Think-aloud Methodology Research Articles

Investigating pharmacy students clinical reasoning of antimicrobial stewardship cases using a qualitative, think-aloud methodology

Abstract Introduction Future healthcare workers’ education must include antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) clinical decision-making to achieve optimal clinical outcomes and to treat and prevent infection in a manner that minimises the effects of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) and is safe for patients. Clinical reasoning is an important cognitive process that is essential to evaluate and manage a patient’s medical problem.[1] This study aimed to evaluate the cognitive processes and clinical reasoning skills of pharmacy students when they review AMS cases, as well as identify any existing knowledge gaps in this area that need to be addressed. Methods This qualitative study used a case study approach, in which a sample (n=13) of Master of Pharmacy (MPharm) students in an Irish University were recruited to interpret three patient infection cases. Convenience sampling of MPharm students by email invitation was conducted and students took part voluntarily. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, recorded and transcribed verbatim. A think-aloud procedure with verbal protocol analysis was adopted to determine students’ decision-making processes and clinical reasoning.[2] Thematic analysis was used to analyse interview data. Results Interviews were conducted with 13 students (5 male, 8 female), all aged 22-27 years old. Overall, students interpreted and reasoned through the cases following a structured approach. Some students adopted different approaches to clinical decision-making and did not always follow all the steps outlined in the clinical reasoning cycle. Within the clinical decision-making process, common themes were identified, as outlined in Table 1. Some knowledge gaps were reported by students, including antibiotic prophylaxis, microorganisms, AMS measures, guideline use, soft tissue infection management, and IV-to-oral switch. Conclusion This study provides interesting findings on students’ interpretation and review of infection management and AMS principles which could inform the curriculum development of pharmacy education in AMR and AMS. Educators should consider introducing opportunities to develop clinical reasoning skills to support learning on AMS concepts, particularly in challenging areas such as microbiology, and interpretation and application of guidelines. A limitation of the study is that it was conducted with pharmacy students from one university programme. A strength of the study is the think-aloud methodology which provides in-depth detail on students clinical reasoning thought processes and skills.

Towards a self-applied, mobile-based geolocated exposure therapy software for anxiety disorders: SyMptOMS-ET app.

While exposure therapy (ET) has the potential to help people tolerate intense situation-specific emotions and change avoidance behaviours, no smartphone solution exists to guide the process of in-vivo ET. A geolocation-based smartphone software component was designed and developed to instrumentalize patient guidance in in-vivo ET and its psychological validity was assessed by a group of independent psychology experts. A team of computer scientists and psychologists developed the ET Component for in-vivo ET using geolocation-based technology, following the process-centred design methodology. The ET Component was integrated into the SyMptOMS-ET Android application, which was developed following the co-design methodology. Next, nine independent psychology experts tested and evaluated the ET Component and the SyMptOMS-ET app in the field, following the think-aloud methodology. Participants also completed the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) instrument to quantitatively evaluate the solutions. We present the SyMptOMS-ET app's main features and the ET Component exposure workflow. Next, we discuss the feedback obtained and the results of the MARS instrument. Participants who tested the app were satisfied with the ET Component during exposure scenarios (score of 4.32 out of 5 [ 0.28] on MARS quality aspects), agreed on the soundness of the theoretical foundations of the solutions developed (score of 4.57 [ 0.48] on MARS treatment support aspects), and provided minor think-a-loud comments to improve them. The results of the expert evaluation demonstrate the psychological validity of the ET Component and the SyMptOMS-ET app. However, further studies are needed to discern the acceptability and efficacy of the mHealth tool in the target population.

On Inconsistencies and Strategies, or How to Translate the Unnatural Naturally

This article highlights the results of an experimental study dedicated to analysing the concept of translation naturalness in terms of the processoriented paradigm of Translation Studies. The multidisciplinary nature of modern Translation Studies is revealed through applying methods, concepts, and theories of different areas of knowledge in regard to different translation-related phenomena as well as translation itself. Experimental methods devised by cognitive psychology for exposing the mechanisms of decision-making in complex processes have proven their validity in translatology for the last thirty years. The aim of the study is to investigate the translators’ decisions intended to make their output look more natural. Our hypothesis is that such decisions are in particular motivated by aspiration to eliminate different types of inconsistencies that can potentially result in unnaturalness in the target text. To verify this hypothesis, we developed and conducted an introspective experiment based on the think-aloud methodology. The material for the study was taken from Terry Pratchett’s novel A Hat Full of Sky, within which we singled out three control elements characterised by structural, semantic or stylistic inconsistency. The analysis of the TAPs of ten semi-professional subjects demonstrated that they did not always successfully identify the inconsistencies in the control elements, but when they did, their reaction was to apply strategies aimed at eliminating them and therefore enhancing the target text naturalness.

