Learning to react: anticipatory mechanisms in children and adults during a visuospatial attention task

The timing, morphology and topography of this slow negativity corresponded to those of 'Contingent Negative Variation' and 'Readiness Potential' processes. We argue that the relative slowness of motor reactions in children during this task was not due to a deficit in spatial orienting or target evaluation, but rather to a failure in developing anticipatory and preparatory reactions in response to cues, i.e. a deficit in executive functions.