Word-formation from the cognitive perspective: Evidence from Czech

PurposeChildren begin to stutter and develop early attitudes about their communication during a critical period of speech, language, and social cognition development. This study examined social cognition via cognitive and affective perspective taking and explored whether perspective taking influences caregiver-proxy – child communication attitude agreement in 3–6-year-old children who stutter, while accounting for variation in speech and language abilities.MethodOne hundred eleven children who stutter, ages 3–6, completed the KiddyCAT, protocols for cognitive and affective perspective taking, and standardized speech and language assessments. One primary caregiver completed an adapted version of the KiddyCAT, which involved estimating their perception of their child’s communication attitude. Analyses were conducted to calculate the caregiver’s item-by-item agreement with their child’s responses on the KiddyCAT, and multiple regression was used to assess predictors of caregiver-proxy – child KiddyCAT agreement.ResultsApproximately 8% of children performed above chance on the cognitive perspective taking task, whereas 56% performed above chance on the affective task. Caregiver-proxy – child KiddyCAT agreement ranged from 0.56–0.85, with higher agreement on two items requiring the child’s perspective taking. Higher speech and language scores predicted greater KiddyCAT agreement for all caregiver-child dyads. Neither affective nor cognitive perspective taking predicted KiddyCAT agreement.ConclusionsConsistent with research with typically developing children, there is substantial variability in perspective taking in children age 3–6 who stutter, with evidence of emerging affective, but comparatively limited cognitive perspective taking skills. Caregiver-proxy – child agreement on the Kiddy-CAT, a measure that requires both affective and cognitive perspective taking, appears to be stronger for children with more advanced speech and language. Given that at least some young children and their caregivers appear to be aware of each other’s perspectives regarding the child’s communication, clinicians should facilitate discussion of stuttering and reactions to stuttering openly and neutrally with these caregivers and their children.

The experience of empathy has been described as involving both emotional and cognitive components. The primary hypothesis tested in this study is that cognition and emotion are integrated within 2 distinct types of abilities—control and perspective taking—and that interactions between emotional and cognitive control and between affective and cognitive perspective taking would be related to children's empathic responding. We also hypothesized that boys' control and perspective-taking skills would be more strongly related to empathy than would those of girls. Fifty-seven 5-year-olds completed tasks measuring cognitive control, cognitive and affective perspective taking, and empathy, and their mothers completed a measure of children's emotional control. Results indicated that cognitive perspective taking moderated the relation between affective perspective taking and empathy. In addition, the relation between cognitive inhibitory control and empathy was moderated by gender; boys' control was positively related to empathy, but girls' control was marginally negatively related to empathy.

The primary role of educators is to best serve and support students’ learning. To this end, the epistemological beliefs they hold are immensely influential, governing (both explicitly and implicitly) educators’ assumptions about how students learn, which determines the curriculum design and instructional methods utilized to support that learning. Over the years, two prominent and influential epistemological theories have developed – the cognitive perspective, which focuses on learners’ mental processes, and the sociocultural perspective, which focuses on learners’ participation in social practices within a particular context – with each providing their own unique contributions to the field of education. Using the example of the learning goal of students’ mastery of English for passing the TOEFL, the purpose of this paper is to explore how these two perspectives view knowing and learning, and the implications of this for motivating engagement and assessing learning. By drawing on and utilizing a synthesis of the cognitive and sociocultural perspectives, educators can align their learning outcomes with the most pedagogically-appropriate approach possible, to best support overall student learning and academic success.

Contents: D.E. Hewes, Introduction. Part I:Interpersonal Communication: Cognitive Social Psychologists' Perspective. R.S. Wyer, Jr., D.H. Gruenfeld, Information Processing in Interpersonal Communication. Part II:The Cognitive Psychological Perspective Inside Interpersonal Communication Theory. J.O. Greene, An Action-Assembly Perspective on Verbal and Nonverbal Message Production: A Dancer's Message Unveiled. S.W. Smith, Perceptual Processing of Nonverbal-Relational Messages. D.E. Hewes, Cognitive Processing of Problematic Messages: Reinterpreting to Unbias Texts. Part III:Interpersonal Communication From an Artificial Intelligence Perspective. C.R. Berger, A Plan-Based Approach to Strategic Communication. K. Kellermann, The Conversation MOP: A Model of Patterned and Pliable Behavior. Part IV:The Cognitive Approach to Interpersonal Communication: A Philosophical Critique. R.D. McPhee, Cognitive Perspectives on Communication: Interpretive and Critical Responses.

