Cognitive Lab Research Articles

39 Empathic Abilities of Individuals with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum

Objective:Previous research suggests that individuals with isolated Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (AgCC) have cognitive and psychosocial deficits including that of complex processing of emotions (Anderson et al., 2017) and their ability to verbally express emotional experiences (Paul et al., 2021). Additionally, research suggests individuals with AgCC show impaired recognition of the emotions of others (Symington et al., 2010), as well as diminished ability to infer and describe the emotions of others (Renteria-Vazquez et al., 2022; Turk et al., 2010). However, the nature of the empathic abilities of individuals with AgCC remains unclear in empirical research. Capacity for empathetic feelings and situational recognition in persons with AgCC were tested using the Multifaceted Empathy Test [MET] (Foell et al., 2018). We hypothesized that individuals with AgCC would have lower abilities for both cognitive and affective empathy than neurotypical controls.Participants and Methods:Results from 50 neurotypical control participants recruited from MTurk Cloud were compared to responses from 19 AgCC participants with normal-range FSIQ (>80) drawn from the individuals with AgCC involved with the Human Brain and Cognition Lab at the Travis Research Institute. The research was completed through an online version of the MET. The MET uses a series of photographs of individuals displaying an emotion. To measure cognitive empathy, the participants are asked to pick the correct emotion being displayed with three distractors for each item. To measure affective empathy, they are then asked on a sliding scale, “how much do you empathize with the person shown” (1 = Not at all, 7 = Very much).Results:Results of a MANOVA showed a trend for a significant overall difference between individuals with AgCC and controls for empathic abilities F(1, 67) = 2.59, p-value = .082, with persons with AgCC showing less empathy overall. Follow-up one-way ANOVAs showed that individuals with AgCC scored significantly lower in cognitive empathy F(1, 67) = 4.63, p-value = .035, ηp2 = .065; however, affective empathy was not significantly different between groups F(1, 67) = .537, p-value = .466, ηp2 = .008.Conclusions:Results suggest that adults with AgCC have a diminished ability to give cognitive labels to the emotional states of others compared to neurotypical controls. However, contrary to our hypothesis, participants with AgCC had affective responses to the pictures of the emotional states of others which were similar to neurotypical controls. Recent research has shown that individuals with AgCC have difficulty inferring and elaborating on the more complex cognitive, social, and emotional aspects of simple animations (Renteria-Vazquez et al., 2022; Turk et al., 2010). Cognitive empathy would require this form of elaborative thinking, even when affective empathy is normal. Similarly, Paul et al. (2021) described alexithymia in persons with AgCC as difficulty in expressing emotions linguistically, but found similar endorsements of emotional experience when compared to neurotypical controls. This study provides further evidence to suggest the corpus callosum facilitates the ability to cognitively label emotions but not necessarily the ability to experience emotions affectively.

