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Li Z, Zhou Z, Wang X, Wu J, Chen L. Neural Correlates of Analogical Reasoning on Syntactic Patterns. J Cogn Neurosci 2024; 36:854-871. [PMID: 38307125 DOI: 10.1162/jocn_a_02115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2024]
Abstract
Analogical reasoning is central to thought and learning. However, previous neuroscience studies have focused mainly on neural substrates for visuospatial and semantic analogies. There has not yet been research on the neural correlates of analogical reasoning on syntactic patterns generated by the syntactic rules, a key feature of human language faculty. The present investigation took an initial step to address this paucity. Twenty-four participants, whose brain activity was monitored by fMRI, engaged in first-order and second-order relational judgments of syntactic patterns as well as simple and complex working memory tasks. After scanning, participants rated the difficulty of each step during analogical reasoning; these ratings were related to signal intensities in activated regions of interest using Spearman correlation analyses. After prior research, differences in activation levels during second-order and first-order relational judgments were taken as evidence of analogical reasoning. These analyses showed that analogical reasoning on syntactic patterns recruited brain regions consistent with those supporting visuospatial and semantic analogies, including the anterior and posterior parts of the left middle frontal gyrus, anatomically corresponding to the left rostrolateral pFC and the left dorsolateral pFC. The correlation results further revealed that the posterior middle frontal gyrus might be involved in analogical access and mapping with syntactic patterns. Our study is the first to investigate the process of analogical reasoning on syntactic patterns at the neurobiological level and provide evidence of the specific functional roles of related regions during subprocesses of analogical reasoning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Luyao Chen
- Beijing Normal University
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
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2
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León-Domínguez U. Potential cognitive risks of generative transformer-based AI chatbots on higher order executive functions. Neuropsychology 2024; 38:293-308. [PMID: 38300581 DOI: 10.1037/neu0000948] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chat generative retrained transformer (ChatGPT) represents a groundbreaking advancement in Artificial Intelligence (AI-chatbot) technology, utilizing transformer algorithms to enhance natural language processing and facilitating their use for addressing specific tasks. These AI chatbots can respond to questions by generating verbal instructions similar to those a person would provide during the problem-solving process. AIM ChatGPT has become the fastest growing software in terms of user adoption in history, leading to an anticipated widespread use of this technology in the general population. Current literature is predominantly focused on the functional aspects of these technologies, but the field has not yet explored hypotheses on how these AI chatbots could impact the evolutionary aspects of human cognitive development. Thesis: The "neuronal recycling hypothesis" posits that the brain undergoes structural transformation by incorporating new cultural tools into "neural niches," consequently altering individual cognition. In the case of technological tools, it has been established that they reduce the cognitive demand needed to solve tasks through a process called "cognitive offloading." In this theoretical article, three hypotheses were proposed via forward inference about how algorithms such as ChatGPT and similar models may influence the cognitive processes and structures of upcoming generations. CONCLUSIONS By forecasting the neurocognitive effects of these technologies, educational and political communities can anticipate future scenarios and formulate strategic plans to either mitigate or enhance the cognitive influence that these factors may have on the general population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).
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3
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Zhang M, Yin Z, Zhang X, Zhang H, Bao M, Xuan B. Neural mechanisms distinguishing two types of cooperative problem-solving approaches: An fNIRS hyperscanning study. Neuroimage 2024; 291:120587. [PMID: 38548038 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Collaborative cooperation (CC) and division of labor cooperation (DLC) are two prevalent forms of cooperative problem-solving approaches in daily life. Despite extensive research on the neural mechanisms underlying cooperative problem-solving approaches, a notable gap exists between the neural processes that support CC and DLC. The present study utilized a functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning technique along with a classic cooperative tangram puzzle task to investigate the neural mechanisms engaged by both friends and stranger dyads during CC versus DLC. The key findings of this study were as follows: (1) Dyads exhibited superior behavioral performance in the DLC task than in the CC task. The CC task bolstered intra-brain functional connectivity and inter-brain synchrony (IBS) in regions linked to the mirror neuron system (MNS), spatial perception (SP) and cognitive control. (2) Friend dyads showed stronger IBS in brain regions associated with the MNS than stranger dyads. (3) Perspective-taking predicted not only dyads' behavioral performance in the CC task but also their IBS in brain regions associated with SP during the DLC task. Taken together, these findings elucidate the divergent behavioral performance and neural connection patterns between the two cooperative problem-solving approaches. This study provides novel insights into the various neurocognitive processes underlying flexible coordination strategies in real-world cooperative contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shanghai Normal University, 100, Guilin Road, Shanghai 200234, China
| | - Zijun Yin
- School of Educational Science, Anhui Normal University, 2, Beijing Middle Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Xue Zhang
- School of Educational Science, Anhui Normal University, 2, Beijing Middle Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Hui Zhang
- School of Educational Science, Anhui Normal University, 2, Beijing Middle Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Mingjing Bao
- School of Educational Science, Anhui Normal University, 2, Beijing Middle Road, Wuhu 241000, China
| | - Bin Xuan
- School of Educational Science, Anhui Normal University, 2, Beijing Middle Road, Wuhu 241000, China.
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4
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Semizer Y, Yu D, Rosenholtz R. Peripheral vision and crowding in mental maze-solving. J Vis 2024; 24:22. [PMID: 38662347 PMCID: PMC11055501 DOI: 10.1167/jov.24.4.22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Solving a maze effectively relies on both perception and cognition. Studying maze-solving behavior contributes to our knowledge about these important processes. Through psychophysical experiments and modeling simulations, we examine the role of peripheral vision, specifically visual crowding in the periphery, in mental maze-solving. Experiment 1 measured gaze patterns while varying maze complexity, revealing a direct relationship between visual complexity and maze-solving efficiency. Simulations of the maze-solving task using a peripheral vision model confirmed the observed crowding effects while making an intriguing prediction that saccades provide a conservative measure of how far ahead observers can perceive the path. Experiment 2 confirms that observers can judge whether a point lies on the path at considerably greater distances than their average saccade. Taken together, our findings demonstrate that peripheral vision plays a key role in mental maze-solving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yelda Semizer
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Dian Yu
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Ruth Rosenholtz
- Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
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5
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Fabio RA, Verzì D, Gangemi A. A contribute to the default-interventionist and parallel accounts in deductive reasoning. The effect of decisional styles on logic and belief. J Gen Psychol 2024; 151:209-222. [PMID: 37526357 DOI: 10.1080/00221309.2023.2241952] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/02/2023]
Abstract
Classical theories of reasoning equate System 1 with biases and System 2 with correct responses. Refined theories of reasoning propose the parallel model to explain the two systems. The first purpose of the present article is to give a contribution to the debate on the parallel and default-interventionfist models: we hypothesized when logic and belief conflict both logical validity and belief judgments will be affected with greater level of response errors and/or longer response times. The second purpose of this article is to assess the relationship between decisional styles and performance in deductive reasoning. Seventy-two participants participated in the experiment and completed 64 modus ponens and modus tollens syllogistic reasoning tasks. Accordingly, we found that belief and logic judgments were affected by the conflict condition, both in easy syllogisms (i.e., modus ponens) and in complex syllogisms (i.e., modus tollens). Findings showed also that participants with a rational decision-making style were more strongly influenced by logic than belief, whereas those with an intuitive decision-making style were more strongly influenced by belief than logic.
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6
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Lee Swanson H, Kong JE, Lussier CM. Cognitive processes that underlie mathematically gifted emergent bilinguals. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 240:105833. [PMID: 38141276 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105833] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 12/25/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to determine those cognitive measures that increase the likelihood of identifying mathematically gifted students who are emerging bilinguals. Elementary school children (Grades 1, 2, and 3) were administered a battery of math, vocabulary, reading, and cognitive measures (short-term memory, inhibition, and working memory in their first language (L1: Spanish) and second language (L2: English). Multilevel polytomous logistic modeling compared mathematically gifted children with children who were average math achievers or low math achievers. The results indicated that cognitive parameters that included estimation and working memory in the L2 and problem-solving in the L1 were unique predictors that significantly influenced whether a child was categorized as gifted relative to average achievers. Relative to average achievers, L2 parameters (magnitude judgment) and English reading were significantly related to the identification of children with low math computation. The results are discussed in terms of a multidimensional model that taps domain-specific skills and general cognitive processes that increase the ability to correctly identify children who score in the gifted range in both their L1 and L2.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Lee Swanson
- Educational Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA; Educational Psychology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA.
