Understanding Of Cognition Research Articles

Preschoolers' cognitive flexibility and emotion understanding: a developmental perspective.

Cognitive flexibility is the ability to adapt to changing tasks or problems, while emotion understanding is the ability to interpret emotional cues and information in different contexts. Both abilities are crucial for preschoolers' socialization. This study selected 532 preschool children aged 3-6 years from two kindergartens in a central province of China. The Dimensional Change Card Sorting (DCCS) task and emotion understanding tasks were used to investigate the developmental characteristics of cognitive flexibility, emotion understanding abilities, and their relationship. The results showed: (1) For cognitive flexibility, children older than 5 years scored significantly higher than younger children, and girls scored higher than boys. (2) For facial emotion recognition: (i) Children's recognition scores for happy, sad, and angry expressions were significantly higher than fear; children could accurately recognize happy, sad, and angry emotions by age 3, while fear recognition developed rapidly after age 5; (ii) Girls scored higher in recognizing fearful faces than boys. (3) For situational emotion understanding: (i) Children's development followed the hierarchical order of external, desire, clue, and belief-based understanding. Situational and desire-based understanding already reached high levels by age 3, while clue and belief-based understanding developed quickly after age 5; (ii) Girls scored higher than boys in belief-based emotion understanding. (4) Cognitive flexibility significantly predicted children's facial emotion recognition, external and desire-based emotion understanding. Parents and teachers should cultivate children's cognitive flexibility and provide personalized support. They should also fully grasp the characteristics of children's emotion understanding development, systematically nurture their emotion understanding abilities, and leverage cognitive flexibility training to improve their emotion understanding.

Osl-dynamics, a toolbox for modeling fast dynamic brain activity.

Neural activity contains rich spatiotemporal structure that corresponds to cognition. This includes oscillatory bursting and dynamic activity that span across networks of brain regions, all of which can occur on timescales of tens of milliseconds. While these processes can be accessed through brain recordings and imaging, modeling them presents methodological challenges due to their fast and transient nature. Furthermore, the exact timing and duration of interesting cognitive events are often a priori unknown. Here, we present the OHBA Software Library Dynamics Toolbox (osl-dynamics), a Python-based package that can identify and describe recurrent dynamics in functional neuroimaging data on timescales as fast as tens of milliseconds. At its core are machine learning generative models that are able to adapt to the data and learn the timing, as well as the spatial and spectral characteristics, of brain activity with few assumptions. osl-dynamics incorporates state-of-the-art approaches that can be, and have been, used to elucidate brain dynamics in a wide range of data types, including magneto/electroencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, invasive local field potential recordings, and electrocorticography. It also provides novel summary measures of brain dynamics that can be used to inform our understanding of cognition, behavior, and disease. We hope osl-dynamics will further our understanding of brain function, through its ability to enhance the modeling of fast dynamic processes.

Methods of Mental Calculation in Mathematical Education: Theory and Practice

This article explores the various methods of mental calculation within the context of mathematical education. It delves into both the theoretical underpinnings and practical applications of mental arithmetic, a crucial skill in enhancing cognitive abilities and understanding mathematical concepts. The paper reviews historical approaches and contemporary techniques, emphasizing the role of mental calculation in developing numeracy skills. It also examines the integration of these methods in modern educational practices, highlighting their impact on students' problem-solving abilities and overall mathematical proficiency. The research draws upon a variety of educational frameworks and pedagogical strategies, offering insights into how mental arithmetic can be effectively incorporated into curriculum design. The findings suggest that incorporating diverse methods of mental calculation not only enriches the learning experience but also fosters a deeper comprehension of mathematics.