Learning from refutation texts about scientific topics with analogical and causal explanations

Previous research has suggested that refutation texts are effective in facilitating learning and revision of misconceptions and that explanations are an essential component in their efficacy. In this study, we investigated the extent to which reading refutation texts featuring an analogy as an explanatory tool rather than a causal explanation results in different encoding processes during reading, belief in misconceptions, and confidence in beliefs. Using a think-aloud methodology, we found that a higher proportion of text-based inferences was associated with analogy texts than with non-analogy texts, and a higher proportion of knowledge-based inferences was associated with non-analogy than with analogy texts. Contrary to our hypotheses, no significant differences were found in belief in misconceptions and confidence outcomes between the text conditions. We discuss the implications of these findings in light of previous research suggesting that analogies improve learning outcomes.

Predicting Perceived Problems in Self-Administered 24-Hour Dietary Recalls: A Quantitative Think-Aloud Study Comparing Automated Self-Assisted 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24®) and INTAKE24© in University Students.

Demographic and psychosocial factors concerning dietary assessment error have been explored, but few studies have investigated the perceived problems experienced when completing dietary recalls. The aim of this research was to (i) compare the perceived problems encountered in two commonly used self-administered 24-hour dietary recall (24HR) programs (INTAKE24© and ASA24®) and (ii) explore whether mindful and habitual eating are associated with perceived problems during dietary recall. A randomised quantitative crossover design and think-aloud methodology were employed. Undergraduate university students (N = 55, Mage = 25.5, SD = 8.2, 75% female) completed a food habits and mindfulness questions pre-program, one 24HR (whilst thinking aloud), and a systems usability scale post-program. A week later, they completed the other 24HR (whilst thinking aloud). During a pilot, a coding frame of perceived problems was devised to quantify participants’ perceived problems. INTAKE24© generated significantly fewer perceived problems across all categories compared to ASA24® (17.2 vs. 33.1, p < 0.001). Of the participants, 68% reported a preference for INTAKE24© over ASA24®. Hierarchical multiple regression showed that habits and systems usability were significant predictors of perceived problems for INTAKE24© only. No significant predictors were found for ASA24®. The results provide insight into perceived problems people may encounter when using 24HR tools.

Textual thinking as evidenced through think-alouds: Designing meanings in interpreting authentic L2 web texts

Recent scholarship in multiliteracies-oriented pedagogies has advocated for greater attention to fostering ‘textual thinking’, understood as forms of literacy that consider the complexities of semiotic choices made by authors, and their underlying meanings, rhetorical purposes, and cultural contexts. This kind of engagement with texts calls upon readers to focus on form–meaning connections, and shifts the focus of reading purposes, toward reading as a form of participation in everyday literacy practices, and reading as a way of thinking critically about representation and communication. This article presents findings from an empirical study investigating the reading processes of second language (L2) French learners while interpreting an authentic multimodal web text, guided by tasks informed by multiliteracies. A prompted think-aloud methodology was used to capture learners’ dynamic meaning-making processes. Drawn from a larger group of participants ( n = 9), the current article reports on three unique cases, documenting their engagement with different semiotic modes and their evolving interpretations. The participants performed three phases of reading tasks: skimming for predictions about topic and authorship, scanning for specific details, and tracking webs of text signals. Participants saw the question prompts prior to each task phase, and again at the end of the phase, with multiple choice response options. Findings demonstrate participants’ unique sets of interpretations and processes in terms of the way they drew differently upon various domains of background knowledge, genre knowledge, and reading strategies; the way they attended to various linguistic and non-linguistic modes; and the way the tasks guided their reading. The article concludes by suggesting several concrete instructional practices for L2 literacy development, including tasks that are adaptable for a range of languages.

Message Frame-Tailoring in Digital Health Communication: Intervention Redesign and Usability Testing.

