Perceptual Training Research Articles

The Effect of a Comprehensive Corrective Exercise Program on Kyphosis Angle and Balance in Kyphotic Adolescents.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of a comprehensive corrective exercise program on the kyphosis angle and balance in kyphotic adolescents. A total of 62 male adolescents (between the ages of 10 and 18, mean BMI 21.7 kg/m2) with a thoracic kyphosis (TK) angle of ≥ 50° were divided into three groups using the simple randomization method: CCEP (comprehensive corrective exercise program), TEP (thoracic exercise program) and control group. The CCEP program consisted of corrective exercises plus postural perception training (PPT). Exercise programs were applied for 40-50 min, 3 days a week for 12 weeks. The kyphosis angle was measured using a flexible ruler, and balance was assessed using the Romberg index obtained from pedobarography. After training, a highly significant reduction in the kyphosis angle was observed in the CCEP and TEP groups (p < 0.001). Comparison among the groups showed a greater reduction in the kyphosis angle in the CCEP group (p < 0.020). Postural perception improved in the CCEP group versus other groups (p < 0.001). Improvement of the Romberg index (balance) was found only in the CCEP group upon within-group comparison (p < 0.001), with no difference among the groups (p > 0.05). The use of postural perception in combination with corrective exercise programs for thoracic kyphosis represents a comprehensive approach, and PPT can increase the effectiveness of the intervention.

Empowering episodic memory through a model-based egocentric navigational training.

Recent works have proposed that spatial mechanisms in the hippocampal-entorhinal system might have originally developed to represent distances and positions in the physical space and successively evolved to represent experience and memory in the mental space (Bellmund et al. 2018; Bottini and Doeller 2020). Within this phylogenetic continuity hypothesis (Buzsáki and Moser 2013), mechanisms supporting episodic and semantic memory would have evolved from egocentric and allocentric spatial navigation mechanisms, respectively. Recent studies have described a specific relationship between human performance in egocentric navigation and episodic memory (Committeri et al. 2020; Fragueiro et al. 2021), representing the first behavioral support to this hypothesis. Here, we tested the causal relationship among egocentric navigation and both episodic and semantic components of declarative memory. We conducted two experiments on healthy young adults: in the first experiment, participants were submitted to a navigational training based on path integration, while in the second experiment, participants completed a control training based on visual-perceptual learning. Performance in a set of memory tasks assessing episodic, semantic and short-term memory was compared among the pre- vs. post-training sessions. The results indicated a significant improvement of the episodic memory but not of the semantic or the short-term memory performance following the navigational training. In addition, no modulations of performance across the three memory tasks were observed following the control perceptual training. Our findings provide brand-new evidence of a potential causal association between mechanisms of egocentric navigation and episodic memory, thereby further supporting the phylogenetic continuity hypothesis between navigation and memory mechanisms as well as offering new insights about possible clinical applications of navigational trainings for memory functions/dysfunctions.

Learning to perceive the gist of cancer through perceptual training

Learning to perceive the gist of cancer through perceptual training

Long-term changes in cortical representation through perceptual learning of spectrally degraded speech.

Listeners can adapt to acoustically degraded speech with perceptual training. The learning processes for long periods underlies the rehabilitation of patients with hearing aids or cochlear implants. Perceptual learning of acoustically degraded speech has been associated with the frontotemporal cortices. However, neural processes during and after long-term perceptual learning remain unclear. Here we conducted perceptual training of noise-vocoded speech sounds (NVSS), which is spectrally degraded signals, and measured the cortical activity for seven days and the follow up testing (approximately 1year later) to investigate changes in neural activation patterns using functional magnetic resonance imaging. We demonstrated that young adult participants (n = 5) improved their performance across seven experimental days, and the gains were maintained after 10months or more. Representational similarity analysis showed that the neural activation patterns of NVSS relative to clear speech in the left posterior superior temporal sulcus (pSTS) were significantly different across seven training days, accompanying neural changes in frontal cortices. In addition, the distinct activation patterns to NVSS in the frontotemporal cortices were also observed 10-13months after the training. We, therefore, propose that perceptual training can induce plastic changes and long-term effects on neural representations of the trained degraded speech in the frontotemporal cortices. These behavioral improvements and neural changes induced by the perceptual learning of degraded speech will provide insights into cortical mechanisms underlying adaptive processes in difficult listening situations and long-term rehabilitation of auditory disorders.

