Low Mental Ability Research Articles

INTERCONNECTION RESULTANT EFFECT OF TWO INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES, MENTAL ABILITY AND GENDER, ON LEARNERS’ ACHIEVEMENT IN ABSTRACT CONCEPTS IN BIOLOGY

This study looked at how students' success in grasping abstract concepts in biology was affected by cognitive capacity, Gender, and two different teaching philosophies (project and Inquiry)—a quasi-experimental paradigm known as the pretest-posttest control group design was employed in the study. 120 SSII Biology students were split into treatment and control groups. The students came from six coeducational schools in two Local Government Areas in Kwara State. The tests were the Biology Students Mental Ability Test (r=0.87), the test measuring understanding of abstract concepts in biology (r=0.86), and instructional manuals on inquiry and project techniques. At the 0.05 significance level, three research questions and three hypotheses were examined. The collected data were analyzed using a covariance study, which found that there was a significant 3-way interconnection (interaction effect) between treatment, mental capacity, and gender and learners' accomplishment in abstract ideas in biology (F2,107) = 5.757, P> 0.05). Low mental ability female students (x ̅=24.00) had a lower mean score in project strategy than low mental ability male students ((x) ̅=24.43). In the inquiry strategy, low mental ability male students' mean score (x ̅ = 22.33) was superior to that of low mental ability female students (x ̅ = 20.75); in contrast, the conventional Strategy's mean score (x ̅ = 14.33) for low mental ability male students was superior to that of high mental ability female students (x ̅ = 13.47). The study's conclusions led to the recommendation that project and inquiry methodologies be used to raise students' mental ability and achievement in abstract concepts in biology, among others.

RETRACTED ARTICLE: The powerful effects of social media platforms on orthodontic patient knowledge’s improving, attitude management and it is influence on financial income of the orthodontic clinic

The aim of this study was increasingly influencing the health care landscape, so orthodontic patients can easily obtain information about orthodontic. The aim of this study was to investigate the benefits of using social media sites as a source of information to orthodontic patients for improving their knowledge about orthodontic care and treatment and the extend of its on reduce the duration of orthodontic treatment (DOT) and investigate the potential benefits of using social media platforms in marketing in orthodontic practices to increase the financial income of orthodontic clinics. 150 orthodontic patients were recruited as participants from the orthodontic clinic at the Near East University (in North Cyprus). The patients were 13 years and over from both sexes. Patients were excluded if they were not users of social media sites, had a history of previous orthodontic treatment, craniofacial syndrome, or low mental abilities. About 74% of the participants (mostly females) confirmed that social networking sites were the major driver for them to take the decision to come to the orthodontist and start orthodontic treatment. 73% of the respondents reported using social media sites as a source of information related to orthodontic treatment, where the Instagram was the most used program.

"Air Anatomy" - Teaching Complex Spatial Anatomy Using Simple Hand Gestures.

Spatial understanding of complex anatomical concepts is often a challenge for learners, as well as for educators. It is even more challenging for students with low mental spatial abilities. There are many options to teach spatial relationships, ranging from simple models to high-end three-dimensional (3D) virtual reality tools. Using a randomized controlled trial design, this study explored the use of a unique combination of deictic and iconic hand gestures to enhance spatial anatomical understanding, coining the term "Air Anatomy". The control group (n=45) was given a lecture on the anatomy of extraocular muscles, while the intervention group (n=49) received the same lecture including "Air Anatomy" hand gestures. When compared to the control group, the post-test scores for the intervention group were significantly higher for basic recall (P<0.001; Mann-Whitney U test) and for the application of knowledge (P=0.015; Mann-Whitney U test). Students with low to moderate spatial ability (as assessed by a mental rotation test) were found to benefit most by this technique. Students in the intervention group also reported a lower extrinsic cognitive load and higher germane load, when compared to the control group. An instructional skills questionnaire survey indicated the effectiveness of this technique in improving overall classroom experience. Feedback of the students in the intervention group was also favorable for instruction using "Air Anatomy". The study suggests that "Air Anatomy" is a useful, "no-cost", accessible method that aids spatial understanding of anatomical concepts.