A Bibliometric Perspective of Regional Languages on Select Scholarly Articles

Regional languages are spoken within a specific geographical area or by a particular ethnic group and may have official recognition or be used informally. Research on regional languages is essential for several reasons. First, it helps to preserve and promote cultural heritage and linguistic diversity. Second, it can inform language policy and education practices. Third, it can contribute to our understanding of human cognition and communication. This study examines the research publications on regional languages and their impact using data from the database Web of Science from 1990 to 2022. The results indicate that research publications on regional languages have steadily increased over time. The United States ranks first in total publications. The Ohio State University has the highest number of publications among all institutions. The most frequently published journal was Zeitschrift Fur Dialektologie Und Linguistik, and the leading authors were Cynthia G. Clopper and Robert A. Fox. The analysis of keywords used in these publications showed that dialect, language policy, dialectology, bilingual education, and local language were the main research areas of interest. Overall, this study provides insights into the growing interest in regional languages and the research focus areas in this field

Hybrid Navigation Acceptability and Safety

Autonomous vessels have emerged as a prominent and accepted solution, particularly in the naval defence sector. However, achieving full autonomy for marine vessels demands the development of robust and reliable control and guidance systems that can handle various encounters with manned and unmanned vessels while operating effectively under diverse weather and sea conditions. A significant challenge in this pursuit is ensuring the autonomous vessels' compliance with the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea (COLREGs). These regulations present a formidable hurdle for the human-level understanding by an autonomous systems as they were originally designed from common navigation practices created since the mid-19th century. Their ambiguous language assumes experienced sailors' interpretation and execution and, therefore, demands a high-level (cognitive) understanding of language and agent intentions that are beyond the capabilities of current state-of-the-art of intelligent system. This position paper highlights the critical requirement of a trustworthy control and guidance system and explores the complexities of adapting COLREGs for safe vessel-on-vessel encounters considering autonomous maritime technology competing and/or cooperating with manned vessels.

Quality of Life and Prognostic Awareness in Caregivers of Patients Receiving Chimeric Antigen Receptor T Cell Therapy

Caregivers of patients undergoing chimeric antigen receptor T cell therapy (CAR-T) play a critical role during treatment, yet their experience remains largely unaddressed. We aimed to longitudinally describe quality of life (QoL) and psychological distress, as well as prognostic awareness, in caregivers and explore the association of prognosis awareness with baseline psychological distress. We conducted a longitudinal study of caregivers of patients undergoing CAR-T and examined QoL (CAReGiverOncology QoL questionnaire) and psychological distress (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale) prior to CAR-T (baseline) and at days 7, 30, 90, and 180 post-CAR-T. At baseline, caregivers and patients completed the Prognostic Awareness Impact Scale, which examines cognitive understanding of prognosis, emotional coping with prognosis, and adaptive response (ie, capacity to use prognostic awareness to inform life decisions). We enrolled 58% (69 of 120) of eligible caregivers. Caregivers reported QoL impairments that did not change over time (B = 0.09; P = .452). The rates of clinically significant depression and anxiety symptoms were 47.7% and 20.0%, respectively, at baseline, and 39.1% and 17.4% at 180 days. One-third (32%) of the caregivers and patients reported that their oncologist said the cancer is curable. Caregivers' greater emotional coping with prognosis was associated with fewer symptoms of anxiety (B = -.17; P < .001) and depression (B = -.02; P < .001). Cognitive understanding of prognosis and adaptive response were not associated with psychological distress. Caregivers reported QoL impairments throughout the study period. A substantial proportion of caregivers experienced psychological distress and reported misperceptions about the prognosis, highlighting the need for supportive care interventions.

The Shape of Relations to Come: Multidimensional Analyses of Complex Human Behavior

AbstractScience, understood to be the behavior of scientists, falls within the purview of behavior analysis. All scientists use scientific instruments to study a natural phenomenon, and for the behavior analyst, perhaps no tool is more important than the graph used to show changes in level, trend, and variability, and upon which behavior analysts make data-based decisions. Modern behaviorism as we know it dates back to the development of the cumulative recorder first developed in the 1930s. Though revolutionary to the science of behavior, two-dimensional graphs may be limited in application for analyzing complex human behavior. In the current article, we conceptualize verbal behavior as a multidimensional field of environmental relations, and introduce the use of multi-axial radar charts for its visual and quantitative analysis. From there, we survey the use of radar charts toward advancing a behavior-analytic understanding of human language and cognition. We demonstrate the use of radar charts for calculating simple shape descriptors as a quantitative measure of dynamic interactants, and show how they can be used to measure change over time.

High-dimensional Metaverse Platforms and the Virtually Extended Self.