Specific versus varied practice in perceptual expertise training.

We used a longitudinal randomized control experiment to compare the effect of specific practice (training on one form of a task) and varied practice (training on various forms of a task) on perceptual learning and transfer. Participants practiced a visual search task for 10 hours over 2 to 4 weeks. The specific practice group searched for features only in fingerprints during each session, whereas the varied practice group searched for features in five different image categories. Both groups were tested on a series of tasks at four time points: before training, midway through training, immediately after training ended, and 6 to 8 weeks later. The specific group improved more during training and demonstrated greater pre-post performance gains than the varied group on a visual search task with untrained fingerprint images. Both groups improved equally on a visual search task with an untrained image category, but only the specific group's performance dropped significantly when tested several weeks later. Finally, both groups improved equally on a series of untrained fingerprint tasks. Practice with respect to a single category (versus many) instills better near transfer, but category-specific and category-general visual search training appear equally effective for developing task-general expertise. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Physician and Trainee Perceptions of Telecritical Care Practice and Education: Results of a Programmatic Survey.

Telecritical care (TCC) as a telehealth modality seeks to remedy contemporary shortfalls in staffing and experience at the bedside. Physician and physician trainee perceptions of TCC practice and education can help inform programmatic and curricular decisions. The perceptions of TCC and a formalized structured TCC rotation from faculty and trainees are unknown. To evaluate perceptions of TCC practice and education among participating physicians and trainees. Survey of physicians and trainees participating in the Emory Critical Care Center's TCC unit from 2017 to 2021 was conducted, after implementation of a structured TCC educational curriculum. Items were developed with a 5-point Likert scale. The overall response rate was 71% (43 of 61). Most respondents felt their knowledge was used appropriately and that their recommendations were well received at the bedside. The majority perceived that the TCC program improved continuity, quality, and safety of patient care. More than half of respondents would practice TCC in the future, and most would advocate for it. Most fellows were comfortable providing patient care remotely after their rotation. The majority of respondents felt TCC did not add to their level of burnout. This programmatic evaluation identified perceived improvements in patient care. Implementation of a TCC rotation does not seem to negatively impact the educational experience of trainees.

Застосування тест-тренажерів для контролю психофізіологічного стану юних спортсменів

The purpose of the study was to find out the effectiveness of using computer tests simulators, in particular the "MY_TIMER" program, to assess the functional state of students before and after training and to choose the optimal load in the training process. Materials and methods. The methods which were used in the study were theoretical analysis and generalization of scientific theoretical literature, computer test simulators, the "MY_TIMER" program, which was designed to assess a person's condition based on the analysis of his/her subjective perception of different periods of time. Standard test procedure: 1) Install time interval of 10 seconds on the scale. 2) Instructions to the subject: "After the start of the stopwatch, press the left mouse button 12 times every 10 seconds". 3) The subject, looking at the stopwatch, fixes 12 times by pressing buttons for a time interval of 10 seconds (we get objective indicators). 4) Then close the eyes and perform the same task without visual control (we get subjective indicators). 5) Comparison of results shows a subjective shift of subjective assessment of a time interval of 10 seconds. 14 participators of the experiment are 12-14-year-old students of Slavutych secondary school, who regularly attend swimming training in the pool. Statistical processing of data was carried out using Microsoft Excel. Results and discussion. Analysis of the obtained results before objective and subjective training of perception of different periods of time showed an increased level of mental activity, that is, the state of excitement of young athletes, their optimal readiness for surgery activity. After the training, there are only qualitatively unreliable changes in the results of schoolchildren. Negative average result (subjective shift of subjective assessment) is an indicator that it will be possible to increase the load of swimmers on the next training. Out of 14 subjects, only one had a positive subjective test result (just over one second). Increasing the subjective assessment of the interval time longer than 3 seconds is usually accompanied by a decrease in the level of mental activity due to fatigue, decreased concentration of attention, drowsiness – that is, it characterizes a state of apathy, emotional "burnout". Therefore, for this student, physical and emotional load was quite significant. In other students, in whom psychophysiological indicators were determined, unspent resources after training were remained. Conclusion. Use of computer test simulators, in particular the program "MY_TIMER" is relevant and promising, it gives an opportunity to determine readiness of schoolchildren to perform physical exercise and psychophysiological control states of young athletes after training. The obtained negative average result (subjective shift of subjective assessment) after training by young swimmers is an indicator for increasing the physical load in the next training session. Computer test simulators with other programs for determination psychophysiological indicators must be used for correcting construction training and determining the individual workload for every athlete

