Cognitive Psychology Research Articles

Fostering Vocabulary Memorization: Exploring the Impact of AI-Generated Mnemonic Keywords on Vocabulary Learning Through Anki Flashcards

This study delves into the integration of AI-generated mnemonic assistance in Anki flashcards, aiming to enhance vocabulary acquisition for intermediate-level English language learners who often grapple with vocabulary challenges. The research involved a sample of 60 students, split into two groups: the Mnemonic group, which used Anki flashcards with AI-generated mnemonics, and the Non-Mnemonic group, which relied on Anki flashcards without mnemonics. The findings revealed that both groups exhibited statistically significant vocabulary retention improvements after undergoing four repetition sessions. Significantly, the Mnemonic group displayed a more pronounced enhancement, underscoring the effectiveness of AI-generated mnemonic support. This research amalgamates insights from cognitive psychology, spaced repetition techniques, and AI-driven personalization to offer a comprehensive and adaptive approach to vocabulary acquisition. Its implications extend to educators, learners, and the ongoing evolution of language instruction, as it highlights the potential for AI to play a pivotal role in addressing the persistent challenges associated with vocabulary acquisition, especially among intermediate-level English language learners.

Better with Practice: Changes in Preservice Teachers’ Psychological Literacy by Counseling Pupils on Their Self-Regulated Learning

In a rapidly changing and challenging world, teachers as influential social agents can play an important and promising role to guide through but also bring about positive change to individuals and society as a whole. This potential stresses the importance of professionalization of teachers and the need for elaborate learning settings to equip (future) teachers as psychologically literate and reflective practitioners who systematically reflect and integrate practice and (psychological) theory. As part of the preservice teachers’ psychology curriculum, we implemented a theory–practice learning setting in their educational foundation studies that aims at fostering preservice teachers’ psychological literacy. Specifically, to reflect their own and other's behavior and to apply their psychological knowledge of learning and counseling principles into real-life counseling sessions. This study addresses the didactical concept of teaching psychology to non-psychology students and the results from its evaluation. In a quasi-experimental pre-posttest design with comparison group ( Nintervention = 46; Ncomparison = 102), we analyzed the effects of the seminar on the preservice teachers’ reflexivity, their beliefs about the theory–practice relationship and their agency. Results indicate that beliefs about the theory–practice relationship and the levels of reflection significantly increase through the practice task in the intervention group, but reflexivity and agency does not.

How Should We Slice Up the Executive Function Pie? Striving Toward an Ontology of Cognitive Control Processes

AbstractThere is a vast literature on executive functioning, or the control of one's thoughts and actions in pursuit of a goal. This broad construct is conceptualized as comprising multiple executive functions (EFs) that support academic achievement and other important life outcomes. However, there is a lack of consensus regarding what, exactly, these core EFs are. This commentary briefly reviews a few dominant models of EFs in developmental and cognitive psychology and outlines issues to be addressed; it then illustrates how insights from neuroscience could help us eliminate redundant terminology and identify EFs that have been largely overlooked. Reaching a consensus regarding the core set of EFs will inform efforts to scaffold EF development and improve educational outcomes.

Temporal Journeys and Human Perception: Analyzing Nonlinear Narratives and Scientific Fantasy in the Film Arrival

This paper explores the nuanced interaction between temporal journeys, nonlinear narratives, and human perception, using the highly acclaimed film Arrival as its focal point. Drawing from theoretical frameworks in time perception, cognitive psychology, and narrative theory, we investigate the convergence of these perspectives in the analysis of nonlinear storytelling. The literature review encompasses studies on the impact of nonlinear narratives on audience perception, relevant theories on time cognition, and scholarly works dissecting Arrival within the science fiction genre. The film analysis section dissects Arrival, highlighting its nonlinear narrative structure, the portrayal of temporal journeys, and the role of language in shaping temporal perception. The paper explores how Arrival challenges traditional notions of time and reality, scrutinizing cognitive aspects like memory and consciousness, and the linguistic impact on temporal understanding. The scientific fantasy within Arrival, notably linguistic relativity, is scrutinized for its balance between scientific grounding and fantastical elements. Audience reception and impact investigate how nonlinear narratives, exemplified by Arrival, influence audience expectations, preferences, and broader cinematic trends. The paper concludes with reflections on the implications of Arrival within the context of temporal journeys, human perception, and the lasting impact on the science fiction genre.