1 Moral Reasoning in Individuals with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum

Objective:Previous research has demonstrated that individuals with Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (AgCC), the congenital absence of all or part of the corpus callosum, exhibit a pattern of cognitive and psychosocial deficits, even with a FSIQ in the normal range (FSIQ > 80; Brown & Paul, 2019). This includes a core deficit in their complex reasoning and novel problem-solving (Brown & Paul, 2019), with secondary deficits in capacity to imagine complex emotional/cognitive consequences of potential actions involving others (Young et al, 2019), deficits in emotionperception (Symington et at., 2010, Bridgman et al 2014), and difficulty with cognitively processing emotions within the context of social interactions (Anderson et al., 2017). This constellation of deficits is likely to also impact moral reasoning. While previous research has demonstrated differences in moral reasoning among other neuropsychological populations such as those with ventromedial prefrontal damage (Moretto et al., 2010) and frontotemporal dementia (Gleichgerrcht et al., 2011), there is no research reported regarding moral judgements in AgCC. This study employed the Moral Dilemmas Scale (Greene, 2001) to compare the moral judgements of persons with AgCC to neurotypical controls. It was predicted that individuals with AgCC would be less contextually nuanced than neurotypical controls in responding to moral dilemmas.Participants and Methods:Results consist of data derived from 57 neurotypical control participants (ages 23 to 64 years) recruited from MTurk Cloud and 19 AgCC participants (ages 23 to 77 years) with normal-range FSIQ (>80) drawn from the individuals with AgCC involved with the Human Brain and Cognition Lab at the Travis Research Institute. All participants completed an online version of the Moral Dilemmas Scale (Greene, 2001). The scale consists of 25 dilemmas, of which 11 are considered high-conflict, 7 low-conflict and 7 impersonal. Participants were instructed to read each dilemma and rate whether they found the action to be “appropriate” or not. The high-conflict dilemmas share a similar structure in which responses reflect either a utilitarian or deontological judgement.Results:“Approve” responses to each of the 3 categories of dilemma were separately tallied for each individual and subjected to a 2group ANOVA. Results revealed the control group produced a significantly higher rate of “appropriate” responses to high-conflict dilemmas than did the individuals with AgCC (F=8.17, p = .006, n2 =.113). However, no significant differences were found among the two groups for results on low (n2 = .013) and impersonal (n2 = .003) dilemmas alone. Furthermore, a X2 analysis of responses to each high conflict dilemma revealed a significant difference in 5 out of the 11 such that more persons with AgCC gave a deontological judgement.Conclusions:Results suggested that adults with AgCC respond similarly to neurotypical controls with respect to the low conflict orimpersonal dilemmas. However, with respect to high conflict dilemmas, compared to controls they tend to respond in a more deontological than utilitarian basis - that is, based on general principles without contextual nuance. These findings are consistent with the conclusion of Renteria-Vasquez et al. (2021) that persons with AgCC have difficulty imagining the wider implications of present information.

The Many Faces of Cognitive Labs in Educational Measurement

The Many Faces of Cognitive Labs in Educational Measurement

ORCLSim: A System Architecture for Studying Bicyclist and Pedestrian Physiological Behavior through Immersive Virtual Environments

Injuries and fatalities for vulnerable road users, especially bicyclists and pedestrians, are on the rise. To better inform design for vulnerable road users, we need to evaluate how bicyclist and pedestrian behavior and physiological states change in different roadway design and contextual settings. Previous research highlights the advantages of using immersive virtual environments (IVEs) in conducting bicyclist and pedestrian studies. These environments do not put participants at risk of injury, are low cost compared to on-road or naturalistic studies, and allow researchers to fully control variables of interest. In this paper, we propose a framework, Omni-Reality and Cognition Lab Simulator (ORCLSim), to support human sensing techniques within IVEs to evaluate bicyclist and pedestrian physiological and behavioral changes in different contextual settings. To showcase this framework, we present two case studies, where pilot data from five participants’ physiological and behavioral responses in an IVE setting are collected and analyzed, representing real-world roadway segments and traffic conditions. Results from these case studies indicate that physiological data are sensitive to road environment changes and real-time events in the IVE, especially changes in heart rate and gaze behavior. In addition, our preliminary data indicate participants may respond differently to various roadway settings (e.g., signalized vs. unsignalized intersections). By analyzing these changes, future studies can identify how participants’ stress level and cognitive load are impacted by the surrounding environment. The ORCLSim system architecture is a prototype that can be customized for future studies in understanding users’ behavioral and physiological responses in virtual reality settings.

Tribute to Professor Piotr Francuz: Introduction to a Special Issue on Perception

This special double issue of Annals of Psychology is dedicated to the memory of Professor Piotr Francuz (1960–2020). In this editorial, we introduce the person of the Professor and present the initiatives commemorating him that have taken place over the past year. One of his most significant achievements was the initiation of the Perception and Cognition Lab at KUL, where experimental neurophysiological and behavioural research has been conducted in various areas of cognitive psychology. These basic and applied studies are currently continued by the Professor’s associates. The current special issue contains articles on diverse topics in which the authors—his collaborators and friends—adopt various theoretical perspectives and apply distinctive paradigms. This multi-faceted perspective corresponds with the wide range of Prof. Francuz’s scientific interests.