Implementation of an interprofessional education session for postgraduate trainees

AbstractPostgraduate residency training provides an opportunity to acquire and apply skills and behaviors learned through interprofessional education (IPE) sessions. Little data exists regarding the perceptions of resident trainees on benefits and barriers of IPE. In this paper, we describe the development and implementation of a case‐based IPE activity focused on chronic obstructive pulmonary disease management and inhaler technique in order to explore pharmacy and medicine resident perceptions of IPE. Perceptions of IPE were logged via survey and interviews in parallel with participation in the IPE activity and were analyzed with a constructivist grounded theory approach to identify common themes. Four themes supporting IPE models were found including better understanding of another profession's skills, integration of another profession's skill and perspective to improve patient care, recognition of gaps in expertise, and perception of time and coordination as barriers to learning with other professions. In conclusion, IPE activities improve and advance the perceptions and knowledge that medicine and pharmacy residents have about each other's professions.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association Clinical Practice Guideline on Aural Rehabilitation for Adults With Hearing Loss.

Hearing loss poses a significant public health challenge as a common chronic condition with many known side effects that are often worse when left untreated. Aural rehabilitation (AR) is an umbrella term that encompasses a range of interventions (e.g., informational counseling and perceptual training) designed to reduce deficits related to hearing loss that may stand alone or be used in combination as part of a holistic plan. This evidence-based clinical practice guideline is intended to inform the implementation of person-centered AR to adults with hearing loss. Given the well-known benefits of sensory management, it was not included within the scope of this guideline. The recommendations aim to help clinicians, individuals with hearing loss, and other stakeholders make evidence-informed treatment decisions and improve clinical outcomes, as well as provide payers and policymakers with information detailing a comprehensive approach to AR. The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) and a multidisciplinary panel of subject matter experts prioritized key clinical questions and outcomes that served as the foundation of the guideline. The clinical recommendations were based on a comprehensive systematic review and a meta-analysis of 85 studies published between 1978 and 2021. Given the current state of the evidence, resource considerations, patient acceptability, clinical feasibility, and the overall balance of benefits and harms, ASHA developed several evidence-based recommendations for the provision of AR to adults with hearing loss. Each recommendation is accompanied by a series of key practice points to support its implementation within a person-centered framework.

Current Attitudes of Chinese Dairy Practitioners to Pain and Its Management in Intensively Raised Dairy Cattle.

Pain in dairy cattle is gaining attention globally. This study investigated the current attitudes of Chinese dairy practitioners to pain and its management in intensively raised dairy cattle. A total of 465 valid questionnaires with 26 painful conditions scored on numerical rating scales were collected from dairy practitioners. Data were analysed by descriptive statistics, analysis of variance, principal component analysis, and multivariate regression models. Dystocia was perceived as the most painful, while mild mastitis with milk changes only was perceived as the least painful. Respondents who agreed with the statement "pain management is worthwhile" tended to give a higher pain score. Young respondents (≤23 years old) and those from farms with ≤1000 cattle had lower pain scores for conditions with severe pain and low variability but higher pain scores for conditions with less severe pain and high variability, whereas highly educated respondents had consistently lower pain scores. As for pain management, older respondents (≥24 years old) tended to choose non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and farms with >1000 cattle were more likely to use analgesics. Training in pain perception and management should be emphasised with the hope of promoting animal welfare and reducing unnecessary production losses.

