Cognitive Approach Research Articles

Local ecological knowledge of forage plants for goat farming and perceptions about pollination of tree species in the arid Chaco

Local ecological knowledge (LEK) of forage resources available in the forest is crucial in the sustainability of extensive grazing systems in the arid Chaco region. Here, we document goat farming management strategies of local peasants, assess their LEK about forage plants and evaluate the local perception related to pollination of native tree species. We used semi-structured interviews to obtain ethnoecological information and a cognitive approach to inquire about the plant species considered as fodder and their relative importance. Peasants listed a total of 48 ethnospecies (60 species from 23 botanical families) used as fodder. The most important forage plants in our study were Neltuma spp., Sarcomphalus mistol and Castela coccinea, which provide high quality fruits and also leaves as forage at different moments of the year. Local producers did not identify pollination as a key factor for the production of forage fruits, but they did emphasize the importance of climatic factors for fruit production. This ethnoecological information related to forage plants and factors that determine fruit production is important to understand peasant management systems that sustain local communities and play an important role in forest persistence.

Social Perception in the Infant Brain and Its Link to Social Behavior.

The current longitudinal study (n = 98) utilized a developmental cognitive neuroscience approach to examine whether and how variability in social perception is linked to social behavior in early human development. Cortical responses to processing dynamic faces were investigated using functional near-infrared spectroscopy at 7 months. Individual differences in sociability were measured using the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire at 18 months. Confirming previous work with infants and adults, functional near-infrared spectroscopy results show that viewing changing faces recruited superior temporal cortices in 7-month-old infants, adding to the view that this brain system is specialized in social perception from early in ontogeny. Our longitudinal results show that greater engagement of the right superior temporal cortex at 7 months predicts higher levels of sociability at 18 months. This suggests that early variability in social perception is linked to later differences in overtly displayed social behavior, providing novel longitudinal evidence for a social brain-behavior association.

Increasing Older Adults' Social Connectedness: Development and Implementation of a Web-Assisted Acceptance and Commitment Therapy-Based Intervention.

Abstract In this article, we will provide a rationale for a web-assisted acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) approach to loneliness among older adults, drawing upon theories from the literature on adult development and aging, emotion regulation, and loneliness. The intervention program was developed using the principles of ACT, which is a cognitive behavioral approach and unified model of human behavior change and psychological growth. The ACT intervention focuses on developing nonjudgmental present-focused awareness of internal experiences (thoughts, emotions, and memories) through strategies such as acceptance and mindfulness rather than directly modifying or removing them per se. The ACT intervention appears well-suited to assist older adults in coping with the challenges of aging, as the focus is on an individual’s willingness to sit with internal experiences out of one’s control (ie, acceptance), stepping back from negative or critical thoughts and developing greater kindness toward oneself (ie, defusion), discerning what is most important to one’s true self (ie, values), and building larger patterns of effective action based on such values (ie, committed action). The ACT intervention was developed as a resource for older adults who are socially isolated or having difficulty with social connectedness. Eight modules comprise the web-assisted ACT intervention program, which includes reading materials, video clips, and activities. Each module is followed by a summary, a homework assignment, a short quiz to assess learning, and a moderated discussion with a coach. The intervention program begins with reconnecting participants with their values. The goal of the ACT intervention program is to foster flexibility in a participant’s behavior so they can behave consistently with their chosen values, rather than becoming locked into a pattern of behavior that is driven by avoiding distress or discomfort. The ACT intervention approach is both novel and innovative, as it is based on ACT and leverages a behavioral health web platform that is flexible and inclusive in its design. The ACT intervention aims to help older adults become more socially connected, less lonely, and more satisfied with their relationships with other people. The emphasis that ACT places on values and living life in accordance with one’s values renders it an approach ideally suited to older adults. Finally, recommendations for future research regarding this approach to addressing loneliness among older adults is addressed.

How to Do “Ought” with “Is”? A Cognitive Linguistics Approach to the Normativity of Legal Language

How to Do “Ought” with “Is”? A Cognitive Linguistics Approach to the Normativity of Legal Language

Could marriage be a glorified transactional relationship? A cognitive blending approach to analogies of marriage in Dholuo

