scholarly journals Dogs, working memory and educational achievement: Barking up the wrong tree or an effective mechanism for facilitating cognitive acuity?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Janet Godfrey Oostendorp
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Educational Achievement ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Full Time ◽  
The Hours ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
The Individual

A mixed methods convergent design was used to investigate the involvement and role of a school dog with 13, seven year olds and 24 university students over three phases: a desk based survey; the identification of children’s working memory skills used in the dog’s presence when reading; and comparing maths and vocabulary school based tasks in both ‘live’ and ‘Virtual Reality’ (VR) settings. The findings provided insights into how the dogs’ presence affected learning within the classroom. Cross-age correlations were found for specific working memory skills between the adults and children. The data from both age groups revealed a significant effect of a live (as opposed to VR) dog’s presence for the language-based activities and suggested that there is potential for dogs to increase resilience and confidence in mathematical tasks. Using ‘virtual reality dogs’, significant effects were found for language abilities, corroborating previous research. Results clearly indicated that it is primarily the individual learner’s initial response to the task itself which determines the personal achievement and attainment, with the presence of a dog having a secondary effect. Further research is required into establishing the greatest benefits from working with a dog with respect to the measurement of progress mediated by social, academic and learning needs. The finding in this research that the effect of animal assisted learning is somewhat equivocal and idiosyncratic has implications for the widely used ‘read to dogs’ schemes in schools, together with the hours, working conditions and the perceived necessity of having full time school dogs. Animal assisted learning, in this study, showed benefits for some participants, but the effect was not universal. Such a finding suggests that a specific, individual, specialist academic teaching approach may be required to gain the greatest benefit from animal assisted intervention and animal assisted education in the future.

scholarly journals School-aged children's awareness of their own working memory contents

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Christopher L. Blume
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Visual Array ◽  
Memory Contents ◽  
The Many ◽  
The Individual ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Subjective Estimates ◽  
Do So

Working memory researchers in psychology have long wondered about how the mind organizes the many different pieces of information that must be maintained at any one time in order that the individual may carry out daily tasks of cognition. This research has often focused on the capacity of information that an individual is capable of holding in mind at any one time. In order to obtain a better understanding of this capacity researchers have developed what are thought to be objective measures of estimating the number of items (k) an individual must have in mind based on their performance on some cognitive task. In the present research one such formula is used to obtain a typical estimate for a visual array task in which multiple colored squares must be held in mind for a short duration before the participant is asked about whether or not a single probe color was one of the colors that had just seen in the array. In addition, participants are asked to provide their own subjective estimates of the number of colors they believe themselves to have memorized. Several age groups were tested starting with children as young as 6. The results show that while all age groups appear to overestimate their own capacity when compared to the objective k estimate, younger children tend to do so to a greater degree. This effect is discussed as the result of the development of quicker processing with age, faster forgetting in young age, or simply a structural increase in the capacity irrespective of the prior two possibilities.

Some Sources of Behavioral Variance as Measured by an S-R Inventory of Machiavellianism

1981 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 359-368 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Vleeming
Keyword(s):  
Sex Differences ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Total Variance ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Stimulus Response ◽  
Part Time Students ◽  
Part Time ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Main Effects ◽  
Two Age Groups

In this study a start is made with the construction of a Stimulus-Response Inventory of Machiavellianism (Mach S-R). The inventory was administered to students of a ‘Sociale Academie,’ who differed in age, sex, and degree of Machiavellianism. The Mach S-R used here consisted of nine descriptions of situations and six Machiavellian modes of response. The reliability-coefficients for the 9 descriptions ranged from ( a) 0.45 to 0.84, while the coefficients for the six modes of response ranged from ( a) 0.72 to 0.92. A three-way analysis of variance, i.e., persons by situations by modes of response, was computed, on which basis finally the proportion of the total variance accounted for by each component was calculated. Of the main effects the individual differences contributed over all data on the average about 17.7%, the situations about 2.3%, and the modes of response about 4.7% of the total variance. The interaction of persons by situations contributed on the average about 12.6%, whereas the interaction of persons by modes of response accounted for about 25.7% of the total variance, which is the highest percentage after the 36 9% for the ‘triple interaction’ and ‘error term.’ The interaction of situations by modes of response was so small it could be ignored altogether. Few differences existed between two age groups, i.e., between full-time students (average age 21 yr.) and part-time students (average age 33 yr.). Besides, these differences were probably associated with sex differences, which were rather more pronounced. The discrepancies between low and high Machs, furthermore, seemed to be about the same as those between the sexes. Continuation of the study of sex differences, of situations, and modes of response is encouraged.