BackgroundMessage frame–tailoring based on the need for autonomy is a promising strategy to improve the effectiveness of digital health communication interventions. An example of a digital health communication intervention is Personal Advice in Stopping smoking (PAS), a web-based content-tailored smoking cessation program. PAS was effective in improving cessation success rates, but its effect sizes were small and disappeared after 6 months. Therefore, investigating whether message frame–tailoring based on the individual’s need for autonomy might improve effect rates is worthwhile. However, to our knowledge, this has not been studied previously.ObjectiveTo investigate whether adding message frame–tailoring based on the need for autonomy increases the effectiveness of content-tailored interventions, the PAS program was redesigned to incorporate message frame–tailoring also. This paper described the process of redesigning the PAS program to include message frame–tailoring, providing smokers with autonomy-supportive or controlling message frames—depending on their individual need for autonomy. Therefore, we aimed to extend framing theory, tailoring theory, and self-determination theory.MethodsExtension of the framing theory, tailoring theory, and self-determination theory by redesigning the PAS program to include message frame–tailoring was conducted in close collaboration with scientific and nonscientific smoking cessation experts (n=10), smokers (n=816), and communication science students (n=19). Various methods were used to redesign the PAS program to include message frame–tailoring with optimal usability: usability testing, think-aloud methodology, heuristic evaluations, and a web-based experiment.ResultsThe most autonomy-supportive and controlling message frames were identified, the cutoff point for the need for autonomy to distinguish between people with high and those with low need for autonomy was determined, and the usability was optimized.ConclusionsThis resulted in a redesigned digital health communication intervention that included message frame–tailoring and had optimal usability. A detailed description of the redesigning process of the PAS program is provided.Trial RegistrationNetherlands Trial Register NL6512 (NRT6700); https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/6512

Comprehension processes on question-answering activities: A think-aloud study

Introduction. Students often answer questions from available expository texts for assessment and learning purposes. These activities require readers to activate not only meaning-making processes (e.g., paraphrases or elaborations), but also metacognitive operations (e.g., monitoring readers’ own comprehension or self-regulating reading behaviors) in order to successfully use textual information to meet the task demands. The aim of the study was to explore the meaning-making processes readers activate while answering questions and using textual information at hand, and how they monitor and control the processing of these tasks. Method. Forty eighth graders read two expository texts and answered ten multiple-choice comprehension questions per text. For each question, participants were forced to select the relevant pieces of textual information to provide the correct answer. Further, participants thought aloud in one of the texts, whereas they performed the task in silence in the other. This reading scenario served to collect valuable data on the reader’s question-answering process. The task was administered individually on a computer-based environment, which allowed recording the students’ reading behavior online. Results. Results showed processing differences between the two recursive steps of question-answering. While reading the question readers mainly restated information and focused on monitoring the comprehension of the questions and their correspondence with the alternatives. However, they tended to paraphrase and assess textual relevance when searching the text. The study also reveals that think-aloud methodology affected these processes and outcomes differently. Discussion and Conclusion. This study advances on our knowledge of cognitive and metacognitive processes involved in answering questions from an available text, a task extensively used to measure reading literacy skills as well as for learning purposes in academic settings. It shows how readers activate meaning-making processes while reading questions and searching the text for task-relevant information, and how they monitor the question-answering process. The study also reveals that think-aloud methodology may affect these processes differently. Apart from advancing our theoretical knowledge, our study also has important practical applications for the assessment of reading literacy skills.

Cognitive-Affective Change Mechanisms in Personalized Normative Feedback via the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situations Paradigm.

The research explored explanatory mechanisms of change for a personalized normative feedback (PNF) intervention, through an adapted application of the Articulated Thoughts in Simulated Situation (ATSS) cognitive think-aloud paradigm. A sample of 70 (51% female) U.S. adjudicated students were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: a PNF-ATSS condition, a PNF-Only condition (without ATSS), and an active Control+ATSS condition which received psychoeducation about alcohol use. Students in both the PNF-Only and PNF-ATSS conditions reported significant reductions in their misperceived peer drinking norms and alcohol-related consequences at the 30-day follow-up, relative to students in the control condition. Participants in the PNF-ATSS condition drank significantly fewer drinks per week at follow-up than participants in the PNF-Only condition, but not less than participants in the control condition. Significant indirect effects were found for the ATSS codes of participants’ neutrality and believability toward PNF content. This study presents a proof of concept for an adapted ATSS think-aloud methodology as a clinical science intervention tool to specify the cognitive-affective processes of change linked to complex intervention for particular problems, persons, and contexts.

Refutation texts compensate for detrimental effects of misconceptions on comprehension and metacomprehension accuracy and support transfer.