Much IT research and practice attempts to understand and design for the interaction between human beings and computers. This paper focuses on the two most well-known approaches in this area, namely Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) and Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW)2. I argue that HCI and CSCW reflect different aspects of human activity, which can be characterized as the cognitive and the social aspects of systems design. This paper examines these two approaches rom a (meta)theoretical point of view focusing on their ‘unit of analysis’, as well as their underlying philosophical assumptions. It is argued that the two approaches draw on distinct and somewhat contradictory philosophical ideas and theories, and consequently suggest different solutions to the design of computer systems. Much HCI work adapts a cognitive psychological perspective, focusing on the cognitive aspect of systems design, whereas CSCW work takes on a sociological perspective dealing with social and organisational aspects of systems design. In order to achieve a more ‘coherent’ understanding of systems design and computer-mediated work we need to ‘integrate’ the cognitive perspective (internal thought processes) and the social perspective (external social behaviour). Based on a dialectical-materialistic philosophy and the psychological approach developed from such principles, that of Activity Theory, I situate cognitive and the social activity within a broader framework for working life.

This paper examines the relation between moral competence, moral orientations, importance of moral foundations, and political orientation, by combining two theoretical approaches in moral psychology--the cognitive perspective and social-intuitionist perspective. The participants (Study 1 N=348, aged 18 to 67, and Study 2 N = 361, aged 16 to 74) completed the Moral Competence Test (formerly Moral Judgment Test, Lind, 1978, 2008), the 30-Item Full Version of the Moral Foundations Questionnaire (Graham, Haidt & Nosek, 2008), and measurements of political orientation (a seven-point self-evaluation scale in study 1 and an 8-item social conservatism scale in Study 2). There was a negative correlation between moral competence on the one hand and conservative political orientation and binding moral foundations on the other hand. The overall correlation pattern between the scores of moral orientation and moral competence, and importance of moral foundations and political orientation was relatively weak and only partially consistent with the theoretical predictions. The results suggest that constructs used in the cognitive and social-intuitionist perspectives on moral judgment are conceptually different, and integrating the two approaches may be a challenging task.

The cognitive perspective on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has been successful in explaining many PTSD-related phenomena and in developing effective treatments, yet some of its basic assumptions remain surprisingly under-examined. The present study tested two of these assumptions: (1) situational appraisals of the event as violating global meaning (i.e., beliefs and goals) is related to PTSD symptomatology, and (2) the effect of situational appraisals of violation on PTSD symptomatology is mediated by global meaning (i.e., views of self and world). We tested these assumptions in a cross-sectional study of 130 college students who had experienced a DSM-IV level trauma. Structural equation modeling showed that appraisals of the extent to which the trauma violated one's beliefs and goals related fairly strongly to PTSD. In addition, the effects of appraisals of belief and goal violations on PTSD symptoms were fully mediated through negative global beliefs about both the self and the world. These findings support the cognitive worldview perspective, highlighting the importance of the meaning individuals assign to traumatic events, particularly the role of meaning violation.

The aim of the paper is to define the cognitive and affective aspects of punctuation marks in short fiction and demonstrate how these marks influence the reader’s perception, activate background knowledge, and stimulate thinking. Image-schema theory forms the framework of the analysis, complemented by graphematic, descriptive, conceptual, and content methods of analysis. The paper presents an approach that provides a useful framework for studying punctuation from cognitive and affective perspectives and disclose its role in the meaning-making process. The paper elaborates on the concepts “authorial punctuation” and “affective punctuation,” demonstrating their relevance for the study of a creative use of punctuation marks in short fiction. The paper argues that, from a cognitive perspective, punctuation marks function as triggers that activate the reader’s background knowledge and facilitate the knowledge with the new information embedded in the text. Text comprehension depends not only on words and syntax but also on the reader’s ability to process the text based on explicit and implicit relations between textual units. Regarding the affective aspect, the paper argues that punctuation marks serve as triggers that engage the reader in the meaning-making process and enhance participatory engagement with the text by activating various image schemas linked to real-life experience. Wasps, a short story by A.L. Kennedy, from the collection What Becomes (2010), will be analyzed, first, the value of integrating cognitive and affective dimensions in the analysis of punctuation, and second, the twofold significance of punctuation in the text: as a means of conveying the authorial message and as an interpretive tool that guides the reader toward meaning. The choice of the author and the story is deliberate. A.L. Kennedy is an award-winning novelist and a short story writer, produces work that invites postmodern interpretations. Her fiction frequently explores themes of trauma, loneliness, despair, betrayal, family relationships, by using unique narrative techniques to engage the readers into the emotional world of the characters. The stories in the collection, in particular Wasps, is noteworthy for the recurring motifs of silence and the unsaid (Mitchel, 2008), where each element gains significance in deciphering the meaning hidden underneath the unsaid. The analysis of Wasps reveals that the use of punctuation in the story is a results of the author’s creative thinking and is endowed with a potential of engaging the reader into the meaning making process, at the same time, impacting the reader both from cognitive and affective perspectives. The paper focuses on the use of the period, the dash, the comma and the ellipsis to demonstrate their contribution in revealing the intricate areas of the emotional life of the characters existing beyond the boundaries of the words. The reading of the story is schematic, and the analysis will illustrate how punctuation marks contribute to the activation of image schemas which help the reader to infer meanings embedded between the lines. At the same time, the analysis will show the applicability of the concepts of “authorial” and “affective” punctuation to A.L. Kennedy’s narrative technique, as well as consider punctuation as a result of the author’s creative thinking which triggers the readers’ creative abilities in building the text meaning.