The last few decades have seen declining marriage rates as people prioritize other life goals over marital commitments. While the explanations for this shifting tide are multifaceted, scholarly evidence suggests that portrayal of marriage in a negative light scares many young adults from the institution. Every community equips its people with experiences, attitudes and linguistic resources to conceptualize abstract phenomena such as marriage. Against this background, this study seeks to analyze analogies of marriage in Dholuo to reveal how cultural resources and experiences influence the conceptualization of marriage. The study adopts a descriptive research design. Data for the study was collected through interviews. Forty (40) speakers of the Kisumu South Nyanza (KSN) dialect were asked to provide analogies used to describe marriage in Dholuo. A total of 66 analogies were collected. Four annotators used the synectic method of analogy identification to verify the collected expressions. One analogy which implies that marriage is a transactional relationship was selected for analysis using the Conceptual Integration Theory (CIT). The study found that analogies pervade daily conversations but they are unconsciously used to describe abstract phenomena such as marriage. Additionally, the study found that in some marriages in the Luo community, love chemistry, compatibility and emotional investment take a backseat and partners see each other as a means to satisfy their selfish interests. The findings also indicate that conceptual mental spaces as a tenet of the CIT provide a plausible model for interpreting marriage as an abstract concept in Dholuo. The study concludes that analogy is culture-specific and should be investigated through the lenses of a cognitive linguist.

A Cognitive Approach to Mental Spaces in English and Kurdish

A Cognitive Approach to Mental Spaces in English and Kurdish

Human–machine co-creation: a complementary cognitive approach to creative character design process using GANs

Human–machine co-creation: a complementary cognitive approach to creative character design process using GANs

PROFESSIONAL TRANSLATOR IDENTITY DEVELOPMENT IN THE LIGHT OF THE CONCEPT OF TRANSLATION PEDAGOGY

The article's relevance is conditioned by the expansion of the methodological basis of translator training within the framework of an independent area of research - translation pedagogy. The research aims to substantiate the leading principles of translation pedagogy based on a combination of discursive, cognitive, semiotic, and pedagogical approaches. The methodological foundation of the research was the provisions of translation pedagogy, in particular, the methodological component of the concept, including three blocks of analysis: content-target, organizational-processual, and result-evaluation. The material for the analysis was the practice of teaching the discipline "Topical Problems of Translation" to master's students, in particular, the work on the research project "Portrait of the Russian Translator".

Англоязычный лингвокультурный сценарий “Marketing”: структурно-семантические особенности языковых единиц

The aim of the study is to identify the structural and semantic features of the linguistic units that are the means of linguistic representation of the English-language linguocultural scenario “Marketing”. The paper sheds light on the notion of a “linguocultural scenario”, describes the frame structure of the scenario by highlighting the supporting concepts and sub-concepts. The scientific novelty of the study consists in considering the English-language linguocultural scenario “Marketing”, which has not previously become the object of research, as a cognitive scheme of a speech situation using an integrated cognitive and cultural approach to linguistic material. As a result of the study, the predominance of structurally separable nominal linguistic units was determined, they are represented by non-prepositional constructions, two-component phrases with a deverbal substantive as a core element, means of compressive word formation and two-word verb phrases. Affixal agentive nouns, compound nouns denoting types of goods and basic terms of the marketing sphere, emotionally charged adjectives used in describing the qualities of goods and services, verbs of the business sphere and “highly specialized verbs” of the marketing domain predominate among structurally inseparable linguistic units.

Cognitive approaches to uniformity and variability in morphology

Abstract This special issue of Cognitive Linguistics reexamines the notions of uniformity and variability within morphological systems from a cognitive linguistic standpoint. It challenges traditional perspectives that regard morphological variability as mere deviations from the norm, suggesting instead that such variability is systematic and shaped by external influences including language acquisition and processing constraints. The contributions in this issue promote a shift from isolated analysis to a holistic view of paradigms, classes, and systems, advocating for a framework where morphological structures are seen as integral to communicative and functional aspects of language. By accounting for the broad adaptive dynamics of language systems, the complex interplay between uniformity and variability is revealed as an inherent aspect of language usage.

Elevating Financial Literacy Among Women Entrepreneurs: Cognitive Approach of Strong Financial Knowledge, Financial Skills and Financial Responsibility

A notable challenge for Malaysian women entrepreneurs is the lack of adequate financial literacy, which leads to a major setback in their business growth. However, it was discovered that women entrepreneurs have poor financial knowledge and a narrow-minded "just live for today" mindset when it comes to financial planning. The purpose of this study is to raise financial literacy among Malaysian women entrepreneurs to encourage accountable behavior and rational thinking to improve financial knowledge, financial skills and financial responsibility. Thus, this study is extremely referred to in the cognitive approach of strong financial knowledge, financial skills and financial responsibility of the group to be considered, giving importance to the development of the community economic activities and program. This study adopts the theory of resource-based view and uses a mixed-method design that combines the quantitative research methods of questionnaires and qualitative research method of semistructured in-depth interviews to improve the level of financial literacy that is anticipated to advance financially literate women entrepreneurs for sustainable economic wellbeing. The outcome of this study is expected to alleviate women entrepreneurs’ economic well-being since there is no specific benchmark of financial literacy for women-based entrepreneurship currently. Integrating the standpoints of women entrepreneurs is recognized as the mission of the Ministry of Women, Family, and Community Development to increase the number of participants and raise the status of women entrepreneurs in this country as well as towards "Developing Malaysia MADANI", support the principles of Shared Prosperity Vision and the mission of SDG2030.

