Cognitive Processing Abilities Research Articles

Language Processing Abilities in a Multilingual Context: The Role of Linguistic Background among Students in Amman, Jordan

Aim. This quantitative experimental study aims to examine the impact of linguistic background on language processing abilities among learners at a language academy in Amman, Jordan. The purpose of the study is to investigate how different linguistic backgrounds influence language processing skills specifically in the areas of grammar, syntax, and semantics. 
 Participants. The participants consist of 100 learners aged 18-25 with Arabic, English, or German as their native or primary language.
 Methods. The study utilizes the Pinker Test as a measurement tool for assessing language processing abilities and collects data through a background questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses are conducted to analyze the data.
 Results. The results of the study indicate that linguistic background significantly affects language processing abilities (F(2, 97) = 4.72, p < 0.05). Post-hoc analyses reveal significant differences in grammar task performance between English-speaking individuals and Arabic-speaking participants (p < 0.05), while English and German speakers show similar scores. In the syntax task, English-speaking individuals outperform Arabic speakers (p < 0.05), with no significant difference between English and German speakers. In the semantics task, English speakers outperform both Arabic and German speakers (p < 0.05), while Arabic and German speakers differ significantly (p < 0.05). 
 Conclusions. Based on the findings, it can be concluded that linguistic background plays a significant role in language processing abilities, specifically in the areas of grammar, syntax, and semantics. These results support previous research and highlight the influence of language transfer effects and cognitive processing abilities influenced by linguistic background. The implications of this study's findings include the need for tailored teaching techniques that consider learners' linguistic backgrounds to enhance language instruction.

Effects of Bilingualism on Cognitive Processing

Purpose: The general purpose of the study was to examine the effects of bilingualism on cognitive processing.
 Methodology: The study adopted a desktop research methodology. Desk research refers to secondary data or that which can be collected without fieldwork. Desk research is basically involved in collecting data from existing resources hence it is often considered a low cost technique as compared to field research, as the main cost is involved in executive’s time, telephone charges and directories. Thus, the study relied on already published studies, reports and statistics. This secondary data was easily accessed through the online journals and library.
 Findings: The findings reveal that there exists a contextual and methodological gap relating to the effects of bilingualism on cognitive processing. Preliminary empirical review revealed that bilingualism is associated with cognitive advantages, such as enhanced attentional control, executive function, and working memory capacity. Through a review of existing literature, it was found that bilingual individuals often outperform monolinguals in cognitive tasks, supporting the Bilingual Advantage Theory. Additionally, evidence suggested that bilingualism may contribute to a slower rate of cognitive decline in older age. These findings have implications for educators, policymakers, and healthcare professionals, highlighting the potential benefits of promoting bilingual education and language preservation efforts.
 Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: The Bilingual Advantage theory, Neuroplasticity and Cognitive Reserve theory may be used to anchor future studies on bilingualism and cognitive processing. The study made significant contributions to theory, practice, and policy. It supported the Bilingual Advantage Theory by demonstrating enhanced cognitive processing abilities in bilingual individuals. Recommendations included further exploration of underlying mechanisms, tailored interventions in educational and clinical settings, and policies supporting bilingual education and language diversity. These findings and recommendations aimed to advance understanding of bilingualism's cognitive benefits, inform practice in education and healthcare, and influence policy development for promoting linguistic diversity and cognitive development.

Development and Standardization of Low-Verbal Material for Assessment of Central Auditory Processing in Arabic Language

Development and Standardization of Low-Verbal Material for Assessment of Central Auditory Processing in Arabic Language

Modeling Rating Order Effects Under Item Response Theory Models for Rater-Mediated Assessments.

Rater effects are commonly observed in rater-mediated assessments. By using item response theory (IRT) modeling, raters can be treated as independent factors that function as instruments for measuring ratees. Most rater effects are static and can be addressed appropriately within an IRT framework, and a few models have been developed for dynamic rater effects. Operational rating projects often require human raters to continuously and repeatedly score ratees over a certain period, imposing a burden on the cognitive processing abilities and attention spans of raters that stems from judgment fatigue and thus affects the rating quality observed during the rating period. As a result, ratees' scores may be influenced by the order in which they are graded by raters in a rating sequence, and the rating order effect should be considered in new IRT models. In this study, two types of many-faceted (MF)-IRT models are developed to account for such dynamic rater effects, which assume that rater severity can drift systematically or stochastically. The results obtained from two simulation studies indicate that the parameters of the newly developed models can be estimated satisfactorily using Bayesian estimation and that disregarding the rating order effect produces biased model structure and ratee proficiency parameter estimations. A creativity assessment is outlined to demonstrate the application of the new models and to investigate the consequences of failing to detect the possible rating order effect in a real rater-mediated evaluation.