ASSESSMENT OF THE RELATIONSHIP OF MENTAL ABILITIES AND FINE MOTOR SKILLS WITH ORAL HYGIENE IN SCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN

The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between hand-eye coordination, the general level of intellectual abilities and fine motor skills with oral hygiene in school-age children. Two age groups of schoolchildren, 7-9 years old and 10-12 years old, were selected for the study. For children aged 7-9 years old, it was proposed to pass L. Bender's visual-motor gestalt test and Torrance's creativity test. For children 10-12 years old - a short orientation test and Torrance's creativity test. After testing, the oral hygiene index OHI-S was determined using indicator tablets. According to the test results, the following data were obtained. In children aged 7-9 years, L. Bender's visual-motor gestalt test showed values from 13-45 points, Torrance's creativity test - 26-96 points. In children aged 10-12 years, a short orientation test showed values of 4-17 points, Torrance's creativity test - 28-99 points. For further work with the data obtained, three groups were identified in each test: with high, medium, and low mental abilities. In each of the groups obtained, the average values of the level of hygiene were determined. The study found that low hygiene index scores correspond to those students whose test results for mental ability and fine motor skills are high, and vice versa, high hygiene index scores correspond to those children whose test scores are low. Thus, the level of oral hygiene is directly related to mental performance and fine motor skills in children.

Prevalence and Intensity of Intestinal Helminth Infections in Preschool Pupils in Lugari Subcounty, Kakamega County, Kenya.

Intestinal helminths cause anaemia, malnutrition, indigestion disorders, retarded growth, and low mental abilities in pupils. About 1.5 billion are infected globally. Intestinal helminth infections are caused by Ascaris lumbricoides, Trichuris trichiura, Strongyloides stercoralis, Enterobius vermicularis, Ancylostoma duodenale, and Necator americanus. Lugari Subcounty has poor sanitation and inadequate clean water. This study determined the prevalence of intestinal helminth infections in preschool pupils in Lugari Subcounty. A stratified multistage cluster experimental design was used. Sampling was carried out in four wards: Lumakanda, Lugari, Luandeti, and Chekalini. Preschool pupils of either gender were selected randomly. Written consents and verbal assent were obtained from parents or guardians and preschool pupils, respectively. Questionnaires were administered in order to collect sociodemographic data. Stool samples were collected and tested for the presence of eggs using the standard Kato-Katz technique. Prevalence rate and prevalence ratio were calculated as the percentage of infected preschool pupils among the total number of preschool pupils examined. Preschool pupils positive with helminths were treated freely, and a follow-up screening was conducted three months after treatment. Approval of the study was sought from the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology Institutional Ethical Review Board (MMUST IRB). The overall prevalence of intestinal helminths was 12.3%. Only one species, Ascaris lumbricoides, was identified. Statistical tests were carried out at a 5% significance level (p < 0.05, confidence interval (CI) 95%). There was a statistically significant association for prevalence and intensity of intestinal helminths versus factors like school location, knowledge of washing hands before eating, and awareness of washing hands after visiting a toilet. Although this study revealed a low prevalence and light intensity, some factors had significant effects on intestinal helminth infections among the preschool children. Therefore, there is a need to intensify efforts for their intestinal helminth control.

Robots are friends as well as foes: Ambivalent attitudes toward mindful and mindless AI robots in the United States and China

In light of the ongoing and rapid development of innovative technologies, two intriguing issues arise: do people have more positive or more negative attitudes toward robots with high (versus low) mental capabilities, and do attitudes toward robots differ between Western and East Asian cultures? Past work on these topics has produced contradictory results. Inspired by the perspective that attitudes are ambivalent rather than bipolar, we argue that these controversial findings stem from people's ambivalent attitudes toward robots. To test the assumption that ambivalent attitudes toward robots differ by type of robots and by cultural background, we conducted an experimental study. By manipulating the level of robot mind and recruiting both American and Chinese participants, we examined how robot mind and culture influence ambivalent attitudes toward robots. We simultaneously measured participants' perceptions of robots as “ally” or “enemy”. The results revealed that robots with high (versus low) mental abilities elicited more ambivalent attitudes and that American participants reported more ambivalence toward robots than Chinese participants. These findings enhance our understanding of human–robot interaction and provide guidance for modulating people's attitudes toward robots.