The determinant factors influencing accounting students’ interest in tax career

This research is to examine the influences of professional perception, self-ability, career expectation, and brevet tax training on the students’ interest in tax career. The population of this research is Class 2017 and Class 2018 students of Accounting Study Program of Universitas Islam Indonesia. The number of samples is 90 students who were collected using purposive sampling method based on the criteria of having completed the taxation subject and brevet tax training. The data processing tool employed was IBM SPSS version 25. The findings show that professional perception, career expectation, and brevet tax training positively affect the interest of accounting students to have career in tax. However, self-ability does not show any influence on the students’ interest to have career in tax. This Research is expected to be a consideration for educational institutios to motivate students to have a career in taxation.

A quantitative cross-sectional study assessing the surgical trainee perception of the operating room educational environment

BackgroundLimited hours and service provision are diminishing training opportunities, whilst increasing standards of surgical proficiency is being sought. It is imperative to maximise the value of each educational event. An objective measure of higher surgical trainee perception of the operating room environment in England has not been performed before and this can steer future change in optimising educational events in theatre. The Operating Room Educational Environment Measure (OREEM) evaluates each component of the learning environment to enable optimisation of these educational events. However, the OREEM has not yet been assessed for reliability in higher surgical trainees in England.The aim of the current study was to explore areas of strength and weakness in the educational environment in the operating room as perceived by surgical trainees’ in one English region. The secondary aim was to assess the reliability of the OREEM.MethodsUsing a quantitative approach, data was collected over one month from surgical trainees in England using the OREEM.ResultsFifty-four surgical trainees completed the questionnaire. The OREEM had good internal consistency (α = 0.906, variables = 40). The mean OREEM score was 79.16%. Areas for improvement included better learning opportunities (average subscale score = 72.9%) and conducting pre- and post-operative teaching (average score = 70.4%). Trainees were most satisfied with the level of supervision and workload (average subscale score = 82.87%). The learning environment favoured senior trainees (p = 0.017). There was a strong correlation between OREEM and the global satisfaction score (p < 0.001).ConclusionsThe OREEM was shown to be a reliable measure of the educational environment. It can be used to identify areas of improvement and as an audit tool. The current perception of the education environment is satisfactory, however, areas of improvement include reducing service provision, empowering trainees to plan lists, improving teamwork and using tools to optimise the educational value of each operation. There is a favourable attitude regarding the use of improvement tools, especially for dissatisfied trainees.

Multi-Branch Adaptive Hard Region Mining Network for Urban Scene Parsing of High-Resolution Remote-Sensing Images

Scene parsing of high-resolution remote-sensing images (HRRSIs) refers to parsing different semantic regions from the images, which is an important fundamental task in image understanding. However, due to the inherent complexity of urban scenes, HRRSIs contain numerous object classes. These objects present large-scale variation and irregular morphological structures. Furthermore, their spatial distribution is uneven and contains substantial spatial details. All these features make it difficult to parse urban scenes accurately. To deal with these dilemmas, in this paper, we propose a multi-branch adaptive hard region mining network (MBANet) for urban scene parsing of HRRSIs. MBANet consists of three branches, namely, a multi-scale semantic branch, an adaptive hard region mining (AHRM) branch, and an edge branch. First, the multi-scale semantic branch is constructed based on a feature pyramid network (FPN). To reduce the memory footprint, ResNet50 is chosen as the backbone, which, combined with the atrous spatial pyramid pooling module, can extract rich multi-scale contextual information effectively, thereby enhancing object representation at various scales. Second, an AHRM branch is proposed to enhance feature representation of hard regions with a complex distribution, which would be difficult to parse otherwise. Third, the edge-extraction branch is introduced to supervise boundary perception training so that the contours of objects can be better captured. In our experiments, the three branches complemented each other in feature extraction and demonstrated state-of-the-art performance for urban scene parsing of HRRSIs. We also performed ablation studies on two HRRSI datasets from ISPRS and compared them with other methods.

