Cognitive Predispositions Research Articles

Individual differences in nonverbal number skills predict math anxiety

Math anxiety (MA) involves negative affect and tension when solving mathematical problems, with potentially life-long consequences. MA has been hypothesized to be a consequence of negative learning experiences and cognitive predispositions. Recent research indicates genetic and neurophysiological links, suggesting that MA stems from a basic level deficiency in symbolic numerical processing. However, the contribution of evolutionary ancient purely nonverbal processes is not fully understood. Here we show that the roots of MA may go beyond symbolic numbers. We demonstrate that MA is correlated with precision of the Approximate Number System (ANS). Individuals high in MA have poorer ANS functioning than those low in MA. This correlation remains significant when controlling for other forms of anxiety and for cognitive variables. We show that MA mediates the documented correlation between ANS precision and math performance, both with ANS and with math performance as independent variable in the mediation model. In light of our results, we discuss the possibility that MA has deep roots, stemming from a non-verbal number processing deficiency. The findings provide new evidence advancing the theoretical understanding of the developmental etiology of MA.

Editorial: Components of the Language-Ready Brain.

Our intention in putting together this volume was to exemplify and highlight new avenues of research in the language sciences concerning the neurobiology of language. We chose the term “language-ready brain” for our Research Topic, like we did for Boeckx and Benitez-Burraco, because we think it is high time to stress, on the one hand, the importance of a brain-based description of our species' linguistic capacity, and, on the other, the need to appreciate the crucial role culture plays in shaping the linguistic systems children acquire and adults use. In this sense, the focus of neurobiological investigations should not be “language,” but our learning biases and cognitive pre-dispositions toward language (i.e., “language-readiness”). Both brain and culture considerations ought to shape research at all levels of inquiry: phylogeny and ontogeny. The contributions to this research topic break new grounds, by either revisiting long-standing issues (such as the role of Broca's region, the relevance of lateralization, the evolutionary origins of phonology, the role of basic cognitive and perceptive abilities in language acquisition, or the functions performed by language), or by examining closely issues that we are sure will rise to prominence in the near future (like the translational models of language processing into specific patterns of brain oscillations or the nature of the gene networks in which known “language genes” are found integrated). Taken together, the papers collected here shed light on language at the level of the genetics (van Rhijn and Vernes), brain connectivity (Murphy; Theofanopoulou), and physiology (Matchin and Hickok; Zaccarella and Friederici), cognition (de Boer; de Diego-Balaguer et al.), and behavior (Bouchard; Irurtzun; Reboul; Samuels). In a fast-growing field like the language sciences, Research topics cannot hope to capture all relevant aspects of the field, but we hope that the present volume offers a snapshot that some of the most exciting research taking place today, sowing seeds for future investigations.

Moral Cognition and the Law and Ethics of Armed Conflict

In contemporary political science, many believe that normative restrictions on armed conflict are an outgrowth of Western culture and the just war tradition. Drawing on historical evidence, which shows that political actors in Ancient China and the early Islamic empire endorsed civilian protection rules, I claim that such norms are more common than most International Relations (IR) theorists suppose. For IR theory, this raises an important puzzle: How can we explain why similar normative ideas emerged in human societies that are otherwise very different? Building on research in cognitive science, social psychology, and social neuroscience, I argue that most people have natural cognitive and emotional predispositions that bias the emergence and transmission of cultural norms that protect non-combatants. More specifically, capacities for perspective-taking and empathy shape how people interpret the limits of their moral commitments, and when these capacities are engaged, intuitional heuristics affect how they judge the morality of killing in war. What is more, I claim that three key contextual variables moderate the connection between innate moral intuitions and the development of civilian protection norms: (i) societal interdependence, (ii) the social empowerment of marginal actors, and (iii) the creation of norms in argumentative contexts that require impartial moral reasoning. I argue that rationalist and constructivist theories of norm emergence will be able to better explain the emergence, the durability, and the institutional design of the norms of war by incorporating this naturalistic theory of moral cognition.

Supernatural beliefs: Adaptations for social life or by-products of cognitive adaptations?