Effect of mental rotation skills training on ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia task performance by novice operators: a rater-blinded, randomised, controlled study

BackgroundThe effect of mental rotation training on ultrasound-guided regional anaesthesia (UGRA) skill acquisition is currently unknown. In this study we aimed to examine whether mental rotation skill training can improve UGRA task performance by novice operators. MethodsWe enrolled 94 volunteers with no prior experience of UGRA in this randomised controlled study. After a baseline mental rotation test, their performance in a standardised UGRA needling task was independently assessed by two raters using the composite error score (CES) and global rating scale (GRS). Volunteers with low baseline mental rotation ability were randomised to a mental rotation training group or a no training group, and the UGRA needling task was repeated to determine the impact of the training intervention on task performance. The study primary outcome measure was UGRA needling task CES measured before and after the training intervention. ResultsMultivariate analyses controlling for age, gender, and previous performance showed that participants exposed to the training intervention made significantly fewer errors (CES B=-0.66 [standard error, se=0.17]; P<0.001; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.92 to -0.26) and displayed improved overall performance (GRS B=6.15 [se=2.99], P=0.048, 95% CI=0.06 to 12.13) when undertaking the UGRA needling task. ConclusionsA simple training intervention, based on the manipulation and rotation of three-dimensional models, results in improved technical performance of a UGRA needling task in operators with low baseline mental rotation skills.

Guiding Low Spatial Ability Individuals through Visual Cueing: The Dual Importance of Where and When to Look.

Research suggests that spatial ability may predict success in complex disciplines including anatomy, where mastery requires a firm understanding of the intricate relationships occurring along the course of veins, arteries, and nerves, as they traverse through and around bones, muscles, and organs. Debate exists on the malleability of spatial ability, and some suggest that spatial ability can be enhanced through training. It is hypothesized that spatial ability can be trained in low-performing individuals through visual guidance. To address this, training was completed through a visual guidance protocol. This protocol was based on eye-movement patterns of high-performing individuals, collected via eye-tracking as they completed an Electronic Mental Rotations Test (EMRT). The effects of guidance were evaluated using 33 individuals with low mental rotation ability, in a counterbalanced crossover design. Individuals were placed in one of two treatment groups (late or early guidance) and completed both a guided, and an unguided EMRT. A third group (no guidance/control) completed two unguided EMRTs. All groups demonstrated an increase in EMRT scores on their second test (P < 0.001); however, an interaction was observed between treatment and test iteration (P = 0.024). The effect of guidance on scores was contingent on when the guidance was applied. When guidance was applied early, scores were significantly greater than expected (P = 0.028). These findings suggest that by guiding individuals with low mental rotation ability "where" to look early in training, better search approaches may be adopted, yielding improvements in spatial reasoning scores. It is proposed that visual guidance may be applied in spatial fields, such as STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics and medicine), surgery, and anatomy to improve student's interpretation of visual content. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

TEACHERS’ ROLE IN IDENTIFICATION AND SUPPORT FOR SLOW LEARNERS AT THE LOWER BASIC EDUCATION LEVELS: IMPLICATIONS FOR COUNSELLING

Much attention has been given to the categories of children with special needs in the school system in Nigeria but not much has been done concerning the slow learners in the mainstream classes of normal school system in Abia State. This study therefore investigated teachers’ role in the identification and support for slow learners at the lower basic levels of education in Abia State, Nigeria. To guide the study, three research questions were asked. Descriptive survey research design was used for the study. A total of 300 lower basic education teachers consisted the sample for the study using simple random sampling technique. The data was collected using a 40-item questionnaire titled “Teachers Identification and Support for Slow Learners Questionnaire (TISSLQ)”. The instrument has a reliability index of 84. The data collected was analysed using mean scored test statistic. The result of study showed that slow learners can be identified by low mental ability, short memory, short attention span, interview, observation among others. The result also revealed that one-on-one instruction with the teacher or peers, using different methods of teaching among others provides the most beneficial value to the slow learners. Based on the findings of this study, it was recommended that individual education programme should be provided to children who are slow learners in addition to counselling services in normal school system in Abia State, Nigeria. Article visualizations: </a