Perceptual training of Arabic consonants in English-speaking learners of the Quran

In the Muslim community, accurate perception of classical Arabic phones is considered of importance in order to understand and recite the Quran, which is read, studied and recited in its original Arabic language. In this study, high variability phonetic training (HVPT) was used to train accurate perception of Arabic consonants that do not exist in American English. HVPT develops new phonemic categories by exposing learners to a variety of productions of new phonemes. Results indicated significant improvement in perception of Arabic consonants (pre-test mean = 58.5%, post-test mean = 64.8%, difference = 6.3%, w = 11, z = –1.36). Improvements were specifically seen for the contrasts /d-d/, /k-q/ and /h-h/. No significant relationship between HVPT outcomes and language learning variables was found. Overall results of the study indicate the effectiveness of training perception of Arabic phonemic contrasts in English-speaking learners of the Quran.

Immediate and long-term effects of a perceptual training in the production of word-initial /s/-clusters in Brazilian Portuguese/English interphonology

The present study aimed at investigating effects of perceptual training in the production of word-initial /s/-clusters in Brazilian Portuguese/English interphonology. The hypotheses proposed that there would be improvement in production after training and that such improvement would also be found in an eight-month follow-up test and in a twelve-year follow-up test. Also, it was hypothesized that the production of /s/+sonorants would remain more problematic than the production of /s/+stops after training. Twenty-three Brazilians who spoke English as a foreign language at a minimum B1 level of proficiency participated in the study. Eight of them were assigned to a control group. The fifteen remaining participants took a test consisting of reading tasks and an interview before and after an identification perceptual training following a high variability approach. Eight months later, eight participants from the experimental group took a follow-up test with the same tasks from pre- and posttests. Twelve years later one participant took another follow-up test. Results indicated that production of word-initial /s/-clusters improved significantly right after training and that the improvement was also found in both eight-month and twelve-year follow-up tests even for clusters which had not been trained. /s/+sonorants remained more problematic than /s/+stops and voicing was found to be more persistent than other mispronunciations of word-initial /s/-clusters. The transfer of improvement from perception to production may indicate that there is a common mental representation underlying both domains and that changes in production performance may reflect changes in mental representation of non-native targets.

Metaphorical Perceptions of Esports Coaches to the Concept of Esports

Esports is a sports discipline in which strategies and plans are heavily involved, requires physical and mental effort, has started to interact with modern sports and is based on online games. The aim of this research is to reveal the metaphorical perceptions of trainers, one of the important parts of the discipline, towards the concept of esports. A total of 50 coach candidates, 40 male and 10 female, who attended the esports 1st level coaching course, which was held for the first time in our country in 2021, participated in the research. Phenomenology design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used in the research. In obtaining the data, a personal information form was applied to each coach candidate, and among the coach candidates, “esports is like/similar to ……; because ...…” were asked to complete the sentence. The data collection tool was implemented by researchers personally. In addition, all participants took part in the study on a voluntary basis. In the analysis of the data, the stages of naming, screening, category development, ensuring validity and reliability, calculating, interpreting and examining the frequencies of the resulting metaphors were followed. Although the fact that computer games are seen as unhealthy is an indicator of bigger problems for esports, it was seen in this study that most of the coach candidates gave positive feedback on the concept of esports. It is recommended to repeat the study in order to determine the coaching needs of esports trainers, which may occur with technological developments, with annual follow-ups.