A linguistic and didactic resource in the formation of mathematical competence of secondary school students when studying the syntax of the Ukrainian language (on the material of syntactic derivatives)

The publication is devoted to the issue of the formation of mathematical competence of secondary school students in the study of the syntax of the Ukrainian language. Mathematical competence in education is defined as the ability to apply logical operations to justify an opinion, operate with abstract concepts, model different levels of information using schemes (for example, phrases and sentences), algorithms, diagrams. The position that the formation of mathematical competence of students in the study of the syntax of the Ukrainian language in basic school should also be connected with the use of techniques of transformation of syntactic units in the process of their derivation, the ability to reproduce derivational chains, developing schemes of syntactic derivatives is justified. The publication presents a linguistic didactic resource through the approaches and principles of teaching the syntax of the Ukrainian language in basic school. The integration of competence, activity, functional-stylistic and cognitive approaches to the study of the syntax of the Ukrainian language in basic school contribute to the formation of mathematical competence of students. A system of exercises aimed at developing the mathematical competence of students in the study of syntax has been developed. The didactic material presents material of various stylistics, contains examples of phrases with the subordinating conjunction of correlation, and common and uncommon components. Tasks involve the formation of the concept of adverb, common adverb as a syntactic unit, adverb as a signifier or circumstantial (causative / permissive) subjunctive component of a complex sentence). Tasks are aimed at developing in students the ability to transform a common application into the subjunctive part of a complex sentence in communication; to impress information through a substantive turn, to use the algorithm of constructing a simple complicated and complex sentence with an applied component, which allows to form a systematic view of the nature of the applied component, as well as the ability to develop derivational chains of syntactic units and use them in communication. Completing the tasks involves the application of punctuation rules in the use of the applied component in the sentence, during dialogization.Special consideration was given to artistic material, the work with which is designed to develop a culture of artistic perception and production of literary literature, development of communicative and stylistic features of speech accuracy, appropriateness, logic, imagery. Didactic material, which is an artistic resource, which contains historical, cultural and artistic information, data about personalities, which significantly expands the idea of the historical and cultural development of the Ukrainian nation.

How a Female Cartoonist Has Become Even More Famous Than Her Male Peers: A Cognitive Linguistic Approach

Political cartooning has always been a male-dominated profession. Though this could be partly explained by the fact that many female cartoonists suffer sexism at work, it reignites the dreaded “women aren’t funny” argument, a preconception that largely stems from the stereotype of a polite, reserved woman. Indeed, women such as star architect Zaha Hadid have launched their careers into the stratosphere in spite of discrimination. A systematic analysis of a female cartoonist’s work may thus not only shatter tired gender stereotypes―it may explain why there are apparently fewer female humorists in general. This study, informed by insights from cognitive corpus pragmatics, aims at explaining why Doaa Eladl is the Arab world’s most famous female cartoonist. Part of her success, it is suggested, lies in challenging some societal and cultural stereotypes that women are often pinned with, but also in having an idiosyncratic style. She frequently uses taboo metaphors and discusses sensitive topics such as FGM and sexual harassment. But far more interesting is her occasional resistance to the WOMAN AS OBJECT metaphor. To reach wider audiences, Eladl often publishes English-language versions of her cartoons and employs metaphorical source domains from Christianity. She has comic heroes that have become the reader’s dear friends, but also meme-like cartoons that contain photoshopped stills. All this has implications for gender studies, humor research, metaphor scholarship, and media (digital or otherwise).