In this paper, we discuss the limits of the traditional view that supernatural beliefs and behaviours are adaptations for social life. We compare it to an alternative hypothesis, according to which supernatural thinking is a secondary effect of cognitive predispositions originally shaped for different adaptive reasons. Finally, we discuss the respective role of such predispositions and socio-cultural factors in shaping and promoting the diffusion of supernatural beliefs.

COMPETENCIES PROFILE AS A TOOL USED IN THE PROCESS OF RECRUITMENT AND SELECTION OF MINE WORKFORCE

In scientific papers, as in the colloquial speech one can often find interchangeably used key terms, such as: competencies, qualifications and powers. Competencies are defined as dispositions related to knowledge, skills and attitudes, allowing to perform professional tasks at the appropriate level [2]. The basic property of competencies it their relation to the specific task or professional activity, that is the combination of individual talents, psycho — social and cognitive predispositions and knowledge resources, confirmed by a specified document. Whereas powers mean the ability to make decision, within the limits of the position held. Qualifications, contrary to competencies and powers, have a formal character and assume a form of school diplomas, professional certificates, eligibilities, work experience, etc. Thus, qualifications can be measured for example through the number of years worked in the specific profession.

How can Human Beings Transgress their Biologically Based Views?

Empirical evidence from developmental psychology and anthropology points out that the human mind is predisposed to conceptualize the world in particular, species-specific ways. These cognitive predispositions lead to universal human commonsense views, often referred to as folk theories. Nevertheless, humans can transgress these views–i.e. they can contradict them with alternative descriptions, they perceive as more accurate–as exemplified in modern sciences. In this paper, I enquire about the cognitive faculties underlying such transgressions. I claim that there are three faculties enabling us to part with these universal commonsense views of the world imposed by our nature. The first is our ability to represent representations–i.e. to form metarepresentations. The second is our ability to produce alternative representations both by explaining a familiar subject matter in terms of the principles governing different conceptual domains than the one that we are predisposed to apply to the subject matter and by directing our mind to new subject matters (for which we have no predisposed conceptual grasp), understanding them in terms of familiar domains. The third, finally, is our ability to give these representations an epistemic orientation.

Putting Cognition and Culture Back Together Again: Religion in Mind and Society

AbstractThe cognitive science of religion tries to explain how human mental architecture canalizes the spread of cultural ideas. Co-evolutionary theories aim at explaining the cultural stability of ideas and practices by constructing models of social behavior. I try to show that both research programs provide useful insights for the construction of mechanical explanations of the mental representation and transmission of religious ideas. Combining cognitive predispositions and their expression in forms of social behavior paves way for a more integrated explanatory framework.

A Sociocultural Perspective on Second Language Learner Strategies: Focus on the Impact of Social Context

Studies on second language (L2) learners' strategies tended to characterize strategies as individual learners' cognitive predispositions or personality traits, leaving a critical question unanswered: Why do learners use different strategies in different contexts? From a sociocultural perspective, this article pursued this question by focusing on the impacts of the classroom context and the broader social context on the use of L2 learner strategies. The authors argue that the emergence, use, and distribution of L2 strategies cannot be fully understood without examining the specific social relationships and power relations in the language classroom. By highlighting the situated aspect of L2 learner strategy development, therefore, this article attempt to help educators construct a learning environment that can facilitate L2 learners' use of productive strategies to enhance their language learning.

The Cognitive Appeal of the Cosmological Argument*

AbstractThe cosmological argument has enjoyed and still enjoys substantial popularity in various traditions of natural theology. We propose that its enduring appeal is due at least in part to its concurrence with human cognitive predispositions, in particular intuitions about causality and agency. These intuitions seem to be a stable part of human cognition. We will consider implications for the justification of the cosmological argument from externalist and internalist perspectives.