Perception and production training effects on production of English lexical schwa by young Spanish learners

Abstract Phonetic training has been found to expedite aural and oral abilities in the L2. While considerable research has been conducted on the effects of perception training on production and of production training on perception, fewer studies have addressed them as separate training regimes in the same experimental setting outside laboratory conditions. This paper examined the effects of two training procedures (one based on production tasks and one based on perception tasks) on the production of English lexical schwa by young Spanish learners in their intact EFL classrooms. Both trained groups exhibited significant gains in the post-test and a slight advantage of the production-based trained group was observed. Learners’ orosensory awareness, self-perception, and self-feedback were actions included in this protocol which may have contributed to such advantage. Our results demonstrate that guided pronunciation training protocols can be successful in the classroom with young learners to boost production skills.

A qualitative investigation into perceptions of scientist-practitioner competence within supervision during psychology training programmes

ABSTRACT Objective Clinical supervision plays an important role in competency development during psychology practitioner training. How the scientist-practitioner competency is operationalised, disseminated, and evaluated in supervision is unclear. This study aimed to explore supervisor and trainee attitudes, opinions, and perceptions of scientist-practitioner competence. It also sought to understand what supervisors are doing in supervision to develop and assess the scientist-practitioner competency, as well as how trainees demonstrate the competency in supervision. Method Three focus groups comprised 12 trainees and a total of 12 supervisor individual telephone interviews were conducted, where participants reflected on their supervision experiences, responding to questions about the scientist-practitioner competency. Results A thematic analysis resulted in the identification of core themes and subthemes. Core themes identified were 1) Scientist-Practitioner Model as a Foundation to Professional and Ethical Practice; 2) The Translation of Science into Real-World Practice; 3) Flexibility to Learn/Change within the Scientist-Practitioner Model; 4) Supervision as the Route to Developing Scientist Practitioner Skills and Knowledge; and 5) Barriers and Challenges to Bridging Science and Practice. Conclusions Findings reveal specific ways supervisors and trainees can acquire and demonstrate scientist-practitioner competence in supervision during professional training. This may assist with self- and other evaluation of scientist-practitioner competence in supervision. Implications for training, education, and supervision are discussed.

Social-Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties in Children with Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Emotion Perception in Daily Life and in a Formal Assessment Context

Children with neurodevelopmental disorders often have social-emotional and behavioural difficulties. The present study explored these difficulties in children (n = 50, aged 6–10 years) with autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and developmental language disorder. Parents, teachers and therapists evaluated children’s social-emotional and behavioural difficulties through a self-devised questionnaire and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Additionally, the children, along with their typically developing age peers (n = 106), completed six emotion discrimination tasks. Analysis revealed some impaired emotion discrimination skills that were predictive for behavioural challenges in daily life and associated with the parent-reported existence of friends. Timely intervention in these children is needed, and it should also include emotion perception training.

Perceptual training enhances Seoul Korean listeners’ use of vowel quality and pitch cues to English lexical stress

This study investigates whether high-variability (multi-talker) perceptual training is superior to low-variability (single-talker) perceptual training for enhancing Seoul-Korean listeners’ use of vowel quality and pitch cues to English lexical stress. Vowel quality and pitch are the two most important cues to English lexical stress in accented words (Tremblay et al., 2021). Seoul Korean does not have lexical stress, lexical pitch accents, or lexical tones. Seoul-Korean listeners completed a pre-/post-test sequence-recall experiment where they heard and recalled four English words uttered by different talkers. Experimental conditions: The words differed in lexical stress, which was cued by: (i) vowel quality, pitch, and duration; (ii) vowel quality and duration; (iii) pitch and duration; or (iv) duration. Control condition: The words differed in their initial consonant (Seoul-Korean contrast). Listeners completed one of two training types (8 × 30-mins). The words in the training followed a cue distribution that mimicked naturalistic spoken English (Im et al., 2018). Results: Both training types improved listeners’ recall for (i)–(iii), suggesting enhanced use of vowel quality and pitch. Learning gains were greater with high-variability training, but training type did not interact with cue. Thus, high variability provides a global rather than selective enhancement of listeners’ use of cues to lexical stress.