The study of cognition has traditionally used low-dimensional measures and stimulus presentations that emphasize laboratory control over high-dimensional (i.e., ecologically valid) tools that reflect the activities and interactions in everyday living. Although controlled experimental presentations in laboratories have enhanced our understanding of cognition for both healthy and clinical cohorts, high dimensionality may extend reality and cognition. High-dimensional Metaverse approaches use extended reality (XR) platforms with dynamic stimulus presentations that couple humans and simulation technologies to extend cognition. The plan for this paper is as follows: The "Extending from low to high-dimensional studies of cognition" section discusses current needs for high-dimensional stimulus presentations that reflect everyday cognitive activities. In the "Algorithmic devices and digital extension of cognition" section, technologies of the extended mind are introduced with the Metaverse as a candidate cognitive process for extension. Next, in the "A neurocognitive framework for understanding technologies of the extended mind" section, a framework and model are proposed for understanding the neural correlates of human technology couplings in terms of automatic algorithmic processes (limbic-ventral striatal loop); reflective cognition (prefrontal-dorsal striatal loop); and algorithmic processing (insular cortex). The algorithmic processes of human-technology interactions can, over time, become an automated and algorithmic coupling of brain and technology. The manuscript ends with a brief summary and discussion of the ways in which the Metaverse can be used for studying how persons respond to high-dimensional stimuli in simulations that approximate real-world activities and interactions.

Cognitive training for older prisoners: a qualitative analysis of prisoners' and staff members' perceptions.

Correctional institutions are challenged by increasing numbers of older prisoners. Existing literature highlights the vulnerability of this group that is reflected by various somatic and mental health issues including cognitive dysfunctions. Although cognitive training studies in various target groups of older people have been conducted, there is lack of data regarding cognitive training in older prisoners. A structured cognitive group training program ("NEUROvitalis Prison") with 12 weekly sessions was offered to male prisoners in Germany. Post intervention an exploratory qualitative study was conducted. Prisoners (N = 18) and staff (N = 4) perspectives were explored by conducting face-to-face semi-structured interviews. Audiotaped data were fully transcribed and deductive-inductive content analyses applied. Both the prisoners and the staff perceived the cognitive training as very positive and stimulating. Moreover, the importance of the training was pronounced in terms of an increase in self-esteem and understanding of cognition and aging in the prisoners. Our data indicate that cognitive training may be a feasible and valuable intervention for older prisoners that will be appreciated by both inmates and staff. The qualitative data provide substantial insight into the experiences with the applied cognitive training program. Moreover, valuable modifications for future conduct can be derived.

Polarization independent tunable bandwidth absorber based on single-layer graphene

As the demand for cognitive understanding of the THz band continues to grow, there is significant potential for practical applications in designing optical devices operating in this frequency range. This paper proposes a polarization-independent tunable bandwidth absorber based on a monolayer graphene, capable of achieving an absorption rate higher than 0.9 in the 3–6 THz band. The absorber exhibits polarization incoherence due to the structural symmetry. Analysis of the electric field distribution indicates that the strong absorption effect of the absorber primarily arises from the coupling of localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR). The absorber also demonstrates excellent tunability, both in terms of physical and chemical properties, while maintaining optimal absorption performance at a 45° incidence angle. This implies that the absorber holds significant potential for applications in fields such as biomedicine and communications.

On conducting ethically sound psychological science in the metaverse.

As the next generation of the internet, the metaverse is an immersive three-dimensional (3D) world that incorporates both physical and virtual environments. The metaverse affords numerous advantages for advancing our theoretical and practical understanding of human cognition, emotion, and behavior, as well as shaping our methodological approach to conducting psychological science. However, undertaking research in a world that merges the physical and virtual, also presents new and unique ethical challenges that are not addressed by current ethical guidelines such as the Belmont Report, the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, and the Association of Internet Researchers Internet Research Ethical Guidelines. We discuss the different domains of the metaverse relevant to psychological research and consider how three categories of ethical challenges (i.e., "respect for persons," "beneficence," and "justice") may arise when conducting research in the metaverse. We also provide recommendations for addressing these challenges that include reconfiguring existing ethical guidelines as well as creating new ones. Together, these can inform and assist researchers and institutional review boards in making decisions about conducting ethically sound psychological science in the metaverse. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Overview: Research on the Genetic Architecture of the Developing Cerebral Cortex in Norms and Diseases.