Initial Experience of the Training Centre of Minimally Invasive Surgery at Ahli Arab Hospital in Gaza

Background: Minimally Invasive Surgery (MIS) training outside operation room is still done by simulation in different training centers worldwide. Strong validity of such a training was evidenced using either the physical simulator (trainer box) or a biological model or a virtual reality (VR) or an animal model. Currently MIS is rapidly spreading worldwide in different surgical centers depending on the fact that MIS training is an essential prerequisite for any surgeon even with a vast experience in open surgery. A well-structured proficiency-based curriculum is essential to provide training for individuals who need to acquire MIS skills. Aim: To prove the efficiency and accuracy of training laparoscopic skills on combination of physical simulator as the dry module to be scored by a modified McGill Inanimate System for Training and Evaluation of Laparoscopic Skills (MISTELS) scoring system and on laparoscopic simulator as the wet module (Full Turkey model) using the Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Surgery (GOALS) scoring items. Methods: One hundred and thirty-nine surgeons of different surgical specialties, age and experience levels (during the period from July 2018 to July 2019) were subjected to this curriculum-based training. All trainees received the basic cognitive knowledge in groups of fifteen to eighteen. In the hands on training each group is divided into three subgroups to fit the available six fundamental laparoscopic surgery (FLS) training boxes. Trainees are monitored by at two mentored per trainer in the different FLS skills and tasks. A modified (MISTELS) was used to score the five Fundamental Laparoscopic Surgery (FLS) skills and tasks that are the standard of the Society of American Gastroenterology Endoscopic Surgery (SAGES). Modifications entail the scoring time to be in minutes rather than in seconds. Some extra-activities were added to the first three skills/tasks. A score sheet was designed for each task considering both the scoring time and penalties. In Wet lab, not only the five tasks were repeated but also a complementary skill such as Veress needle insertion, port insertion and camera manipulation together with dissection e.g. intracorporeally in cholecystectomy were provided through a full Turkey model on a laparoscopic simulator. Trainees’ performance was measured with integration of cognitive knowledge post-testing, score in the modified MISTEL in dry lab and by the Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Surgery (GOALS) scoring in wet laboratory. The mean of total score of the trainee before training was 35.28 while after training was 82.59 but Cronbach’s Alpha value in the pre and post testing scored 0.778 and 0.799 respectively Results: Majority of trainees showed improvement in all measured domains in different stations. In cognitive knowledge the mean score difference between the pre and post testing was 50.1and 72.14 respectively. This is statistically significant as shown in the student T-test value of 19.13. This indicates that the trainees are having some knowledge but definitely refined and improved on post testing. In Dry Lab there is a dramatic improvement in the post testing compared to pretests where there was a clear statistical significance of a P value of 0.01 in all the five skills and tasks between the pre and post test of each. In wet Lab the Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Surgery (GOALS) scoring system Which is used to assess skill of surgeons in clinical settings in OR is used to simulate clinical sessions on a Full Turkey Model on laparoscopic simulator set. GOALS scoring in Full Turkey model proves its feasibility and efficiency in most trainees where Mean score was 84.1, The Median 84.0, and the Std = 5.38. Construct validity of this triad methodology of cognitive knowledge, dry lab and wet lab of full Turkey model is evident among different trainees of different groups with no florid significance of different surgeons in relation scores achieved and age group proving validity of this type of training. There is no statistical differences between age group and the final score of overall training the mean average of the trainees ages less than 35 years old was 81.2% followed by the trainees above 45 years old 79.7% with very simple difference in mean with trainees aged between 35 years old to 45 years old 79.6%. Conclusion: MIS training integrating a triad of training modules of MIS cognitive knowledge, traditional physical box trainer and a biological wet lab on a full Turkey model is fairly feasible and effective in the acquisition of fundamental laparoscopic skills and tasks. Global Operative Assessment of Laparoscopic Skills (GOALS) can be a valid tool to assess trainees outside operation room.

