Acquisition Of Cognitive Skills Research Articles

S57. Does the Acquisition of Social Cognitive Skills Over Adolescence Coincide With Neurophysiological Metric of Brain Maturation? A Cross-Sectional Analysis of the NAPLS-II Consortium Sample

Schizophrenia is conceptualized as a neurodevelopmental disorder, including a prodromal period during which biological vulnerability is expressed before the emergence of formal symptoms. Individuals at clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR) are characterized by prodromal features resembling attenuated symptoms of psychosis and were previously found to show a blunted developmental trajectory for attaining theory of mind (ToM). Analysis of the NAPLS-II consortium sample was undertaken to determine whether ToM ability corresponds to neurophysiological metrics of brain maturation, and whether this relationship is altered in CHR.

Promoting cognitive and soft skills acquisition in a disadvantaged public school system: Evidence from the Nurture thru Nature randomized experiment

It is widely acknowledged that our public schools have failed to produce sufficient levels of high quality STEM education. The mathematics and science performance of minority and disadvantaged students has been especially troubling with blacks and Hispanics substantially underrepresented in the STEM labor market. In this paper we examine the impacts of a STEM enhancement program called Nurture thru Nature (NtN) on the cognitive (academic grades) and soft skills development of 139 elementary school students who attended the program over an eight year period (2010–2017). Utilizing a randomized experimental design or RCT with a control group of 491 elementary school students, we find that NtN slows the deterioration in students’ math and science grades relative to controls and improves soft skills such as conscientiousness, higher order thinking, empathy, and pro-social behavior.

Direct effects of cognitive therapy skill acquisition on cognitive therapy skill use, idiosyncratic dysfunctional beliefs and emotions in distressed individuals: An experimental study

Experimental studies that manipulate treatment procedures to investigate their direct effects on treatment processes and outcomes are necessary to find out the effective elements and improve the effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for depression. The present study randomized mildly to severely depressed participants into a procedure focused on cognitive therapy skill acquisition (CTSA; n = 27) or a control procedure focused on being exposed to theories of automatic thinking (n = 25) and investigated the direct effects on cognitive therapy (CT) skill use, credibility of idiosyncratic dysfunctional beliefs and strength of emotions. After the procedure, participants were exposed to a sad mood induction and given an assignment to test their CT skills. Participants who received the CTSA procedure used more CT skills compared to participants that received the control procedure, but there were no differences between conditions in the decrease of the credibility of idiosyncratic dysfunctional beliefs and strength of emotions. However, in participants with mild levels of depression, those who underwent the CTSA procedure showed larger decrease in the credibility of their most malleable belief (i.e. mostly automatic negative thoughts) compared to those who received the control procedure, but the significance of these findings disappeared when controlling for differences in ratings of the procedures. Future experimental studies should focus on the effects of CT skill training in the long term, the dose of the procedure and individual patient differences to find out under what circumstances the use of CT skills can lead to a reduction in dysfunctional thinking and subsequent symptoms of depression.