Complex cognitive skill retention: The roles of general mental ability and refresher interventions in a simulated vocational setting

AbstractIn organizations, the assessment of mental abilities is a common way to predict learning success. This paper analyses the effect of general mental ability on skill retention and examines the relationship between refresher interventions and general mental ability in terms of skill retention. Two hundred sixty‐six adult participants were trained to perform a complex cognitive skill in a simulated chemical processing plant (Week 1). After 1 week, 158 participants received intermediate computer‐assisted refresher intervention training in which the skill was applied (Week 2; 108 received no intervention). Finally, participants had to recall (perform) the learned skill after 2 weeks (Week 3). Results show that general mental ability alone affects skill retention with small effect sizes and that refresher interventions affect skill retention positively for low and high general mental ability levels. The findings suggest that persons with low and high general mental abilities benefit equally from refresher interventions in order to maintain complex cognitive skills.

Inhibitors and facilitators of compassion-focused imagery in personality disorder.

Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) has potential to benefit clients with a personality disorder (PD), given the inflated levels of shame and self-criticism in this population. However, clinical observation indicates that clients with PD may find techniques from this approach challenging. The aim of this study is to trial one aspect of CFT, compassion-focused imagery (CFI), with this population, and identify factors that predict clients' ability to generate CFI and experience self-compassion during the task, including type of CFI exercise and, second, to establish whether CFI outcomes increase with practice. In Study 1, 53 participants with a diagnosis of PD completed measures of self-compassion, self-reassurance, shame, self-criticism, fear of self-compassion, affect, anxious and avoidant attachment, and mental imagery abilities. Participants were assigned to trial CFI from memory (n=25) or from imagination (n=28), then rated their image's vividness, its compassionate traits, and ease of experiencing compassion. A negative mood manipulation was carried out, and CFI tasks and outcome measures were repeated. For Study 2, self-compassion and self-criticism were measured before and after 1week of daily CFI practice. Study 1 found that negative mood and low mental imagery ability are significant inhibitors to generating compassionate images and affect. The 2 CFI exercises were equally effective. Study 2 suffered from high attrition, but regular practice was associated with significant improvement in self-compassion (though not self-criticism). CFI appears to be effective in improving self-compassion for some clients. However, it is less effective in the presence of negative affect. Clients with low mental imagery ability may benefit more from alternative CFT techniques.

Time limits in testing: An analysis of eye movements and visual attention in spatial problem solving.

Individuals with an aptitude for interpreting spatial information (high mental rotation ability: HMRA) typically master anatomy with more ease, and more quickly, than those with low mental rotation ability (LMRA). This article explores how visual attention differs with time limits on spatial reasoning tests. Participants were assorted to two groups based on their mental rotation ability scores and their eye movements were collected during these tests. Analysis of salience during testing revealed similarities between MRA groups in untimed conditions but significant differences between the groups in the timed one. Question-by-question analyses demonstrate that HMRA individuals were more consistent across the two timing conditions (κ = 0.25), than the LMRA (κ = 0.013). It is clear that the groups respond to time limits differently and their apprehension of images during spatial problem solving differs significantly. Without time restrictions, salience analysis suggests LMRA individuals attended to similar aspects of the images as HMRA and their test scores rose concomitantly. Under timed conditions however, LMRA diverge from HMRA attention patterns, adopting inflexible approaches to visual search and attaining lower test scores. With this in mind, anatomical educators may wish to revisit some evaluations and teaching approaches in their own practice. Although examinations need to evaluate understanding of anatomical relationships, the addition of time limits may induce an unforeseen interaction of spatial reasoning and anatomical knowledge. Anat Sci Educ 10: 528-537. © 2017 American Association of Anatomists.