scholarly journals Following Instructions in Working Memory: Do Older Adults Show the Enactment Advantage?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachel O Coats ◽  
Amanda H Waterman ◽  
Fiona Ryder ◽  
Amy L Atkinson ◽  
Richard J Allen
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Young Adults ◽  
Task Complexity ◽  
Recall Performance ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Younger Adults ◽  
The One ◽  
The Individual

Abstract Objectives In young adults, the ability to verbally recall instructions in working memory is enhanced if the sequences are physically enacted by the participant (self-enactment) or the experimenter (demonstration) during encoding. Here we examine the effects of self-enactment and demonstration at encoding on working memory performance in older and younger adults. Method Fifty young (18–23 years) and 40 older (60–89 years) adults listened to sequences of novel action-object pairs before verbally recalling them in the correct order. There were three different encoding conditions: spoken only, spoken + demonstration, and spoken + self-enactment. We included two different levels of difficulty to investigate whether task complexity moderated the effect of encoding condition and whether this differed between age groups. Results Relative to the spoken only condition, demonstration significantly improved young and older adults’ serial recall performance, but self-enactment only enhanced performance in the young adults, and this boost was smaller than the one gained through demonstration. Discussion Our findings suggest that additional spatial-motoric information is beneficial for older adults when the actions are demonstrated to them, but not when the individual must enact the instructions themselves.

scholarly journals Validity of the Gender Dysphoria diagnosis and incidence trends in Sweden: a nationwide register study

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Malin Indremo ◽  
Richard White ◽  
Thomas Frisell ◽  
Sven Cnattingius ◽  
Alkistis Skalkidou ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gender Dysphoria ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Medical Intervention ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Incidence Trends ◽  
Interaction Terms ◽  
Definition Of ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Nationwide Register Study

AbstractThe aim of this study was to examine the validity of the Gender Dysphoria (GD) diagnoses in the Swedish National Patient Register (NPR), to discuss different register-based definitions of GD and to investigate incidence trends. We collected data on all individuals with registered GD diagnoses between 2001 and 2016 as well as data on the coverage in the NPR. We regarded gender confirming medical intervention (GCMI) as one proxy for a clinically valid diagnosis and calculated the positive predictive value (PPV) for receiving GCMI for increasing number of registered GD diagnoses. We assessed crude and coverage-adjusted time trends of GD during 2004–2015 with a Poisson regression, using assigned sex and age as interaction terms. The PPV for receiving GCMI was 68% for ≥ 1 and 79% for ≥ 4 GD-diagnoses. The incidence of GD was on average 35% higher with the definition of ≥ 1 compared to the definition of ≥ 4 diagnoses. The incidence of GD, defined as ≥ 4 diagnoses increased significantly during the study period and mostly in the age categories 10–17 and 18–30 years, even after adjusting for register coverage. We concluded that the validity of a single ICD code denoting clinical GD in the Swedish NPR can be questioned. For future research, we propose to carefully weight the advantages and disadvantages of different register-based definitions according to the individual study’s needs, the time periods involved and the age-groups under study.

Intra-individual variation in adults and children: measuring and conceptualizing individual dialect–standard repertoires

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (s2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Irmtraud Kaiser ◽  
Andrea Ender
Keyword(s):  
Language Acquisition ◽  
Individual Variation ◽  
The Other ◽  
Standard Language ◽  
Methodological Choices ◽  
Standard Spectrum ◽  
Speech Data ◽  
Adults And Children ◽  
The One ◽  
The Individual

Abstract This paper explores intra-individual variation as a manifestation of language-internal multilingualism in the Central-Bavarian Austrian context. Based on speech data from children and adults in different contexts, we discuss different methods of measuring and analyzing inter-situational variation along the dialect and standard language spectrum. By contrasting measures of dialectality, on the one hand, and proportions of turns in dialect, standard language or intermediate/mixed forms on the other, we gain complementary insights not only into the individual dialect-standard repertoires but also into the consequences of different methodological choices. The results indicate that intra-individual variation is ubiquitous in adults and children and that individual repertoires need to be taken into account from the beginning of the language acquisition process. We suggest that while intra-individual variation can be attested through the use of various methods, the revealed level of granularity and the conclusions that can be drawn as to the individual repertoires on the dialect-standard spectrum largely depend on the measures used and their inherent assumptions and intrinsically necessary categorizations.