The Transformative Impact of AI and Machine Learning on Human Psychology

Abstract: This journal paper examines the transformative role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) in shaping human psychology. It investigates how cognitive processes, emotional states, and social interactions are impacted by AI and ML technology. The use of AI and ML in psychology is covered in this study, covering social behaviour analysis, emotion identification, mental health assessment, and personalised therapies. It also explores the moral issues and prospective effects of AI and ML in comprehending and influencing human psychology. This paper emphasises the enormous influence of AI and ML on the comprehension and research of human psychology through a thorough analysis of pertinent literature and empirical evidence. This paper seeks to offer a thorough explanation of the profound effects that AI and ML have had on psychology. We will offer insight into the possible advantages, difficulties, and ethical issues that occur when integrating AI and ML into the study of human psychology by looking at recent developments and implementations of these technologies in psychological research. We will also look at how other areas of psychology, such as cognitive psychology, clinical psychology, social psychology, and neurology, have been impacted by AI and ML.

Interaction mode enables user perception recognition and perception optimization: An AI human-computer interaction study

Artificial intelligent (AI) has various ways of human-computer interaction, but most of them overlook the recognition of human perception. If the interaction mode is combined with psychology, the user's mood change can be identified by the user's subtle expression, movement change and voice tone change, so as to provide corresponding services and improve the user experience. Statistical analysis of human responses to different situations in cognitive psychology, incorporating them into human-computer interaction methods. The current human-computer interaction modes in products tend to be standardized, and focusing user experience on user perception will bring special experiences to users. Emotional recognition is a cross disciplinary discipline with broad application prospects, but it has not yet reached a mature stage and requires corpus enrichment, theoretical strengthening, and method innovation. The era of artificial intelligence is leading a new wave of technological progress, and emotion recognition, as an important topic in the field of artificial intelligence, can help computer intelligence recognize human emotions and make human-computer interaction more friendly. In the near future, research on emotion recognition technology will make greater progress and be better applied to practical products.

Raising Questions with Lamiell about Future Research Directions of Critical Personalism: A Book Review Essay.

The present article is a book review essay about James T. Lamiell's Primer in Critical Personalism: A Framework for Reviving Psychological Inquiry and for Grounding a Socio-cultural Ethos published in February 2024. In the beginning of the paper, I am outlining the core tenets of the book that is its separation into two major sections. In the first, Lamiell shows us the origins of psychological research in Germany in the laboratory of Wilhelm Wundt in Leipzig and his peculiar notion of generalizing knowledge. Here, the American psychologist explains that Wundt and his assistants were far away of generalizing knowledge in the way mainstream psychology does today - that is on an aggregate, population-based knowledge. On the contrary, Wundt and his colleagues were generalizing knowledge more in a systemic manner - something which is also in line with the work of William Stern and his critical personalism. Lamiell applies the core tenets of critical personology - that originate in the notion of the adoption of self-purposes (values) which become then linked to foreign purposes/values and produces something higher over the course of that process. Lamiell expands this successfully to the domain of informal focus groups discussing racial issues and how psycho-demographic research comes to fixate individuals into categories that do not apply to the individual level. As such, the American psychologist accomplishes to show that inferential statistics is not only scientifically unsound for many research questions but that it also comes with moral and ethical concerns that should be addressed by scientists. At the end of the book review essay, I point out several pathways of future research - that is the link between critical personalism, phenomenology, existentialism and psychoanalysis as well as how Lamiell would construct and co-construct concrete interventions to facilitate introception to take place in his informal focus groups. I conclude the article by stressing the major highlight of Lamiell's book - that is the interpersonal benefits of adopting a critical personological perspective in science and in life.

Subjective Executive Functioning in Relation to Physical Distancing Compliance

Objectives: In this study, we assessed whether college students' social norm compliance (i. e., COVID-19 physical distancing compliance) predicted executive functioning (EF) after controlling for socioeconomic and mental health factors. Methods: Undergraduate students (N=302; age ≥ 18 years) from the University of California, Riverside participated in the study by completing an online survey assessing subjective EF, mental health (loneliness, depressive symptoms, anxiety), and physical distancing compliance. Results: A linear mixed-effects regression model yielded statistically significant main effects of subjective EF (p = .004) and perceived loneliness (p = .013) on physical distancing compliance; participants with poorer EF and who felt lonelier also reported less compliance with physical distancing. Conclusions: EF contributes to willingness to comply with new social behaviors. Core cognitive processes share neurocognitive mechanisms with social norm compliance; therefore, this study highlights the necessity of interdisciplinary research that bridges cognitive, social, and clinical psychology.