Misconceptions impair not only learners’ comprehension of a text but also the accuracy with which they judge their comprehension, that is, metacomprehension accuracy. Refutation texts are beneficial to elicit conceptual-change processes and thus to overcome the detrimental impact of misconceptions on comprehension. However, it is unclear whether refutation texts and the conceptual-change processes induced by reading them benefit metacomprehension accuracy in addition to comprehension and how robust these effects are when reading further texts. We conducted an experiment in which we asked 80 student teachers with a varying number of statistical misconceptions to read either a standard or a refutation text on statistics and assessed their comprehension and metacomprehension. In a subsample, we examined the students’ conceptual-change processes during reading with the think-aloud methodology. Subsequently, we asked the students to read a research report that required the application of the previously acquired statistical knowledge and assessed their comprehension and metacomprehension again. The results revealed that the refutation text compensated for the detrimental impact of misconceptions on comprehension and metacomprehension accuracy. The think-aloud data indicated that when reading the refutation text, students with more misconceptions engaged in conceptual-change processes more actively, which in turn supported their comprehension and metacomprehension accuracy. Compensatory effects of the refutation text were also found when the students read the research report. In sum, the findings show that refutation texts are beneficial for both comprehension and metacomprehension accuracy and that these benefits transfer to situations where the acquired knowledge has to be put into practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)

Qualitative Research on the Real-Time Decision Making of WIC Participants While Food Shopping: Use of Think-Aloud Methodology

BackgroundPeople of lower socioeconomic status often experience disparities related to dietary intake as compared with People of higher socioeconomic status. Foods purchased influence the availability of foods in the home environment, and availability of foods in the home environment is associated with dietary intake. ObjectiveTo identify what factors influence food purchasing decisions of low-income parents while food shopping. DesignA qualitative study using think-aloud methodology, the processing of information through verbalization concurrent with task performance, was used to verbally capture real-time decision making. Participants and settingTwenty-eight parents with a preschool-aged child enrolled in Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). Study visits took place at the WIC clinic office and local grocery stores. Main outcomesReasons for making decisions while food shopping. AnalysisAudio recordings were transcribed, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize demographics and shopping behaviors. ResultsA parent’s decision in a food purchase was based on child preference, value, need of an item, or the parent choice for a product. In addition, themes emerged related to participant shopping behavior included the influence of participation in WIC on food and beverage purchases, multiple trips to the store, and a frequent focus on purchasing bottled water and juice. The average shopping trip was 31.5±15.7 minutes, and the median amount spent was $38.61. ConclusionUnderstanding the influences of parent decisions while making food purchases can better help inform the nutrition education provided as part of WIC.

Implementing Systematic Screening and Structured Care for Distressed Callers Using Cancer Council's Telephone Services: Protocol for a Randomized Stepped-Wedge Trial.

BackgroundStructured distress management, comprised a 2-stage screening and referral model, can direct supportive care resources toward individuals who are most likely to benefit. This structured approach has yet to be trialed in Australian community-based services such as Cancer Council New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria Cancer Information and Support (CIS) 13 11 20 lines who care for a large community of cancer patients and caregivers.ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of structured screening and referral in (1) increasing the proportion of distressed CIS callers who accept supportive care referrals and (2) reducing distress levels at 6-month follow-up.MethodsIn this stepped-wedge trial, Cancer Council NSW and Victoria CIS consultants are randomized to deliver structured care during inbound 13 11 20 calls in accordance with 3 intervention periods. Eligible callers are patients or caregivers who score 4 or more on the Distress Thermometer; NSW or Victorian residents; aged 18 years or older; and English proficient. Study data are collected via computer-assisted telephone interviews (CATIs) at 3- and 6-month follow-up and CIS record audit. CATIs include demographic and service use items and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) to assess distress. An economic analysis of the structured care model will be completed.ResultsThe structured care model was developed by guideline review and identification of service characteristics to guide mapping decisions; place-card methodology; and clinical vignettes with think-aloud methodology to confirm referral appropriateness. The model includes an additional screening tool (Patient Health Questionnaire-4) and a referral model with 16-20 CIS services. Descriptive statistics will be used to assess referral uptake rates. Differences between GHQ-28 scores for structured and usual care callers will be tested using a generalized linear mixed model with fixed effects for intervention and each time period. The trial will recruit 1512 callers. The sample size will provide the study with approximately 80% power to detect a difference of 0.3 SD in the mean score of the GHQ-28 at an alpha level of .05 and assuming an intra-cluster correlation of .04. A random sample of recorded calls will be reviewed to assess intervention fidelity and contamination. To date, 1835 distressed callers have been invited to participate with 60.71% (1114/1835) enrolled in the study. A total of 692 participants have completed 6-month CATIs. Recruitment is anticipated to end in late 2019.ConclusionsThis trial is among the first to rigorously test the outcomes of a community-based structured approach to distress management. The model is evidence-informed, practice-ready, and trialed in a real-world setting. The study outcomes will advance the understanding of distress management internationally for both patients and caregivers.Trial RegistrationAustralian New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry ACTRN12617000352303; https://www.anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=372105&isReview=true (Archived by WebCite on http://www.webcitation.org/78AW0Ba09)International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/12473