자기설명 프롬프트 유형이 학습자의 인지적 기능의 획득에 미치는 효과

이 연구의 목적은 학습자가 선행 오개념을 가진 인지적 기능의 학습에 정신모형 수정 지향 자기설명 프롬프트와 gap-filling 지향 자기설명 프롬프트가 다른 효과를 지니는지를 경험적으로 검토하는 것이다. 연구목적 달성을 위해 대학생 113명을 대상으로 실험을 하였다. 실험설계는 비교집단이 있는 사후설계였으며, 독립변수는 자기설명 촉진 유형(정신모형 수정 지향 자기설명 프롬프트 또는 gap-filling 지향 자기설명 프롬프트 또는)이었고, 종속변수는 사후검사에 의해 측정된 학습자의 특정 유형의 인지적 판단에 대한 성취수준이었다. 학습 대상 인지적 기능은 대개의 사람이 기저율 무시(base rate ignorance) 오류를 범하여 과대 추정하는 조건부 확률 계산하기였다. 정신모형 수정 지향 자기설명 프롬프트 조건 내의 참여자에게는 학습자료 내에 포함된 예제의 해결 과정이 자신이 알거나 믿고 있던 것과 다른 점, 또는 자기 생각을 고쳐주는 점에 주목하면서 스스로 설명하기를 요청했고, Gap-filling 지향 자기설명 프롬프트 조건 내의 참여자에게는 학습자료 내에 포함된 예제(worked example)의 해결 단계가 왜 그렇게 진행되는지를 스스로 설명하기를 요청했다. 연구 결과, 자기설명 촉진 유형이 선행 오개념이 관련되는 인지적 기능의 학습에 유의한 효과를 미친다는 자료를 찾지 못하였다. 연구결과를 이론적 측면과 연구방법의 측면에서 논의하고 후속연구의 방향을 제시하였다.

Network-Based Approach to Assessment of Cognitive Skills

Cognitive Assessment Redesign (CAR) project is an institution-wide, network-based approach to the development of cognitive skills in undergraduate education. This project aims to encourage first and fourth-year instructors to align skill development through the design of course assessments, to enhance cognitive skill acquisition and provide a measurement of learning. The learning outcomes for the project are framed and operationalized using the language and dimensions from the Valid Assessment of Learning in Undergraduate Education (VALUE) rubrics. An assessment redesign network was created, matching assessment facilitators who have disciplinary and educational expertise with instructors to develop authentic assessments of student learning. One of the goals of the network is to encourage sustained participation and collaboration, and to build progression in teaching and learning throughout the institution. The project also includes a standardized test for comparison to course assessment outcomes. Testing at the fourth-year level has been dependent on the use of incentives for student participation. Although recruiting instructors from the faculty of Engineering and Applied Science was initially a challenge, course instructors have reported various successes stemming from participation in the project.

The assessment of endosonographers in training.

Endosonography (EUS) has an estimated long learning curve including the acquisition of both technical and cognitive skills. Trainees in EUS must learn to master intraprocedural steps such as echoendoscope handling and ultrasonographic imaging with the interpretation of normal anatomy and any pathology. In addition, there is a need to understand the periprocedural parts of the EUS-examination such as the indications and contraindications for EUS and potential adverse events that could occur post-EUS. However, the learning process and progress vary widely among endosonographers in training. Consequently, the performance of a certain number of supervised procedures during training does not automatically guarantee adequate competence in EUS. Instead, the assessment of EUS-competence should preferably be performed by the use of an assessment tool developed specifically for the evaluation of endosonographers in training. Such a tool, covering all the different steps of the EUS-procedure, would better depict the individual learning curve and better reflect the true competence of each trainee. This mini-review will address the issue of clinical education in EUS with respect to the evaluation of endosonographers in training. The aim of the article is to provide an informative overview of the topic. The relevant literature of the field will be reviewed and discussed. The current knowledge on how to assess the skills and competence of endosonographers in training is presented in detail.

Correlates of early cognition in infants with Down syndrome

While delays in cognitive development are detectable during early development in Down syndrome, the neuropsychological and biomedical underpinnings of cognitive skill acquisition in this population remain poorly understood. To explore this issue, 38 infants with Down syndrome [mean chronological age=9.65months; SD=3.64] completed the Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III and a set of laboratory tasks that measured sustained attention (duration of visual attention during a 1-min object exploration task), attention shifting (mean latency to shift attention on an alternating object presentation task) and visual short-term memory (dishabituation to a novel object on a change preference task). Latency to shift attention was negatively associated with Bayley Cognitive Scale raw scores, even when controlling for the effects of chronological age, r (33)=-.41, P=.02. In addition, prematurity status was associated with latency to shift attention. Early attention shifting may be an important factor that facilitates overall cognitive skill acquisition in infants with Down syndrome, and premature birth may be a risk factor for difficulties on this dimension.

