Less Is More Activation: The Involvement of the Lateral Prefrontal Regions in a “Less Is More” Task

ABSTRACTThe present study examined whether the lateral prefrontal regions played an important role in a less is more (LIM) task in young children. Preschool children were given a LIM task, and neural activation during the task was assessed using a functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Results revealed that children’s right ventrolateral prefrontal regions were activated during the task. Specifically, stronger prefrontal activation was shown when children chose a small reward compared to when they selected the other option. Results suggest that the lateral prefrontal regions, the core region of cool EF, contributes to performance in the LIM task.