Unearthing Subtle Cognitive Variations: A Digital Screening Tool for Detecting and Monitoring Mild Cognitive Impairment

Early diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is pivotal in mitigating the risk of cognitive impairment and the onset of dementia. However, prevailing clinical cognitive screening tests and biomarker assessment approaches often suffer from drawbacks such as high cost, invasiveness, time consumption, or subjectivity. In China, existing digital cognitive assessment tools face multiple challenges due to their distinctive cultural, language, and healthcare landscape. Therefore, we embarked on a study to develop a digital cognitive assessment tool, evaluate its efficacy in distinguishing between healthy individuals and MCI patients, and examine its acceptability among Chinese older adults. Through a series of symposiums, programming, and interviews with stakeholders, we iteratively designed the "BrainNursing" mobile application. The system consists of eleven single tasks and three dual tasks, each taking only 1–3 minutes. Subsequently, we conducted statistical comparisons of movement kinetics and physiological signals recorded during cognitive testing in 181 older adults to investigate which parameters could serve as effective digital biomarkers for MCI screening. Leveraging machine learning classifiers and a majority voting principle, we evaluated the classification performance of the BrainNursing system in detecting MCI, yielding an accuracy rate of 90.3%. Furthermore, our analysis of movement kinetics revealed that time, score, and sequence features are crucial in cognitive assessment. Contrasting with their healthy counterparts, MCI patients exhibited decreased heart rate variability, increased sympathetic nervous system activity, and weakened autonomic nervous system regulation in response to stimuli during cognitive testing. Finally, user experience feedback indicated that participants universally perceived BrainNursing as a convenient and user-friendly cognitive screening tool and provided valuable insights for further improvement.

Unfair competition: the current state of criminalization

The subject of the study is the state of criminalization of unfair competition in the Russian Federation. The article examines the relationship of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation with the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition", which contains prohibitions on manifestations of unfair competition; the elements of crimes provided for in art. 128.1, 146, 147, 180, 183, 185.3 and 185.6 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, when analyzing objective and subjective signs of which elements of certain forms of unfair competition are seen, as well as law enforcement in the designated area; static data reflecting the current situation of identifying facts of unfair competition in the activities of the antimonopoly authority, law enforcement agencies, as well as aspects of interaction between the antimonopoly authority and the Central Bank of the Russian Federation in the field of countering market manipulation and the misuse of insider information as separate manifestations of unfair competition. The methodology of the research is based on the provisions of the doctrine of materialistic dialectics, as well as a systematic approach, in particular, general scientific and private scientific methods of cognition were used – methods of system analysis, logical, comparative, formal dogmatic method, method of legal forecasting and classification. The novelty lies in establishing the fact of the correlation of crimes provided for in art.128.1, 146, 147, 180, 183, 185.3 and 185.6 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, with the prohibitions of the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition" based on the analysis of objective and subjective signs of the listed crimes, as well as the practice of sentencing in this area, in substantiating the possibility of using articles of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation to combat manifestations of unfair competition, but also to improve criminal law norms in order to unify their content with the prohibitions of a special law. The conclusions are that the above analysis of the signs of the elements of crimes provided for in art. 128.1, 146, 147, 180, 183, 185.3 and 185.6 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, indicates a certain degree of their compatibility with the prohibitions of forms of unfair competition contained in the Federal Law "On Protection of Competition", although they need to be improved. Appropriate legislative changes are advisable due to the public danger of unfair competition, the level of which may be no less than that of cartels recognized as a threat to the country's economy.

Sociotropy and video game playing: Massively multiplayer online role-playing games versus other games

IntroductionInternet Gaming Disorder (IGD) is associated with several psychiatric disorders. Previous research on IGD has predominantly focused on Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games (MMORPGs), considered to be pro-social games as they foster interpersonal relationships necessary for in-game progress. Sociotropy is a personality trait characterized by a cognitive approach to dealing with interpersonal relationships. Individuals with high sociotropy have a strong desire for approval from others. Beck's cognitive theory of depression posits that high sociotropy can lead to depressive symptoms when faced with interpersonal stress. We used the I-PACE model to account for the consequences of distal factors such as sociotropy on the development and maintenance of IGD. The aim of this study was therefore to compare MMORPG players with players of other game genres in terms of sociotropy, social anxiety and depression. We hypothesized that sociotropy could serve as a predictor of IGD, particularly among MMORPG players. MethodsA total of 233 French videogame players recruited from specialized internet gaming forums participated in the study via questionnaires. Different scales were used to assess depression and social anxiety symptoms, IGD intensity, and sociotropy and autonomy. Results & discussionMMORPG players reported higher psychological distress than players of other game genres. For all players, sociotropy, rather than autonomy, was found to be a predictor of social anxiety symptoms and IGD intensity. Sociotropy and depression explained IGD intensity only for MMORPG players and not for players of other game genres. The social dimension appears to be more prominent among MMORPG players and could be one of the main personality traits predicting this specific internet gaming disorder. The treatment implications for internet gaming disorder are discussed.