| | - Jennifer E Kong
- Department of Special Education, Chapman University, Orange, CA 92866, USA
| | - Catherine M Lussier
- Educational Psychology, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
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Masson N, Dormal V, Stephany M, Schiltz C. Eye movements reveal that young school children shift attention when solving additions and subtractions. Dev Sci 2024; 27:e13452. [PMID: 37800410 DOI: 10.1111/desc.13452] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Adults shift their attention to the right or to the left along a spatial continuum when solving additions and subtractions, respectively. Studies suggest that these shifts not only support the exact computation of the results but also anticipatively narrow down the range of plausible answers when processing the operands. However, little is known on when and how these attentional shifts arise in childhood during the acquisition of arithmetic. Here, an eye-tracker with high spatio-temporal resolution was used to measure spontaneous eye movements, used as a proxy for attentional shifts, while children of 2nd (8 y-o; N = 50) and 4th (10 y-o; N = 48) Grade solved simple additions (e.g., 4+3) and subtractions (e.g., 3-2). Gaze patterns revealed horizontal and vertical attentional shifts in both groups. Critically, horizontal eye movements were observed in 4th Graders as soon as the first operand and the operator were presented and thus before the beginning of the exact computation. In 2nd Graders, attentional shifts were only observed after the presentation of the second operand just before the response was made. This demonstrates that spatial attention is recruited when children solve arithmetic problems, even in the early stages of learning mathematics. The time course of these attentional shifts suggests that with practice in arithmetic children start to use spatial attention to anticipatively guide the search for the answer and facilitate the implementation of solving procedures. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS: Additions and subtractions are associated to right and left attentional shifts in adults, but it is unknown when these mechanisms arise in childhood. Children of 8-10 years old solved single-digit additions and subtractions while looking at a blank screen. Eye movements showed that children of 8 years old already show spatial biases possibly to represent the response when knowing both operands. Children of 10 years old shift attention before knowing the second operand to anticipatively guide the search for plausible answers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Masson
- Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE), Department, of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS), Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment (COSA), University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Valérie Dormal
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Martine Stephany
- Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE), Department, of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS), Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment (COSA), University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Christine Schiltz
- Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE), Department, of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS), Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment (COSA), University of Luxembourg, Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
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Bieth T, Ovando‐Tellez M, Lopez‐Persem A, Garcin B, Hugueville L, Lehongre K, Levy R, George N, Volle E. Time course of EEG power during creative problem-solving with insight or remote thinking. Hum Brain Mapp 2024; 45:e26547. [PMID: 38060194 PMCID: PMC10789201 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.26547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Problem-solving often requires creativity and is critical in everyday life. However, the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying creative problem-solving remain poorly understood. Two mechanisms have been highlighted: the formation of new connections among problem elements and insight solving, characterized by sudden realization of a solution. In this study, we investigated EEG activity during a modified version of the remote associates test, a classical insight problem task that requires finding a word connecting three unrelated words. This allowed us to explore the brain correlates associated with the semantic remoteness of connections (by varying the remoteness of the solution word across trials) and with insight solving (identified as a Eurêka moment reported by the participants). Semantic remoteness was associated with power increase in the alpha band (8-12 Hz) in a left parieto-temporal cluster, the beta band (13-30 Hz) in a right fronto-temporal cluster in the early phase of the task, and the theta band (3-7 Hz) in a bilateral frontal cluster just prior to participants' responses. Insight solving was associated with power increase preceding participants' responses in the alpha and gamma (31-60 Hz) bands in a left temporal cluster and the theta band in a frontal cluster. Source reconstructions revealed the brain regions associated with these clusters. Overall, our findings shed new light on some of the mechanisms involved in creative problem-solving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théophile Bieth
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié SalpêtrièreParisFrance
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP‐HP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, DMU NeuroscienceParisFrance
| | - Marcela Ovando‐Tellez
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié SalpêtrièreParisFrance
| | - Alizée Lopez‐Persem
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié SalpêtrièreParisFrance
| | - Béatrice Garcin
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié SalpêtrièreParisFrance
- Department of NeurologyAvicenne Hospital, AP‐HPBobignyFrance
| | - Laurent Hugueville
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié SalpêtrièreParisFrance
- Institut du Cerveau—ICM, Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Université, Centre MEG‐EEG, CENIRParisFrance
| | - Katia Lehongre
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié SalpêtrièreParisFrance
| | - Richard Levy
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié SalpêtrièreParisFrance
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, AP‐HP, Hôpital de la Pitié Salpêtrière, DMU NeuroscienceParisFrance
| | - Nathalie George
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié SalpêtrièreParisFrance
- Institut du Cerveau—ICM, Inserm U1127, CNRS UMR7225, Sorbonne Université, Centre MEG‐EEG, CENIRParisFrance
| | - Emmanuelle Volle
- Sorbonne Université, Institut du Cerveau—Paris Brain Institute—ICM, Inserm, CNRS, APHP, Hôpital de la Pitié SalpêtrièreParisFrance
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Polo-Blanco I, Suárez-Pinilla P, Goñi-Cervera J, Suárez-Pinilla M, Payá B. Comparison of Mathematics Problem-Solving Abilities in Autistic and Non-autistic Children: the Influence of Cognitive Profile. J Autism Dev Disord 2024; 54:353-365. [PMID: 36319804 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05802-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
This study examines relationships between mathematical problem-solving performance (in terms of strategies used and accuracy) and the main cognitive domains associated with mathematical learning (i.e. executive functions, verbal comprehension and social perception) of children with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD and non-ASD resp.). The study involved 26 ASD and 26 non-ASD children without intellectual disabilities, between 6 and 12 years old, matched by sex, age and school (grade and classroom). The results show a higher percentage of ASD children with problem solving difficulties than non-ASD (57% vs. 23% resp.). Poor performing ASD children showed comparatively lower scores in inhibition, theory of mind and verbal comprehension. Implications for the design of mathematical interventions for ASD students are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Polo-Blanco
- Departamento de Matemáticas Estadística y Computación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain.
| | - Paula Suárez-Pinilla
- Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
- CIBERSAM. Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red en Salud Mental, Madrid, Spain
- Grupo de Psiquiatría. IDIVAL: Instituto de Investigación Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
- Departamento de Medicina y Psiquiatría, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Juncal Goñi-Cervera
- Departamento de Matemáticas Estadística y Computación, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Cantabria, Santander, Spain
| | - Marta Suárez-Pinilla
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Queen Square Institute of Neurology, UCL, London, UK
| | - Beatriz Payá
- Hospital Universitario Marqués de Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
- Grupo de Psiquiatría. IDIVAL: Instituto de Investigación Valdecilla, Santander, Spain
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Closser AH, Chan JYC, Ottmar E. Resisting the urge to calculate: The relation between inhibitory control and perceptual cues in arithmetic performance. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2023; 76:2690-2703. [PMID: 36717538 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231156125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Subtle visual manipulations to the presentation of mathematical notation influence the way that students perceive and solve problems. While there is a consistent impact of perceptual cues on students' problem-solving, other cognitive skills such as inhibitory control may interact with perceptual cues to affect students' arithmetic problem-solving performance. We present an online experiment in which college students completed a version of the Stroop task followed by arithmetic problems in which the spacing between numbers and operators was either congruent (e.g., 2 + 3×4) or incongruent (e.g., 2+3 × 4) to the order of precedence. We found that students were comparably accurate between problem types but might have spent longer responding to problems with congruent than incongruent spacing. There was no main effect of inhibitory control on students' performance on these problems. However, an exploratory analysis on a combined performance measure of accuracy and response time revealed an interaction between problem type and inhibitory control. Students with higher inhibitory control performed better on congruent versus incongruent problems, whereas students with lower inhibitory control performed worse on congruent versus incongruent problems. Together, these results suggest that the relation between inhibitory control and arithmetic performance may not be straightforward. Furthermore, this work advances perceptual learning theory and contributes new findings on the contexts in which perceptual cues, such as spacing, influence arithmetic performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avery Harrison Closser
- Department of Social Science and Policy Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
- Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Jenny Yun-Chen Chan
- Department of Social Science and Policy Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
- Department of Early Childhood Education, The Education University of Hong Kong, Tai Po, Hong Kong
| | - Erin Ottmar
- Department of Social Science and Policy Studies, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Worcester, MA, USA
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Stephan S. Revisiting the narrow latent scope bias in explanatory reasoning. Cognition 2023; 241:105630. [PMID: 37806209 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105630] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
Humans are capable explainers and lay people tend to share the same explanatory virtues held in high regard by philosophers and scientists. However, a recent line of studies found a striking deviation from normativity in lay people's explanations, termed the "narrow latent scope bias". When competing explanations with identical a priori probabilities fit observed evidence equally well - but differ in the number of unobserved pieces of evidence they predict (latent scope) - reasoners seem to prefer explanations that predict fewer unobserved pieces of evidence (narrow latent scope). This tendency has been described as a robust explanatory reasoning bias. The present paper empirically demonstrates across six experiments (N=2200) that this bias is less robust than has been claimed, and influenced by nuanced pragmatic inferences on the side of participants. Pragmatic factors shown to influence the bias are assumptions about how easily an unobserved piece of evidence should have been observed if it was present ("feature diagnosability"), and the formulation of the test question being asked. Across studies, genuine narrow latent scope biases resulting from fallacious reasoning were found only in a fraction of participants. It is also demonstrated that the magnitude of the bias depends on response options: it is stronger if participants are forced to commit an error, but at best weak if they are allowed to give the correct answer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simon Stephan
- Department of Psychology, University of Göttingen, Gosslerstrasse 14, 37073 Göttingen, Germany.
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12
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Díaz-Barriga Yáñez A, Longo L, Chesnokova H, Poletti C, Thevenot C, Prado J. Neural evidence for procedural automatization during cognitive development: Intraparietal response to changes in very-small addition problem-size increases with age. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2023; 64:101310. [PMID: 37806070 PMCID: PMC10570710 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2023.101310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognitive development is often thought to depend on qualitative changes in problem-solving strategies, with early developing algorithmic procedures (e.g., counting when adding numbers) considered being replaced by retrieval of associations (e.g., between operands and answers of addition problems) in adults. However, algorithmic procedures might also become automatized with practice. In a large cross-sectional fMRI study from age 8 to adulthood (n = 128), we evaluate this hypothesis by measuring neural changes associated with age-related reductions in a behavioral hallmark of mental addition, the problem-size effect (an increase in solving time as problem sum increases). We found that age-related decreases in problem-size effect were paralleled by age-related increases of activity in a region of the intraparietal sulcus that already supported the problem-size effect in 8- to 9-year-olds, at an age the effect is at least partly due to explicit counting. This developmental effect, which was also observed in the basal ganglia and prefrontal cortex, was restricted to problems with operands ≤ 4. These findings are consistent with a model positing that very-small arithmetic problems-and not larger problems-might rely on an automatization of counting procedures rather than a shift towards retrieval, and suggest a neural automatization of procedural knowledge during cognitive development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Díaz-Barriga Yáñez
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université de Lyon, France
| | - Léa Longo
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université de Lyon, France
| | - Hanna Chesnokova
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université de Lyon, France
| | - Céline Poletti
- Institut de Psychologie, Université de Lausanne, Switzerland
| | | | - Jérôme Prado
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon (CRNL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, Université de Lyon, France.
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Caudle MM, Spadoni AD, Schiehser DM, Simmons AN, Bomyea J. Neural activity and network analysis for understanding reasoning using the matrix reasoning task. Cogn Process 2023; 24:585-594. [PMID: 37597116 PMCID: PMC10533635 DOI: 10.1007/s10339-023-01152-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/21/2023]
Abstract
Reasoning requires the ability to manipulate mental representations and understand relationships between objects. There is a paucity of research regarding the functional connections between multiple brain areas that may interact during commonly used reasoning tasks. The present study aimed to examine functional activation and connectivity of frontoparietal regions during a Matrix Decision Making Task, completed by twenty-one right-handed healthy participants while undergoing fMRI. Voxel-wise whole brain analysis of neural response to the task revealed activation spanning dorsal and lateral prefrontal, occipital, and parietal regions. Utilizing Group Iterative Multiple Model Estimation, a data-driven approach that estimates the presence and direction of connectivity between specific ROIs, connectivity between prefrontal and sensory processing regions were revealed. Moreover, the magnitude of connectivity strength between the left precentral gyrus and left dorsal cingulate (dACC) was positively correlated with MR behavioral performance. Taken together, results are consistent with earlier work demonstrating involvement of regions comprising the central executive network in relational reasoning. These data expand existing knowledge regarding communication of key brain regions during the task and demonstrate that understanding how key brain regions are interconnected can effectively predict the quality of behavioral output.
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Affiliation(s)
- M M Caudle
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology, San Diego State University, University of California San Diego, 6363 Alvarado Court, Suite 103, San Diego, CA, 92120, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | - A D Spadoni
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - D M Schiehser
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
| | - A N Simmons
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA
| | - J Bomyea
- Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, VA San Diego Healthcare System, 3350 La Jolla Village Dr, San Diego, CA, 92161, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA, 92093, USA.