Not all anxious individuals get lost: Trait anxiety and mental rotation ability interact to explain performance in map-based route learning in men

Navigation through an environment is a fundamental human activity. Although group differences in navigational ability are documented (e.g., gender), little is known about traits that predict these abilities. Apart from a well-established link between mental rotational abilities and navigational learning abilities, recent studies point to an influence of trait anxiety on the formation of internal cognitive spatial representations. However, it is unknown whether trait anxiety affects the processing of information obtained through externalized representations such as maps. Here, we addressed this question by taking into account emerging evidence indicating impaired performance in executive tasks by high trait anxiety specifically in individuals with lower executive capacities. For this purpose, we tested 104 male participants, previously characterised on trait anxiety and mental rotation ability, on a newly-designed map-based route learning task, where participants matched routes presented dynamically on a city map to one presented immediately before (same/different judgments). We predicted an interaction between trait anxiety and mental rotation ability, specifically that performance in the route learning task would be negatively affected by anxiety in participants with low mental rotation ability. Importantly, and as predicted, an interaction between anxiety and mental rotation ability was observed: trait anxiety negatively affected participants with low—but not high—mental rotation ability. Our study reveals a detrimental role of trait anxiety in map-based route learning and specifies a disadvantage in the processing of map representations for high-anxious individuals with low mental rotation abilities.

EFFECT OF PRIOR KNOWLEDGE OF BEHAVIOURAL OBJECTIVES ON MATHEMATICS ACHIEVEMENT OF HIGH AND LOW MENTAL ABILITY SECONDARY SCHOOL STUDENTS IN IMO STATE, NIGERIA

The high rate of failure in external mathematics examination among secondary school students in Nigeria calls for great concern. The sole use of conventional methods by mathematics teachers in teaching could be one of the factors that lead to high rate of failure in mathematics examinations. Against this background, this study determined the effect of prior knowledge of behavioural objectives on Mathematics achievement of high and low mental ability secondary school students in Imo State, Nigeria. Two research questions and two null hypotheses provided focus to this study. Quasi experimental design specifically the pre-test, post-test non-equivalent control group design was adopted. A sample of 94(45 male and 49 female) mathematicsstudents with average age of 15 years was used for the study. Two instruments: General Mental Ability Test (GMAT) and Mathematics Achievement Test (MAT) were used for data collection. The instruments were face and content validated by experts. The reliability of MAT was established using KuderRichardson formula 21 (KR-21) for section A and Cronbach alpha for section B and were found to have internal consistency of 0.99 and 0.86 respectively. The reliability of GMAT was ascertained using Kuder Richardson formula 21 (KR-21) which yielded an internal consistency of 0.99. Mean was used to answer the research questions while Analysis of Co-variance (ANCOVA) was used to test the hypotheses at 0.05 level of significant. Results showedthat: High mental ability students who had prior knowledge of behavioural objectives performed better than the high mental ability students who did of behavioural objectives performed better than the low mental ability students who did not have prior knowledge of behavioural objectives. Based on the findings, the researcher recommended that mathematics teachers shouldexpose learners to the knowledge ofbehavioural objectives before the lesson’s content development begins. Keywords: Prior Knowledge, Behavioural Objective, Mental Ability, Mathematics and Secondary Schools.

Intelligence and the psychological refractory period: A lateralized readiness potential study

The psychological refractory period (PRP) refers to a delay of response times (RT) to the second of two stimuli when these stimuli are presented in rapid succession. If this limitation of rapidly processing the second stimulus contributes to the well-known differences in speed of information processing between individuals with higher and lower mental ability, individuals with lower mental ability should exhibit a more pronounced PRP effect than individuals with higher mental ability. Previous studies on this question, however, yielded inconsistent results. In the present study, we assessed mental ability-related differences in the PRP by measuring lateralized readiness potentials (LRPs) to separate premotor and motor aspects of speed of information processing in 95 individuals with higher and 95 individuals with lower mental ability. Although individuals with higher mental ability processed information faster than individuals with lower mental ability as indicated by shorter RTs and shorter premotor LRP latencies, the PRP effect was equally pronounced in both groups. These findings suggest that the processes underlying the PRP effect do not contribute to mental ability-related differences in speed of information processing. Rather, these differences seem to occur at an earlier stage of information processing such as stimulus encoding, stimulus analysis, or stimulus evaluation.