The impact of cognitive predispositions on exploration decisions in the minerals industry

Minerals exploration is conducted within an environment of ambiguity in the information and a high degree of uncertainty concerning success. In an extension and application of Tetlock (2005) the present research examined the impact of cognitive predispositions on the quality of minerals exploration decision-making. Utilising instruments specifically designed to assess thinking and judgement predispositions results indicate that for this sample (n = 94) an enjoyment of rational thinking and the need for cognitive closure were predictive of lower estimated percentages of the likelihood of finding an exploitable deposit keeping geophysical data constant. Several counter-intuitive findings related to the relationship between likelihood and amount of expenditure were also found. The findings add further support to Tetlock's (2005) call to hold experts in all fields to account for the recommendations they make and to examine not just what they think but how they think. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The contribution of yoga to the entrepreneurial potential of university students: a SEM approach

The literature suggests that all entrepreneurs share certain psychological and cognitive characteristics. Yoga is currently experiencing a surge in popularity due to both the physical and psychological benefits gained by yogi (practitioners of yoga). Irrespective of its more philosophical dimension, changes attributable to yoga have been identified in individuals’ psychological and behavioural patterns. It is in this context that this study analyses the characteristics associated both with entrepreneurs and yogis, seeking to specifically understand the respective personal attributes or the psychological and cognitive predispositions of both groups. The results of this study demonstrate that students who do engage in yoga show a propensity towards or strengthening of the psychological and cognitive attributes that are commonly associated with an entrepreneurial profile. Thus the study suggests that if entrepreneurial behaviour is a priority, then yoga should be integrated as a compulsory subject into general education from the primary school onwards.

Can We Make Accurate Long-term Predictions About Patterns of De-escalation in Offending Behavior?

This study consists of a comparative analysis of patterns of de-escalation between ages 17-18 and 32, based on data from two well-known prospective longitudinal studies, the Cambridge Study in Delinquent Development (a study of 411 working-class males in London) and the Montreal Two Samples Longitudinal Study (a sample of 470 adjudicated French-Canadian males). Analyses focus on within-individual change, with individuals serving as their own controls. In this regard, the magnitude of measured change is relative to the past degree of involvement in offending. These results are contrasted with predictors of between-individual differences in offending behavior at age 32. We investigate the respective roles of cognitive predispositions and social bonds in the prediction of patterns of de-escalation, and assess whether it is possible to make relatively long-term predictions (over a 15-year period) about offending in adulthood. Findings suggest that traditional measures of social bonds and cognitive predispositions measured at age 17-18 are generally weak predictors of de-escalation up to age 32. However, these measures are stronger predictors of between-individual differences in offending gravity. These findings highlight the difficulties in making accurate long-term predictions about changes in individual offending patterns early in the criminal career.

Analytic bias and phonological typology

Two factors have been proposed as the main determinants of phonological typology: channel bias, phonetically systematic errors in transmission, and analytic bias, cognitive predispositions making learners more receptive to some patterns than others. Much of typology can be explained equally well by either factor, making them hard to distinguish empirically. This study presents evidence that analytic bias is strong enough to create typological asymmetries in a case where channel bias is controlled. I show that (i) phonological dependencies between the height of two vowels are typologically more common than dependencies between vowel height and consonant voicing, (ii) the phonetic precursors of the height-height and height-voice patterns are equally robust and (iii) in two experiments, English speakers learned a height-height pattern and a voice-voice pattern better than a height-voice pattern. I conclude that both factors contribute to typology, and discuss hypotheses about their interaction.

How to Write the Great Darwinian Novel: Cognitive Predispositions, Cultural Complexity, and Aesthetic

This essay argues that the new field of Darwinian (or biocultural) literary criticism must attend to sociocultural change as well as evolved predispositions in the assessment of literary merit (aesthetic value). Because contemporaneous sociocultural factors constitute a major part of the environment of literary production, they have significant bearing on the perceived aesthetic value of any given work of literature. In particular, the development of a complex literary culture since the industrial revolution enables manipulations of literary forms not possible in oral culture. Focusing specifically on the example of postmodern antinarrative and the Peter Carey (1997) novel Jack Maggs, a retelling of Charles Dickens' (1860/1999) Great Expectations, the author suggests that subversion of linear story may have culturally contingent epistemic, and therefore perhaps aesthetic, value.

