ERN will be measured using a novel ERP picture identification task which has reduced demand on executive
functioning but provides children opportunities to rate their response uncertainty. For Aim 2, we will investigate
whether different types of linguistic input promote 3-year-old children’s emerging ability to engage in
uncertainty monitoring. This will provide the additional opportunity for training in clinical trials design per NIH
designation. We predict that linguistic input that highlights the conceptual boundaries of certainty and
uncertainty will improve 3-year-old children’s uncertainty monitoring, whereas linguistic input, which exposes
children to other types of mental states language, or an active control which has children practice their
rudimentary math skills will not affect uncertainty monitoring. Children will receive the different types of
linguistic input using several custom illustrated storybooks, which were created for this study. Results from the
studies from Aim 1 and for Aim 2 will both provide substantial contributions to theories of metacognitive
development in typically and atypically developing children and will have the potential to provide insight into
future intervention efforts in both educational and social domains.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10552228
- **Project number:** 3F32HD097896-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA AT DAVIS
- **Principal Investigator:** Christopher Gonzales
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $33,557
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-03-01 → 2022-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10552228

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10552228, Neurocognitive Mechanisms Underlying Preschoolers' Uncertainty Monitoring (3F32HD097896-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10552228. Licensed CC0.

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