Impact of Biophilic Design on Supporting Metacognitive Thinking in Early Childhood in Childcare Centers

It is widely known how modern life from activities, games, and technologies has consumed children’s lives and attention, distracting them from the natural environment and its benefits. Moreover, although childcare centers are nowadays considered one of the primary environments where children spend most of their time, a child-nature connection is not much considered in their designs, giving more attention to technologies and artificial life. Environmental psychology theories declare that children are greatly affected by the surrounding physical environments, emphasizing nature as the richest environment that can feed their cognition and enhance their thinking skills, creativity, and development. A wealth of research studied the effect of nature-connected environments through biophilic design on children’s physical and psychological developmental aspects (226,975 articles since 2000). However, less concern is given to the cognitive development aspect (only 18.75% of the total), with a gap in terms of metacognition as a kind of high-order thinking. Metacognition enhances children's behavior and high-order thinking skills such as reflective thinking, creativity, and problem-solving. Hence, this paper aims to investigate the role of biophilic design in supporting metacognition in young children by conducting a multidisciplinary study that addresses the four theories Biophilic, Attention Restoration, Froebel’s theory, and Metacognition. The aim of this paper was achieved, firstly, by conducting a structured literature review in a multidisciplinary approach in Architectural, Environmental Psychology, Educational, and Cognitive Psychology fields using academic databases such as Elsevier, Scopus, Research Gate, and Academia. Secondly, analyzing the gathered data and the interrelations between the previously mentioned four selected theories. This paper’s findings show three conclusions; firstly, a restorative environment supports metacognition by stimulating reflective thinking and developing skills. Secondly, biophilic design’s attributes fulfill the factors for creating a restorative environment. Thirdly, specific metacognitive skills are supported by certain biophilic attributes. This paper revisits the design criteria for childcare centers providing a framework and a guideline abstracted from the biophilic approach for supporting children’s development and metacognition.

Gender and education as factors for determining the verbal-visual affiliation of individuals

Gender and education are two of the socio-demographic characteristics that are studied to establish individual differences in personality. The purpose of the present research is to determine the susceptibility of individuals to the VVQ, adapted and modified from Kirby et al., and to show the influence of gender and education in the segmentation of verbalizers, visualizers, and dreamers. In the study, a valid and reliable instrument for measuring susceptibility to VVQ, prepared in advance by the author, was applied. The results of the analysis of variance (ANOVA) have showed a strong susceptibility of respondents to the Verbalizer Scale of women, as well as susceptibility to the Dreamer Scale of men. When considering the influence of education on VVQ, it was found that respondents with a master's degree were highly visual, and respondents with a doctoral degree were highly verbal. On Dreamer Scale, susceptibility was greatest again among respondents with a doctoral degree. The results of the analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) indicated that male advertising consumers with a master's degree were more receptive to the Verbalizer Scale, as were female respondents with a doctoral degree relative to all other target groups. These scientific results can be useful for advertisers, marketers, as well as specialists in cognitive psychology.

Illiteracy and cognitive sciences: A psycholinguistic perspective

This text emphasises the importance of considering literacy and nonverbal IQ (NVIQ) in cognitive psychology research, highlighting their significant impact on language acquisition and cognitive abilities. Inclusion of diverse populations is crucial to avoid overgeneralizations and gain a comprehensive understanding of these influences.

The BPS Cognitive Psychology Section Committee

The BPS Cognitive Psychology Section Committee

Investigating neural basis of biased attention to self-relevant information in depression

This study examines the neural basis of attentional bias toward self-relevant information in depression. Using EEG data and a lateralised image task, we investigate the N2PC response around 200ms after stimulus onset, providing insights into early attentional processes. Our analysis aims to distinguish differences in self-referential processing between depressed and nondepressed individuals, potentially offering a diagnostic tool for depression based on EEG data. Data collection began in September 2023, supported by a grant from the BPS Cognitive Psychology Section.

Digital Well-Being as a New Kind of Adaptation to the New Millennium Needs: A State-of-the-Art Analysis

Abstract Since technology has been entering into human beings’ everyday life, individuals established a deep relationship with digital technology, thus an embodied link between people and digital instruments has been born. This is particularly evidenced by recent literature about screen time (duration of time spent by the individual in using electronic/digital media like television, smartphone, tablet or computer), it significantly influences different human beings’ dimensions: physical, psychological and neurological functions. Impact of digital technology on human beings can be considered as a result of syntonic functioning in order to improve different people’s life areas (e.g., work, social or intimate relationship, learning), while the dystonic relationship is evidenced as a result of human addiction to digital technology. The present study aims to provide a cognitive and social psychology perspective on how screen time is changing our existences, defining digital technology as a gift which people should be aware of in terms of positive but even negative consequences in everyday life.

Raison d'être for the judicial process

Several Spanish authors have conceptualised the judicial process as a forced and inevitable temporal evolution that must precede the resolution of the controversy and that depends on slowness —as the antithesis of immediacy—. According to this doctrine, this process aims to avoid an immediate judicial response. In this paper, I will examine why the judicial process has been defined in this way; the reasons why speed is not desirable in the judicial function. To this end, I draw on the findings of cognitive psychology and, more specifically, on a set of theories that support the existence of two ways of processing information —two ways of knowing, believing, thinking, reasoning, and acting—: one fast and one slow; these are the dual processing theories. As a result of this confrontation, I propose a rationale, a purpose, and a definition for the judicial process, which are based on the idea that the presence of a time interval is necessary for the right to judicial impartiality and the right of defence to —materially— exist.