The Role of Optimism/Pessimism in HRQOL in Chronic Hepatitis C Patients

One hundred and twenty three outpatients with compensated chronic hepatitis C (CHC) completed the SF-36, BSI, and questions regarding the expected impact of CHC on their health. Respondents were categorized as optimists (N = 17, 13.8%), realists (N = 98, 79.6%), and pessimists (N = 8, 6.5%). Pessimism was associated with lower scores on nearly all SF-36 subscales (p < .001 –.03) and higher scores on 6 BSI subscales indicative of greater emotional distress (p < .05). Pessimism was not associated with demographics, liver disease severity, substance abuse, or comorbid medical conditions. However, pessimism was associated with the presence of a psychiatric comorbidity and self-reported health status (p < .05). We conclude that optimism/pessimism may be an important determinant of QOL and emotional status in CHC patients and that additional studies of cognitive predispositions and coping skills in CHC patients are warranted.

Cognitive moderators of negative reactions to verbal aggression

Cognitive predispositions in information processing (self‐discrepancies, sensitivity to feedback, and dysfunctional attitudes) were predicted to moderate reactions to verbally aggressive messages. In Study One, 247 participants received an aggressive or nonaggressive message imbedded in a TV commercial. In Study Two, 285 friend dyads completed surveys on verbal aggressiveness, cognitive predispositions, and psychological and relational well‐being. Study Three was a replication with 153 roommate dyads. Results suggest that self‐discrepancies and sensitivity to feedback interacted with receiving verbal aggression to predict psychological well‐being in receivers, and that verbal aggressiveness was related to lower relational quality and satisfaction.

Individual Differences and Attitudes Toward Rape: A Meta-Analytic Review

An overview discusses (a) the importance of rape attitudes, (b) the major rape attitude measures, and (c) the applicability of four theoretical frameworks of hostility toward women to rape attitude maintenance. Findings from 72 studies of rape attitudes and individual differences were quantitatively synthesized. The meta-analysis revealed more rape acceptance for men, older people, and people from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds. For men, cognitive predispositions toward perpetrating rape were strong predictors of rape acceptance. For women, experience as and exposure to rape victims were associated with slightly less rape acceptance. Consistent with some theoretical predictions, traditional gender role beliefs, adversarial sexual beliefs, needs for power and dominance, aggressiveness and anger, and conservative political beliefs predicted rape acceptance. Implications for rape education programs and research are discussed.

Psychodynamic Processes and Framing Effects in Foreign Policy Decision-Making: Woodrow Wilson's Operational Code

Operational code analysis has focused most immediately upon cognitive predispositions and their influence upon political decision-making. It is also possible to analyze the motivational imagery displayed in an individual's rhetoric and draw inferences about the linkages among needs, beliefs, and political decisions. In this paper Wilson's decisions during the ratification debate over the Versailles Treaty are interpreted within the context offered by the motivational elements in his operational code. The results are compared to similar analyses of Wilson's decisions to intervene in the Mexican Revolution and enter World War I. These comparisons contribute to a better understanding of how motivations formed the foundations of Wilson's operational code and framed his foreign policy decisions.

Emotion, Reason, and Communication in Coping With Cancer

Researchers have sought to identify which coping styles are most conducive to recovery from cancer and other serious illnesses. The results have been equivocal. It appears that what helps one patient does not necessarily help another. This article proposes a model explaining how emotional, cognitive, and environmental conditions influence the styles of coping used by cancer patients and the likelihood that particular styles will prove helpful to these patients. The model is based on the premise that coping does not occur in isolation from the emotional makeup, cognitive predispositions, and social environment of the patient. It describes how these processes interact to influence the protective effect of various coping styles.

Problem‐solvers and problem‐identifiers: The making of research styles

While cognitive predispositions define educational experience, the latter functions as an incubator in which the future cognitive style of research takes shape. An existing typology of science researchers’ cognitive styles‐problem‐identifiers and problem‐solvers‐serve as a conceptual tool to discuss differences in educational experience among science career aspirants. These differences are highlighted while speculating as to how the different educational experiences prepare the two types of future researchers. An attempt is made to provide an understanding of science education by taking into account both the cognitive demands of research activity and the normative demands of educational institutions.