Need support, need satisfaction and types of motivation in Physical Education for children aged 8 to 13. Development and preliminary validation of the German SMoPE-instrument

More self-determined motivation of young children in physical education (PE) has been shown to improve physical activity through the lifespan. According to Self-Determination Theory, an educational environment that supports the three basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness is expected to facilitate need satisfaction and, therefore, more self-determined types of motivation. However, thus far there are no appropriate instruments to investigate the psychological need support, need satisfaction, and motivation for younger students simultaneously. The present study aims to develop and preliminarily validate the German SMoPE-instrument (Students’ motivation in Physical Education) for the constructs need support, need satisfaction, and types of motivation for 8-13-year-old children in PE. Therefore, after a cognitive lab study, N = 1,011 students from grade 3 to 6 answered a questionnaire with items that based on research in the field of extracurricular sports with regard to the three constructs. The result is a questionnaire of 33 items including three need-support-subscales, three need-satisfaction-subscales and five subscales regarding the types of motivation. Confirmatory factor analyses with acceptable to excellent fit indices for all scales as well as a satisfactory simplex structure concerning the types of motivation support the suitability of the constructs. In addition, multiple regression analyses show positive relationships between the support of competence and both intrinsic and identified motivation. Consistent with theoretical considerations, both relationships were partially mediated by the satisfaction of competence.

“Tools to tap into the content of human minds”

As research has shown, future motor vehicle mechatronic technicians at the end of their vocational training often fail to successfully diagnose electric and electronic car systems. The project presented in this paper aims at integrating an existing simulation of electronic car systems into two interactive multimedia training programs yet to be developed. Both training programs will focus on the apprentices’ so-called reception competences on different competence levels, and will be evaluated for effectiveness. In a first step, missing evidence on the apprentices’ cognitive barriers in diagnosis-related reception processes was collected. Based on their performance in a pre-test, 24 participants were selected for participation in think-aloud interviews and cognitive labs. The resultant data were analysed and provide a promising basis for developing the training programs. On top of that, our research has yielded valuable findings that shed light on unanswered scientific questions and practical issues, a fact that underlines the power of both interview techniques.

Helping Soldiers Deal With Stress in the Field: Mahoney Focuses on Cognitive Performance

Growing up, Caroline Mahoney thought she would become a veterinarian. A few psychology courses at Denison University, though, changed that. A cognitive psychology course led to another in nutrition and cognitive development, and soon Mahoney was working in a research lab studying the psychology of language. Under the leadership of a great mentor, she became interested in research, and went on to earn her Ph.D. degree from Tufts University, where she worked under Prof. Holly Taylor in the Spatial Cognition Lab in the School of Arts and Sciences. Her training was in experimental psychology with a specialization in cognition, and her work focused on the impacts of nutrition on cognitive performance in both children and adults.

Insights Into Category Sorting Flexibility in Bilingual Children: Results of a Cognitive Lab Study.

Purpose The purpose of this study was to explore how bilingual children shift sets to gain flexibility when forming categories. Using a cognitive lab approach focused on understanding how learners approach problems, we asked children to sort 10 sets of pictures representing common objects in two different ways and to explain their rationale for the sort. We explored the relationship between age and language use on their performance. Method Forty-six typically developing Spanish-English bilingual children (25 girls, 21 boys) participated in the study. They ranged in age from 4;0 to 10;11 (years;months). Receptive and expressive responses to a novel category sorting task were collected. Results Forty-four of the 46 children tested were able to perform the category sorting task. Within language, receptive and expressive category sorting scores were positively and significantly correlated while only expressive scores were significantly associated across languages. There were significant correlations between the sorting scores and age and language output and input. Children's ability to provide expressive responses explaining their sort strategy was moderately correlated with their language experience, especially English output. Conclusions The category sorting task proved useful in eliciting sorting behaviors and naming from the children tested. The age effect suggests that sorting may reflect their general developmental experience rather than their language-specific experience. The cognitive lab approach allowed us to understand how children shift sets and verbalize their understanding of the categorization process. Knowing how children approach this task can inform future work to develop ways to strategically select language intervention goals and document progress.