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14
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Stewart KM, Risko EF, Fugelsang J. Response generation, not response execution, influences feelings of rightness in reasoning. Q J Exp Psychol (Hove) 2023; 76:2379-2389. [PMID: 36744588 PMCID: PMC10503250 DOI: 10.1177/17470218231156712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 10/27/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
It has been argued that the experience of ease (i.e., the ability to quickly generate an initial response) during processing influences one's likelihood of engaging reflectively when reasoning. This is a key facet of Metacognitive Reasoning Theory (MRT) and numerous studies have found support for this claim by showing that answers that come to mind quickly, are associated with higher feelings of rightness (FORs), and less reflective processing. However, the possibility remains that the critical determinant of FORs may be the speed of executing a response and not generating a response, given the nature of the evidence for this claim. Across two experiments, we manipulated the duration of the response execution to identify whether participants' FOR judgements are at least partially based on factors occurring after the initial mental generation of an answer. We found no evidence that FORs nor reflection are influenced by a manipulation of response execution. Broadly, the present investigation provides evidence that the relation between speed of response and FORs is likely due to the speed with which an answer is generated internally, and not the response execution phase. These findings are consistent with Metacognitive Reasoning Theory and provide further support for the suggestion that answer fluency is the critical variable in determining FORs. All data, scripts, and materials can be found at https://osf.io/f48az/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kaiden M Stewart
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Evan F Risko
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jonathan Fugelsang
- Department of Psychology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
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15
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Gauselmann P, Frings C, Schmidt M, Tempel T. Protecting against mental impasses: Evidence of selective retrieval mitigating the impact of fixation in creative problem solving. Cognition 2023; 239:105547. [PMID: 37422977 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2023.105547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023]
Abstract
A common issue in creative problem solving is the unintended fixation on strongly associated, yet inappropriate solutions. In two experiments, we investigated whether lowering their accessibility by means of selective retrieval can positively affect subsequent problem-solving performance in a Compound Remote Associate test. Misleading associates were strengthened by letting participants memorize them alongside with neutral words. Half of the participants then selectively retrieved the neutral words in a cued recall test, temporarily weakening the activation level of induced fixation. In both experiments, this resulted in less impairment of subsequent performance for fixated CRA problems in early problem-solving stages (0-30 s). Additional results further revealed that participants who had engaged in prior selective retrieval perceived an increased feeling of having had immediate access to target solutions. These findings correspond to the assumption of inhibitory processes being a critical factor in both retrieval-induced forgetting and overcoming fixation in creative problem solving or preventing it from occurring in the first place. Also, they provide important insight into how strongly problem solving success is influenced by fixation.
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16
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Chen NF, Chang TT. Arithmetic problem size modulates brain activations in females but not in males. Eur J Neurosci 2023; 58:3299-3314. [PMID: 37468321 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 07/04/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 07/21/2023]
Abstract
Numerous empirical studies have reported that males and females perform equally well in mathematical achievement. However, still to date, very limited is understood about the brain response profiles that are particularly characteristic of males and females when solving mathematical problems. The present study aimed to tackle this issue by manipulating arithmetic problem size to investigate functional significance using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in young adults. Participants were instructed to complete two runs of simple calculation tasks with either large or small problem sizes. Behavioural results suggested that the performance did not differ between females and males. Neuroimaging data revealed that sex/gender-related patterns of problem size effect were found in the brain regions that are conventionally associated with arithmetic, including the left middle frontal gyrus (MFG), left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and insula. Specifically, females demonstrated substantial brain responses of problem size effect in these regions, whereas males showed marginal effects. Moreover, the machine learning method implemented over the brain signal levels within these regions demonstrated that sex/gender is discriminable. These results showed sex/gender effects in the activating patterns varying as a function of the distinct math problem size, even in a simple calculation task. Accordingly, our findings suggested that females and males use two complementary brain resources to achieve equally successful performance levels and highlight the pivotal role of neuroimaging facilities in uncovering neural mechanisms that may not be behaviourally salient.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nai-Feng Chen
- Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Ting-Ting Chang
- Department of Psychology, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
- Research Center for Mind, Brain and Learning, National Chengchi University, Taipei, Taiwan
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17
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Frykmer T, Svenbro M. Common operational pictures as collective problem representations: The case of the 2018 wildfires in Sweden. J Emerg Manag 2023; 21:385-397. [PMID: 37932943 DOI: 10.5055/jem.0796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2023]
Abstract
Common operational pictures (COPs) can be seen as collective problem representations that facilitate effective problem solving during emergency response. This article investigates how problems are represented in COPs and discusses how such problem representations could be improved to better inform ongoing response operations. A content analysis of 41 COPs created by a Swedish county board during the large-scale wildfires that broke out in 2018 shows that most problems are represented in terms of geographic references and the status of fires, what problems to avoid, or risks, and resource type and status. These representations were found to be key for managing the response, as they enabled the scope of the response to be determined and facilitated proactive strategies; actions could be planned; the response organization could be set up. Further investigations could examine if problem representations described in terms of a gap between an undesirable current state and desired goal state would improve the usefulness of COPs, and, ultimately, better inform ongoing response operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tove Frykmer
- Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Maja Svenbro
- Division of Risk Management and Societal Safety, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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18
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Antón Toro LF, Salto F, Requena C, Maestú F. Electrophysiological connectivity of logical deduction: Early cortical MEG study. Cortex 2023; 166:365-376. [PMID: 37499565 DOI: 10.1016/j.cortex.2023.06.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2022] [Revised: 04/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Complex human reasoning involves minimal abilities to extract conclusions implied in the available information. These abilities are considered "deductive" because they exemplify certain abstract relations among propositions or probabilities called deductive arguments. However, the electrophysiological dynamics which supports such complex cognitive processes has not been addressed yet. In this work we consider typically deductive logico-probabilistically valid inferences and aim to verify or refute their electrophysiological functional connectivity differences from invalid inferences with the same content (same relational variables, same stimuli, same relevant and salient features). We recorded the brain electrophysiological activity of 20 participants (age = 20.35 ± 3.23) by means of an MEG system during two consecutive reasoning tasks: a search task (invalid condition) without any specific deductive rules to follow, and a logically valid deductive task (valid condition) with explicit deductive rules as instructions. We calculated the functional connectivity (FC) for each condition and conducted a seed-based analysis in a set of cortical regions of interest. Finally, we used a cluster-based permutation test to compare the differences between logically valid and invalid conditions in terms of FC. As a first novel result we found higher FC for valid condition in beta band between regions of interest and left prefrontal, temporal, parietal, and cingulate structures. FC analysis allows a second novel result which is the definition of a propositional network with operculo-cingular, parietal and medial nodes, specifically including disputed medial deductive "core" areas. The experiment discloses measurable cortical processes which do not depend on content but on truth-functional propositional operators. These experimental novelties may contribute to understand the cortical bases of deductive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis F Antón Toro
- Research Group on Aging, Neuroscience and Applied Logic, Department of Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy, University of León, Campus Vegazana S/n 24171, León, Spain; Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience (C3N), Complutense University of Madrid, Campus Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid, Spain; Department of Psychology, Health Faculty, Camilo José Cela University (UCJC), C. Castillo de Alarcón, 49, 28692 Villafranca Del Castillo, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Francisco Salto
- Research Group on Aging, Neuroscience and Applied Logic, Department of Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy, University of León, Campus Vegazana S/n 24171, León, Spain.
| | - Carmen Requena
- Research Group on Aging, Neuroscience and Applied Logic, Department of Psychology, Sociology and Philosophy, University of León, Campus Vegazana S/n 24171, León, Spain.
| | - Fernando Maestú
- Center for Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience (C3N), Complutense University of Madrid, Campus Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid, Spain; Department of Experimental Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Campus Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo, Madrid, Spain.
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19
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Masson N, Pesenti M. A functional role for oculomotor preparation in mental arithmetic evidenced by the abducted eye paradigm. Psychol Res 2023; 87:919-928. [PMID: 35758995 DOI: 10.1007/s00426-022-01696-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Solving subtraction and addition problems is accompanied by spontaneous leftward and rightward gaze shifts, respectively. These shifts have been related to attentional processes involved in mental arithmetic, but whether these processes induce overt attentional shifts mediated by the activation of the motor programs underlying lateral eye movements or covert shifts only is still unknown. Here, we used the abducted eye paradigm to selectively disrupt activation of the oculomotor system and prevent oculomotor preparation, which affects overt but not covert attentional shifts. Participants had to mentally solve addition and subtraction problems while fixating a screen positioned either in front of them or laterally to their left or right such that they were physically unable to programme and execute saccades further into their temporal field while they still could do so in their nasal field. In comparison to the frontal condition, rightward eye abduction impaired additions (with carrying), and leftward eye abduction impaired subtractions (with borrowing) showing that at least some arithmetic problems rely on processes dedicated to overt attentional shifts. We propose that when solving arithmetic problems requires procedures such as carrying and borrowing, oculomotor mechanisms operating on a mental space transiently built in working memory are recruited to represent one numerical magnitude in relation to another (e.g. the first operand and the result).
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Masson
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, place Mercier 10, B-1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive Sciences (DBCS), Institute of Cognitive Science and Assessment (COSA), Faculty of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (FHSE), University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg, Luxembourg.
| | - Mauro Pesenti
- Psychological Sciences Research Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, place Mercier 10, B-1348, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium.
- Institute of Neuroscience, Université catholique de Louvain, Bruxelles, Belgium.
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20
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Papadopoulou A, Doukakis S. Proposal for Investigating Self-Efficacy in Mathematics Using a Portable EEG System. Adv Exp Med Biol 2023; 1424:117-124. [PMID: 37486485 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-31982-2_12] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/25/2023]
Abstract
The present research proposal focuses on the search for the relation-ship between self-efficacy in mathematics, performance in mathematical tests, cognitive function during solving mathematical problems, and characteristics of the participants. The purpose of this study is to clarify the role of neurocognitive findings in the interpretation of perceived mathematical self-efficacy and, in addition, to investigate to what extent can neurophysiological data complement findings from socio-cognitive research and thus enrich general cognitive theories for mathematics education. The proposed research will use data from different datasets (questionnaire, neurophysiological, and biometric measurements). For the EEG measures the MUSE 2 portable EEG system will be used. The proposed study attempts to investigate (a) if there is a correlation between overall math self-efficacy scores and brain function during math problem-solving, (b) if there is a correlation between high self-efficacy and high math test performance, and (c) how math self-efficacy relates to participants' demographic characteristics and perceived math self-efficacy before and after the experiment.
