Large Font Research Articles

The Effect of Danmaku Font Size on Online Learning Outcomes for Learners with Different Cognitive Styles: Evidence from Eye Movements

Danmaku is increasingly used during online interactions - such as learner communication in online learning. As an emerging online interaction method, Danmaku not only enhances the viewer interaction experience, but also allows learners to achieve better learning outcomes. Therefore, this study used a 2 (Danmaku font size: large, small) × 2 (cognitive style: field-independent, field-dependent) between-participants design to investigate the effect of Danmaku font size on online learning through eye-tracking studies and to reveal the mechanism of the effect of Danmaku font size on the learning outcomes of field-independent and field-dependent learners. The results show that Danmaku font size affects the learning perception of learners with different cognitive styles in online learning, i.e., under the field-independent cognitive style, small font Danmaku can improve the online learning perceptual experience. Under the field-dependent cognitive style, learners focus more on the Danmaku area, so the Danmaku with large font size can improve the online learning perceptual experience. In summary, this study found that the Danmaku font size impacts the online learning effect of learners with different cognitive styles. Therefore, different Danmaku font sizes should be selected according to different cognitive styles during online teaching. This study can provide research basis and optimization suggestions for how to use Danmaku in online teaching design, which will help deepen the understanding of the role of Danmaku in online teaching.

The perceived importance of words in large font guides learning and selective memory

People are often presented with large amounts of information to remember, and in many cases, the font size of information may be indicative of its importance (such as headlines or warnings). In the present study, we examined how learners perceive the importance of information in different font sizes and how beliefs about font size influence selective memory. In Experiment 1, participants were presented with to-be-remembered words that were either unrelated or related to a goal (e.g., items for a camping trip) in either small or large font. Participants rated words in large font as more important to remember than words in small font when the words in a list were unrelated but not when the words were schematically related to a goal. In Experiments 2 and 3, we were interested in how learners’ belief that font size is indicative of importance translates to their ability to selectively encode and recall valuable information. Specifically, we presented participants with words in various font sizes, and larger fonts either corresponded to greater point values or smaller point values (values counted towards participants’ scores if recalled). When larger fonts corresponded with greater point values, participants were better able to selectively remember high-value words relative to low-value words. Thus, when to-be-remembered information varies in value, font size may be less diagnostic of an item’s importance (the item’s importance drives memory), and when the value of information is consistent with a learner’s belief, learners can better engage in selective memory.

Exploring patient perspectives on EQ-5D-5L data visualization within an individualized decision aid for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in Alberta, Canada

BackgroundDecision aids can help patients set realistic expectations. In this study, we explored alternative presentations to visualise patient-reported outcomes (EQ-5D-5L) data within an online, individualized patient decision aid for total knee arthroplasty (TKA) that, in part, generates individualized comparisons based on age, sex and body mass index, to enhance usability prior to implementation into routine clinical practice.MethodsWe used data visualization techniques to modify the presentation of EQ-5D-5L outcomes data within the decision aid. The EQ-5D-5L data was divided into two parts allowing patients to compare themselves to similar individuals (1) pre-surgery and (2) 1-year post-surgery. We created 2 versions for each part and sought patient feedback on comprehension, usefulness, and visual appeal. Patients from an urban orthopedic clinic were recruited and their ratings and comments were recorded using a researcher-administered checklist. Data were managed using Microsoft Excel, R version 3.6.1 and ATLAS.ti V8 and analyzed using descriptive statistics and directed content analysis.ResultsA total of 24 and 25 patients participated in Parts 1 and 2, respectively. Overall, there was a slight preference for Version 1 in Part 1 (58.3%) and Version 2 in Part 2 (64%). Most participants demonstrated adequate comprehension for all versions (range 50–72%) and commented that the instructions were clear. While 50–60% of participants rated the content as useful, including knowing the possible outcomes of surgery, some participants found the information interesting only, were unsure how to use the information, or did not find it useful because they had already decided on a treatment. Participants rated visual appeal for all versions favorably but suggested improvements for readability, mainly larger font and image sizes and enhanced contrast between elements.ConclusionsBased on the results, we will produce an enhanced presentation of EQ-5D-5L data within the decision aid. These improvements, along with further usability testing of the entire decision aid, will be made before implementation of the decision aid in routine clinical practice. Our results on patients’ perspectives on the presentation of EQ-5D-5L data to support decision making for TKA treatments contributes to the knowledge on EQ-5D-5L applications within healthcare systems for clinical care.