Surgeon-Patient Cross∼Talk: How It Happens, How to Fix It.

Surgeon-patient communication is fraught with difficulties. Cross∼talk can be conceptualized as surgeons and patients speaking different languages, working out of different cerebral hemispheres. While as surgeons we principally function from our left brains, our patients are universally working from their right hemisphere, because the situation they find themselves in is new and overshadowed by extreme existential angst. Respecting patient autonomy is best done by shared decision-making, in which we attempt to bridge into the patient's right brain, openly exploring, and helping crystalize their values through a deliberative method that utilizes collaborative pushback. This approach is preferable to trying to drag them into our left-brained "fix it" mental model by informing them of the location in our well-worn surgical algorithm and asking them to choose between treatment options. Surrogates are under extreme psychosociospiritual duress, which can overwhelm and blunt their left-brained cognitive processing abilities (organizing information in working memory, evaluating options, and processing advice). However, this challenge can be overcome with empathy and by explaining the benefits and practice of substituted judgment during each family meeting. Whenever possible, the Palliative Triangle-surgeon, patient, family-should be established and executed preoperatively in high-stakes surgical scenarios to mitigate distress and prevent nonbeneficial value-incongruent over-treatment.

Getting the brain into gear: An online study investigating cognitive reserve and word-finding abilities in healthy ageing.

Lifetime experiences and lifestyle, such as education and engaging in leisure activities, contribute to cognitive reserve (CR), which delays the onset of age-related cognitive decline. Word-finding difficulties have been identified as the most prominent cognitive problem in older age. Whether CR mitigates age-related word-finding difficulties is currently unknown. Using picture-naming and verbal fluency tasks, this online study aimed to investigate the effect of CR on word-finding ability in younger, middle-aged, and older adults. All participants were right-handed, monolingual speakers of British English. CR for both the period preceding and coinciding with the COVID-19 pandemic was measured through years of education and questionnaires concerning the frequency of engagement in cognitive, leisure, and physical activities. Linear mixed-effect models demonstrated that older adults were less accurate at action and object naming than middle-aged and younger adults. Higher CR in middle age predicted higher accuracies for action and object naming. Hence, high CR might not only be beneficial in older age, but also in middle age. This benefit will depend on multiple factors: the underlying cognitive processes, individual general cognitive processing abilities, and whether task demands are high. Moreover, younger and middle-aged adults displayed faster object naming compared to older adults. There were no differences between CR scores for the period preceding and coinciding with the pandemic. However, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on CR and, subsequently, on word-finding ability might only become apparent in the long term. This article discusses the implications of CR in healthy ageing as well as suggestions for conducting language production studies online.

Serial Subtraction Alters Lateral Step-down Tibiofemoral Kinematics in Healthy Adults.

This study evaluated the effects of two types of cognitive dual-tasking on three-dimensional knee kinematics during the lateral step-down. 19 healthy individuals (22.05±1.61 yrs., 173.92±9.21 cm, 67.99±12.65 kg) participated in this study. Participants completed 5 repetitions of a lateral step-down task for each leg and each testing condition (control, Stroop, and serial subtraction by seven). An electromagnetic motion sensor was attached to the femur via compression clamp placed about the medial and lateral epicondyles. Another sensor was attached 2 cm below the ipsilateral tibial tuberosity. A custom MATLAB algorithm located the knee joint axis of rotation from dynamic knee flexion and extension. Discrete kinematics at peak flexion were used in this study. Paired samples t-tests were used to compare average frontal, transverse, and sagittal plane knee position at maximum flexion between conditions for each leg. No significant differences were found for either limb between control and Stroop conditions. Comparisons revealed significant differences in frontal and transverse plane knee angles at peak flexion between the control and serial subtraction by seven conditions. These findings indicate serial subtraction by seven requires different cognitive processing abilities which may cause greater interference with some aspects of motor control.

