Sources of Individual Differences in L2 Narrative Production: The Contribution of Input, Processing, and Output Anxiety

2014 ◽  
Vol 37 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Trebits
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Language Production ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Input Processing ◽  
Narrative Production ◽  
The Impact

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of cognitive task complexity and individual differences in input, processing, and output anxiety (IPOA) on L2 narrative production. The participants were enrolled in a bilingual secondary educational program. They performed two narrative tasks in speech and writing. The participants’ level of anxiety was assessed using the IPOA scale (MacIntyre and Gardner 1994). The results demonstrate that spoken and written modalities are influenced differently by anxiety with the impact of output anxiety being significantly stronger in speech than in writing. Another important finding was that input and processing anxiety had both facilitating and debilitating effects on learners’ L2 output. As regards the effect of task complexity on participants’ narratives, the findings suggest that the different stages of language production need to be taken into account when categorizing tasks on the basis of the cognitive load they impose on learners.

The Impact of Cognitive Load on Volitional Running

2016 ◽  
Vol 60 (1) ◽  
pp. 1179-1183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Megan J. Blakely ◽  
Kyle Wilson ◽  
Paul N. Russell ◽  
William S. Helton
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
High Load ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Running Speed ◽  
Original Experiment ◽  
The Impact

The effects of physical activity on cognition and the effects of cognitive load on physical activity are complex. Both the nature of the physical activity and cognitive task may influence the interactive effects of performing a physical task while also performing a cognitive task. In a previous study examining the impact of increasing cognitive load on outdoor running speed and the impact of outdoor running on cognitive performance, Blakely et al. (2015) found running speed decreased as cognitive load increased. They also found that the impact of running itself on cognitive performance occurred when the cognitive task was itself demanding (high cognitive load). In the current study we expanded on this previous research by improving the experimental task to rule out peripheral sensory, not central or executive, interference and by incorporating heart rate measures and VO2 max estimates. Twelve runners completed five conditions, two seated cognitive tasks (one low load and one high load), two dual running cognitive tasks and one run only. Results were similar to the original experiment, as the cognitive task became more difficult, voluntary running speed decreased. Also the effects of running on cognitive performance (counting) were found only when the cognitive task was high load.

scholarly journals Daydream believer: Rumination, self-reflection and the temporal focus of mind wandering content

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 794-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daisy Shrimpton ◽  
Deborah McGann ◽  
Leigh M. Riby
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Positive Association ◽  
Mind Wandering ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Temporal Perspective ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Temporal Focus ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Dispositional Differences

Current research into mind-wandering is beginning to acknowledge that this process is one of heterogeneity. Following on from previous findings highlighting the role of self-focus during mind wandering, the present study aimed to examine individual differences in rumination and self-reflection and the impact such styles of self-focus may have on mind-wandering experiences. Thirty-three participants were required to complete the Sustained Attention Response Task (SART), aimed at inducing mind-wandering episodes, whilst also probing the content of thought in terms of temporal focus. Self-report questionnaires were also administered after the SART to measure dispositional differences in style and beliefs regarding mind-wandering and assessments of individual differences in rumination and self-reflection. Those individuals with reflective self-focus showed a strong positive association with positive and constructive thoughts. Critically, ruminative self-focus was positively associated with a tendency for the mind to wander towards anguished fantasies, failures and aggression, but it was also positively associated with positive and constructive thoughts. Furthermore, while dispositional differences in self-focus showed no relationship with the temporal perspective of thoughts when probed during a cognitive task, performance on the task itself was related to whether participants were thinking about the past, present or future during that activity. Such findings are discussed in line with previous research, and provide a further step towards accounting for the heterogeneous nature of mind-wandering.

scholarly journals The interaction between pain and cognition: on the roles of task complexity and pain intensity

2021 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisabeth J. Lier ◽  
Clementina M. van Rijn ◽  
Marjan de Vries ◽  
Harry van Goor ◽  
Joukje M. Oosterman
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Pain Intensity ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Cold Pressor Test ◽  
Cold Pressor ◽  
Pain Scores ◽  
Cognitive Distraction ◽  
Accuracy Rates

Abstract Objectives The interaction between pain and cognition includes a concurrent negative effect of pain on cognitive performance and an analgesic effect of cognitive distraction on pain experience. The purpose of this exploratory study was to investigate the role of pain intensity and task complexity on this interaction. Methods Two experiments were conducted in healthy volunteers. In both experiments, participants completed 3 conditions: a pain only condition (consisting of the cold pressor test), a cognition only condition (consisting of the cognitive task) and a combined condition (concurrent administration of the cold pressor and cognitive task). In experiment I, participants performed one out of three possible tasks that differed in cognitive load (low, medium, high). In experiment II the parameters of the pain stimulus, induced by a cold pressor test, were adapted and only the high load cognitive task was employed. Pain scores, reaction times, and accuracy rates were recorded. Results In experiment I, cognitive distraction significantly decreased pain scores, irrespective of the cognitive load of the task. Pain did not affect cognitive performance. In experiment II, pain diminished accuracy rates. No effect of cognitive distraction on pain was observed. Individual characteristics did not noticeably influence the interaction between pain and cognition. Conclusions The results of this study suggest a two-way interaction, however no evidence for a simultaneous bidirectional relationship was found. Cognitive distraction successfully reduces pain, up until a certain point where this relationship is reversed, and pain starts to interfere with cognitive performance. This may imply that priorities shift at a certain pain-threshold, however further research should confirm this hypothesis. This study could contribute to further understanding of cognitive mechanisms related to pain perception.

scholarly journals An Investigation of the Impact of Manipulation of Task Complexity on Cognitive Processes Into Both NS and Second Language Learners