A meta-synthesis of primary and secondary student design cognition research

Design within primary and secondary schools has been increasingly emphasized over the past decade. As a response to this increased interest, qualitative research examining students’ cognitive processes involved in the practices of design has been on the rise. These studies have commonly employed the concurrent think-aloud research methodology to examine and describe an individual’s or group’s thought processes while engaged in a design task. However, the variety of coding schemes used to code and describe the collected think-aloud data has limited the synthesis of findings across design cognition studies, which can be a concern as the synthesis of qualitative studies can potentially lead to the development of more formal and possibly more generalizable theories (Glaser and Strauss in Status passage, Aldine, Chicago, 1971). Nevertheless, a study conducted by Grubbs, Strimel, and Kim (2018) examined the different coding schemes used in analyzing the design cognition of primary and secondary students that were published between 1995 and 2016. Their investigation led to the identification of three distinct themes for the foundation and intent of the various design cognition coding schemes and provided a basis for a more informed meta-synthesis of design cognition research. Therefore, this study examined the design cognition studies identified by Grubbs et al. (2018) and synthesized both the findings and discussions of each, according to the three coding scheme themes. The results of this investigation can provide deeper insights into primary and secondary students’ design thinking and can help inform design pedagogy.

Teachers' cognitive processing of complex school-based scenarios: Differences across experience levels

Teachers are confronted with and must process challenging situations every day. Yet the development trajectory of their processing ability is unknown. Our two-part mixed method studies use a think-aloud methodology to understand how teachers cognitive process difficult school-based and non-school-based scenarios. Studies 1 and 2 examine the differences between expert, beginning, and pre-service teachers without and with pre-existing response options, respectively. Results from qualitative (but not quantitative) analyses indicate group differences in strategy, scope, content, and reasoning. Furthermore, we find that teaching is a domain-specific expertise. We discuss how this information can inform teacher education and professional development programs.

Teacher Decisions in Selecting Vocabulary for Instruction to English Language Learners

In response to the paucity of literature on vocabulary instruction among high school-aged English language learners (ELLs), this study used concurrent think-aloud methodology to examine the decisions of high school teachers with little to no experience working with ELLs. Participating teachers were asked to read a sample text, selecting vocabulary they might focus on when working with ELLs in their classes. The results indicated that teacher experience was a key factor in vocabulary selection. Junior teachers in the subject areas focused almost exclusively on local-level comprehension as a rationale for vocabulary selection, whereas senior teachers in the content areas focused on relative word frequency and word formation as criteria for vocabulary selection. Pedagogical implications of the study recommend a focus on productive vocabulary knowledge in addition to receptive vocabulary knowledge, as well as vocabulary instruction integrated across subject areas through collaboration among ESL teachers and their colleagues in the content areas.

Factors influencing secondary care pharmacist and nurse independent prescribers’ clinical reasoning: An interprofessional analysis

ABSTRACTIn the United Kingdom, pharmacist and nurse independent prescribers are responsible for both the clinical assessment of and prescribing for patients. Prescribing is a complex skill that entails the application of knowledge, skills, and clinical reasoning to arrive at a clinically appropriate decision. Decision-making is influenced and informed by many factors. This study, the first of its kind, explores what factors influence pharmacist and nurse independent prescribers during the process of clinical reasoning. A think-aloud methodology immediately followed by a semi-structured interview was conducted with 11 active nurse and 10 pharmacist independent prescribers working in secondary care. Each participant was presented with validated clinical vignettes for the think-aloud stage. Participants chose the clinical therapeutic areas for the vignettes, based on their self-perceived competencies. Data were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and a constant-comparative approach was used for analysis. Influences on clinical reasoning were broadly categorised into themes: social interaction, intrinsic, and contextual factors. These themes showed that intrinsic, sociocultural, and contextual aspects heavily influenced the clinical reasoning processes of prescribers. For example, prescribers were aware of treatment pathways, but chose to refer patient cases to avoid making the final prescribing decision. Exploration of this behaviour in the interviews revealed that previous experience and attitudes such as confidence and cautiousness associated with responsibility were strong influencers within the decision-making process. In addition, strengthening the professional identity of prescribers could be achieved through collaborative work with interprofessional healthcare teams to orient their professional practice from within the profession. Findings from this study can be used to inform the education, training, and practice of independent prescribers to improve healthcare services by improving their professional and interprofessional development.