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21
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Abstract
We present Graph Mapping - a simple and effective computerized test of fluid intelligence (reasoning ability). The test requires structure mapping - a key component of the reasoning process. Participants are asked to map a pair of corresponding nodes across two mathematically isomorphic but visually different graphs. The test difficulty can be easily manipulated - the more complex structurally and dissimilar visually the graphs, the higher response error rate. Graph Mapping offers high flexibility in item generation, ranging from trivial to extremally difficult items, supporting progressive item sequences suitable for correlational studies. It also allows multiple item instances (clones) at a fixed difficulty level as well as full item randomization, both particularly suitable for within-subject experimental designs, longitudinal studies, and adaptive testing. The test has short administration times and is unfamiliar to participants, yielding practical advantages. Graph Mapping has excellent psychometric properties: Its convergent validity and reliability is comparable to the three leading traditional fluid reasoning tests. The convenient software allows a researcher to design the optimal test variant for a given study and sample. Graph Mapping can be downloaded from: https://osf.io/wh7zv/.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Jastrzębski
- Institute of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Grodzka 52, 31-044 Krakow, Poland
| | - Michał Ociepka
- Institute of Psychology, Jagiellonian University, Ingardena 6, 30-060 Krakow, Poland
| | - Adam Chuderski
- Institute of Philosophy, Jagiellonian University, Grodzka 52, 31-044 Krakow, Poland
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22
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Ventura-Campos N, Ferrando-Esteve L, Epifanio I. The underlying neural bases of the reversal error while solving algebraic word problems. Sci Rep 2022; 12:21654. [PMID: 36522380 PMCID: PMC9755259 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25442-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 11/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Problem solving is a core element in mathematical learning. The reversal error in problem solving occurs when students are able to recognize the information in the statement of comparison word problems, but they reverse the relationship between two variables when building the equations. Functional magnetic resonance images were acquired to identify for the first time the neural bases associated with the reversal error. The neuronal bases linked to this error have been used as inputs in 13 classifiers to discriminate between reversal error and non-reversal error groups. We found brain activation in bilateral fronto-parietal areas in the participants who committed reversal errors, and only left fronto-parietal activation in those who did not, suggesting that the reversal error group needed a greater cognitive demand. Instead, the non-reversal error group seems to show that they have developed solid algebraic knowledge. Additionally, the results showed brain activation in the right middle temporal gyrus when comparing the reversal error vs non-reversal error groups. This activation would be associated with the semantic processing which is required to understand the statement and build the equation. Finally, the classifier results show that the brain areas activated could be considered good biomarkers to help us identify competent solvers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noelia Ventura-Campos
- Department of Education and Specific Didactics, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de La Plana, Spain
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de La Plana, Spain
| | - Lara Ferrando-Esteve
- Department of Education and Specific Didactics, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de La Plana, Spain.
- Neuropsychology and Functional Neuroimaging Group, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de La Plana, Spain.
| | - Irene Epifanio
- Department of Mathematics, Universitat Jaume I, Castellón de La Plana, Spain
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23
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Mitani K, Rathnayake N, Rathnayake U, Dang TL, Hoshino Y. Brain Activity Associated with the Planning Process during the Long-Time Learning of the Tower of Hanoi (ToH) Task: A Pilot Study. Sensors (Basel) 2022; 22:8283. [PMID: 36365987 PMCID: PMC9654550 DOI: 10.3390/s22218283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2022] [Revised: 10/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Planning and decision-making are critical managerial functions involving the brain's executive functions. However, little is known about the effect of cerebral activity during long-time learning while planning and decision-making. This study investigated the impact of planning and decision-making processes in long-time learning, focusing on a cerebral activity before and after learning. The methodology of this study involves the Tower of Hanoi (ToH) to investigate executive functions related to the learning process. Generally, ToH is used to measure baseline performance, learning rate, offline learning (following overnight retention), and transfer. However, this study performs experiments on long-time learning effects for ToH solving. The participants were involved in learning the task over seven weeks. Learning progress was evaluated based on improvement in performance and correlations with the learning curve. All participants showed a significant improvement in planning and decision-making over seven weeks of time duration. Brain activation results from fMRI showed a statistically significant decrease in the activation degree in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, parietal lobe, inferior frontal gyrus, and premotor cortex between before and after learning. Our pilot study showed that updating information and shifting issue rules were found in the frontal lobe. Through monitoring performance, we can describe the effect of long-time learning initiated at the frontal lobe and then convert it to a task execution function by analyzing the frontal lobe maps. This process can be observed by comparing the learning curve and the fMRI maps. It was also clear that the degree of activation tends to decrease with the number of tasks, such as through the mid-phase and the end-phase of training. The elucidation of this structure is closely related to decision-making in human behavior, where brain dynamics differ between "thinking and behavior" during complex thinking in the early stages of training and instantaneous "thinking and behavior" after sufficient training. Since this is related to human learning, elucidating these mechanisms will allow the construction of a brain function map model that can be used universally for all training tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keita Mitani
- School of Systems Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, 185 Miyanokuchi, Tosayamada, Kami 782-8502, Kochi, Japan
| | - Namal Rathnayake
- School of Systems Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, 185 Miyanokuchi, Tosayamada, Kami 782-8502, Kochi, Japan
| | - Upaka Rathnayake
- Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology, Malabe 10115, Sri Lanka
| | - Tuan Linh Dang
- School of Information and Communications Technology, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No. 1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi 100000, Vietnam
| | - Yukinobu Hoshino
- School of Systems Engineering, Kochi University of Technology, 185 Miyanokuchi, Tosayamada, Kami 782-8502, Kochi, Japan
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24
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Yu Y, Oh Y, Kounios J, Beeman M. Dynamics of hidden brain states when people solve verbal puzzles. Neuroimage 2022; 255:119202. [PMID: 35427772 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2022.119202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
When people try to solve a problem, they go through distinct steps (encoding, ideation, evaluation, etc.) recurrently and spontaneously. To disentangle different cognitive processes that unfold throughout a trial, we applied an unsupervised machine learning method to electroencephalogram (EEG) data continuously recorded while 39 participants attempted 153 Compound Remote Associates problems (CRA). CRA problems are verbal puzzles that can be solved in either insight-leaning or analysis-leaning manner. We fitted a Hidden Markov Model to the time-frequency transformed EEG signals and decoded each trial as a time-resolved state sequence. The model characterizes hidden brain states with spectrally resolved power topography. Seven states were identified with distinct activation patterns in the theta (4-7 Hz), alpha (8-9 Hz and 10-13 Hz), and gamma (25-50 Hz) bands. Notably, a state featuring widespread activation only in alpha-band frequency emerged, from this data-driven approach, which exhibited dynamic characteristics associated with specific temporal stages and outcomes (whether solved with insight or analysis) of the trials. The state dynamics derived from the model overlap and extend previous literature on the cognitive function of alpha oscillation: the "alpha-state" probability peaks before stimulus onset and decreases before response. In trials solved with insight, relative to solved with analysis, the alpha-state is more likely to be visited and maintained during preparation and solving periods, and its probability declines more sharply immediately preceding a response. This novel paradigm provides a way to extract dynamic features that characterize problem-solving stages and potentially provide a novel window into the nature of the underlying cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuhua Yu
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
| | - Yongtaek Oh
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - John Kounios
- Department of Psychology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Mark Beeman
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA
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25
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Pang J, Guo H, Tang X, Fu Y, Yang Z, Li Y, An N, Luo J, Yao Z, Hu B. Uncovering the global task-modulated brain network in chunk decomposition with Chinese characters. Neuroimage 2021; 247:118826. [PMID: 34923135 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 12/15/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Chunk decomposition, which requires the mental representation transformation in accordance with behavioral goals, is of vital importance to problem solving and creative thinking. Previous studies have identified that the frontal, parietal, and occipital cortex in the cognitive control network selectively activated in response to chunk tightness, however, functional localization strategy may overlook the interaction brain regions. Based on the notion of a global brain network, we proposed that multiple specialized regions have to be interconnected to maintain goal representation during the course of chunk decomposition. Therefore, the present study applied a beta-series correlation method to investigate interregional functional connectivity in the event-related design of chunk decomposition tasks using Chinese characters, which would highlight critical nodes irrespective to chunk tightness. The results reveal a network of functional hubs with highly within or between module connections, including the orbitofrontal cortex, superior/inferior parietal lobule, hippocampus, and thalamus. We speculate that the thalamus integrates information across modular as an integrative hub while the orbitofrontal cortex tracks the mental states of chunk decomposition on a moment-to-moment basis. The superior and inferior parietal lobule collaborate to manipulate the mental representation of chunk decomposition and the hippocampus associates the relationship between elements in the question and solution phase. Furthermore, the tightness of chunks is not only associated with different processors in visual systems but also leads to increased intermodular connections in right superior frontal gyrus and left precentral gyrus. To summary up, the present study first reveals the task-modulated brain network of chunk decomposition in addition to the tightness-related nodes in the frontal and occipital cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaoyan Pang
- School of Government, Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, Shanghai, China
| | - Hanning Guo
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
| | - Xiaochen Tang
- Shanghai Mental Health Center, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Psychotic Disorders, Shanghai, China
| | - Yu Fu
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
| | - Zhengwu Yang
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Yongchao Li
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Na An
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
| | - Jing Luo
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Learning and Cognition, School of Psychology, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhijun Yao
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China.
| | - Bin Hu
- Gansu Provincial Key Laboratory of Wearable Computing, School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University, No. 222 South Tianshui Road, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Shanghai Institutes for Biological Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China; Joint Research Center for Cognitive Neurosensor Technology of Lanzhou University and Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China; Ministry of Education, Open Source Software and Real-Time System Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China.