VESTA: A SMARTPHONE-BASED ASSESSMENT OF MODERN FINANCIAL CAPACITY FOR OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Older adults are often targeted by financial scammers who exploit people unfamiliar with financial technologies and who may struggle to identifying fraudulent activity. Financial technologies have undergone significant changes in recent decades, yet financial capacity measures often do not reflect this shift. There is a clear need for innovating the measurement of financial capacity, particularly among older adults. VESTA (Virtual Economic Simulation and Trust Assessment) is a novel smartphone application that measures older adults’ susceptibility to different forms of financial exploitation. VESTA plays out like a smartphone game in which the user furnishes a virtual household. As the user conducts these virtual transactions, they are tasked with spending within a budget, monitoring bank charges, disclosing personal information securely, and determining whether incoming messages (i.e., texts, emails, and voicemail messages) are fraudulent or legitimate. The fraudulent charges and messages include contextual clues that mirror real-life scams. VESTA was designed to assess the user’s ability to manage money, identify incorrect information, and judge who to trust independent of memory ability. VESTA therefore purposefully targets severely overlooked pitfalls that impact older adults’ ability to identify fraudulent activity. Furthermore, VESTA utilizes a user-friendly, accessible design with large font and complete navigation with the simple press of a finger. As the migration of financial management and communication continues towards predominantly digital landscapes, this research and diagnostic tool represents an evolution of existing measures of financial capacity for an at-risk aging population.

Reading compound words in Finnish and Chinese: An eye-tracking study

Two eye-tracking experiments in alphabetic Finnish and two in logographic Chinese examined the recognition of two-constituent compound words in reading. In Finnish, two-constituent compound words vary greatly in length, whereas in Chinese they are identical in length. According to the visual acuity principle (Bertram & Hyönä, 2003), short Finnish compound words and all two-character Chinese compound words that fit in foveal vision are recognized holistically, whereas long Finnish compound words are recognized via components. Experiment 1 in Finnish provided evidence consistent with the account, whereas the results for long compound words presented in condensed font in Experiment 2 were inconsistent with it. In Chinese, the first-character frequency effect was non-significant even when the compound words were presented in large font. The Finnish results suggest that componential processing is necessary when the compound word entails more than 10 letters. The Chinese results are compatible with the Chinese Reading Model (Li & Pollatsek, 2020) that assumes whole-word representations to overrule the activation of components during compound word recognition.

Older adult patient preferences for the content and format of prescription medication labels – A best-worst scaling and discrete choice experiment study

BackgroundPatient preferences for the content and format of prescription medication labels (PMLs, i.e., sticker labels placed on medication bottles/packets at dispensing) have been extensively studied. However, accommodating all preferences on PMLs is impractical due to space limitations. Understanding how patients prioritise the content and format attributes of PMLs can inform improvements while working within PML space constraints. ObjectivesWe aimed to (1) identify a ranking of medication-related content attributes to be prioritised on PMLs using best-worst scaling (BWS), and (2) determine the relative importance of format attributes when incorporated onto PMLs using discrete choice experiment (DCE), from the perspective of older adult patients in Singapore. MethodsAttributes were informed by our prior qualitative study and PML best practice guidelines. For the BWS component, the assessed content attributes were indication, precautions, interaction or paired medicines, food instructions, side effects, expiry date, and missed dose action, all of which are currently not legally mandated on PMLs in Singapore. A BWS object case was used to rank the content attributes. For the DCE component, in a series of questions, participants were asked to choose between two PML options each time, that varied in the presentation of dosage-frequency instructions, font size, presentation of dosage, presentation of precautions, and font colour of precautions. A mixed logit model estimated the relative utilities of format attribute levels, enabling the calculation of importance scores of the format attributes. ResultsThe study recruited 280 participants (mean age: 68.8 ± 5.4 years). The three most-preferred content attributes were indication, precautions and interaction or paired medicines. The top three format preferences were tabular style presentation of dosage-frequency instructions, large font size and precautions in red colour. ConclusionsHealthcare institutions should consider improving their PMLs based on the leading content and format preferences voiced by older adult patients. The methodology adopted in the study can also be used for aligning the content and format of other patient education materials with patient preferences.