The chapters in this volume and its predecessor (Hippler, Schwarz, & Sudman, 1987) attest to a broad interest in item-order effects. A better understanding of their causes and implications has come from perspectives in cognitive psychology, social cognition, and survey methodology. The importance of contemporary psychometric theory for evaluating order effects has been overlooked. We believe that recognition of psychometric contributions can help researchers better understand item-order effects. One obstacle faced thus far has been that many of the latest psychometric developments have not been readily accessible (or comprehensible) to researchers in this area. The goal of this chapter is to show how such contributions logically relate to testing and interpreting item-order effects. In doing this, we define some necessary preconditions that should exist for the effects obtained to date, and for those obtained in future research, to be interpreted unambiguously.

In contrast to researchers who emphasize the distinction between perception and cognition it is claimed that the perceptual system is closely intertwined with cognition and with our comprehension of the external world. This claim is supported by evidence for two characteristic features of human information processing. One of these features is the use of mental models. If mental models are assumed to be anchored in the perceptual system it will not be necessary to assume a "little man in the head" who reads off the model. Moreover, perceptually based mental models will provide a referential semantics by anchoring mentally represented concepts in the external world. The other feature is the use of perceptually based perspectives in cognition, such as actor or observer perspectives in social cognition. It is concluded that human beings consistently interact within the real world--also when they are just thinking--and that this becomes possible via perceptual processes.

Students’ academic performance in chemistry can be the result of a number of cognitive and affective factors. This study explored the influence of the discipline-specific cognitive factors of knowledge structure, cognitive perspectives, and cognitive patterns on grade 9 students' chemistry performance. One instrument measured chemistry academic performance based on concept knowing, application and problem solving. Six tasks with marking keys measured the discipline-specific cognitive factors of knowledge structure, cognitive perspectives, and cognitive patterns. Different groups of grade 9 students participated in pilot tests and the field tests. The quality of the chemistry academic performance instrument and the six tasks was inspected by both expert assessment with six raters and computer-aided inspection including Rasch analysis and Kendall rater-consistency reliability tests. Correlation analysis and multiple regression analysis explored the relationship among academic performance and knowledge structure, cognitive perspectives, and cognitive patterns. According to the results of this research, knowledge structure, cognitive perspective and cognitive pattern all influenced grade 9 students’ chemistry performances; cognitive perspective was the most important factor. Based on these findings, we discuss individual student performance relative to their discipline-specific cognitive factors. We recommend that instruction of discipline-specific learning in chemistry pay attention to each of the three discipline-specific cognitive factors and that tasks be designed to promote the progress of each of these three discipline-specific cognitive factors, especially cognitive perspectives.

Second language acquisition (SLA) has been one of the central topics in cognitive science. Various theories regarding the SLA process have evolved and have been a subject of debate over the years. With a critical review of the competing theories of cognition and language development, this paper examines the differences between L1 and L2 acquisitional processes and then proposes a model of SLA process from a cognitive information-processing perspective. The pedagogic implications of this model are also discussed.