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Nalepka P, Silva PL, Kallen RW, Shockley K, Chemero A, Saltzman E, Richardson MJ. Task dynamics define the contextual emergence of human corralling behaviors. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0260046. [PMID: 34780559 PMCID: PMC8592491 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0260046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Social animals have the remarkable ability to organize into collectives to achieve goals unobtainable to individual members. Equally striking is the observation that despite differences in perceptual-motor capabilities, different animals often exhibit qualitatively similar collective states of organization and coordination. Such qualitative similarities can be seen in corralling behaviors involving the encirclement of prey that are observed, for example, during collaborative hunting amongst several apex predator species living in disparate environments. Similar encirclement behaviors are also displayed by human participants in a collaborative problem-solving task involving the herding and containment of evasive artificial agents. Inspired by the functional similarities in this behavior across humans and non-human systems, this paper investigated whether the containment strategies displayed by humans emerge as a function of the task's underlying dynamics, which shape patterns of goal-directed corralling more generally. This hypothesis was tested by comparing the strategies naïve human dyads adopt during the containment of a set of evasive artificial agents across two disparate task contexts. Despite the different movement types (manual manipulation or locomotion) required in the different task contexts, the behaviors that humans display can be predicted as emergent properties of the same underlying task-dynamic model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Nalepka
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise and Training, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Paula L. Silva
- Department of Psychology, Center for Cognition, Action & Perception, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Rachel W. Kallen
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise and Training, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Kevin Shockley
- Department of Psychology, Center for Cognition, Action & Perception, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Anthony Chemero
- Department of Psychology, Center for Cognition, Action & Perception, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, United States of America
| | - Elliot Saltzman
- Department of Physical Therapy & Athletic Training, College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences, Sargent College, Boston University, Boston, MA, United States of America
- Haskins Laboratories, New Haven, CT, United States of America
| | - Michael J. Richardson
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Elite Performance, Expertise and Training, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Finke S, Banfi C, Freudenthaler HH, Steiner AF, Vogel SE, Göbel SM, Landerl K. Common and distinct predictors of non-symbolic and symbolic ordinal number processing across the early primary school years. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258847. [PMID: 34673837 PMCID: PMC8530342 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
What are the cognitive mechanisms supporting non-symbolic and symbolic order processing? Preliminary evidence suggests that non-symbolic and symbolic order processing are partly distinct constructs. The precise mechanisms supporting these skills, however, are still unclear. Moreover, predictive patterns may undergo dynamic developmental changes during the first years of formal schooling. This study investigates the contribution of theoretically relevant constructs (non-symbolic and symbolic magnitude comparison, counting and storage and manipulation components of verbal and visuo-spatial working memory) to performance and developmental change in non-symbolic and symbolic numerical order processing. We followed 157 children longitudinally from Grade 1 to 3. In the order judgement tasks, children decided whether or not triplets of dots or digits were arranged in numerically ascending order. Non-symbolic magnitude comparison and visuo-spatial manipulation were significant predictors of initial performance in both non-symbolic and symbolic ordering. In line with our expectations, counting skills contributed additional variance to the prediction of symbolic, but not of non-symbolic ordering. Developmental change in ordering performance from Grade 1 to 2 was predicted by symbolic comparison skills and visuo-spatial manipulation. None of the predictors explained variance in developmental change from Grade 2 to 3. Taken together, the present results provide robust evidence for a general involvement of pair-wise magnitude comparison and visuo-spatial manipulation in numerical ordering, irrespective of the number format. Importantly, counting-based mechanisms appear to be a unique predictor of symbolic ordering. We thus conclude that there is only a partial overlap of the cognitive mechanisms underlying non-symbolic and symbolic order processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Finke
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- * E-mail:
| | - Chiara Banfi
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Institute for Medical Informatics, Statistics and Documentation, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Anna F. Steiner
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- FH JOANNEUM, University of Applied Sciences, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Silke M. Göbel
- Department of Psychology, University of York, York, United Kingdom
- Department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karin Landerl
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
- Department of Cognitive Science, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Brignoni‐Pérez E, Matejko AA, Jamal NI, Eden GF. Functional neuroanatomy of arithmetic in monolingual and bilingual adults and children. Hum Brain Mapp 2021; 42:4880-4895. [PMID: 34255408 PMCID: PMC8449110 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.25587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Prior studies on the brain bases of arithmetic have not focused on (or even described) their participants' language backgrounds. Yet, unlike monolinguals, early bilinguals have the capacity to solve arithmetic problems in both of their two languages. This raises the question whether this ability, or any other experience that comes with being bilingual, affects brain activity for arithmetic in bilinguals relative to monolinguals. Here, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging to compare brain activity in 44 English monolinguals and 44 Spanish-English early bilinguals, during the solving of arithmetic problems in English. We used a factorial design to test for a main effect of bilingual Language Experience. Based on the known modulating roles of arithmetic operation and age, we used two arithmetic tasks (addition and subtraction) and studied two age groups (adults and children). When collapsing across operations and age, we found broad bilateral activation for arithmetic in both the monolingual group and the bilingual group. However, an analysis of variance revealed that there was no effect of Language Experience, nor an interaction of Language Experience with Operation or Age Group. Bayesian analyses within regions of interest chosen for their role in arithmetic further supported the finding of no effect of Language Experience on brain activity underlying arithmetic. We conclude that early bilingualism does not influence the functional neuroanatomy of simple arithmetic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edith Brignoni‐Pérez
- Center for the Study of Learning, Department of PediatricsGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
- Interdisciplinary Program in NeuroscienceGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Anna A. Matejko
- Center for the Study of Learning, Department of PediatricsGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Nasheed I. Jamal
- Center for the Study of Learning, Department of PediatricsGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
| | - Guinevere F. Eden
- Center for the Study of Learning, Department of PediatricsGeorgetown University Medical CenterWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
- Interdisciplinary Program in NeuroscienceGeorgetown UniversityWashingtonDistrict of ColumbiaUSA
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Abstract
Several scientific, engineering, and medical advancements are based on breakthroughs made by people who excel in mathematics. Our current understanding of the underlying brain networks stems primarily from anatomical and functional investigations, but our knowledge of how neurotransmitters subserve numerical skills, the building block of mathematics, is scarce. Using 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (N = 54, 3T, semi-LASER sequence, TE = 32 ms, TR = 3.5 s), the study examined the relation between numerical skills and the brain's major inhibitory (GABA) and excitatory (glutamate) neurotransmitters. A negative association was found between the performance in a number sequences task and the resting concentration of GABA within the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS), a key region supporting numeracy. The relation between GABA in the IPS and number sequences was specific to (1) parietal but not frontal regions and to (2) GABA but not glutamate. It was additionally found that the resting functional connectivity of the left IPS and the left superior frontal gyrus was positively associated with number sequences performance. However, resting GABA concentration within the IPS explained number sequences performance above and beyond the resting frontoparietal connectivity measure. Our findings further motivate the study of inhibition mechanisms in the human brain and significantly contribute to our current understanding of numerical cognition's biological bases.
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Affiliation(s)
- George Zacharopoulos
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Department of Psychology, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.
| | - Francesco Sella
- Centre for Mathematical Cognition, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK
| | - Uzay Emir
- School of Health Sciences, College of Health and Human Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, 47907-2051, USA
| | - Roi Cohen Kadosh
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK.
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30
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Falandays JB, Nguyen B, Spivey MJ. Is prediction nothing more than multi-scale pattern completion of the future? Brain Res 2021; 1768:147578. [PMID: 34284021 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2021.147578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
While the notion of the brain as a prediction machine has been extremely influential and productive in cognitive science, there are competing accounts of how best to model and understand the predictive capabilities of brains. One prominent framework is of a "Bayesian brain" that explicitly generates predictions and uses resultant errors to guide adaptation. We suggest that the prediction-generation component of this framework may involve little more than a pattern completion process. We first describe pattern completion in the domain of visual perception, highlighting its temporal extension, and show how this can entail a form of prediction in time. Next, we describe the forward momentum of entrained dynamical systems as a model for the emergence of predictive processing in non-predictive systems. Then, we apply this reasoning to the domain of language, where explicitly predictive models are perhaps most popular. Here, we demonstrate how a connectionist model, TRACE, exhibits hallmarks of predictive processing without any representations of predictions or errors. Finally, we present a novel neural network model, inspired by reservoir computing models, that is entirely unsupervised and memoryless, but nonetheless exhibits prediction-like behavior in its pursuit of homeostasis. These explorations demonstrate that brain-like systems can get prediction "for free," without the need to posit formal logical representations with Bayesian probabilities or an inference machine that holds them in working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Benjamin Falandays
- Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced, United States
| | - Benjamin Nguyen
- Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced, United States
| | - Michael J Spivey
- Department of Cognitive and Information Sciences, University of California, Merced, United States.
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Suárez-Pellicioni M, Soylu F, Booth JR. Gray matter volume in left intraparietal sulcus predicts longitudinal gains in subtraction skill in elementary school. Neuroimage 2021; 235:118021. [PMID: 33836266 PMCID: PMC8268264 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2021.118021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2020] [Revised: 03/01/2021] [Accepted: 03/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although behavioral studies show large improvements in arithmetic skills in elementary school, we do not know how brain structure supports math gains in typically developing children. While some correlational studies have investigated the concurrent association between math performance and brain structure, such as gray matter volume (GMV), longitudinal studies are needed to infer if there is a causal relation. Although discrepancies in the literature on the relation between GMV and math performance have been attributed to the different demands on quantity vs. retrieval mechanisms, no study has experimentally tested this assumption. We defined regions of interests (ROIs) associated with quantity representations in the bilateral intraparietal sulcus (IPS) and associated with the storage of arithmetic facts in long-term memory in the left middle and superior temporal gyri (MTG/STG), and studied associations between GMV in these ROIs and children's performance on operations having greater demands on quantity vs. retrieval mechanisms, namely subtraction vs. multiplication. The aims of this study were threefold: First, to study concurrent associations between GMV and math performance, second, to investigate the role of GMV at the first time-point (T1) in predicting longitudinal gains in math skill to the second time-point (T2), and third, to study whether changes in GMV over time were associated with gains in math skill. Results showed no concurrent association between GMV in IPS and math performance, but a concurrent association between GMV in left MTG/STG and multiplication skill at T1. This association showed that the higher the GMV in this ROI, the higher the children's multiplication skill. Results also revealed that GMV in left IPS and left MTG/STG predicted longitudinal gains in subtraction skill only for younger children (approximately 10 years old). Whereas higher levels of GMV in left IPS at T1 predicted larger subtraction gains, higher levels of GMV in left MTG/STG predicted smaller gains. GMV in left MTG/STG did not predict longitudinal gains in multiplication skill. No significant association was found between changes in GMV over time and longitudinal gains in math. Our findings support the early importance of brain structure in the IPS for mathematical skills that rely on quantity mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Macarena Suárez-Pellicioni
- Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology, and Counseling, University of Alabama, 270 Kilgore Ln, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA.