Consumers pay attention to ingredients on the front of a label: an eye tracking study.

Sunscreen is an important part of skin cancer prevention. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed numerous changes to sunscreen labeling including adding active ingredients to the front of a label. The purpose of the study was to identify and describe differences in attention between current label formatting and the proposed label formatting. Forty-seven participants were interviewed. Participants were presented with mock sunscreen labels that resembled current labeling or labeling based on the proposed FDA rule. While reading the labels, eye movements were recorded. Participants spent 12.3 s longer looking at the front of the proposed rule-compliant label than they did on the front of the current label. They spent the longest time reading the directions (13-14 seconds) compared with other areas. Placing active ingredients on the front of a label in relatively large font makes it more likely consumers will look at the information.

Adapting a Telephone-Based, Dyadic Self-management Program to Be Delivered Over the Web: Methodology and Usability Testing.

The COVID-19 pandemic has amplified the need for web-based behavioral interventions to support individuals who are diagnosed with chronic conditions and their informal caregivers. However, most interventions focus on patient outcomes. Dyadic technology-enabled interventions that simultaneously improve outcomes for patients and caregivers are needed. This study aimed to describe the methodology used to adapt a telephone-based, facilitated, and dyadic self-management program called Self-care Using Collaborative Coping Enhancement in Diseases (SUCCEED) into a self-guided, web-based version (web-SUCCEED) and to conduct usability testing for web-SUCCEED. We developed web-SUCCEED in 6 steps: ideation-determine the intervention content areas; prototyping-develop the wireframes, illustrating the look and feel of the website; prototype refinement via feedback from focus groups; finalizing the module content; programming web-SUCCEED; and usability testing. A diverse team of stakeholders including content experts, web designers, patients, and caregivers provided input at various stages of development. Costs, including full-time equivalent employee, were summarized. At the ideation stage, we determined the content of web-SUCCEED based on feedback from the program's original pilot study. At the prototyping stage, the principal investigator and web designers iteratively developed prototypes that included inclusive design elements (eg, large font size). Feedback about these prototypes was elicited through 2 focus groups of veterans with chronic conditions (n=13). Rapid thematic analysis identified two themes: (1) web-based interventions can be useful for many but should include ways to connect with other users and (2) prototypes were sufficient to elicit feedback about the esthetics, but a live website allowing for continual feedback and updating would be better. Focus group feedback was incorporated into building a functional website. In parallel, the content experts worked in small groups to adapt SUCCEED's content, so that it could be delivered in a didactic, self-guided format. Usability testing was completed by veterans (8/16, 50%) and caregivers (8/16, 50%). Veterans and caregivers gave web-SUCCEED high usability scores, noting that it was easy to understand, easy to use, and not overly burdensome. Notable negative feedback included "slightly agreeing" that the site was confusing and awkward. All veterans (8/8, 100%) agreed that they would choose this type of program in the future to access an intervention that aims to improve their health. Developing and maintaining the software and hosting together cost approximately US $100,000, excluding salary and fringe benefits for project personnel (steps 1-3: US $25,000; steps 4-6: US $75,000). Adapting an existing, facilitated self-management support program for delivery via the web is feasible, and such programs can remotely deliver content. Input from a multidisciplinary team of experts and stakeholders can ensure the program's success. Those interested in adapting programs should have a realistic estimate of the budget and staffing requirements.