Syntactic complexity in legal translated texts and the use of plain English: a corpus-based study

This study compared the linguistic difficulty of legal translated texts with the syntactic complexity of native English legal writings in order to demonstrate the statistically significant differences between the two big datasets. The study applies features of the syntactic complexity of sentences within legal text translations that translated texts are less complicated than their original counterparts. It provides an example of how easy plain English translation in legal communication might result in understandable target writings. The findings of the legal translation of the people of three regions reveal striking patterns in terms of syntactic complexity and legal communication in plain English, which are consistent with previous research. Complex nominal and hypotactic structures result in a high number of propositions per sentence, placing a high demand on the cognitive processing abilities of those who read and understand the text. The statistics show considerable differences among the three locations and various forms of company law corpora. The study is the first large-scale quantitative analysis of the accessibility of legal jargon compared to other forms of English, emphasizing the efficacy of plain-language initiatives in legal translations.

Modeling and Optimization Analysis of Ancient Building Construction Rule Components Based on Deep Learning

Chinese culture is broad and profound, and successive dynasties have left many cultural treasures. Ancient architecture is a significant treasure, and it is also the core content of the inheritance of Chinese culture. Every Chinese ancient building has its own characteristics, and the creative components of each ancient building are an important part of ancient buildings. As a new learning mode of current scientific inquiry, the deep learning model includes high-level and high-stage cognitive processing ability and innovative thinking ability. Under the background of the above modeling and optimization analysis of ancient building construction rule components and the development of deep learning mode, this paper proposes the modeling and optimization analysis of ancient building construction rule components about deep studying. The results of the experiment are as follows: (1) about the concept of the deep learning technology model and the vacancy problems existing in the current situation of the design framework and optimization of ancient building construction rule components, the research direction of the experiment is determined, and through the investigation and analysis of the modeling and optimization of ancient building construction rule components based on the deep learning model, the technical guarantee is provided for the research of this paper; (2) the convolution neural network algorithm, inversion model algorithm, loss function algorithm, and optimization algorithm are used to calculate, evaluate, and analyze the research problems, and the investigation contents are identified and analyzed through experimental research. It can not only analyze the root of the research problems but also improve the specific modeling optimization problems of ancient buildings, to reduce the unnecessary loss of time and resources.

Effectiveness of Fish Oil-DHA Supplementation for Cognitive Function in Thai Children: A Randomized, Doubled-Blind, Two-Dose, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial.

The effects of fish oil (FO) or omega-3 supplementation on cognition has been the subject of several previous clinical trials. However, the effect of different doses taken chronically on cognition in children has not been well studied. In order to address this gap in our knowledge, we conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. A total of one hundred and twenty healthy, cognitively normal Thai children aged 6–12 years old consumed daily low dose FO (260 mg Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)), high dose FO (520 mg DHA), or placebo (Soybean oil) for 12 weeks. Cognitive function was assessed using a computerized cognitive battery, including the Go/NoGo, N-Back, and Digit Span tests as well as concurrent event-related potentials (ERPs), which together measured attention, processing speed, inhibition, and memory at baseline and 12 weeks. We hypothesized that compared to placebo, the two FO groups would show improved cognitive performance and shorter ERP latencies. In total, 42, 39, and 39 participants completed each of the test (FO-A, FO-B) and placebo groups (P) allocations, respectively, and were analyzed (120 in total across the three groups). No significant differences were observed between reaction times (RTs), accuracy, or error rates for all three of the cognitive tests. The ERP measurement and analysis of brain activity during the cognitive tests showed an increase in ERP amplitude. For all cognitive tests, there was a dose-response effect of FO on ERP amplitudes. These findings indicate that fish oil intake leads to a consistent improvement in attention and cognitive processing ability measured by changes in brain activity during working and long-term memory processes. This is the first study to directly quantify such an effect through simultaneous measurement of manual and mental activity during cognitive tasks following chronic FO use in children.