Isolating therapeutic procedures to investigate mechanisms of change in cognitive behavioral therapy for depression

Background: Isolating a therapeutic procedure might be a powerful way to enhance our understanding of how cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) works. The present study explored new methods to isolate cognitive procedures and to study their direct impact on hypothesized underlying processes and CBT outcome. Method: The effects of a cognitive therapy skill acquisition procedure ( n = 36) were compared to no procedure ( n = 36) on cognitive therapy skills, dysfunctional thinking, distress, and mood in response to induced distress following a social stress test in healthy participants. Results: Participants reported more cognitive therapy skills after the procedure that focused on the acquisition of cognitive therapy skills compared to no procedure, but there were no differences in dysfunctional thinking, distress, and mood between the groups. Conclusions: By demonstrating an experimental approach to investigate mechanisms of change, including the pitfalls that come along with it, the present experiment provides a blueprint for other researchers interested in the underlying mechanisms of change in CBT for depression.

Children’s Own Time Use and its Effect on Skill Formation

ABSTRACTUsing time use data from a longitudinal survey (covering Ethiopia, India, and Vietnam), the present study examines how the amount of time children spend on different activities impacts their acquisition of cognitive and noncognitive skills. Modelling the skill formation production function of children and extending the set of inputs to include the child’s own time inputs, the study finds that child involvement in work activities (paid or nonpaid) are associated with a reduction in both cognitive and noncognitive achievements. The results imply an indirect adverse effect of child work on skill development through the reduction of hours of study.

Timing correlations between cerebellar interpositus neuronal firing and classically conditioned eyelid responses in wild-type and Lurcher mice

Classical eyeblink conditioning is an experimental model widely used for the study of the neuronal mechanisms underlying the acquisition of new motor and cognitive skills. There are two principal interpretations of the role of the cerebellum in the learning of eyelid conditioned responses (CRs). One considers that the cerebellum is the place where this learning is acquired and stored, while the second suggests that the cerebellum is mostly involved in the proper performance of acquired CRs, implying that there must be other brain areas involved in the learning process. We checked the timing of cerebellar interpositus nucleus (IPN) neurons’ firing rate with eyelid CRs in both wild-type (WT) and Lurcher (a model of cerebellar cortex degeneration) mice. We used delay and trace conditioning paradigms. WT mice presented a better execution for delay vs. trace conditioning and also for these two paradigms than did Lurcher mice. IPN neurons were activated during CRs following the activation of the orbicularis oculi muscle. Firing patterns of IPN neurons were altered in Lurcher mice. In conclusion, the cerebellum seems to be mostly related with the performance of conditioned responses, rather than with their acquisition.

Genetic and clinical features of social cognition in 22q11.2 deletion syndrome.

22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2 DS) is widely known as one of the most compelling genetic models of schizophrenia so far, being almost 40% of the carriers affected by psychotic symptoms. Moreover, most of these subjects also show impairment in social cognition, which is a comprehensive array of function that guides social interaction with the others, leading as well to the acquisition of new cognitive and social skills. In the last decade researchers have argued whether social cognition dysfunctions could be underlined by specific genetic alterations, and whether these are linked to specific clinical features. Some valid candidate genes are RTN4R, that encodes a protein which inhibits axonal sprouting, DGCR8, crucial in mRNA processing, or catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) and proline oxydase 1 (PRODH), involved in catecholamine metabolism in frontal cortex. This is the first article to address the topic of social cognition in 22q11.2 DS from a wide perspective, with a highlight on its genetic characteristics. We will provide a narrative review of the most recent findings and we will point out new directions on this research path, in order to achieve an effective characterization of the neurobiological system underlying social behavior.

Indigenous Adolescents' Perception of an eMental Health Program (SPARX): Exploratory Qualitative Assessment.