Letter Spacing Does not Affect Memory and Metamemory.

Some perceptual manipulations, such as font size or bolding, can affect the estimations of future memorability (i.e., judgments of learning or JOLs). In two experiments, we studied the effect on JOLs of another perceptual manipulation: the interletter spacing. Spacing may decrease JOLs via beliefs on the effect of spacing on memory, or it may increase JOLs via feelings of processing fluency. In Experiment 1, we found that people do not hold any particular belief on the effect of spacing on memory for a list of words. In Experiment 2, we found that letter spacing did not affect JOLs. We also replicated the results that participants believe that words in large font size will be better remembered and that they rate words in large font size with higher JOLs. In sum, this research showed that not all the perceptual characteristics are used as cues to metamemory.

Linguistic means of advertising text

          Advertising will use a rich range of expression techniques at all levels of language. Not so rarely, tropes are used in advertising. Types of the most common types of tropes: allegory, hyperbole, irony, metaphor, metonymy, comparison, epithet. The phraseological expressions are no less expressive. Journalists often use phraseology as not only in the language but also in the changed form. By updating the structure of the phraseological expressions, semantics, they create a new content. Different stylistic figures are also used in advertising. The most common speech figures are: anaphora, antithesis, gradation, inversion, parallelism, rhetorical question, ellipse and epiphora. Language expressions revitalize and promptly expresses the text. In linguistic literature it is highlighted that advertisements mostly contain simple sentences. Simple sentences are a universal rule, as it is related to briefly, clearly, clearly, dynamic, expressiveness, as it is related to advertising text because it should be quickly and effectively read by the reader / listener. It is also related to the influence of spoken language. The use of effective exclamatory sentences, which plays a role of a signal in the text, calls for action. The exclamatory modal constructions are also good, which express offers, invitations, convincing.  Effectiveness of the advertising text depends on all its components: successful reunification of image, sound, type and verbal content. In addition, researchers note the verbal importance of the verbal component of the advertisement - the verbal text. For an in-depth analysis of the issue, we will look at the structure of advertising texts in detail: There are two categories of advertising text: selected and basic. The selected text contains all the elements that the audience notices immediately after viewing the ad. These elements are grouped in a large font to attract attention and capture the reader in a quick manner. The main text of the advertisement contains the elements that the reader can read and understand. The basic text of the advertisement consists of five main elements that are almost always used in advertising: 1. title; 2. subheading; 3. Basic Text; 4. Signatures and comments; 5. advertising slogan.

Deconstruction of School Assessment Accommodations and Learning Attainments for Learners with Disabilities, Nairobi County Primary Schools, Kenya

This study sought to establish the school assessment accommodations for learners with disabilities and the learning outcomes of the school assessments for learners with disabilities. A concurrent mixed-methods research design was employed to investigate the school assessment accommodations and learning outcomes experienced by learners with disabilities in public primary schools in Nairobi County, Kenya. A combination of probability and non-probability sampling techniques was employed to select 50 public primary schools with inclusive education programs and Special Needs Education teachers. Data were collected through questionnaires, institutional questionnaires, and interview guides that were evaluated for validity and reliability. Quantitative data were analyzed through Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24, while qualitative data were interpreted with a thematic approach and verbatim reporting. Findings from this study indicate that the provision of school assessments for learners with disabilities yields both positive and negative outcomes. The research recommends that literacy examinations be adapted and accommodations are made for learners with disabilities specific to their individual needs. These accommodations should include extra allotted time, materials printed in a larger font, use of sign language, assistance from authorized scribes, utilization of assistive devices, granting of alternative assessment presentations, and the option of alternative assessments.