The Development of Edu-Detective Thinking Learning Model For Biology Students

This study aims to: (1) produce an appropriate Edu-Detective Thinking learning model, (2) produce a practical Edu-Detective Thinking learning model, and (3) produce an effective Edu-Detective Thinking learning model to improve environmental character, science processes skill, and students' cognitive processing abilities. This type of Research Development research refers to the Borg Gall development model, which includes: (1) preliminary study and information gathering, (2) planning, (3) initial product development, (4) preliminary field testing, (5) product revision main field, (6) main field testing, (7) operational product, (8) operational field testing, (9) final product revision, (10) dissemination implementation. Data on product validity and practicality were collected using questionnaires and observation sheets. Then, the data were analyzed descriptively quantitatively. Meanwhile, the effectiveness data were collected by test questions and analyzed using the MANOVA test. The results of the study are as follows: (1) the Edu-Detective Thinking learning model is feasible to improve the environmental character, science process skills, and students' cognitive processing abilities, (2) the practical Edu-Detective Thinking learning model to improve environmental character, science process skills, and students' cognitive processing abilities, and (3) the Edu-Detective Thinking learning model is effective for improving the environmental character, science process skills, and students' cognitive processing abilities. Thus, it can be concluded that the Edu-Detective Thinking model can be an alternative learning model to improve the quality of biology learning to be more challenging and fun for students.

Çok dilliliğin ek bir dili öğrenmeye etkisi

The present study aimed to explore the effects of previous knowledge of multiple languages on learning a target language. In particular, it compared bilingual students with multilinguals with respect to the rate of progress in learning Turkish and analyzed whether or not knowing a language linguistically similar to Turkish would facilitate the learning of Turkish among multilinguals. Data were collected from 68 beginner level international students (20 females, 48 males) enrolled in the Turkish Teaching Application and Research Center of a government university in Turkey. The students took a pre-test in Turkish at the beginning of the Fall semester and a post-test at the end of the semester. The results of the quantitative analyses showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the bilinguals and the multilinguals, with multilinguals performing at a higher rate than the bilinguals in the post-test. In addition, multilinguals that had knowledge of a Turkic language achieved higher scores in the post-test than those that did not have any knowledge of a Turkic language. However, the results were not significant. The implications of these results are discussed with regard to the Dynamic Model of Multilingualism (Herdina & Jessner, 2002) which emhazised the importance of multilingual awareness and its positive effects on linguistic, cognitive, metacognitive and information processing abilities.

Relating Suprathreshold Auditory Processing Abilities to Speech Understanding in Competition.

(1) Background: Difficulty hearing in noise is exacerbated in older adults. Older adults are more likely to have audiometric hearing loss, although some individuals with normal pure-tone audiograms also have difficulty perceiving speech in noise. Additional variables also likely account for speech understanding in noise. It has been suggested that one important class of variables is the ability to process auditory information once it has been detected. Here, we tested a set of these “suprathreshold” auditory processing abilities and related them to performance on a two-part test of speech understanding in competition with and without spatial separation of the target and masking speech. Testing was administered in the Portable Automated Rapid Testing (PART) application developed by our team; PART facilitates psychoacoustic assessments of auditory processing. (2) Methods: Forty-one individuals (average age 51 years), completed assessments of sensitivity to temporal fine structure (TFS) and spectrotemporal modulation (STM) detection via an iPad running the PART application. Statistical models were used to evaluate the strength of associations between performance on the auditory processing tasks and speech understanding in competition. Age and pure-tone-average (PTA) were also included as potential predictors. (3) Results: The model providing the best fit also included age and a measure of diotic frequency modulation (FM) detection but none of the other potential predictors. However, even the best fitting models accounted for 31% or less of the variance, supporting work suggesting that other variables (e.g., cognitive processing abilities) also contribute significantly to speech understanding in noise. (4) Conclusions: The results of the current study do not provide strong support for previous suggestions that suprathreshold processing abilities alone can be used to explain difficulties in speech understanding in competition among older adults. This discrepancy could be due to the speech tests used, the listeners tested, or the suprathreshold tests chosen. Future work with larger numbers of participants is warranted, including a range of cognitive tests and additional assessments of suprathreshold auditory processing abilities.