The Distinguishing Personality Traits of Intelligent Fresh Graduates. A Comparison Study of High and Low GMA Individuals

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between mental ability and personality traits and to decide whether there are differences in some personality traits between individuals who were classified as having high verses low general mental ability (GMA). 209 individual who achieved high score (percentile 84 or higher) on a general mental ability test were compared with 136 individuals who achieve low score (percentile 16 or less) on the same test. 15 personality characteristics were measured in both groups using the Jackson Personality Inventory. The results indicate that there are significant differences between high and low GMA individuals on the personality traits. Fresh graduates with high GMA have higher levels on the following traits: innovation, traditional values, responsibility, complexity, tolerance, breadth of interest, organization, energy level, social confidence, and risk taking. On the other side, low GMA have higher levels on traits of anxiety and cooperation. Furthermore, gender seems to have impact on personality traits. While the dominant traits of intelligent females are innovation and responsibility, the dominant traits of males are risk taking and innovation. The current results may help in better employee selection and career counseling for fresh university graduates. Some theoretical and empirical implications of the results are further discussed.

The joint role of spatial ability and imagery strategy in sustaining the learning of spatial descriptions under spatial interference

The present study investigates the joint role of spatial ability, imagery strategy and visuospatial working memory (VSWM) in spatial text processing. A set of 180 participants, half of them trained on the use of imagery strategy (training vs no-training groups), was further divided according to participants' high or low mental rotation ability (HMR vs LMR). Each group listened to environment descriptions and performed recall tasks before and immediately after training/no-training, and again after listening to a text while performing a spatial tapping task. Visuospatial and verbal tests were also administered. Our results showed that HMR had a better spatial profile than LMR participants, and that only LMR participants benefited from training and showed the interference effect. Overall, our findings indicate that a good spatial ability reduces the spatial interference effect and that poor spatial ability, which is related to the spatial interference effect, can be partially compensated by learning imagery strategy.

Evidence for mental ability related individual differences in the attentional blink obtained by an analysis of the P300 component

Attentional blink (AB) refers to impaired identification of a target (T2) when this target follows a preceding target (T1) after about 150–450ms within a stream of rapidly presented stimuli. Previous research on a possible relation between AB and mental ability (MA) turned out to be highly ambiguous. The present study investigated MA-related individual differences in consolidation of T2 in working memory during the AB as indicated by the P300 component of the event-related potential. Thirty high (HA) and 30 low MA (LA) female participants performed an AB task while their brain activity was recorded. The AB did not differ between the two groups. HA individuals exhibited a larger P300 amplitude and longer P300 latencies during the AB suggesting higher mental effort. This higher mental effort, however, did not result in better performance presumably because of more competition between target and distractor stimuli in HA than LA individuals.

An Explorative Analysis of Children’s Drop-Outs from Rural Schools of Pakistan

The purpose of this paper is to present an explorative analysis about the causes of children’s high proportion of drop-outs from rural schools of Pakistan. For this purpose, simple random sampling technique was used by taking a sample size of 120 respondents from six villages of the rural areas of district Jhang, Pakistan in 2010. The major objectives of the said research were to investigate the socio-economic hurdles of the drop-outs of children from schools, to find out the attitude of parents towards the drop-outs, and finally to suggest the measures for solving the problems regarding drop-outs of rural children from schools. Initially, the pre-testing was done on ten respondents before starting the actual research. As a result of the said research, it was found that there are certain factors, e.g. uneducated parents, teachers’ behavior, low mental ability, bad habits, bad peer group and scarcity of educated people in the community, which not only affects the performance of the children but also ends it in the form of their drop out from school.

Integrating information from two pictorial animations: Complexity and cognitive prerequisites influence performance

Dividing visual attention between spatially distinct sources of information could either be beneficial (if there is too much information for a single visualization) or detrimental (if interrelated information has to be mentally re-integrated) for learning. We present a new display technology allowing for the presentation of two distinct animations by avoiding split foci of visual attention: learners are able to switch between animations by moving their head. We examined how 84 naïve learners integrated information in three presentation modes: the ‘vexing-image’ mode displaying two animations, participants being able to switch between them without shifting the visual focus, a classical ‘split-screen’ and an ‘overlaid’ condition. Results showed that reduced complexity led to higher performance. Further, we showed that participants with high mental rotation abilities were best in the ‘split-screen’ mode, whereas participants with low mental rotation abilities benefited most from the ‘vexing-image’. Theoretical and instructional consequences of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.