An Interview with Gustavo Ricardo Parés Arce

Gustavo Pares is the CEO of Nearshore Delivery Solutions (www.nearshoremx.com) and NDS Cognitive labs (www.ndscognitivelabs.com), a leading company in cognitive computing and AI technology business...

Digital Module 12: Think‐aloud Interviews and Cognitive Labs https://ncme.elevate.commpartners.com

AbstractIn this digital ITEMS module, Dr. Jacqueline Leighton and Dr. Blair Lehman review differences between think‐aloud interviews to measure problem‐solving processes and cognitive labs to measure comprehension processes. Learners are introduced to historical, theoretical, and procedural differences between these methods and how to use and analyze distinct types of verbal reports in the collection of evidence of test‐taker response processes. The module includes details on (a) the different types of cognition that are tapped by different interviewer probes, (b) traditional interviewing methods and new automated tools for collecting verbal reports, and (c) options for analyses of verbal reports. This includes a discussion of reliability and validity issues such as potential bias in the collection of verbal reports, ways to mitigate bias, and inter‐rater agreement to enhance credibility of analysis. A novel digital tool for data collection called the ABC tool is presented via illustrative videos. As always, the module contains audio‐narrated slides, quiz questions with feedback, a glossary, and curated resources.

Foundations of Musical Grammar by Lawrence Zbikowski

Book Review| October 01 2019 Foundations of Musical Grammar by Lawrence Zbikowski Zbikowski, LawrenceFoundations of Musical GrammarOxford University Press, 2017: 272 pp. ($44.95 cloth) Janet Bourne Janet Bourne Janet Bourne is assistant professor of music theory at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and founder of the university’s Music Cognition Lab. Search for other works by this author on: This Site Google Journal of Music Theory (2019) 63 (2): 269–281. https://doi.org/10.1215/00222909-7795212 Cite Icon Cite Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Permissions Search Site Citation Janet Bourne; Foundations of Musical Grammar by Lawrence Zbikowski. Journal of Music Theory 1 October 2019; 63 (2): 269–281. doi: https://doi.org/10.1215/00222909-7795212 Download citation file: Zotero Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search Books & JournalsAll JournalsJournal of Music Theory Search Advanced Search The text of this article is only available as a PDF. © 2019 by Yale University2019 Article PDF first page preview Close Modal Issue Section: Reviews You do not currently have access to this content.

Integrating Multiple Sources of Validity Evidence for an Assessment‐Based Cognitive Model

AbstractAn assessment of graphic literacy was developed by articulating and subsequently validating a skills‐based cognitive model intended to substantiate the plausibility of score interpretations. Model validation involved use of multiple sources of evidence derived from large‐scale field testing and cognitive labs studies. Data from large‐scale field testing were evaluated using traditional psychometric methods. The psychometric analyses were augmented using eye tracking technology to perform gaze pattern and pupillometry analyses to gain better understanding of problem‐solving strategies and cognitive load. Findings from the data sources were integrated to provide strong evidence supporting the model and score interpretations. Implications for using gaze pattern and pupillometry analyses to enhance learning and assessment are discussed.

Designing Accessible Formative Assessment Tasks to Measure Argumentation Skills for English Learners

AbstractIn this study, we investigated the challenges and opportunities in developing a computer‐delivered English language arts (ELA) task intended to improve the accessibility of the task for middle school English learners (ELs). Data from cognitive labs with 8 ELs with varying language proficiency levels provided rich insight to student–task interaction and how the accessibility of the task could be improved to enhance student understanding and to support valid integration of the task as a part of students' formative assessment process. In this paper, we share the results from our research and discuss our iterative approach to improving ELA task accessibility for ELs' formative assessment process.

A Review of Using Think-Aloud Interviews and Cognitive Labs in Educational Research

In this book, Leighton (2017) describes two methods of qualitative interviewing that provide researchers an opportunity “to present observable indicators (evidence) of phenomena that are technically unobservable” (p. 14). Leighton (2017) describes the procedures for conducting and analyzing think-aloud interviews, which are used to understand problem solving processes; and cognitive laboratories, which provide insight into comprehension and understanding. Through the use of examples of verbal reports, Leighton (2017) provides readers with step-by-step processes which prepare researchers to be well equipped for collecting and analyzing interview data.