Saints of Resistance: Devotions in the Philippines under Early Spanish Rule by Christina H. Lee

Reviewed by: Saints of Resistance: Devotions in the Philippines under Early Spanish Rule by Christina H. Lee Florina H. Capistrano-Baker Saints of Resistance: Devotions in the Philippines under Early Spanish Rule. By Christina H. Lee. (Oxford: Oxford University Press,. 2021. Pp. xii, 216. $74.00. ISBN 978-0-190-91614-5.) A small statue of the Christ Child with a darkened face towers above the blurred images of devotees’ hands holding the divine image aloft. The main title (Saints of Resistance) in large white font against an orange background anchors the eyes as they travel below to the secondary title and author’s name. The evocative title and book jacket design entice the reader to explore the contents within. The book is organized in six chapters including the introduction (chapter 1) and conclusion [End Page 202] (chapter 6). Each of the four main chapters focuses on a particular Philippine devotion: Santo Niño de Cebu (chapter 2), Our Lady of Caysasay (chapter 3), Our Lady of the Rosary (chapter 4), and Our Lady of Antipolo (chapter 5). The font is reader-friendly, and the photographs, though black and white, are well chosen. The author, Christina Hyo-Jung Lee, is a professor in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Princeton University. Her work addresses cultural productions of Iberian Spain and the Spanish Pacific. Born in South Korea and raised in Argentina, she immediately engages the reader with her introductory statements: My first visit to the Philippines was laced with simultaneous feelings of eerie familiarity and strangeness. I encountered reverberations of my Hispanic and Asian upbringing wherever I went (p. 1). The introduction includes a useful review of studies on iconographic devotions in the Spanish world in general, and in Spanish colonial Philippines in particular. Lee’s transpacific background, native fluency in the Spanish language, and meticulous scholarship generate important new interpretations and insights into popular Philippine devotions heretofore unexplored. For example, her careful rereading of primary sources interrogates conflicting translations of sixteenth-century Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan’s chronicler Antonio Pigafetta’s original account of their encounter with the ruler Humabon and his wife on the Philippine island of Cebu. An important point of contention is whether the image now venerated as the Santo Niño de Cebu is indeed the icon that Magellan had gifted Humabon’s wife in 1521 (pp. 19–21). Combining contemporary field research in Cebu with critical re-reading of early Spanish accounts, Lee calls attention to competing narratives where local inhabitants claim the statue as their own, all versions claiming that the Spanish usurped a pre-existing local devotion by snatching the image away. The next three chapters on Our Lady of Caysasay, Our Lady of the Rosary, and Our Lady of Antipolo similarly explore how foreign icons and narratives are purposely appropriated as autochthonous phenomena and subsumed into the corpus of Filipino culture. Closely reading primary sources, Lee points to mechanisms that transform the narrative of European images into counter-hegemonic narratives and strategies of resistance. Lee concludes with the general observation that the santos discussed “were widely embraced by their followers . . . because their devotions embedded narratives that memorialized their communities’ survival and resistance amid impossible situations” (p. 132). Lee’s intriguing interpretations and engaging writing style, free of jargon that often plagues academic writing, encourage the reader to read the entire book in one sitting; and to re-read and ponder the ideas presented anew. I have advocated in previous publications for scholarly dialogue between “cultural insiders” and “cultural outsiders” to de-colonize and move forward the discourse [End Page 203] on global history. In studying Spanish colonial Philippine iconographic devotions, Lee occupies a liminal space between cultural insider and outsider, creating an intellectual bridge for both to meet. This book is useful for students and scholars of cultural history, art history, religious studies, and material religion. It is a must read for scholars of the sixteenth-to-nineteenth-century Spanish colonial period in the Philippines. Florina H. Capistrano-Baker Ayala Museum Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines Copyright © 2023 The Catholic University of America Press ...