| | - Firat Soylu
- Department of Educational Studies in Psychology, Research Methodology, and Counseling, University of Alabama, 270 Kilgore Ln, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USA
| | - James R Booth
- Department of Psychology and Human Development, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, USA
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Ziemba JB, Berns JS, Huzinec JG, Bammer D, Salva C, Valentine E, Myers JS. The RCA ReCAst: A Root Cause Analysis Simulation for the Interprofessional Clinical Learning Environment. Acad Med 2021; 96:997-1001. [PMID: 33735131 DOI: 10.1097/acm.0000000000004064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PROBLEM The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education calls for resident participation in real or simulated interprofessional analysis of a patient safety event. There are far more residents who must participate in these investigations than available institutional root cause analyses (RCAs) to accommodate them. To correct this imbalance, the authors developed an institutionally sponsored, interprofessional RCA simulation program and implemented it across all graduate medical education (GME) residency programs at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. APPROACH The authors developed RCA simulations based upon authentic adverse events experienced at their institution. To provide relevance to all GME programs, RCA simulation cases varied widely and included examples of errors involving high-risk medications, communication, invasive procedures, and specimen labeling. Each simulation included residents and other health care professionals such as nurses or pharmacists whose disciplines were involved in the actual event. Participants adopted the role of RCA investigation team, and in small groups systematically progressed through the RCA process. OUTCOMES A total of 289 individuals from 18 residency programs participated in an RCA simulation in 2019-2020. This included 84 interns (29%), 123 residents (43%), 20 attending physicians (7%), and 62 (21%) other health care professionals. There was an increase in ability of GME trainees to correctly identify factors required for an RCA investigation (62% pre vs 80% post, P = .02) and an increase in intent to "always report" for each adverse event category (3% pre vs 37% post, P < .001) following the simulation. NEXT STEPS The authors plan to expand the RCA simulation program to other GME clinical sites while striving to involve all GME learners in this educational experience at least once during training. Additionally, by collaborating with health system patient safety leaders, they will annually review all new RCAs to identify cases suitable for simulation adaptation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin B Ziemba
- J.B. Ziemba is assistant professor and assistant program director, Division of Urology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; ORCID: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0962-2055
| | - Jeffrey S Berns
- J.S. Berns is associate dean for graduate medical education and professor, Division of Renal-Electrolyte and Hypertension, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jill G Huzinec
- J.G. Huzinec is former director of patient safety, Department of Clinical Effectiveness and Quality Improvement, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Dina Bammer
- D. Bammer is nursing professional development specialist, Department of Nursing Professional Development, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pennsylvania Health System, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Catherine Salva
- C. Salva is associate professor and program director, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Elizabeth Valentine
- E. Valentine is associate professor and patient safety officer, Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Jennifer S Myers
- J.S. Myers is professor, Department of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
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Asnani MR, Francis D, Knight-Madden J, Chang-Lopez S, King L, Walker S. Integrating a problem-solving intervention with routine care to improve psychosocial functioning among mothers of children with sickle cell disease: A randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0252513. [PMID: 34106974 PMCID: PMC8189456 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0252513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 05/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the feasibility of a problem-solving skills training intervention in improving psychological outcomes in mothers of infants with sickle cell disease (SCD). DESIGN AND METHODS This parallel randomized controlled trial recruited 64 babies with SCD, 6 to 12 months of age, and their mothers. Baseline measurements assessed mothers' coping and problem-solving skills, depression, and parental stress before random assignment to intervention or control groups (n = 32 each). Problem-solving skills intervention was delivered through 6 monthly sessions, when babies attended for routine penicillin prophylaxis. All measurements were repeated for both groups at the end of the intervention period. Intention to treat analysis used repeated measures mixed models with the restricted estimation maximum likelihood approach. RESULTS The problem-solving intervention had no significant effect on mothers' problem-solving skills (adjusted treatment effect: -1.69 points (95% CI:-5.62 to 2.25)), coping behaviours (adjusted treatment effect: 0.65 points (95% CI:- -7.13 to 8.41)) or depressive symptoms (adjusted treatment effect: -0.41 (95% CI: -6.00 to 5.19)). It reduced mothers' level of difficulty in managing stressful events by 9.5 points (95% CI (-16.86 to -2.16); effect size: 0.21 SD). In the subgroup of mothers at risk of depression (n = 31 at baseline), the intervention reduced depression scores with treatment effect of 10.4 points (95%CI: -18.83 to -1.88; effect size: 0.67 SD). CONCLUSION This problem-solving skills intervention study suggests feasibility and possible efficacy in improving some maternal outcomes. Further refinement and culturally appropriate adaptations of the intervention could lead to stronger effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika R. Asnani
- Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
- * E-mail:
| | - Damian Francis
- School of Health and Human Performance, Georgia College, Milledgeville, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Knight-Madden
- Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Susan Chang-Lopez
- Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Lesley King
- Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
| | - Susan Walker
- Caribbean Institute for Health Research, The University of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica
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Sikos L, Venhuizen NJ, Drenhaus H, Crocker MW. Reevaluating pragmatic reasoning in language games. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0248388. [PMID: 33730097 PMCID: PMC7968720 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0248388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2020] [Accepted: 02/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The results of a highly influential study that tested the predictions of the Rational Speech Act (RSA) model suggest that (a) listeners use pragmatic reasoning in one-shot web-based referential communication games despite the artificial, highly constrained, and minimally interactive nature of the task, and (b) that RSA accurately captures this behavior. In this work, we reevaluate the contribution of the pragmatic reasoning formalized by RSA in explaining listener behavior by comparing RSA to a baseline literal listener model that is only driven by literal word meaning and the prior probability of referring to an object. Across three experiments we observe only modest evidence of pragmatic behavior in one-shot web-based language games, and only under very limited circumstances. We find that although RSA provides a strong fit to listener responses, it does not perform better than the baseline literal listener model. Our results suggest that while participants playing the role of the Speaker are informative in these one-shot web-based reference games, participants playing the role of the Listener only rarely take this Speaker behavior into account to reason about the intended referent. In addition, we show that RSA's fit is primarily due to a combination of non-pragmatic factors, perhaps the most surprising of which is that in the majority of conditions that are amenable to pragmatic reasoning, RSA (accurately) predicts that listeners will behave non-pragmatically. This leads us to conclude that RSA's strong overall correlation with human behavior in one-shot web-based language games does not reflect listener's pragmatic reasoning about informative speakers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Les Sikos
- Department of Language Science and Technology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Noortje J Venhuizen
- Department of Language Science and Technology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Heiner Drenhaus
- Department of Language Science and Technology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
| | - Matthew W Crocker
- Department of Language Science and Technology, Saarland University, Saarbrücken, Germany
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Reinero DA, Dikker S, Van Bavel JJ. Inter-brain synchrony in teams predicts collective performance. Soc Cogn Affect Neurosci 2021; 16:43-57. [PMID: 32991728 PMCID: PMC7812618 DOI: 10.1093/scan/nsaa135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/01/2020] [Revised: 09/17/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research in economics and psychology attempting to identify ingredients that make up successful teams, neuroscientists have only just begun to study how multiple brains interact. Recent research has shown that people's brain activity becomes synchronized with others' (inter-brain synchrony) during social engagement. However, little is known as to whether inter-brain synchrony relates to collective behavior within teams. Here, we merge the nascent field of group neuroscience with the extant literature of team dynamics and collective performance. We recruited 174 participants in groups of 4 and randomly assigned them to complete a series of problem-solving tasks either independently or as a team, while simultaneously recording each person's brain activity using an electroencephalography hyperscanning setup. This design allowed us to examine the relationship between group identification and inter-brain synchrony in explaining collective performance. As expected, teammates identified more strongly with one another, cooperated more on an economic game, and outperformed the average individual on most problem-solving tasks. Crucially, inter-brain synchrony, but not self-reported group identification, predicted collective performance among teams. These results suggest that inter-brain synchrony can be informative in understanding collective performance among teams where self-report measures may fail to capture behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego A Reinero
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Suzanne Dikker
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jay J Van Bavel
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
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36
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Davidson GL, Wiley N, Cooke AC, Johnson CN, Fouhy F, Reichert MS, de la Hera I, Crane JMS, Kulahci IG, Ross RP, Stanton C, Quinn JL. Diet induces parallel changes to the gut microbiota and problem solving performance in a wild bird. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20783. [PMID: 33247162 PMCID: PMC7699645 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77256-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbial community in the gut is influenced by environmental factors, especially diet, which can moderate host behaviour through the microbiome-gut-brain axis. However, the ecological relevance of microbiome-mediated behavioural plasticity in wild animals is unknown. We presented wild-caught great tits (Parus major) with a problem-solving task and showed that performance was weakly associated with variation in the gut microbiome. We then manipulated the gut microbiome by feeding birds one of two diets that differed in their relative levels of fat, protein and fibre content: an insect diet (low content), or a seed diet (high content). Microbial communities were less diverse among individuals given the insect compared to those on the seed diet. Individuals were less likely to problem-solve after being given the insect diet, and the same microbiota metrics that were altered as a consequence of diet were also those that correlated with variation in problem solving performance. Although the effect on problem-solving behaviour could have been caused by motivational or nutritional differences between our treatments, our results nevertheless raise the possibility that dietary induced changes in the gut microbiota could be an important mechanism underlying individual behavioural plasticity in wild populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle L Davidson
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland.
- Department of Psychology, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Niamh Wiley
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Amy C Cooke
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - Crystal N Johnson
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Fiona Fouhy
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Michael S Reichert
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA
| | - Iván de la Hera
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA
| | - Jodie M S Crane
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
- Kākāpō Recovery Programme, Department of Conservation, 7th Floor, 33 Don Street, Invercargill, 9810, New Zealand
| | - Ipek G Kulahci
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 100 Galvin Life Science Center, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - R Paul Ross
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Catherine Stanton
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - John L Quinn
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland.
- Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
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Nuamah JK, Seong Y, Jiang S, Park E, Mountjoy D. Evaluating effectiveness of information visualizations using cognitive fit theory: A neuroergonomics approach. Appl Ergon 2020; 88:103173. [PMID: 32678781 DOI: 10.1016/j.apergo.2020.103173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2019] [Revised: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Information visualizations may be evaluated from the perspective of how they match tasks that must be performed with them, a cognitive fit perspective. However, there is a gap between the high-level references made to cognitive fit and the low-level ability to identify and measure it during human interaction with visualizations. We bridge this gap by using an electroencephalography metric derived from frontal midline theta power and parietal alpha power, known as the task load index, to determine if cognitive effort measured at the level of cortical activity is less when cognitive fit is present compared to when cognitive fit is not. We found that when there is cognitive fit between the type of problem to be solved and the information displayed by a system, the task load index is lower compared to when cognitive fit is not present. We support this finding with subjective (NASA task load index) and performance (response time and accuracy) measures. Our approach, using electroencephalography, provides supplemental information to self-report and performance measures. Findings from this study are important because they (1) provide more validity to the cognitive fit theory using a neurophysiological measure, and (2) use the electroencephalography task load index metric as a means to assess cognitive workload and effort in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph K Nuamah
- Division of Healthcare Engineering, Department of Radiation Oncology, UNC School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, 27599, United States.
| | - Younho Seong
- Industrial & Systems Engineering Department, North Carolina A&T State University, 1601 East Market Street, Greensboro, NC, 27411, United States.
| | - Steven Jiang
- Industrial & Systems Engineering Department, North Carolina A&T State University, 1601 East Market Street, Greensboro, NC, 27411, United States.
| | - Eui Park
- Industrial & Systems Engineering Department, North Carolina A&T State University, 1601 East Market Street, Greensboro, NC, 27411, United States.
| | - Daniel Mountjoy
- Human Systems Integration Directorate, US Air Force Research Laboratory's 711, th Human Performance Wing, United States.
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Prado J, Léone J, Epinat-Duclos J, Trouche E, Mercier H. The neural bases of argumentative reasoning. Brain Lang 2020; 208:104827. [PMID: 32590183 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandl.2020.104827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Revised: 04/17/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Most reasoning tasks used in behavioral and neuroimaging studies are abstract, triggering slow, effortful processes. By contrast, most of everyday life reasoning is fast and effortless, as when we exchange arguments in conversation. Recent behavioral studies have shown that reasoning tasks with the same underlying logic can be solved much more easily if they are embedded in an argumentative context. In the present article, we study the neural bases of this type of everyday, argumentative reasoning. Such reasoning is both a social and a metarepresentational process, suggesting it should share some mechanisms, and thus some neural bases, with other social, metarepresentational process such as pragmatics, metacognition, or theory of mind. To isolate the neural bases of argumentative reasoning, we measured fMRI activity of participants who read the same statement presented either as the conclusion of an argument, or as an assertion. We found that conclusions of arguments, compared to assertions, were associated with greater activity in a region of the medial prefrontal cortex that was identified in quantitative meta-analyses of studies on theory of mind. This study shows that it is possible to use more ecologically valid tasks to study the neural bases of reasoning, and that using such tasks might point to different neural bases than those observed with the more abstract and artificial tasks typically used in the neuroscience of reasoning. Specifically, we speculate that reasoning in an argumentative context might rely on mechanisms supporting metarepresentational processes in the medial prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérôme Prado
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Experiential Neuroscience and Mental Training Team (EDUWELL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon, Lyon, France; Marc Jeannerod Institute of Cognitive Science, CNRS UMR 5304, University of Lyon, Lyon, France.
| | - Jessica Léone
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Experiential Neuroscience and Mental Training Team (EDUWELL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon, Lyon, France; Marc Jeannerod Institute of Cognitive Science, CNRS UMR 5304, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Justine Epinat-Duclos
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center (CRNL), Experiential Neuroscience and Mental Training Team (EDUWELL), INSERM U1028 - CNRS UMR5292, University of Lyon, Lyon, France; Marc Jeannerod Institute of Cognitive Science, CNRS UMR 5304, University of Lyon, Lyon, France
| | - Emmanuel Trouche
- Marc Jeannerod Institute of Cognitive Science, CNRS UMR 5304, University of Lyon, Lyon, France; University Mohammed 6 Polytechnic, Faculty of Governance, Economic and Social Sciences, Ben Guerir, Morocco
| | - Hugo Mercier
- Marc Jeannerod Institute of Cognitive Science, CNRS UMR 5304, University of Lyon, Lyon, France; Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, PSL University, CNRS, Paris, France.