BackgroundDepression is a major health issue for indigenous adolescents, yet there is little research conducted about the efficacy and development of psychological interventions for these populations. In New Zealand there is little known about taitamariki (Māori adolescent) opinions regarding the development and effectiveness of psychological interventions, let alone computerized cognitive behavioral therapy. SPARX (Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-factor thoughts) is a computerized intervention developed in New Zealand to treat mild-to-moderate depression in young people. Users are engaged in a virtual 3D environment where they must complete missions to progress to the next level. In each level there are challenges and puzzles to completeIt was designed to appeal to all young people in New Zealand and incorporates several images and concepts that are specifically Māori. ObjectiveThe aim was to conduct an exploratory qualitative study of Māori adolescents’ opinions about the SPARX program. This is a follow-up to an earlier study where taitamariki opinions were gathered to inform the design of a computerized cognitive behavior therapy program.MethodsTaitamariki were interviewed using a semistructured interview once they had completed work with the SPARX resource. Six participants agreed to complete the interview; the interviews ranged from 10 to 30 minutes.ResultsTaitamariki participating in the interviews found SPARX to be helpful. The Māori designs from the SPARX game were appropriate and useful, and the ability to customize the SPARX characters with Māori designs was beneficial and appeared to enhance cultural identity. These helped young people to feel engaged with SPARX which, in turn, assisted with the acquisition of relaxation and cognitive restructuring skills. Overall, using SPARX led to improved mood and increased levels of hope for the participants. In some instances, SPARX was used by wider whānau (Māori word for family) members with reported beneficial effect.ConclusionsOverall, this small group of Māori adolescents reported that cultural designs made it easier for them to engage with SPARX, which, in turn, led to an improvement in their mood and gave them hope. Further research is needed about how SPARX could be best used to support the families of these young people.

The effects of TDCS stimulation on motor learning in healthy and severe sub-acute traumatic brain injury adults

Procedural learning is a basic mechanism for acquisition of basic motor and cognitive skills. Optimizing this process using both training strategies and innovative technology is of great importance in rehabilitation of patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI), an important cause of severe disability. Recently an expanding body of evidence indicated that trans-Cranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) may positively affect procedural learning. 1. Characterize the effect of tDCS on motor skill learning in healthy adults using the finger-to-thumb opposition sequence paradigm (FOS). 2. Compare the findings to those of sub-acute TBI patients. Thirty healthy and ten sub-acute TBI participants were included in a randomized double-blind, controlled trial. Participants were trained to perform a finger opposition task. The study group (20 participants) received anodal stimulation over the motor cortex contralateral to the performing hand, and the control group (20 patients) received “sham” stimulation. Performance (speed and accuracy) were tested before, immediately after and 24 h post-training. Retention was tested one week later. tDCS stimulation resulted in increased speed with no accuracy trade-off in healthy participants compared to controls, in the consolidation (37.4% vs. 30.6% improvement compared with initial speed) and retention stages (41.9% vs. 37.8%). The relative effect of tDCS was larger in the TBI group in both consolidation and retention stages (1.32 and 1.27, respectively). However, neither effects reached significance. Our results are in line with previous findings that showed a positive effect of tDCS on learning but largre cohort studies are needed to substantiate this claim.

Will the last be first and the first last? The role of classroom registers in cognitive skill acquisition.

The paper estimates the effect of students’ position in the classroom register on their academic performance. We use a unique dataset from Poland which contains information on the academic outcomes of students in the humanities, science and mathematics lower secondary school exams as well as the position students occupy in their classroom register. We find that students whose names are recorded near the end of the class list have lower performance than those students whose names are recorded near the beginning of the list. The effect appears to be larger for performance in the humanities exam, and for low-achieving boys who attend large classes.