Report on the 10th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus17)

The 10th annual International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology (SysMus) took place on September 13–15, 2017, at Queen Mary University of London (UoL). The SysMus series has established itself as an international, student-run conference series aimed at introducing graduate students to networking and discussing their work in an academic conference environment. The term “Systematic Musicology,” first coined by Guido Adler (1885), nowadays covers a wide range of systematic or empirical approaches to theoretical, psychological, neuroscientific, ethnographic, and computational methodologies in music research. Presentations for SysMus17 focused on three central topics in relation to music: cognition and neuroscience, computation, and health and well-being. Each of these topics was the subject of workshops as well as keynotes by Prof. Lauren Stewart (Goldsmiths University of London and Music in the Brain Centre, Aarhus University), Prof. Elaine Chew and Dr. Marcus Pearce (both Queen Mary UoL), Dr. Daniel Müllensiefen (Goldsmiths UoL), and Prof. Aaron Williamon (Royal College of Music). Further presentations addressed issues relating to harmony and rhythm, musicians and performance, music and emotion, and sociology of music. This year’s conference brought together early-career researchers from the fields of musicology, psychology, and medicine, allowing them to socialize, share their work, and gain insight into interdisciplinary approaches to their subjects. SysMus17 was organized by students at Queen Mary’s Music Cognition Lab and was particularly marked by the series’ 10th anniversary, the live streaming of all presentations via social media, and a carbon-offsetting Green Initiative. The proceedings of SysMus17 will be available on demand from the conference website ( www.sysmus17.qmul.ac.uk ) and the videos will be made available for public access.

Using the U.S. Test of Financial Literacy in Germany—Adaptation and validation

ABSTRACTIn this article, the authors present the adaptation and validation processes conducted to render the American Test of Financial Literacy (TFL) suitable for use in Germany (TFL-G). First, they outline the translation procedure followed and the various cultural adjustments made in line with international standards. Next, they present results from the validation of the TFL-G's content and relations between test scores and external variables, including test takers' prior economic education and interest in economic topics. Preliminary analyses of data gathered from expert interviews and cognitive labs, and the results of the first administration to first-year higher education students (N = 1,108) indicate that the TFL-G is a valid instrument to assess young adults' understanding of personal finance in Germany. Perspectives for future research are discussed.

From Crisis to Crowd Control. Commentary: A Crisis in Comparative Psychology: Where Have All the Undergraduates Gone?

From Crisis to Crowd Control. Commentary: A Crisis in Comparative Psychology: Where Have All the Undergraduates Gone?

Measuring teachers’ knowledge of vocabulary development and instruction

This article describes the development of an instrument to measure teachers’ knowledge of vocabulary development and instruction, the Teacher Knowledge of Vocabulary Survey (TKVS). This type of knowledge has become increasingly important as all classroom teachers are expected to help students meet language and literacy standards that include vocabulary acquisition. While a few studies have measured teacher knowledge of reading, there are no known instruments for measuring teachers’ knowledge of vocabulary development and instruction. However, vocabulary is a crucial determinant of reading comprehension and content area knowledge, particularly for English learners (Graves, August, & Mancilla-Martinez, 2013). Statements about vocabulary development and instruction were gathered from foundational texts, reviewed by subject matter experts, and researched in cognitive labs for possible inclusion as items in the TKVS. The survey’s 52 statements comprise 6 categories, including one section on vocabulary development, four sections on instruction, and one section on instruction specifically for English learners. Ratings of item difficulty by subject matter experts were then used to distinguish three levels of teacher knowledge of vocabulary: emergent, intermediate, and expert. Fifty teachers completed the TKVS, and their performance was found to correlate with the experts’ predicted difficulties of the items. Initial analyses provide evidence for the content and construct validity of the TKVS as a measure of teacher knowledge of vocabulary development and effective instruction. The discussion considers implications for the use of the instrument, including as a needs assessment or guide for professional development for both preservice and inservice teachers.