The human brain is characterized by high cell numbers, diverse cell types with diverse functions, and intricate connectivity with an exceedingly broad surface of the cortex. Human-specific brain development was accomplished by a long timeline for maturation from the prenatal period to the third decade of life. The long timeline makes complicated architecture and circuits of human cerebral cortex possible, and it makes human brain vulnerable to intrinsic and extrinsic insults resulting in the development of variety of neuropsychiatric disorders. Unraveling the molecular and cellular processes underlying human brain development under the elaborate regulation of gene expression in a spatiotemporally specific manner, especially that of the cortex will provide a biological understanding of human cognition and behavior in health and diseases. Global research consortia and the advancing technologies in brain science including functional genomics equipped with emergent neuroinformatics such as single-cell multiomics, novel human models, and high-volume databases with high-throughput computation facilitate the biological understanding of the development of the human brain cortex. Knowing the process of interplay of the genome and the environment in cortex development will lead us to understand the human-specific cognitive function and its individual diversity. Thus, it is worthwhile to overview the recent progress in neurotechnology to foresee further understanding of the human brain and norms and diseases.

A literature review of online exams in HE in Physics and Maths

During the COVID pandemic, universities around the globe had to move not only their content delivery online, but also their assessments. Due to COVID causing significant upheaval in Higher Education (HE), this enforced experiment also afforded an opportunity to reflect on traditional, invigilated, closed book exams (ICBE) resulting in research and advice in this area. A systematic review of this academic and grey literature was performed concentrating on maths heavy physics examinations to investigate what guidance is given to examination writers, educators who prepare students for exams and HE examinees themselves. The literature review results were divided into: Advice for examiners who need to provide an invigilated open book exam (UOBE), discussions on cheating, advice for students and case studies. It was found that ICBEs were good at examining lower order cognitive skills, e.g. recall and understanding, but higher order skills, such as analysing and synthesising, are better examined with access to a larger range of resources. Guidance on making academic misconduct more difficult also suggested using higher order thinking skills in exam questions as responses to these type of tasks are more individual and getting outside help may be more difficult in a time constrained UOBE. Furthermore, literature encouraged reflection on the motivation for cheating and suggested that overly demanding assessment may encourage students to seek inappropriate help. The advice for students highlighted the need to prepare as thoroughly for a UOBE as they would for a traditional exam. Probably the thrust should change from pure memorization to students preparing their notes so that they can efficiently access their material to locate relevant parts for synthesis during a UOBE. Some of the case studies used statistical methods to investigate comparability of grades between UOBEs and ICBEs and some of the studies found them comparable, so a large shift of results may be due to other factors rather than the exam type. Other studies describe their approach and include stakeholder reflections. The main recommendation to exclude lower cognitive skills can pose a problem for maths heavy exams as they mainly assess how well an examinee has mastered these skills before building on them. However, it seems advisable to climb higher up Bloom’s taxonomy if possible. Also, it may be conceivable to break up exams into shorter sections that require individual uploading before access to the next part is granted to reduce the possibility of outside help. Furthermore, individualised maths type problems could be achievable by using different data sets for a question. Student advice should highlight the differences between UOBEs and ICBEs so that they can prepare appropriately.

Beyond Academia: Re-evaluating the Nuances of Real-World Empathy

Empathy is often portrayed simplistically in textbooks, emphasising cognitive understanding over emotional connection. This paper critiques the disconnect between textbook explanations of empathy and the complexity of practising empathy in real-world contexts. It reviews academic literature, identifying key themes in empathy definitions and gaps regarding language, emotions, and cultural factors. The paper explores real-life challenges of empathy such as navigating biases, stress contagion, and ethical dilemmas. It is argued that bridging the gap between theoretical and practical empathy requires acknowledging nuances, fostering self-reflection, considering contextual factors, and developing emotional resonance. Promoting more comprehensive empathy has implications for education, training programs, and interpersonal relationships.