Psychosocial status and cognitive achievement in Peru

AbstractThis paper assesses the importance of psychosocial status in the accumulation of cognitive skills during the transition from mid to late childhood. We use longitudinal data from a cohort of 700 Peruvian children drawn from a very rich dataset, the Young Lives Survey, to test the impact of children's perception of respect at the age of 8 on cognitive achievement 4 years later, controlling for cognitive skills at the age of 8, lagged child and household characteristics, and community fixed effects. This empirical specification is akin to estimating a conditional demand function for cognitive skills, which deals with some of the main pitfalls of skill endogeneity. We find that poorly respected children are linked to a lower rate of cognitive accumulation than their better‐respected counterparts. As expected, we also find that previously accumulated cognitive skills enable higher subsequent cognitive skill accumulation. We go one step further by testing and finding evidence of complementarities across skills. We show that cognitive differences amplify over time between children with low and high psychosocial skills. Overall, our results suggest that psychosocial status, an aspect little studied in the context of developing countries, plays an important role in the acquisition of cognitive skills during childhood.

Trajectories of cognitive development in toddlers with language delays

BackgroundToddlers with early language delays (LD) are at risk for developmental difficulties, including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, little is known about early cognitive skill acquisition in this population. AimsTo explore heterogeneity in cognitive development in toddlers with significant LD (n = 30) or typical development (n = 61), and how this relates to 36-month outcomes (ASD, non-ASD delays, or no delays). MethodsGrowth mixture modeling of nonverbal and verbal mental age (NVMA, VMA) scores from the Mullen Scales of Early Learning was conducted with data from 18, 24 and 36 months. ResultsA two-class NVMA solution was selected (Age Appropriate, 82%, Delayed, 18%); class membership was related to the no delay outcome, and although the proportion of toddlers with ASD in the Age-Expected class was 17% compared to 50% of toddlers with non-ASD delays, this difference was not statistically significant. The best-fitting model for VMA included three classes: Age Appropriate (66%), Delay Catch-Up (23%), Delayed (11%); class assignment differed by outcome. Children in the Delay Catch-Up class were more likely to have non-ASD delays compared to ASD, while the reverse was true in the Delayed class. ConclusionsCognitive development in toddlers with LD is heterogeneous, and delayed verbal trajectories relate to later ASD diagnosis.

PD58-08 MENTAL TRAINING AND ITS EFFECT ON PROCEDURAL AND COGNITIVE LEARNING - A BLUEPRINT FOR UROLOGIC RESIDENTS IN A CONDENSED WORK ENVIRONMENT?

You have accessJournal of UrologySurgical Technology & Simulation: Training & Skills Assessment II1 Apr 2018PD58-08 MENTAL TRAINING AND ITS EFFECT ON PROCEDURAL AND COGNITIVE LEARNING - A BLUEPRINT FOR UROLOGIC RESIDENTS IN A CONDENSED WORK ENVIRONMENT? Phillip Marks, Julia Kaulfuβ, Luis Kluth, Philippe Grange, Felix Chun, Margit Fisch, and Christian Meyer Phillip MarksPhillip Marks More articles by this author , Julia KaulfuβJulia Kaulfuβ More articles by this author , Luis KluthLuis Kluth More articles by this author , Philippe GrangePhilippe Grange More articles by this author , Felix ChunFelix Chun More articles by this author , Margit FischMargit Fisch More articles by this author , and Christian MeyerChristian Meyer More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.juro.2018.02.2796AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookTwitterLinked InEmail INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES The work environments of current residents are fundamentally changing, characterized by a demand for cost-containment and dense working hours without compromising highest quality of care (outcome quality/patient safety). As a field, urology requires core competencies in cognitive processing of a diverse range of diseases and the perfection of many different manual skills (endoscopy, sonography, open surgery etc.). This training is cost- and time-consuming. We hypothesized that a specific mental training can enhance and optimize cognitive and manual skill acquisition. METHODS We designed a prospective trial of 24 laparoscopic novices (medical students) who were randomized to 1) a control group, 2) a video training group, 3) a mental training group. Mental training consisted of the identification of procedural key steps, relaxation, mental vocalization and mental imaging techniques over a course of 2 weeks after one initial supervised training session. All groups completed a basic training in 2 exercises of the official E-BLUS (European training in basic laparoscopic urological skills) curriculum (PEG transfer, cutting a circle) before intervention (video training, video training+mental training). Both exercises were assessed 48 h and 2 weeks after intervention. Primary endpoints were scores in a global rating scale (handling, efficiency of movement etc.), procedural time and error rates. Additionally, participants completed several theoretical tests examining spatial differentiation, theoretical knowledge and a test of performance strategies. Statistical analyses included ANOVA and general linear models with repeated measures. RESULTS All group baseline characteristics were homogeneous after randomization (p>0.05). Mental training improved time efficiency in PEG transfer but not cutting a circle exercises after 48 h (p=0.017). Mental training significantly improved the global rating scale score (p=0.035) and performance strategies (p=0.041) after 2 weeks. Participants who received and exercised mental training significantly reduced procedural error rates and improved their performance strategies (p=0.02 and p=0.01, respectively). There was no significant differences between the groups with regards to cognitive functioning tests or theoretical knowledge testing. CONCLUSIONS In this randomized controlled trial of laparoscopic novices, mental training significantly improved procedural time efficiency and performance strategies, while theoretical knowledge did not significantly change. The regular and continuous integration of mental training strategies into urological residency might serve as a blueprint to improve and streamline manual skill acquisition and performance while retaining cost- and time-efficiency. © 2018FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 199Issue 4SApril 2018Page: e1136-e1137 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2018MetricsAuthor Information Phillip Marks More articles by this author Julia Kaulfuβ More articles by this author Luis Kluth More articles by this author Philippe Grange More articles by this author Felix Chun More articles by this author Margit Fisch More articles by this author Christian Meyer More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