A qualitative study exploring how pharmacist and nurse independent prescribers make clinical decisions.

The aim of this study was to explore how secondary care pharmacist and nurse independent prescribers clinically reason when making prescribing decisions. Clinical reasoning is a central component of prescribers' competence and professional autonomy when reaching a clinically appropriate decision. Like doctors, pharmacist and nurse independent prescribers in the UK have extensive prescribing rights, but little is known about their clinical reasoning. A qualitative approach using a think-aloud methodology and semi-structured interviews. Eleven nurse and 10 pharmacist independent prescribers were asked to think-aloud about validated clinical vignettes prior to interview, between March - December 2015. Data were analysed using a constant-comparative approach. A strong link between clinical knowledge, grounded in previous experience and clinical reasoning was found. Despite prescribers approaching the clinical vignettes holistically, their focus varied according to professional background and job role. Nurses were more likely to describe interacting with patients, compared with pharmacists who were more focused on medical notes and laboratory results. Think-aloud protocol analysis revealed a distinct pattern in the process undertaken to reach a clinical decision. This is presented as a decision-making model, encompassing case familiarization, generating hypotheses, case assessment, final hypotheses and decision-making stages, which oscillated throughout the model. This is the first study to explore the clinical reasoning processes of secondary care pharmacist and nurse independent prescribers. The resultant decision-making model shows clinical reasoning as a complex and dynamic process. This model can inform the training of independent prescribers to become accurate problem solvers and continue making clinically appropriate decisions.

Emotion Processes in Knowledge Revision

ABSTRACTIn recent years, a number of insights have been gained into the cognitive processes that explain how individuals overcome misconceptions and revise their previously acquired incorrect knowledge. The current study complements this line of research by investigating the moment-by-moment emotion processes that occur during knowledge revision using a think-aloud methodology. Undergraduate students read both refutation and nonrefutation texts and reported out loud their thoughts, which were coded along valence and activation dimensions of emotions. Results showed that at key points during reading, emotions differed within and between experimental text conditions. Further, exploratory mediational analysis showed that surprise was an influential emotion for learning. Findings are discussed in terms of theoretical contributions to our basic understanding of the role of emotions during knowledge revision.

Effects of Task Relevance Instructions and Topic Beliefs on Reading Processes and Memory

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the effects of task relevance instructions and topic beliefs on reading processes and memory for belief-related text. Undergraduates received task instructions (focus on arguments for vs. against) before reading a dual-position text. In Experiment 1 (n = 88), a reading time methodology showed no differences in reading time for task-relevant and task-irrelevant text, but participants recalled task-relevant text better than task-irrelevant text independently of whether the information was consistent with their topic beliefs. In Experiment 2 (n = 76), a think-aloud methodology showed that participants engaged in confirmation strategies when reading belief-consistent text and disconfirmation strategies when reading belief-inconsistent text, independently of whether the information was relevant to their task instructions. Nonetheless, participants recalled task-relevant text better than task-irrelevant text. The results indicate that task relevance instructions affect memory independently of beliefs but that beliefs affect processing independently of task relevance instructions. Thus, moment-by-moment reading processes and memory for text can operate differently as a function of topic beliefs.

Select &amp; Apply: understanding how users act upon objects across devices

As our interactions increasingly cut across diverse devices, we often encounter situations where we find information on one device but wish to use it on another device, for instance, a phone number spotted on a public display but wanted on a mobile. We conceptualize this problem as Select & Apply and contribute two user studies where we presented participants with eight different scenarios involving different device combinations, applications and data types. In the first, we used a think-aloud methodology to gain insights on how users currently accomplish such tasks and how they ideally would like to accomplish them. In the second, we conducted a focus group study to investigate which factors influence their actions. Results indicate shortcomings in present support for Select & Apply and contribute a better understanding of which factors affect cross-device interaction.