Can Gamification Assist Learning? A Study to Design and Explore the Uses of Educational Music Games for Adults and Young Learners

The study aimed to examine the learning effects of integrating various game elements into game-based learning materials to enhance learning for learners of different age groups. Two sets of game-based music learning materials were designed. The version with full game characteristics was developed with a narrative story, diverse game behaviors, and game mechanisms, while the simple design version kept basic game behaviors only for game interaction, and removed other game-based elements. A total of 50 young students and 41 adults were invited to participate in the experiment and separately use the two versions of the game-based materials. In order to understand how their performance changed and their reflections on the use of the game-based learning materials, a pre- and post-test, questionnaire and interview were conducted, and the data were analyzed. Despite learners in various age groups having different preferences regarding the game design, the statistical analysis revealed that the simple version helped the learners of both age groups to achieve better learning performance than the full version. The game-based environments proved to be helpful for promoting students’ learning motivation and performance, but the results suggest that instead of designing educational games with as many gamification elements as possible, game developers should take learners’ cognitive learning load and information processing ability into consideration when developing games. The game elements could be refined through reducing overly complicated game mechanisms and keeping the basic game-like interaction so as to achieve both the instruction purpose and gameplay engagement.

Cortical encoding and cognition in reverberant speech perception in older adults

Older listeners are more susceptible than younger listeners to noise and reverberation when communicating in everyday environments. This study investigated the effects of hearing loss and cognitive processing ability on older individuals’ ability to perceive reverberant speech. The effects of reverberation were examined using three types of measures (1) electrophysiology: cortical auditory evoked potentials (CAEPs), (2) cognition: working memory and inhibitory control aspect of executive function, and (3) speech perception: syllable discrimination and sentence intelligibility. These assessments were carried out in two age- and sex-matched groups of ten olderadults (>50 years) with either normal hearing (thresholds ≤ 25 dB HL ≤ 4 kHz) or with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. First, the effect of reverberation on the cortical encoding in each group was determined; then, the effects of hearing loss and cognitive function on syllable and sentence perception were examined. Preliminary analyses showed that increasing reverberation negatively impacts speech perception and alters the amplitude and timing of peaks in evoked responses. Differential effects of reverberation across group will also be discussed. The outcomes of this study will help design clinically applicable models to assess individual susceptibility to environmental interference. [Work supported by an Early Clinical Investigator Grant from Medical Research Foundation of Oregon to R.K.M.]

Research on drivers' hazard perception in plateau environment based on visual characteristics

A good visual search mode is an important prerequisite for a driver to perceive the hazard in the traffic environment timely and accurately. However, hypoxia conditions in the plateau environment might affect drivers' cognitive and judgment ability, posing potential threats to safe driving. This study analyzed the eye movement behaviors of drivers when faced with traffic hazards in the plateau environment, to examine the impact level of altitude on drivers’ perception and reaction. Nine typical traffic hazard scenarios were investigated at four locations with four different altitudes, including Linzhi, Lhasa, Naqu, and Yanghu Scenic Area based on UC-WIN / ROAD driving simulation software. Then, drivers’ visual search modes were analyzed according to drivers’ eye movement data collected by ASL Mobile Eye monocular eye tracker. As the altitude increased, the drivers’ first fixation time and the average saccade amplitude decreased, while the fixation duration percentage increased. Drivers with fewer years of driving experience had a larger percentage of fixation duration and a smaller saccade amplitude. In addition, a shorter acclimation period also negatively influenced the percentage of fixation time. The increase of altitude would weaken the drivers' visual sensitivity and cognitive processing ability of hazard information, which would reduce drivers' hazard perception skills, and the increase of driving experience might help alleviate such negative impacts to some extent. Based on the visual characteristics of traffic hazard scenarios obtained in this paper, the training of highly accident-prone drivers can be guided specifically to improve their visual search strategies, thereby improving driving safety.