scholarly journals Mobility Patterns in Different Age Groups in Japan during the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Small Area Time Series Analysis through March 2021

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shuhei Nomura ◽  
Yuta Tanoue ◽  
Daisuke Yoneoka ◽  
Stuart Gilmour ◽  
Takayuki Kawashima ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Care Delivery ◽  
Human Mobility ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Virus Transmission ◽  
Initial Response ◽  
Health Care Delivery System ◽  
Population Characteristics ◽  
Mobility Patterns ◽  
Mobility Data ◽  
The Status

AbstractIn the COVID-19 era, movement restrictions are crucial to slow virus transmission and have been implemented in most parts of the world, including Japan. To find new insights on human mobility and movement restrictions encouraged (but not forced) by the emergency declaration in Japan, we analyzed mobility data at 35 major stations and downtown areas in Japan—each defined as an area overlaid by several 125-meter grids—from September 1, 2019 to March 19, 2021. Data on the total number of unique individuals per hour passing through each area were obtained from Yahoo Japan Corporation (i.e., more than 13,500 data points for each area). We examined the temporal trend in the ratio of the rolling seven-day daily average of the total population to a baseline on January 16, 2020, by ten-year age groups in five time frames. We demonstrated that the degree and trend of mobility decline after the declaration of a state of emergency varies across age groups and even at the subregional level. We demonstrated that monitoring dynamic geographic and temporal mobility information stratified by detailed population characteristics can help guide not only exit strategies from an ongoing emergency declaration, but also initial response strategies before the next possible resurgence. Combining such detailed data with data on vaccination coverage and COVID-19 incidence (including the status of the health care delivery system) can help governments and local authorities develop community-specific mobility restriction policies. This could include strengthening incentives to stay home and raising awareness of cognitive errors that weaken people's resolve to refrain from nonessential movement.

Practical research on college English vocabulary teaching with mobile technology

2021 ◽  
pp. 002072092098505
Author(s):  
Changhong Zhai
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Mobile Learning ◽  
Mobile Technology ◽  
College Teaching ◽  
Learning Needs ◽  
Learning Technology ◽  
Teaching Mode ◽  
College English ◽  
Mobile Learning Technology ◽  
The Individual

With the development of mobile technology, the intellectualization and intellectualization of mobile learning technology have greatly expanded the dimension of time and space of learning, and become a useful supplement to the traditional teaching mode. Taking College English vocabulary teaching as an example, this paper studies college English vocabulary teaching under the support of mobile technology, in order to provide new ways and methods to meet the individual learning needs of different learners. This paper designs College English vocabulary teaching based on mobile technology and puts forward a basic framework of mobile learning for college students’ English vocabulary learning. In this paper, English vocabulary technology is applied to college English vocabulary teaching. Through experiments, it promotes college students’ English vocabulary memory level, vocabulary use level and interest in English learning, respectively, to verify the effectiveness of College English vocabulary teaching mode based on mobile technology. The experimental results show that the flexibility of mobile learning can take into account the different learning needs of students at different levels of the same group, categorize and categorize the individual needs of students, and adjust different learning content and learning difficulty ladder to a certain extent. The innovation of this paper is to fully combine mobile technology with college English vocabulary teaching, solve practical application problems, and improve the application value of mobile technology in college teaching.

scholarly journals Face, Content, and Construct Validity of a Virtual Reality Otoscopy Simulator and Applicability to Medical Training

2021 ◽  
pp. 019459982110328
Author(s):  
Tobias Albrecht ◽  
Christoph Nikendei ◽  
Mark Praetorius
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Medical Students ◽  
Construct Validity ◽  
Content Validity ◽  
Medical Training ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Correct Diagnosis ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Tertiary Referral Center ◽  
The Face