본 논문은 조경설계를 위한 창의적 개념화를 지향하는 공간 의사 결정 시스템 모델에 대한 연구이다. (1)정보의 폭발 및 무시 (2)원칙성과 융통성의 딜레마 (3)비구조화된 성격의 계획 및 설계라는 세가지 특징 때문에, 현재 정보중심의 GIS는 큰 역할을 못하고 있다. 이에 현재의 정보중심의 GIS에 대한 대안으로 공간 개념화를 지향하는 SDSS(공간의 사결정지원시스템)모델을 제시하고자 한다. 미래의 공간 개념화 지향의 SDSS는 인지적 관점을 기반으로 한 공간개념화를 현재의 GIS기술과 연계시킴으로써 조경설계의 비구조적인 문제를 효율적이고, 창조적으로 해결할 수 있다. 공간개념화 지향의 SDSS 모델은 (1)인간정보처리 (2)도구 및 이론의 상호작용 (3)인지과학 및 실천인식론 (4)의사결정지원 시스템 (5)인간과 컴퓨터의 상호작용 (6)창조적인 사고라는 핵심이론 및 기술을 반영한다. 향후 구현될 공간 개념화 지향의 SDSS는 설계자가 공간계획 및 설계상에서 "숨겨진 조직"을 파악할 수 있게 하고, 생성 및 개념화 능력을 통해 새로운 아이디어를 개발하고 이를 다른 설계자와 공유할 수 있게 한다. 공간개념화는 (1)버블다이어그램 지향의 설계지원 시스템 (2)어의적 기억의 확장으로서의 프로토타입 (3)삽화적 기억의 확장으로서 스크립트라는 세 가지 핵심 아이디어를 통해 공간 설계의 개념화를 보다 용이하게 할 수 있다. 앞으로 이 세 가지 아이디어는 계획 및 설계를 위한 GIS기술의 미래 방향을 제시할 수 있을 것이다. By combining the role of current GIS technology and design behaviors from the cognitive perspective, spatial conceptualization can be extended efficiently and creatively for ill-structured problems. This study elaborates the model of a conceptualization-oriented SDSS(Spatial Decision Support System) for a landscape design problem. Current information-oriented GIS technology plays a minor role in planning and design. The three attributes in planning and design problems describe how the deficiencies of current GIS technology can be seen as a failure of the technology. These are summarized: (1) Information Explosion/Information Ignorance (2) Dilemma of Rigor and Relevance (3) Ill-structured Nature of planning and Design. In order to implement the conceptualization idea in the current GIS environment, it will be necessary to shift from traditional, information-oriented GISs to conceptualization-oriented SDSSs. The conceptualization-oriented SDSS model reflects the key elements of six important theories and techniques. The six useful theories and techniques are as follows; (1) Human Information Processing (2) Tool/Theory Interaction (3) The Sciences of the Artificial and Epistemology of Practice (4) Decision Support Systems (DSSs) (5) Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) (6) Creative Thinking. The future conceptualization-oriented SDSS can provide capabilities for planners and designers to figure out some "hidden organizations" in spatial planning and design, and develop new ideas through its conceptualization capability. The facilitation of conceptualization has been demonstrated by presenting three key ideas for the framework of the SDSS model: (1) bubble-oriented design support system (2) prototypes as an extension of semantic memory, and (3) scripts as an extension of episodic memory in a cognitive pschology perspective. The three ideas can provide a direction for the future GIS technology in planning and design.

Empathy is a multi-faceted concept consisting of our ability not only to share emotions but also to exert cognitive control and perspective taking in our interactions with others. Here we examined whether inter-individual variability in different components of empathy was related to differences in brain structure assessed using voxel-based morphometry. Following a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan, participants completed the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI). Multiple regression was then used to assess the relationship between individual differences in grey matter volume and individual differences in empathy traits. We found that individual differences in affective empathic abilities oriented towards another person were negatively correlated with grey matter volume in the precuneus, inferior frontal gyrus, and anterior cingulate. Differences in self-oriented affective empathy were negatively correlated with grey matter volume of the somatosensory cortex, but positively correlated with volume in the insula; cognitive perspective taking abilities were positively correlated with grey matter volume of the anterior cingulate; and the ability to empathise with fictional characters was positively related to grey matter changes in the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. These findings are discussed in relation to neurocognitive models of empathy.

Research supervision can be investigated from social–emotional and cognitive perspectives, but most studies include only one perspective. This study aims to understand the interplay between a social–emotional (supervisor–student relationship) and cognitive (feedback) perspective on the outcomes of master's thesis supervision in specific, by investigating student perceptions of both perspectives. Questionnaire data (N = 1016) were collected and analysed using regression analyses. For student satisfaction (SS) and students' perceived supervisor contribution to learning (PSCL), affiliation by far is most important, followed by control for SS and feedback-forward for PSCL. Also, interaction effects between feedback and interpersonal perceptions were found, indicating that the role of feedback perceptions is most important in situations in which no optimal supervisor–student relationship could be established. Findings imply the importance for master's thesis supervisors of creating friendly and helping relationships with students and if this is problematic, extra care should be taken with giving feedback.