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Sahoo S, Millar RJ, Yamashita T, Cummins PA. Problem-solving in technology-rich environments and cancer screening in later life. Eur J Cancer Prev 2020; 29:474-480. [PMID: 32740175 DOI: 10.1097/cej.0000000000000570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Routine cancer screening is widely recognized as an effective preventive strategy to reduce cancer mortality - the second leading cause of death in the US. However, cancer screening requires a complex array of tasks such as seeking up-to-date guidelines, making appointments, planning hospital visits, and communicating with health care professionals. Importantly, modern health care largely relies on technology to disseminate the latest information and administer the system. Yet, little is known about the technology-related skills that are relevant to regular cancer screening. This study examined the association between problem-solving skills in the technology-rich environment and cancer screening in later life. Using 2012/2014 Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies data, binary logistic regressions with survey weights were used to estimate the association between problem-solving skills in the technology-rich environment and four cancer screening behaviors among the corresponding target populations aged between 45 and 74 years old (n = 1374 for cervical screening; n = 1373 for breast screening; n = 1166 for prostate screening; n = 2563 for colon screening). Results showed that greater problem-solving skills in the technology-rich environment scores (0-500 points) were significantly and positively associated with prostate cancer screening (odds ratio = 1.005, P < 0.05) among men, but not with colon (men and women) or cervical or breast (women) cancer screenings. Improvement in problem-solving skills in the technology-rich environment may promote specific cancer screening behaviors. Our findings inform future policy discussions and interventions that seek to improve cancer screening among a vulnerable section of older populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shalini Sahoo
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Health Administration and Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- Gerontology Doctoral Program, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Roberto J Millar
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Health Administration and Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
- Gerontology Doctoral Program, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, Maryland
| | - Takashi Yamashita
- Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Health Administration and Policy, University of Maryland, Baltimore County
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Krys S. Goal-directed rumination and its antagonistic effects on problem solving: a two-week diary study. Anxiety Stress Coping 2020; 33:530-544. [PMID: 32393065 DOI: 10.1080/10615806.2020.1763139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The tendency to repetitively and intrusively think about a particular negative event, goal failure, or problem (i.e., goal-directed rumination) is generally associated with impairments in well-being, thus decreasing performance in solving this failure. However, rumination is also associated with higher levels of resources invested in problem solving, likely leading to an improvement in performance. OBJECTIVES The current study thus examines the indirect effect of rumination via various mediators on subjective problem-solving performance in the everyday context. DESIGN Over a period of two weeks, 147 students completed a brief survey each evening (i.e., diary study). METHODS Data were analyzed by means of a multiple mediation model in the multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) framework. RESULTS The analyses revealed that perceived stress and negative mood negatively mediated the relationship between rumination and problem solving, while attention and effort positively mediated this relationship. Finally, both a negative direct and total effect of rumination on problem solving was observed. CONCLUSIONS Conclusively, goal-directed rumination exerted a negative indirect effect on subjective problem solving via perceived stress and negative mood, whereas it positively affected problem solving via attention and effort. Possible limitations and implications are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Krys
- Department of Work and Organisational Psychology, Institute of Psychology, Kiel University, Kiel, Germany
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Salvi C, Simoncini C, Grafman J, Beeman M. Oculometric signature of switch into awareness? Pupil size predicts sudden insight whereas microsaccades predict problem-solving via analysis. Neuroimage 2020; 217:116933. [PMID: 32413459 PMCID: PMC7440842 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.116933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2019] [Revised: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
According to the Gestalt theorists, restructuring is an essential component of insight problem-solving, contributes to the "Aha!" experience, and is similar to the perceptual switch experienced when reinterpreting ambiguous figures. Previous research has demonstrated that pupil diameter increases during the perceptual switch of ambiguous figures, and indexes norepeinephrine functioning mediated by the locus coeruleus. In this study, we investigated if pupil diameter similarly predicts the switch into awareness people experience when solving a problem via insight. Additionally, we explored eye movement dynamics during the same task to investigate if the problem-solving strategies used are linked to specific oculomotor behaviors. In 38 participants, pupil diameter increased about 500 msec prior to solution only in trials for which subjects report having an insight. In contrast, participants increased their microsaccade rate only prior to non-insight solutions. Pupil dilation and microsaccades were not reliably related, but both appear to be robust markers of how people solve problems (with or without insight). The pupil size change seen when people have an "Aha!" moment represents an indicator of the switch into awareness of unconscious processes humans depend upon for insight, and suggests important involvement of norepinephrine, via the locus coeruleus, in sudden insight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Salvi
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA.
| | - Claudio Simoncini
- Institut de Neurosciences de La Timone, UMR 7289, CNRS, Aix-Marseille Université, Marseille, France
| | - Jordan Grafman
- Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Mark Beeman
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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Cuevas H, Carter S. Online Cognitive Training: An Adaptation of the Memory, Attention, and Problem Solving Skills for Persons With Diabetes Intervention. Comput Inform Nurs 2020; 39:162-169. [PMID: 32769625 DOI: 10.1097/cin.0000000000000663] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Research shows the risk for cognitive impairment and the rate of cognitive decline double after type 2 diabetes mellitus is diagnosed and can make self-management more difficult. Cognitive training has been found to be one way to improve self-management and cognitive function, and this article reports the adaptation of one such intervention to an online format. Ten adults with diabetes participated in an 8-week intervention that combined webinar classes with online computer game training. Perceived memory ability, executive function, self-management, and self-efficacy were measured. Evaluation of recruitment, data collection, and implementation demonstrated good feasibility and reduced barriers to engagement. Although the intervention did not result in significant changes in cognitive function, scores on all surveys improved. Adherence to diet, exercise, and foot care recommendations also improved. Most participants stated they preferred the intervention's online format to "traditional" in-person formats. Online technology in this 8-week intervention helped improve recruitment, retention, participant engagement, and use of cognitive strategies in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Overall, participants found the intervention helpful and said it reduced the time and travel burden associated with educational interventions. A larger randomized controlled trial is needed to further explore the intervention's potential impact over a longer period.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Cuevas
- Author Affiliations : School of Nursing, The University of Texas at Austin, Texas
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Helmlinger B, Sommer M, Feldhammer-Kahr M, Wood G, Arendasy ME, Kober SE. Programming experience associated with neural efficiency during figural reasoning. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13351. [PMID: 32770065 PMCID: PMC7415147 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70360-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In the present study, we investigated neural processes underlying programming experience. Individuals with high programming experience might develop a form of computational thinking, which they can apply on complex problem-solving tasks such as reasoning tests. Therefore, N = 20 healthy young participants with previous programming experience and N = 21 participants without any programming experience performed three reasoning tests: Figural Inductive Reasoning (FIR), Numerical Inductive Reasoning (NIR), Verbal Deductive Reasoning (VDR). Using multi-channel EEG measurements, task-related changes in alpha and theta power as well as brain connectivity were investigated. Group differences were only observed in the FIR task. Programmers showed an improved performance in the FIR task as compared to non-programmers. Additionally, programmers exhibited a more efficient neural processing when solving FIR tasks, as indicated by lower brain activation and brain connectivity especially in easy tasks. Hence, behavioral and neural measures differed between groups only in tasks that are similar to mental processes required during programming, such as pattern recognition and algorithmic thinking by applying complex rules (FIR), rather than in tasks that require more the application of mathematical operations (NIR) or verbal tasks (VDR). Our results provide new evidence for neural efficiency in individuals with higher programming experience in problem-solving tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Helmlinger
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Markus Sommer
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Guilherme Wood
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Martin E Arendasy
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria
| | - Silvia E Kober
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria.
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Solomonov N, Victoria LW, Dunlop K, Respino M, Hoptman MJ, Zilcha-Mano S, Oberlin L, Liston C, Areán PA, Gunning FM, Alexopoulos GS. Resting State Functional Connectivity and Outcomes of Psychotherapies for Late-Life Depression. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry 2020; 28:859-868. [PMID: 32376080 PMCID: PMC7369214 DOI: 10.1016/j.jagp.2020.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 04/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Problem solving therapy (PST) and "Engage," a reward-exposure" based therapy, are important treatment options for late-life depression, given modest efficacy of antidepressants in this disorder. Abnormal function of the reward and default mode networks has been observed during depressive episodes. This study examined whether resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) of reward and DMN circuitries is associated with treatment outcomes. METHODS Thirty-two older adults with major depression (mean age = 72.7) were randomized to 9-weeks of either PST or "Engage." We assessed rsFC at baseline and week 6. We placed seeds in three a priori regions of interest: subgenual anterior cingulate cortex (sgACC), dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), and nucleus accumbens (NAcc). Outcome measures included the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD) and the Behavioral Activation for Depression Scale (BADS). RESULTS In both PST and "Engage," higher rsFC between the sgACC and middle temporal gyrus at baseline was associated with greater improvement in depression severity (HAMD). Preliminary findings suggested that in "Engage" treated participants, lower rsFC between the dACC and dorsomedial prefrontal cortex at baseline was associated with HAMD improvement. Finally, in Engage only, increased rsFC from baseline to week 6 between NAcc and Superior Parietal Cortex was associated with increased BADS scores. CONCLUSION The results suggest that patients who present with higher rsFC between the sgACC and a structure within the DMN may benefit from behavioral psychotherapies for late life depression. "Engage" may lead to increased rsFC within the reward system reflecting a reconditioning of the reward systems by reward exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nili Solomonov
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine (NS, LWV, LO, FMG, and GSA), White Plains, NY.
| | - Lindsay W Victoria
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine (NS, LWV, LO, FMG, and GSA), White Plains, NY
| | - Katharine Dunlop
- Feil Family Brain Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine (KD and CL), New York, NY
| | | | - Matthew J Hoptman
- The Nathan S. Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research (MJH), Orangeburg, NY; New York University School of Medicine (MJH), New York, NY
| | - Sigal Zilcha-Mano
- Columbia University (SZM), New York, NY; Haifa University (SZM), Haifa, Israel
| | - Lauren Oberlin
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine (NS, LWV, LO, FMG, and GSA), White Plains, NY
| | - Conor Liston
- Feil Family Brain Mind Research Institute, Weill Cornell Medicine (KD and CL), New York, NY
| | - Patricia A Areán
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (PAA), University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA
| | - Faith M Gunning
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine (NS, LWV, LO, FMG, and GSA), White Plains, NY
| | - George S Alexopoulos
- Weill Cornell Institute of Geriatric Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine (NS, LWV, LO, FMG, and GSA), White Plains, NY
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Cresswell C, Speelman CP. Does mathematics training lead to better logical thinking and reasoning? A cross-sectional assessment from students to professors. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0236153. [PMID: 32726352 PMCID: PMC7390332 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0236153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2020] [Accepted: 06/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Mathematics is often promoted as endowing those who study it with transferable skills such as an ability to think logically and critically or to have improved investigative skills, resourcefulness and creativity in problem solving. However, there is scant evidence to back up such claims. This project tested participants with increasing levels of mathematics training on 11 well-studied rational and logical reasoning tasks aggregated from various psychological studies. These tasks, that included the Cognitive Reflection Test and the Wason Selection Task, are of particular interest as they have typically and reliably eluded participants in all studies, and results have been uncorrelated with general intelligence, education levels and other demographic information. The results in this study revealed that in general the greater the mathematics training of the participant, the more tasks were completed correctly, and that performance on some tasks was also associated with performance on others not traditionally associated. A ceiling effect also emerged. The work is deconstructed from the viewpoint of adding to the platform from which to approach the greater, and more scientifically elusive, question: are any skills associated with mathematics training innate or do they arise from skills transfer?