Objective Otologic diseases are common in all age groups and can significantly impair the function of this important sensory organ. To make a correct diagnosis, the correct handling of the otoscope and a correctly performed examination are essential. A virtual reality simulator could make it easier to teach this difficult-to-teach skill. The aim of this study was to assess the face, content, and construct validity of the novel virtual reality otoscopy simulator and the applicability to otologic training. Study Design Face and content validity was assessed with a questionnaire. Construct validity was assessed in a prospectively designed controlled trial. Setting Training for medical students at a tertiary referral center. Method The questionnaire used a 6-point Likert scale. The otoscopy was rated with a modified Objective Structured Assessment of Technical Skills. Time to complete the task and the percentage of the assessed eardrum surface were recorded. Results The realism of the simulator and the applicability to medical training were assessed across several items. The ratings suggested good face and content validity as well as usefulness and functionality of the simulator. The otolaryngologists significantly outperformed the student group in all categories measured (P < .0001), suggesting construct validity of the simulator. Conclusion In this study, we could demonstrate face, content, and construct validity for a novel high-fidelity virtual reality otoscopy simulator. The results encourage the use of the otoscopy simulator as a complementary tool to traditional teaching methods in a curriculum for medical students.

Validation of the Chinese Version of the Multidimensional Workaholism Scale

2021 ◽  
pp. 106907272199427
Author(s):  
Yan Xu ◽  
Chaoping Li
Keyword(s):  
Factor Analysis ◽  
Reliability And Validity ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Chinese Version ◽  
Full Time ◽  
Work Family Conflict ◽  
Working Adults ◽  
Work Family ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Two Stages

The aim of this study was to translate the Multidimensional Workaholism Scale (MWS) into Chinese and then test its reliability and validity among full-time Chinese employees in two stages. In Study 1 ( N = 220), the MWS was translated and exploratory factor analysis was conducted resulting in a four-factor solution consistent with the original MWS: motivational, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral. In Study 2 ( N = 425), confirmatory factor analysis showed that a four-factor, bifactor model was the best fit for the data. Configural, metric, and scalar invariance models were tested which demonstrated that the Chinese version of the MWS did not differ across gender, age, and job position groups. Finally, workaholism and engagement were related and distinct from one another, and they correlated with emotional exhaustion, work-family conflict and life well-being uniquely. This study indicated that the Chinese version of the MWS is a valid and reliable tool for Chinese employees, and this has important practical implications for the individual health and career development of Chinese working adults.

Evaluation of the sensitivity of faecal sampling for detection of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium and other Salmonella in cattle and pigs

2014 ◽  
Vol 143 (8) ◽  
pp. 1681-1691 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. E. ARNOLD ◽  
R. J. GOSLING ◽  
F. MARTELLI ◽  
D. MUELLER-DOBLIES ◽  
R. H. DAVIES
Keyword(s):  
Faecal Sample ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Age Groups ◽  
Farm Animals ◽  
Infection Prevalence ◽  
Sample Type ◽  
Sample Data ◽  
Using Data ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Positive Groups

SUMMARYThere has been a rapid rise in the prevalence of cases of monophasic Salmonella Typhimurium (mST) in both humans and farm animals, and it has been found in pigs, cattle and poultry. It is therefore vital to have a good understanding of how to efficiently detect infected farms. The objective of this project was to determine sample type sensitivity in the detection of Salmonella to detect infected groups of animals on both pig (breeder, grower and finisher sites) and cattle (beef and dairy) farms, using data collected from a study investigating farms that were positive for mST, and to explore any variation between different age groups and management practices. A Bayesian approach in the absence of a gold standard was adopted to analyse the individual and pooled faecal sample data collected from each epidemiological group on each of the farms. The sensitivity of pooled sampling depended on the prevalence of infection in the group being sampled, with a higher prevalence leading to higher sensitivity. Pooled sampling was found to be more efficient at detecting positive groups of animals than individual sampling, with the probability of a random sample from a group of animals with 5% prevalence testing positive being equal to 15·5% for immature pigs (3·6% for an individual faecal sample, taking into account the sensitivity and infection prevalence), 7·1% for adult pigs (1·2% for individual sampling), 30% for outdoor cattle (2% for individual sampling) and 34% for indoor cattle (1% for individual sampling). The mean prevalence of each epidemiological group was higher in outdoor farms than indoor for both pigs and cattle (mean within-farm prevalence of 29·4% and 38·7% for outdoor pigs and cattle, respectively, compared to 19·8% and 22·1% for indoor pigs and cattle)

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document