On the difficulty of mending metacognitive illusions: A priori theories, fluency effects, and misattributions of the interleaving benefit.

As climate change continues to alter local weather patterns, it is important to understand how people are experiencing such changes because personal experience may affect mitigation and adaptation policy preferences and behaviors. Local weather conditions are also an easily accessible source of information that, aggregated over time, may enable people to detect long-term climate trends and update their beliefs about global warming. However, motivated reasoning—the tendency to fit information to conclusions that correspond with a preexisting belief—may limit the accuracy of local weather perceptions. This paper focuses on perceptions of seasonal weather in Norway and examines evidence for motivated reasoning consistent with pre-existing beliefs about climate change, using a national panel survey combined with high-resolution seasonal climate observations. Respondents’ perceptions are sensitive to observed differences in both temperature and precipitation, but respondents are more likely to accurately perceive local precipitation than local temperature. Controlling for observed conditions, beliefs about global climate change had a large effect on perceptions of seasonal temperature, and smaller effects on perceptions of seasonal precipitation. These findings provide evidence that individual perceptions of seasonal weather are related to local conditions, but they are also likely to be motivated by beliefs about global climate change.

Interleaving with other categories of stimuli has been shown to enhance category learning. However, learners, tend to believe that blocking enhances learning, even after their own performance had showed the opposite. The present study explored the contributions of processing fluency (Experiment 1) and beliefs (Experiment 2) to the illusion that blocking enhances category learning. We found that: (a) learners’ performance benefited from interleaving, but their metacognitive judgments were not in conformity with it, (b) the perceived tendency of metacognitive illusion was reduced by inserting an unrelated cartoon image in the blocked presentation condition to decrease fluency, and (c) learners came to the experimental task with a pre-existing belief that the instruction of blocking by topic was superior to intermixing topics. This belief disappeared when learners were offered the theoretical explanation of why interleaving exemplars is more effective. In conclusion, this study revealed that processing fluency and held beliefs were two factors that cause this metacognitive illusion.

Descriptive and criterion-referenced self-assessment with L2 readers

The relationships among race, face validity perceptions, test-taking motivation, and test performance on a cognitive ability test were examined. Undergraduates completed 2 parallel cognitive ability tests and a test reactions measure. Results showed that test-taking motivation was related positively to subsequent performance on a parallel test even after the effects of race and performance on the first test were controlled. The effect of race on subsequent test performance was found to be mediated partially by motivation that provided evidence that some portion of the Black-White difference in test performance may be explained through differences in test-taking motivation. Results also indicated that Black-White differences in face validity perceptions of the test may be a function of Black-White differences in test performance. Face validity perceptions of the test affected subsequent performance on the parallel test but only indirectly through test-taking motivation.

Working towards improved neuromyoelectric control of dexterous prosthetic hands, we explored how differences in training paradigms affect the subsequent online performance of two different motor-decode algorithms. Participants included two intact subjects and one participant who had undergone a recent transradial amputation after complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) and multi-year disuse of the affected hand. During algorithm training sessions, participants actively mimicked hand movements appearing on a computer monitor. We varied both the duration of the hold-time (0.1 s or 5 s) at the end-point of each of six different digit and wrist movements, and the order in which the training movements were presented (random or sequential). We quantified the impact of these variations on two different motordecode algorithms, both having proportional, six-degree-offreedom (DOF) control: a modified Kalman filter (MKF) previously reported by this group, and a new approach - a convolutional neural network (CNN). Results showed that increasing the hold-time in the training set improved run-time performance. By contrast, presenting training movements in either random or sequential order had a variable and relatively modest effect on performance. The relative performance of the two decode algorithms varied according to the performance metric. This work represents the first-ever amputee use of a CNN for real-time, proportional six-DOF control of a prosthetic hand. Also novel was the testing of implanted high-channelcount devices for neuromyoelectric control shortly after amputation, following CRPS and long-term hand disuse. This work identifies key factors in the training of decode algorithms that improve their subsequent run-time performance.

The effect of acute stress on subsequent neuropsychological test performance (2003)

The effect of acute stress on subsequent neuropsychological test performance (2003)

Randomly selected students required to take a remedial English course at a community college were placed in a regular English course on an experimental basis. The experimentally placed students were compared with those who enrolled in a regular course after passing a remedial course and with those who did not require remediation. Comparisons were made on ability, persistence, performance, and satisfaction. The remedial course had no effect on student satisfaction and persistence but a modest effect on subsequent course performance. The experimental methodology described can provide the college researcher with a basis for determining whether there is a need to revise or eliminate current remedial courses.

Improvements in modern sow prolificacy have markedly increased the number of pigs weaned, thus the ability of sows to provide nutrients to support fetal growth and milk production has been enhanced. The goals of the gestation nutrition program consist of meeting the nutrient requirements for maintenance and growth and for adequate conceptus development, while managing body condition. Early gestation represents the best opportunity for replenishing body reserves, whereas in late gestation, both estimated protein deposition and energy requirement are exponentially increased and directed towards fetal growth and mammary development. Increased feed intake after breeding has been presumed to be detrimental to embryo survival; however, data with modern line sows demonstrates to feed thin sows to recover body condition as quickly as possible while avoiding feed deprivation immediately after breeding. Importance of body condition scoring remains unchanged: feed thin sows to bring back to adequate body condition and prevent over-conditioned sows at farrowing. A recent meta-analysis showed increasing late gestation feed intake seems to modestly improve piglet birth weight by 28 g per piglet in gilts and sows. Also, recent findings in gestating sows suggest modern genotypes have improved feed efficiency and propensity for growth. Therefore, increasing energy intake during late gestation has a modest effect on piglet birth weight and a negative effect on stillborn rate. Historically, lactation catabolism impacted subsequent reproductive performance of sows, particularly in first-parity. However, contemporary sows appear to be increasingly resistant to the negative effects of lactational catabolism. Even so, continued emphasis on maximizing lactation feed intake is critical to support milk production and prevent excessive lean tissue mobilization. Research data suggests that ad libitum feeding and offering lactation diets during the wean-to-estrus interval is not needed. Modern genetic sow lines appear to be more robust from a nutritional perspective than in the past.