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Affiliation(s)
- Clio Cresswell
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Craig P. Speelman
- School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia
- * E-mail:
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Brandone AC, Stout W, Moty K. Intentional action processing across the transition to crawling: Does the experience of self-locomotion impact infants' understanding of intentional actions? Infant Behav Dev 2020; 60:101470. [PMID: 32712566 DOI: 10.1016/j.infbeh.2020.101470] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2019] [Revised: 07/13/2020] [Accepted: 07/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Motor developmental milestones in infancy, such as the transition to self-locomotion, have cascading implications for infants' social and cognitive development. The current studies aimed to add to this literature by exploring whether and how crawling experience impacts a key social-cognitive milestone achieved in infancy: the development of intentional action understanding. Study 1 used a cross-sectional, age-held-constant design to examine whether locomotor (n = 36) and prelocomotor (n = 36) infants differ in their ability to process a failed intentional reaching action. Study 2 (n = 124) further probed this question by assessing how variability in locomotor infants' experience maps onto variability in their failed intentional action understanding. Both studies also assessed infants' tendency to engage in triadic interactions to shed light on whether self-locomotion impacts intentional action understanding directly or indirectly via changes in infants' interactions with social partners. Altogether, results showed no evidence for the role of self-locomotion in the development of intentional action understanding. Locomotor and prelocomotor infants did not differ in their failed action understanding or levels of triadic engagement (Study 1) and individual differences in days of crawling experience, propensity to crawl during play, and maximum crawling speed failed to predict infants' intentional action understanding or triadic engagement (Study 2). Explanations for these null findings and alternative influences on the development of intentional action understanding are considered.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wyntre Stout
- Department of Psychology, Lehigh University, United States
| | - Kelsey Moty
- Department of Psychology, New York University, United States
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Abstract
People can solve problems in two main styles: through a methodical analysis, or by a sudden insight (also known as 'Aha!' or 'Eureka!' experience). Analytical solutions are achieved primarily with conscious deliberation in a trial-and-error fashion. 'Aha!' moments, instead, happen suddenly, often without conscious deliberation and are considered a critical facet of creative cognition. Previous research has indicated an association between creativity and risk taking (a personality trait); however, few studies have investigated how a short-term situational state of risk modulates these two different problem-solving styles. In this research, we looked at how both state and trait risks taking is related to different problem-solving styles. To measure risk as a personality trait, we administered the Balloon Analog Risk Task. To investigate risk as a state, we created a scenario, where people had to bet on their problem-solving performance at the beginning of each trial, and we compared the performance of this group with a control group that did not have to bet. The results show no association between risk as a trait and problem-solving style; however, the risk state scenario did produce a shift in dominant problem-solving style with participants in the risk scenario group solving more problems via analysis. We also found that two factors are related to problem-solving accuracy: the amount bet (i.e., when people place higher bets, they solve more problems), and success on the previous trial, especially if the solution was achieved via analysis. Furthermore, the data reveal that when under risk, females are better problem solvers than males.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carola Salvi
- Department of Psychology, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, USA.
- Shirley Ryan AbilityLab, Chicago, IL, USA.
| | - Edward Bowden
- Department of Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Parkside, Kenosha, WI, USA
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Thomas LR, Nguyen R, Teherani A, Lucey CR, Harleman E. Designing Well-Being: Using Design Thinking to Engage Residents in Developing Well-Being Interventions. Acad Med 2020; 95:1038-1042. [PMID: 32101932 DOI: 10.1097/acm.0000000000003243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
PROBLEM Improving well-being in residency requires solutions that focus on organizational factors and the individual needs of residents, yet there are few examples of successful strategies to address this challenge. Design thinking (DT), or human-centered design, is an approach to problem-solving that focuses on understanding emotions and human dynamics and may be ideally suited to tackling well-being as a complex problem. The authors taught residents to use DT techniques to identify, analyze, and address organizational well-being challenges. APPROACH Internal medicine residents at the University of California, San Francisco completed an 8-month DT program in 2016-2017. The program consisted of four 2-hour workshops with small group project work between sessions. In each session, resident teams shared their progress and analyzed emerging themes to solve well-being problems. At the conclusion of the program, they summarized the final design principles and recommendations that emerged from their work and were interviewed about DT as a strategy for developing well-being interventions for residents. OUTCOMES Eighteen residents worked in teams to design solutions to improve: community and connection, space for reflection, peer support, and availability of individualized wellness. The resulting recommendations led to new interventions to improve well-being through near-peer communities. Residents emphasized how DT enhanced their creative thinking and trust in the residency program. They reported that not having enough time to work on projects between sessions and losing momentum during their clinical rotations were their biggest challenges. NEXT STEPS Residents found DT useful for completing needs assessments, piloting interventions, and outlining essential design principles to improve well-being in residency. DT's focus on human values may be particularly suited to developing well-being interventions to enhance institutional community and culture. One outcome-that DT promoted creativity and trust for participants-may have applications in other spheres of medical education.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa R Thomas
- L.R. Thomas is associate professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, and Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California. R. Nguyen is assistant professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, and Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, and assistant health officer, San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, California. A. Teherani is professor, Division of General Internal Medicine, and education scientist, Center for Faculty Educators, University of California, San Francisco, School of Medicine, San Francisco, California. C.R. Lucey is professor, Department of Medicine and Office of Medical Education, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California. E. Harleman is professor, Division of Hospital Medicine, Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center, and Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California
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Wu Y, Koutstaal W. Charting the contributions of cognitive flexibility to creativity: Self-guided transitions as a process-based index of creativity-related adaptivity. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0234473. [PMID: 32525947 PMCID: PMC7292033 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Accepted: 05/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Creativity is pivotal to solving complex problems of many kinds, yet how
cognitive flexibility dynamically supports creative processes is largely
unexplored. Despite being a crucial multi-faceted contributor in creative
thinking, cognitive flexibility, as typically assessed, does not fully capture
how people adaptively shift between varying or persisting in their current
problem-solving efforts. To fill this theoretical and methodological gap, we
introduce a new operationalization of cognitive flexibility: the process-based
Self-Guided Transition (SGT) measures, which assess when participants
autonomously choose to continue working on one of two concurrently presented
items (dwell length) and how often they choose to switch between the two items
(shift count). We examine how these measures correlate with three diverse
creativity tasks, and with creative performance on a more complex "garden
design" task. Analyses of the relations between these new cognitive flexibility
measures in 66 young adults revealed that SGT dwell length positively correlated
with creative performance across several tasks. The SGT shift count positively
correlated with within-task performance for a two-item choice task tapping
divergent thinking (Alternative Uses Task) but not for a two-item choice task
calling on convergent thinking (Anagram task). Multiple regression analyses
revealed that, taken together, both the shift count and dwell
length measures from the Alternative Uses Task explained a significant
proportion of variance in measures of fluency, and originality, on a composite
measure of the three independently-assessed creative tasks. Relations of SGTs to
the Garden Design task were weaker, though shift count on the Alternative Uses
Task was predictive of a composite measure of overall Garden Design quality.
Taken together, these results highlight the promise of our new process-based
measures to better chart the dynamically flexible processes supporting creative
thinking and action.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yihan Wu
- Graduate Program in Cognitive Science, University of Minnesota,
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Wilma Koutstaal
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis,
Minnesota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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Chen J, Lyell D, Laranjo L, Magrabi F. Effect of Speech Recognition on Problem Solving and Recall in Consumer Digital Health Tasks: Controlled Laboratory Experiment. J Med Internet Res 2020; 22:e14827. [PMID: 32442129 PMCID: PMC7296411 DOI: 10.2196/14827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/28/2019] [Revised: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Recent advances in natural language processing and artificial intelligence have led to widespread adoption of speech recognition technologies. In consumer health applications, speech recognition is usually applied to support interactions with conversational agents for data collection, decision support, and patient monitoring. However, little is known about the use of speech recognition in consumer health applications and few studies have evaluated the efficacy of conversational agents in the hands of consumers. In other consumer-facing tools, cognitive load has been observed to be an important factor affecting the use of speech recognition technologies in tasks involving problem solving and recall. Users find it more difficult to think and speak at the same time when compared to typing, pointing, and clicking. However, the effects of speech recognition on cognitive load when performing health tasks has not yet been explored. Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of speech recognition for documentation in consumer digital health tasks involving problem solving and recall. Methods Fifty university staff and students were recruited to undertake four documentation tasks with a simulated conversational agent in a computer laboratory. The tasks varied in complexity determined by the amount of problem solving and recall required (simple and complex) and the input modality (speech recognition vs keyboard and mouse). Cognitive load, task completion time, error rate, and usability were measured. Results Compared to using a keyboard and mouse, speech recognition significantly increased the cognitive load for complex tasks (Z=–4.08, P<.001) and simple tasks (Z=–2.24, P=.03). Complex tasks took significantly longer to complete (Z=–2.52, P=.01) and speech recognition was found to be overall less usable than a keyboard and mouse (Z=–3.30, P=.001). However, there was no effect on errors. Conclusions Use of a keyboard and mouse was preferable to speech recognition for complex tasks involving problem solving and recall. Further studies using a broader variety of consumer digital health tasks of varying complexity are needed to investigate the contexts in which use of speech recognition is most appropriate. The effects of cognitive load on task performance and its significance also need to be investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Chen
- Centre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia
| | - David Lyell
- Centre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia
| | - Liliana Laranjo
- Centre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia
| | - Farah Magrabi
- Centre for Health Informatics, Australian Institute of Health Innovation, Macquarie University, North Ryde, Australia
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