Difficulties, Factors, and Coping Mechanisms of Primary Grade Teachers in Teaching Reading Using Modular Distance Learning

This study aimed to explore and analyze the difficulties in teaching beginning reading using modular distance learning, its contributing factors, and the coping mechanisms to tackle the difficulties. The qualitative-descriptive design was employed in identifying and describing the variables of the study. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were utilized to gather the primary data needed in addition to observation reports. Deductive thematic analysis was also employed to categorize and sub-categorize the findings into themes. The findings revealed that teachers have difficulties in addressing reading and in assessing, monitoring, and validating pupils' performance using modules, and in the construction and distribution of modules. Factors that led to these difficulties include pupils’ lack of cognitive understanding and independent learning, along with the unsuitability of modules in reading instruction, parents’ lack of guidance because of insufficient expertise, time constraints, and the absence of communication with teachers. Teachers’ attitude, motivation, and lack of training in modular construction were also factors that contributed to their difficulties. The coping mechanisms employed were module modification, making or sharing videos, restricted face-to-face tutorials, and establishing interaction with other stakeholders.

재소자 교화를 위한 불교적 접근법에 관한 연구

This paper is a study that deals with the changes in emotional, cognitive, linguistic, and interpersonal relationships of prisoners currently incarcerated in South Korea. There is a limit to healing the prisoner's deep unconscious. Their trauma, cognition, guilt, personality, and emotional understanding require changes in various aspects, but these processes seem to have been omitted. The Buddhist practice method is a Buddhist suggestion for the smooth adjustment of prisoners into society. I think I can heal the underlying problem by looking at my sins objectively. Buddhist practice has been reinterpreted in modern times, and programs such as MBCT, MBSR, and MSC are now being applied in various ways. The foundation of these programs is compassion meditation and Vipassana practice. In particular, by recognizing the breath, meditation allows you to recognize bodily reactions, thoughts, emotions, cognition, etc., through the breath. Penance, Buddhist chanting or Buddhist songs are also Buddhist approaches to inmate reform. Because Buddhist practice is a ascetic religion that aims at knowledge and awareness, it is possible to heal the underlying problem by looking at one's sins objectively. In this article, we have identified the problem of prisoners in prisons in order to apply it to Buddhist practice. He also introduced Buddhist methodologies for inmate reform, such as penance and meditation programs. It is hoped that this study will improve the rehabilitation program for inmates and help them in their lives.

Comparative Analysis of Brain Activity during Performing Number Sense and Mental Rotational Tasks: An EEG Study Using sLORETA

This study attempted to find out what differences of the signal sources of brain waves that occurred during performing number sense tasks and mental rotation tasks using sLORETA technology. Twenty students (10 men and 10 women) attending a four-year university in Gyeongsangnam-do were asked to perform six tasks (3 number sense tasks and 3 mental rotation tasks). The EEG brain waves were measured during performing each task and were analyzed by applying to the sLORETA with t-test: paired group test, A-A2=B-B2. The result showed that there were statistically significant differences in theta, alpha, and beta bands between NS1 and NS2, which brain areas included the superior frontal gyrus, the middle frontal gyrus, the inferior frontal gyrus, the superior temporal, the anterior cingulate, the extra-nuclear, and the insula. The anterior cingulate and the superior frontal gyrus were the areas that showed a statistically significant difference between SP2 and SP3 in the gamma band. This study examined the difference in brain activity while performing two different types of tasks by applying sLORETA. It will be expected to deepen the cognitive neuroscience understanding of the mathematics learning process for students.

Influence of Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) on Students Learning Performance in Physical Education