A cognitive approach to concept of visualization in problem-solving

Any ball or small stone that is thrown follows a certain path. Many of us have experienced throwing objects towards a specific goal many times. If we throw a ball to someone or against something, the ball will follow a certain path, a visualized motion. Hopefully you can imagine a motion path if you are asked to throw something towards a target some 10 meters away. Somehow we can imagine the height and path in order to get the ball (or small stone) in the basket or what we are aiming at. If we want to shoot a basketball to go into the basket, we consider elevation angle and initial velocity also. Most of us humans do that without thinking about it.

Do we really understand what formative assessment is? Examining the formative assessment definitions within the measurement and evaluation textbooks

It was aimed to examine definitions made for the formative assessment within textbooks used for the measurement and evaluation courses of the teacher training programs. It was identified that there are 32 books which are currently accessible and have suitable content for teacher training programs. Based on the measurement and evaluations experts’ suggestions and publication dates of the books, the 17 out of 32 textbooks were selected for the study group. It was found out that the 17 textbooks focus on the two themes regarding the formative assessment: how to apply the formative assessment and utilize the results provided by it. The results brought out that the textbooks provide information about various aspects of the formative assessment such as aim, planning, content, application, and feedback process. In addition, the results of the current study revealed that in the textbooks used for measurement and evaluation courses of teacher training programs, there are some definitions including misconceptions and conflicting information with the related body of knowledge. This finding indicates that it is required to have textbooks including information on the formative assessment, which is consistent with the recent related literature and cognitive approach. Teachers also need textbooks guiding them towards appropriately applying the formative assessment in the classroom. In addition, instructors are recommended to be aware of that most of the textbooks currently utilized for the measurement and evaluation courses of the teacher training programs include important misconceptions about the formative assessment.

Exploring the interplay between EFL learners’ L2 writing boredom, writing motivation, and boredom coping strategies

This study set out to scrutinize the interplay between 338 (218 male and 120 female) English as a second or foreign language learners’ second language writing boredom (L2WB) and boredom coping strategies, along with the mediating role of second language writing motivation (L2WM). Structural equation modeling (SEM) analysis indicated that L2WB is negatively associated with L2WM in writing classes. Results also revealed a negative relationship between L2WB and cognitive as well as behavioral approaches to coping with boredom in second language (L2) writing practices. In addition, L2WM was positively predictive of cognitive approach strategy while being negatively predictive of cognitive avoidance strategy in coping with boredom. Results also showed significant indirect effects of L2WB on both cognitive-oriented strategies (i.e. cognitive approach strategy and cognitive avoidance strategy) via L2WM. The implications for L2 teachers, teacher educators, and materials developers are discussed.

Morphology and semantics of derivational metaphors in Spanish media discourse

The cognitive and pragmatic potential of derivational metaphorical nominations, actively used in the Spanish media discourse, represent a relevant direction of Discursive and Cognitive re-search that requires scientific comprehension.The article is devoted to the study of the linguo-cognitive specificity of derivational metaphors that verbalize new meanings, name new realities and frequently function as nomination-neologisms or occasionalisms. Derivational metaphors perform a pragmatic function, broadcasting an intentionally conditioned vision of the world in modern Spanish media discourse, and implement the intentional and evaluative discourse pragmatics. The objective of the study is to consider the morphosemantics of derivational metaphors and analyse the most frequent word-forming productive models of metaphorical nominations in Spanish media discourse.An integral methodological approach is used to the study of word-formation discursive metaphors, which combines contextual, semantic, interpretive and stylistic analysis methodologically opening up the possibility of a systemic study of the linguo-pragmatics of derivative metaphorical nominations that function in the Spanish media discourse. The most productive morphosemantic models of word formation for creating metaphorical concepts in the Spanish media space are affixation (prefixation and suffixation as well as their combination) and word compounding.The cognitive approach to the study of derivational metaphors through the prism of onomasiological theory allows one to interpret the process of word formation as a way of translating cognitive attitudes and meanings. The metaphorical meaning is generated by a derivational act. The morphological structure of a word change is not identical to the sum of the meanings of the derivational components involved in the creation of a new metaphor. In the discursive space the associative potential relative to the basic meaning of affixes or root morphemes in compound words brings a number of interpretations that vary the metaphorical rethinking of their semantics and integrate axiological evaluation.The discursive role of word-formation metaphors, which have an evaluative potential, lies in the implementation of the pragmatic function of updating meanings, aimed at influencing the consciousness and behaviour of the target audience.