Action Errors: A Window Into the Early Development of Perception-Action System.

In this chapter, we explore an interesting class of behaviors, referred to as action errors, which, we argue, provide a window in to the early development of the perception-action system. As we examine these behaviors, we discuss how acquisition of motor and cognitive skills interact at particular periods of development to make children more likely to perform action errors. However, we also provide evidence that even adults perform action errors under certain task demands. We argue that it is fruitful to examine the developing perception-action system in terms of the dynamic interplay of constraints within the environment, the individual child, and the task that they are attempting to complete. This interaction of constraints is dynamic and multiply determined, which is why action errors do not occur whenever a child sees a photograph of an object, views a tiny chair, or interacts with grandparents over interactive media. We argue, however, that not all constraints are weighted equally in the emergence of a specific behavior. Rather, the child's goal or intention plays a key role in organizing factors that lead to a specific behavior.

How Perception and Action Fosters Exploration and Selection in Infant Skill Acquisition.

In this chapter, we discuss how perception and action are intimately linked to the processes of exploration and selection. Exploration, which we define as trying several variations of the behavior, and selection, which involves attempting to reproduce the behaviors that work, are essential for learning about the environment, discovering theproperties of objects, and for acquiring skills in relation to goals. Exploration and selection happen in the moment and over time as behaviors are repeated, henceleading to their fine-tuning to the goal. We illustrate this time-dependent developmental process using several examples from infants reaching for objects, to discovering object properties, to learning about the functionality of tool use, and even to word learning. As we present those examples, we introduce a more detailed perception-action loop to illustrate those moment-to-moment behaviors and show how they contribute to the acquisition of perceptual, motor, and cognitive skills in infancy.

Innovation - the key for developing countries

The current economic state of most developing countries portrays low-income levels of their citizens. This is due to several factors, of which lack of innovative thinking is fundamental. Typically, innovative thinking usually starts with developing creativity at the early childhood stage. Therefore, the developmental stages of children, i.e., during their years in kindergarten, must be structured in such a way to enhance innovative thinking. This article looks at innovation being a key to advancing developing countries when incorporated in educational curriculums. Specifically, the information and communication technologies (ICTs) educational curriculum of Ghana, a developing country, is analysed and compared to curriculums from the UK. Finally, ways to improve the acquisition of cognitive skills, using specialised learning aids in Ghana's ICT educational curriculum, to transform students' innovative thinking processes are proposed.