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 1095-1106
Author(s):  
Adnan Mukhrib
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Speech Production ◽  
Second Language Learners ◽  
Rating Scale ◽  
Native Speakers ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Mental Effort ◽  
High Level ◽  
Task Types ◽  
The Impact

This study takes as its basis a recognition that task-based learning is now recognized as having major benefits in promoting L2 learning, and how cognitive load affects speech production. In addition, there has been a recent examination of the impact of task complexity, real-world meaning, and the overall cognitive load needed to be expended by students. Different task types have been evaluated in terms of how they improve aspects of language. However, less consideration has been given to the effect on the cognitive load of different task types with the speech production processes (conceptualization, input, output identification, monitoring, and reformulations). Drawing on data collected from 112 participants (56 Native Speakers, 56 Non-Native Speakers) who completed a series of tests of varying complexity and were asked to evaluate on a rating scale, the level of mental effort expended.  The results indicated that complexity increases mental effort and thus cognitive load, and that conceptualization appears to be one area where greater effort is required before being able to problems solving. Formulation comments suggest that there was a high level of hesitation, self-checking, and assessment as the level of task complexity increased. The implications for teaching and syllabus design are also considered.

The Impact of Task Complexity along Single Task Dimension on Iranian EFL Learners' Writing Production

2016 ◽  
Vol 6 (5) ◽  
pp. 935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esmaeil Shajeri ◽  
Siros Izadpanah
Keyword(s):  
Task Complexity ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Task Group ◽  
Complex Task ◽  
Simple Task ◽  
Single Task ◽  
Efl Learners ◽  
Accuracy Measure ◽  
Iranian Context ◽  
The Impact

This study was designed to explore the manipulation of cognitive task complexity along +/- single task dimension (a resource dispersing dimension in Robinson’s triadic framework) on the Iranian EFL learners’ writing production in terms of accuracy, fluency, lexical complexity, and syntactic complexity, and put two different views (Skehan’s [1998] limited attentional capacity model and Robinson’s [2005] cognition hypothesis) into test in the Iranian context. Based on the results of the writing test of TOFEL (2004), 48 learners were selected and assigned into two groups, simple task group (STG, n=24) and complex task group (CTG, n=24). The participants in the STG were given an eight-frame picture arranged in the correct sequence (+ single task). The participants in the CTG were given all the eight frames in scrambled order. These participants were required to order the frames in the right sequence first (- single task). Four independent sample t-tests were run. The results indicated that the participants’ output in the complex task were significantly more fluent, more lexically and structurally complex. However, their performance on the accuracy measure decreased in the complex task. Based on the findings, at least in the Iranian context, Skehan’s (1998) predictions are more convincing.

The Need to Belong and the Relationship Between Loneliness and Health

2014 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 194-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Freda-Marie Hartung ◽  
Britta Renner
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Isolation ◽  
Social Situation ◽  
First Year ◽  
Health State ◽  
Need To Belong ◽  
First Year University ◽  
Perceived Social Isolation ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Humans are social animals; consequently, a lack of social ties affects individuals’ health negatively. However, the desire to belong differs between individuals, raising the question of whether individual differences in the need to belong moderate the impact of perceived social isolation on health. In the present study, 77 first-year university students rated their loneliness and health every 6 weeks for 18 weeks. Individual differences in the need to belong were found to moderate the relationship between loneliness and current health state. Specifically, lonely students with a high need to belong reported more days of illness than those with a low need to belong. In contrast, the strength of the need to belong had no effect on students who did not feel lonely. Thus, people who have a strong need to belong appear to suffer from loneliness and become ill more often, whereas people with a weak need to belong appear to stand loneliness better and are comparatively healthy. The study implies that social isolation does not impact all individuals identically; instead, the fit between the social situation and an individual’s need appears to be crucial for an individual’s functioning.

Impact of an educative program on dialysis patients’ knowledge and mental health: controlled before and after program

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 20204
Author(s):  
Laetitia Idier ◽  
Aurélie Untas ◽  
Nicole Rascle ◽  
Michèle Koleck ◽  
Maider Aguirrezabal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
Vascular Access ◽  
Educational Program ◽  
Psychological State ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Dialysis Patients ◽  
Emotional Change ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Introduction:Psychological impact of Therapeutic Patient Education (TPE) for dialysis patients is rarely evaluated since the focus of many studies is on medical variables (i.e., adherence).Objectives:The aims of this study were: 1) to estimate the impact of a TPE program on knowledge, depression and anxiety, 2) to examine change in knowledge as a mediator of the effects of a TPE program on mental health.Method:This study was conducted in three hemodialysis units and comprised two groups: an experimental group with education and a control group with routine care. The program was based of 5 educative sessions. Knowledge, depressive and anxious symptoms were assessed with self-reported outcomes measured before and 3 months after the program.Results:The sample comprised 125 patients. Knowledge about vascular access and nutrition (p < 0.01) and depressive symptoms increased in the experimental group (p < 0.01). Analysis of mediation showed that changes in knowledge about vascular access were a significant mediator of the effects of the program on depressive symptoms (F = 4.90;p = 0.01).Discussion:Knowledge acquired during an educational program could lead to an emotional change. Improving knowledge often leads to an awareness of the risks that can modify the psychological state of patients by reminding them of their vulnerability. This study shows that it is required to be attentive to the way of transmitting knowledge. It’s necessary adapting this transmission to the needs of patients and promoting the acquisition of psychosocial competence too.Conclusion:This study shows that knowledge acquired during an educational program can lead to an emotional change in the short term. A long-term follow-up of the population should be interesting to observe these emotional effects.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document