This study aimed to comprehensively evaluate the influence of Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) on student learning and performance in college physical education. Analyzing cognitive understanding, knowledge retention, skill development, engagement, and adaptability, the study identified specific components of CAI affecting outcomes. Challenges faced by teachers during CAI integration were explored, and a strategic plan for effective implementation was proposed. The research employed a quantitative descriptive design, focusing on Shijiazhuang Information Engineering Vocational College with 669 student respondents. It was found that learners and teachers expressed satisfaction with CAI's adaptive learning pathways, interactive simulations, and progress tracking, indicating its value in enhancing the learning experience, CAI in Physical Education was well-received, demonstrating effectiveness in providing an engaging and enriching educational approach, the integration of CAI positively impacted cognitive understanding, memory retention, and bridging theoretical and practical knowledge in physical education, challenges included limited technical proficiency, insufficient training, access to reliable technology, time constraints, and content customization difficulties, learners coped by seeking assistance, independent exploration, using online resources, adapting learning strategies, and engaging in collaborative work and a proposed course of action addressed challenges through targeted workshops, comprehensive training, infrastructure upgrades, flexible scheduling, and adaptive content development. CAI significantly influences physical education learning, with positive outcomes in engagement, understanding, and performance. Challenges identified underscore the need for tailored interventions. The proposed strategies offer a comprehensive plan for effective CAI utilization, fostering a supportive and technologically equipped learning environment. In conclusion, Computer-Aided Instruction (CAI) significantly influences physical education learning, yielding positive outcomes in engagement, understanding, and performance; the identified challenges underscore the imperative for tailored interventions, and the proposed strategies offer a comprehensive plan for effective CAI utilization, fostering a supportive and technologically equipped learning environment; therefore, educational institutions should implement targeted interventions to enhance CAI integration, teaching faculty should adapt teaching strategies and undergo continuous professional development, IT departments should guide infrastructure upgrades and support initiatives for a reliable technological environment, students should actively engage in seeking assistance, independent exploration, and utilizing online resources, and future researchers should build on identified challenges and coping strategies to explore emerging technologies and assess long-term impacts of CAI in educational settings.

Turkish adaptation of the maternal cognition about infant sleep questionnaire

BackgroundExploring early childhood sleep problems requires a detailed understanding of parental beliefs and cognitions related to infant sleep. There is a need for validated measures to investigate the cognitions of Turkish mothers about infant sleep however no scale measuring parental perceptions related to infant sleep behaviors in Turkish is available. We aimed to culturally adapt the Maternal Cognitions about Infant Sleep Questionnaire (MCISQ) in Turkish. MethodsSubjects were recruited from an internet sample through social media. Internal consistency was evaluated by Cronbach's alpha, and test-retest reliability was determined by Pearson's correlation test and paired t-test. For factorial validity, the principal component factor analysis was performed for the components of MCISQ. ResultsA total of 417 mothers, most aged between 25 and 29 years (47.8 %), participated in the study. Infants' age ranged between 6 and 18 months, with a mean of 10.5 ± 3.9 months. Factor analysis revealed four factors after removal of item 11: Anger, doubt, safety, limit setting. Cronbach's alpha was 0.85. A subgroup of 32 mothers completed MCISQ three weeks after the initial administration. Total mean scores showed a significantly strong correlation (p:<0.01, r:0.82). Higher scores were noted in both total and subscale scores in infants with maternally reported sleep problems (p:<0.01). ConclusionFindings suggest a four-factor solution for MCISQ in Turkish mothers with infants aged 6–18 months. The adapted Turkish version is composed of 19 items with good reliability. Factor structure and items included in the subscales differed from the original study, highlighting the cultural factors related to maternal perceptions about infant sleep.

Emotywny odbiór audiodeskrypcji dzieła malarskiego Wassilego Kandinskiego

Psychological models of art reception postulate the presence of two fundamental effects: cognitive understanding and emotional response. Unfortunately, these models are dedicated to sighted viewers. However, even though visually impaired individuals cannot directly perceive artistic creations, audio description enables them to experience the reception of, for example, a painting. In order to answer the question of whether the reception of audio description of a painting triggers similar emotions as the reception of the actual artwork, two independent studies were conducted. The research material was an audio description of Wassily Kandinsky’s abstract watercolour sketch for Composition VII, titled „Untitled”. Subjective experiences were measured using the SUPIN scale. In Study I (N = 138), higher intensity of positive affect was observed compared to negative affect after listening to the audio description. In Study II (N = 67), an increase in positive affect intensity and a decrease in negative affect intensity were observed following the audio description. The results indicate that listening to audio description, which represents an indirect contact with a visual artwork, can improve the well-being of the listeners. The obtained results will be analysed in the context of social construction of emotions and embodied cognition.