Information gaps between irrigation establishment and farmer set-up

The level of a person’s cognitive processing ability is different, which influences how to understand and utilize the knowledge and information obtained from the media. Organizations can assess their knowledge resources and capabilities by conceptually designing strategies to minimize the knowledge gaps, improve performance, and produce various innovations by identifying the knowledge possessed, targets to be achieved, training and collaboration, research, and surveys for knowledge development, etc. The widening of knowledge gaps related to information development, individual attitudes, and behavior that knowledge transfer is needed to minimize the gap. This study aims to identify knowledge gaps between farmer institutions and irrigation bureaucracies. The method used is knowledge gap (K-Gap) analysis by measuring the level of importance of knowledge required against the available resources by scaling the questionnaire Likert Scale. The K-Gap analysis of the knowledge needed and currently available can evaluate performance in the planning and evaluation stages and become one of the decision-making systems in the management of an organization’s internal management, to increase motivation and represent the expectations of all users. The K-Gap value is obtained to indicate the direction of improvement that must be carried out.

Training with an auditory perceptual learning game transfers to speech in competition

Understanding speech in the presence of acoustical competition is a major complaint of those with hearing difficulties. Here, a novel perceptual learning game was tested for its effectiveness in reducing difficulties with hearing speech in competition. The game was designed to train a mixture of auditory processing skills thought to underlie speech in competition, such as spectral-temporal processing, sound localization, and auditory working memory. Training on these skills occurred both in quiet and in competition with noise. Thirty college-aged participants without any known hearing difficulties were assigned either to this mixed-training condition or an active control consisting of frequency discrimination training within the same gamified setting. To assess training effectiveness, tests of speech in competition (primary outcome), as well as basic supra-threshold auditory processing and cognitive processing abilities (secondary outcomes) were administered before and after training. Results suggest modest improvements on speech in competition tests in the mixed-training compared to the frequency-discrimination control condition (Cohen’s d = 0.68). While the sample is small, and in normally hearing individuals, these data suggest promise of future study in populations with hearing difficulties.

The effects of example-free instruction and worked examples on problem-solving

The use of worked examples has been shown to be an effective instructional method for reducing cognitive load and successfully engaging in problem-solving. Extant research often views worked examples as an integrated part of direct instruction. Studies have examined the problem-solving effects of worked examples used in tandem with instructional explanations. However, a gap exists in research focusing on the individual problem-solving effects of example-free instructional explanations and worked examples containing no instructional explanation. This study uses a method in which worked examples are separated from direct instruction to examine the problem-solving effects of individual parts of such instruction, namely example-free instruction and worked examples containing no instructional explanation. Considering the importance of critical thinking skills in the current educational environment, the current study was conducted on a group of university students (n = 32) studying critical thinking in South Korea. Results showed that example-free instruction was more effective for problem-solving than worked examples containing no instructional explanation. Additionally, participants reported more efficient cognitive processing ability when critical thinking problems were presented through instructional explanation rather than worked examples. These results allow for a granular look at the different aspects of direct instruction and their effects on cognitive load and problem-solving.

EFFECT OF THREE MINUTE STEP TEST ON COGNITION AMONG MEDICAL STUDENTS

Background: Regular physical exercise is linked to produce beneficial influence on cognitive functions. Cognition can be evaluated by Stroop test where a person's selective attention capacity, skills and processing speed are assessed. Limited work has been done to explore the acute effect of exercise on cognition. Objective: To assess whether acute exposure to submaximal aerobic exercise of three minutes can bring changes in the cognitive function (selective attention and cognitive processing ability). The secondary objective was to assess the physical fitness index of medical students. Methods: Twenty four apparently healthy third year male medical students of BPKIHS (B. P. Koirala Institute of Health Sciences) having mean age of 22.33 ± 1.09 years, body height and weight of 170.10 ± 5.85 cm of 65.38 ± 8.84 kg respectively were recruited. A computer based online version of Stroop Test was done to identify cognitive performance in resting sitting position. Then participants were asked to perform 3 min step test. A recovery time of 5 min was given post exercise and Stroop Test was assessed again. Statistical analysis was done using Paired T test. Data are expressed in mean and SD. Level of significance is considered at p<0.05. Results: The reaction time to Stroop Test was significantly reduced after acute physical exercise (before exercise (43.37 ± 7.7s) vs after exercise (36.14 ± 3.6s), p = 0.001). However, no significant difference in the number of correct response to Stroop Test before (19.71 ± 1.08) and after (19.79 ± 0.51) the acute exercise (p=0.575) was observed. Conclusion: Acute bout of aerobic physical exercise improves attention and execution aspects of cognitive function as measured by Stroop Test in young medical students.