Research on Information Architecture Design of Short-Form Video Social Platforms Based on Cognitive Psychology

Research on Information Architecture Design of Short-Form Video Social Platforms Based on Cognitive Psychology

Seeing, Knowing, and Finding Time: Attachment, Trauma, and Resilience in the Perinatal Period (And During a Pandemic)

ABSTRACT Paying tribute to Anni Bergman requires a clinician to find the way to difficult clinical experiences that challenge one’s identity and demand creativity and humility. Anni was a keen observer of nuance, difference, and connection, especially in the nonverbal. She also sought to integrate evolving knowledge of developmental psychology and clinical practice into her work, through formal measures or technique. In the present day, Anni’s influence embodies a curious, active, integrative stance that helps patients find themselves and helps clinicians stay close to the work through their own learning. This paper explores a case though multiple lenses that include Attachment Theory, psychoanalytic ideas on maternal identity, trauma and resilience, where treatment was sought during the perinatal period. Integrating formal self-report and research measures, specifically the Adult Attachment Interview, into a clinical context helps both therapist and patient define the work and find each other.

Cognitive and behavioral approaches to occupational stress management: The case of adult education administrative workers in Nigeria.

Those in administrative positions in adult education are more likely to suffer from stress because of the hard work they do, long hours in the office, a lack of adequate medical and welfare packages, and a lack of financial aid. In this study, adult education workers in Nigeria were assessed on the effectiveness of a cognitive and behavioral approach to managing occupational stress in public administration. This study was a group-randomized trial in which 94 adult education workers occupy public administrative positions within Enugu State, Nigeria, participated. Data were collected using 2 instruments, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the Workplace Stress Scale, which were validated by cognitive and behavioral psychologists at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. The instruments contained internal construct and content validity as determined by Cronbach alpha. ANCOVA was employed to test for hypotheses and answer research questions. This study demonstrates that cognitive and behavioral approaches are significantly effective in managing occupational stress among adult education workers who work for public agencies. To improve stress management capacity among adults in public administration positions, researchers recommend frequent exposure to cognitive and behavioral approaches.

Approaching psychology's current crises by exploring the vagueness of psychological concepts: Recommendations for advancing the discipline.

Psychology is currently facing a multilayered crisis stemming from the fact that the results of many psychological studies cannot be replicated (replication crisis), that psychological research has neglected cross-cultural and cross-temporal variation (universality crisis), and that many psychological theories are ill-developed and underspecified (theory crisis). In the present article, we use ideas derived from debates in theoretical and philosophical psychology as a basis for responding to all three crises. In short, we claim that psychological concepts are inherently vague in the sense that their meanings and the rules for their application are indeterminate. This does not imply that psychological concepts are ineffable or lack meaning. It implies, however, that hoping to arrive at a finite set of necessary and sufficient criteria that define psychological concepts once and for all is an illusion. From this, we deduce four recommendations for responding to psychology's crises. First, we argue that the replication crisis could be approached by paying more attention to the context conditions under which psychological realities and knowledge about these realities are being created. Second, we claim that the universality crisis can be alleviated by putting more effort into exploring variability across times and cultures. Third, we contend that acknowledging the language dependence of psychological research could be a fruitful way of addressing the theory crisis. Last, we show that embracing theoretical and methodological pluralism would be an antidote against psychology's crises in general. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

WEIRD-Confucian comparisons: Ongoing cultural biases in psychology's evidence base and some recommendations for improving global representation.

The realization that most behavioral science research focuses on cultures labeled as WEIRD-Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic (Arnett, 2008; Henrich et al., 2010; Thalmayer et al., 2021)-has given an impetus to extend the research to more diverse populations. Confucian East Asian societies have relatively strong social and technological infrastructure to advance science and thus have gained much prominence in cross-cultural studies. This has inadvertently fostered another bias: the dominance of WEIRD-Confucian comparisons and a tendency to draw conclusions about "non-WEIRD" cultures in general based on data from Confucian societies. Here, analyzing 1,466,019 scientific abstracts and, separately, coverage of 60 large-scale cross-cultural psychological projects (Nsamples = 2,668 from Ncountries = 153 covering nparticipants = 3,722,940), we quantify the dominance of Confucian over other non-WEIRD cultures in psychological research. Our analysis also reveals the underrepresentation of non-European Union postcommunist societies and the almost total invisibility of Pacific Island, Caribbean, Middle African, and Central Asian societies within the research database of psychology. We call for a shift in cross-cultural studies toward midsize (7+ countries) and ideally large-scale (50+ countries) cross-cultural studies, and we propose mitigations that we believe could aid the inclusion of diverse researchers as well as participants from underrepresented cultures in our field. People in all world regions and cultures deserve psychological knowledge that applies to them. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).