OLDER ADULT PREFERENCES FOR THE FORMAT AND CONTENT OF PRESCRIPTION MEDICATION LABELS

Abstract The risk of misinterpreting prescription medicine labels (PMLs) is higher among older adults. Given the limited space on PMLs, their format and content should cater to older adults’ medication information and legibility needs. We established the ranking of seven medication-related content variables (indication, precautions, interaction or paired medicines, food instructions, side effects, expiry date, and missed dose action; provision of these content is currently not legally mandated) to be prioritised on PMLs using best-worst scaling (BWS), and determined the relative utilities of five format attributes (presentation of dose-frequency instructions, font size, presentation of dose, presentation and colour of precautions) when incorporated onto PMLs using discrete choice experiment (DCE), from the perspective of older Singaporeans. The variables and attributes were informed by our prior qualitative study and best practices guidelines for PMLs. We recruited 280 older adults (mean age: 68.8±5.4 years). A BWS object case was used to evaluate the relative importance of medication-related content variables (range: 0 to 1). A mixed logit model estimated the relative utilities of attribute levels, which enabled calculation of importance scores for ranking the format attributes (range: 0% to 100%). The three most-preferred content variables were indication (1.000), precautions (0.853) and interaction or paired medicines (0.845). The top three format preferences were tabular presentation of dose-frequency instructions (43.7%), large font size (22.3%) and precautions in red colour (13.6%). The findings inform an actionable way to improve the content and format of PMLs in the real-world, which is aligned with the stated priorities of older adults.

Western blot analysis to confirm biscuit contamination by hidden cow’s milk protein

IgE-mediated food allergies can cause life-threatening anaphylaxis. Management of these allergies is based on a strict avoidance diet in relation to foods that may contain the allergen. The European regulations issued by the INCO (consumer information) provide a list of 14 allergens subject to mandatory declaration [1]. These allergens must be listed (in bold, underlined, large font, etc.) on food packaging in order to allow ready identification when consumers examine the labeling. The precautionary labeling, which is not regulated, includes statements at the end of the list of ingredients [2]. In France, the most frequent main allergens responsible for IgE-mediated allergies in children under 2 years of age are Cow’s Milk (CM) proteins, eggs, and peanuts [3], all of which are on the list of allergens subject to mandatory declaration. In this study, we report the case of a child who developed anaphylaxis after having consumed a biscuit labeled as having no cow’s milk proteins.

Vision and Concussion: Symptoms, Signs, Evaluation, and Treatment.

Visual symptoms are common after concussion in children and adolescents, making it essential for clinicians to understand how to screen, identify, and initiate clinical management of visual symptoms in pediatric patients after this common childhood injury. Although most children and adolescents with visual symptoms after concussion will recover on their own by 4 weeks, for a subset who do not have spontaneous recovery, referral to a specialist with experience in comprehensive concussion management (eg, sports medicine, neurology, neuropsychology, physiatry, ophthalmology, otorhinolaryngology) for additional assessment and treatment may be necessary. A vision-specific history and a thorough visual system examination are warranted, including an assessment of visual acuity, ocular alignment in all positions of gaze, smooth pursuit (visual tracking of a moving object), saccades (visual fixation shifting between stationary targets), vestibulo-ocular reflex (maintaining image focus during movement), near point of convergence (focusing with both eyes at near and accommodation (focusing with one eye at near because any of these functions may be disturbed after concussion. These deficits may contribute to difficulty with returning to both play and the learning setting at school, making the identification of these problems early after injury important for the clinician to provide relevant learning accommodations, such as larger font, preprinted notes, and temporary use of audio books. Early identification and appropriate management of visual symptoms, such as convergence insufficiency or accommodative insufficiency, may mitigate the negative effects of concussion on children and adolescents and their quality of life.

Nutrition and health claims on foods in the EU legislation

The main aim of the EU food legislation is health protection of consumers. The key regulations, Regulation 1169/2011 on food information to consumers and regulation on nutrition and health claims are intended to ensure that consumers have sufficient information about the quality of the food product. That is why there is an effort by the EU to constantly improve food legislation in order to provide consumers with information in an acceptable and useful form. Currently the nutrient profiles and botanical health claims are in the focus of the EU Commission. However, this increases the requirements on food producers, in particular on the packaging of the product, which must fit even more information in a reasonably large font, and on the environment, as the amount of waste produced increases with increasing packaging area. The paper deals with the selected legal arrangements related to the health and nutrition claims on the food in EU food legislation in the context of judgments of the Court of Justice of the EU and point out the actual questions in relation to them.