Loss of cognitive functions, as apparent through self-awareness, is considered an important indicator of cognitive deficits and is therefore commonly used in clinical practice. However, little is known about self-awareness of cognitive performance, including its accuracy, its basis, and whether people can distinguish their performance across different cognitive domains. In the present study, 20 university students (M age = 21.7 ± 2.2 years, 9 males) and 20 middle-aged participants (M age = 52.8 ± 3.9 years, 10 males) gave estimations of their performances on executive functioning, memory, attention, and visuoperception before and after confrontation with their capacities. A repeated-measures analysis of variance with age group as a between-subjects factor was performed on the calculated estimation errors, before and after neuropsychological testing. Overall, the estimation errors were significantly higher before than after experience with test performance, ps < .01, partial η²s = .17. An overall effect of domain (four levels), ps < .001, partial η²s = .22 was found. These results suggest that self-awareness is domain-specific, and although it is adaptive to the experience of mental effort, it is most dependent on preexisting beliefs about one's own cognitive abilities.

Using detailed information from the largest proxy advisor in the U.S., Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS), we examine whether proxy advisors’ assessments of firms’ compensation practices are able to identify poor compensation practices as measured by subsequent performance. While prior research provides consistent evidence of an association between shareholder voting outcomes and proxy advisors’ Say-on-Pay recommendations, the evidence is mixed over whether their recommendations are informative about the quality of firms’ compensation practices. We find that ISS “Against” recommendations and negative assessments are associated with worse future accounting performance, consistent with ISS being able to detect low quality compensation packages. However, workload compression has an effect, as we find that the relation between assessments and future performance only occurs during the off season (i.e. for firms with non-December fiscal year ends).

With the growth of ecommerce and social networking, consumers can access detailed product information and user online reviews about a product of interest as cues to judgments. While cognitively processing such rich information, people experience meta-cognitive feelings of subjective ease or fluency. Fluency affects judgment using a direct path wherein fluency influences preference judgments while mediated by naive theories people hold about the role of fluency. Fluency affects judgment indirectly, by influencing intuitive versus deliberate processing of information content of reviews. An experiment is proposed to examine the effect of online review fluency on judgments.

Loss of strength capacity is associated with mortality, but resistance exercise training promotes only modest effects during cachexia progression

In response to a decline in individual residents' performance and overall program performance on the Orthopaedic In-Training Examination (OITE), the authors' department initiated a daily literature reading program coupled with weekly tests on the assigned material. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of the reading program on individual residents' scores and the training program's OITE scores. The reading program consisted of daily review articles from the Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, followed by a weekly written examination consisting of multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions. All articles were selected and all questions were written by the departmental chair. A questionnaire was given to assess residents' perceptions of the weekly tests. As a result of implementing the reading program for a 10-month period, residents' subsequent performance on the OITE significantly improved (mean score increase, 4, P<.0001; percentile score increase, 11, P=.0007). The difference in mean score was significant for residents in postgraduate years 3, 4, and 5. A statistically significant correlation was found between weekly test scores and performance on the OITE, with a significant correlation between weekly test scores and OITE percentile ranking. The study results also showed a positive correlation between reading test attendance and weekly test scores. Residents' anonymous questionnaire responses also demonstrated the reading program to be a valuable addition to the residency training curriculum. In conclusion, the study strongly supports the benefits of a weekly reading and examination program in enhancing the core knowledge of orthopedic surgery residents.

In the United States, 10% of the population was born outside of its borders. Immigrants and their children frequently return to visit their homeland, referred to as visiting friends and relatives (VFRs). They account for a disproportionately high volume of international travel. Searches of MEDLINE, World Health Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, International Society of Travel Medicine, and American Society of Tropical Medicine computerized databases, conference proceedings and abstracts, US Census Bureau, bibliographies of pertinent articles, and travel medicine texts. Priority was given to recent (1996-2003) evidence, addressing VFR travelers. General sources including travel medicine and immigrant health were also used. Immigrants visiting friends and relatives experience excessive rates of travel-related morbidity and mortality. Lack of pretravel care is common due to patient and clinician barriers to care, preexisting health beliefs, and incomplete childhood vaccinations. Travel patterns increase risk with VFRs traveling to high-risk destinations. Susceptibility to infectious and noninfectious illnesses is often increased because of multiple preexisting medical problems and extremes of age. Infectious diseases differ in etiology and magnitude from those of traditional travelers. For example with malaria, VFRs are frequently prescribed inappropriate prophylaxis or take none at all, have longer stays, spend time in high-risk areas, and do not appropriately adhere to chemoprophylaxis regimens. Effective pretravel health advice, guidelines, and services for this high-risk population are essential. There are already a number of useful and readily available databases that may aid clinicians in providing optimal travel-related preventive and therapeutic care. Immigrants who are visitors of friends and relatives in other countries account for a high volume of international travelers and are at markedly increased risk of travel-related illness. New strategies are needed to properly address the needs of VFR travelers. Pretravel services should be convenient, accessible, affordable, culturally competent, and if possible, located within clinics serving immigrant populations. Clinicians caring for VFRs should be knowledgeable about their travel-related risks and have access to regularly updated, detailed pretravel health information.