Perceptions of Medical Cannabis Packaging and Labeling among Middle-Aged and Older Canadians

The use of cannabis for therapeutic purposes is becoming more popular in many countries, including the United States and Canada. In Canada, middle-aged and older adults make up the largest proportion of medical cannabis users. Canadian legislation mandates that medical cannabis be packaged in plain-looking containers with small labels, childproof caps, and required health warnings. This is meant to standardize the way cannabis products are distributed, as well as protect children from accidental ingestion. However, there is limited research on how these regulations affect cannabis users over age 45. In the present study, residents of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada aged 45 and older (n=40) were surveyed regarding their experiences with medical cannabis packaging and labeling. Half of the participants (50%) felt they had a hard time opening their medical cannabis container. A majority (60%) thought having an easy-open lid would be helpful. Most participants (78%) reported experiencing difficulties reading the label on their container, and 75% thought it would be helpful to have a printout of the label in a larger font. In addition, 89% of participants who took more than one kind of medical cannabis favored a symbol on their medication bottle that would indicate the type of medical cannabis contained inside. Implications for policy makers and future research are discussed.

The Most Important Thing We Can Do Is Listen: Making Peer Mentoring Available for All

The purpose of this research was to increase the availability of mentor training materials for people with kidney disease, learning disabilities, and vision difficulties through the creation of an audiobook and a large font textbook to improve their participation in the training process. A qualitative approach was utilized to evaluate the participants’ training experience. A secondary goal of this project was to assess the mentee’s quality of life (QOL) prior to being matched with a mentor and then 3–6 months after the match. During our yearlong study, 11 participants completed the peer mentor training classes and 5 mentees were matched with the mentors. Mentee QOL was measured by the CDC’s Healthy Days Measure before participating in the peer mentoring program and reflected variable QOL for mentee participants. Findings indicate that participants utilized the audiobook and felt it aided their training experience.

The effect of perceptual processing fluency and value on metacognition and remembering.

Previous research has indicated that perceptual processing fluency significantly affects metacognitive predictions of performance but not learning outcomes. In the present study, we examined the differential impact of perceptual processing fluency and an item's value on metacognition and recall. We presented participants with words visually and audibly, with each word paired with a point value counting towards participants' scores if recalled. The words were either highly perceptually fluent (large font, loud volume) or less perceptually fluent (small font, low volume). Results revealed that both metacognitive monitoring (JOLs) and recall were sensitive to perceptual processing fluency as well as value, but the magnitude of the effect of value was significantly greater than that of font size. Specifically, high-value words were better remembered than low-value words, regardless of fluency, and participants' judgments mapped onto their selectivity for valuable information. Thus, the current study revealed the differential effects of intrinsic and extrinsic cues on metacognitive monitoring and later remembering such that the cues that can influence monitoring in certain encoding conditions become less impactful when pitted against other intrinsic cues in different encoding conditions.

How top-down and bottom-up attention modulate risky choice

We examine how bottom-up (or stimulus-driven) and top-down (or goal-driven) processes govern the distribution of attention in risky choice. In three experiments, participants chose between a certain payoff and the chance of receiving a payoff drawn randomly from an array of eight numbers. We tested the hypothesis that initial attention is driven by perceptual properties of the stimulus (e.g., font size of the numbers), but subsequent choice is goal-driven (e.g., win the best outcome). Two experiments in which task framing (goal driven) and font size (stimulus driven) were manipulated demonstrated that payoffs with the highest values and the largest font sizes had the greatest impact on choice. The third experiment added a number in large font to the array, which could not be an outcome of the gamble (i.e., a distractor). Eye movement and choice data indicated that although the distractor attracted attention, it had no influence on option selection. Together with computational modeling analyses, the results suggest that perceptual salience can induce bottom-up effects of overt selection but that the perceived value of information is the crucial arbiter of intentional control over risky choice.