Utilizing ECLS-K:2011 data, this study compares adopted and biological children to account for the role of heritable characteristics in explaining the relationship between family environments and children's cognitive skills. I find that cognitive skills do not differ across adopted and biological children after adjusting for the systematic differences between them. I also find that the relationship between family environment and children's cognitive skills does not differ across adopted and biological children. Taken together, these results suggest that the relationship between family environment and children's cognitive skills is not spurious.

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Yes / Objective: We conducted a U.K.-wide survey to collect information on people's beliefs, fears, perceptions, and attitudes to cognitive aging. Methods: This community-based aging survey included 3,146 adults aged 40 years and over. Results: Respondents believed memory might be the earliest cognitive skill to decline (mean: 59.4 years), followed by speed of thinking (mean: 64.9). Those in their 40s were more pessimistic, because they estimated cognitive changes would start up to 15 years earlier than respondents aged over 70. Having a purpose in life, healthy eating, challenging the mind, sleep, and physical activity ranked higher in terms of perceived importance for maintaining or improving cognitive skills. However, less than 50% engaged in any of these activities. Although 91% believed there are things people can do to maintain or improve their cognitive skills, more than 40% were unsure or did not know how to do so. Respondents who strongly agreed that changes in cognitive skills might be a sign of something more serious were significantly more likely to do various activities to benefit their cognitive skills. Conclusion: Results suggest that people are less aware of the potential cognitive benefits of certain activities, such as exercise and diet. It is important to build awareness about the benefits of lifestyles and activities for cognitive health. / Velux Stiftung (Project No. 1034).

Ces dernières décennies, la famille a connu des changements majeurs dans la majorité des pays de l’OCDE. D’une part, le taux de fertilité a baissé ; d’autre part, le nombre de séparation a fortement augmenté. Cette thèse se propose d’étudier les effets de ces changements de la structure familiale sur le capital humain des individus, en l’envisageant comme une nouvelle source d’inégalités. Dans un cadre micro-économique, cette thèse mobilise les outils économétriques pour les appliquer à de larges bases de données. Les trois chapitres de cette thèse présentent des résultats nouveaux sur l’effet de la séparation parentale et de la taille de la famille sur le capital humain de l’individu. Le premier chapitre porte sur l’effet de la séparation parentale en France sur la réussite professionnelle des individus, et montre un effet négatif de la séparation parentale sur le niveau d’étude et la position sociale de l’individu. En s’appuyant sur des données américaines, le second chapitre s’intéresse aux mécanismes expliquant cet effet, et en particulier, sur les changements du temps passé avec les parents. Ainsi, 30% de l’effet de la séparation parentale sur le développement socio-émotionnel des enfants serait expliqué par la baisse du temps passé avec au moins un parent présent. Le troisième chapitre considère un autre aspect de la structure familiale : la taille de la famille. Nous trouvons que l’arrivée d’un troisième enfant dans la famille diminue les compétences socio-émotionnelles des autres enfants, en particulier chez les filles. / Family has known great transformations in the last decades in a large number of OECD countries. On one hand, fertility rates have decreased. On the other hand, the number of separations has increased sharply. This thesis asks whether these major changes of family structure affect child’s human capital, being a new source of inequalities. Using very large datasets and micro-econometric methods, the three chapters present original empirical evidence on whether parental separation and family size impact individual’s human capital. The first chapter studies the effect of parental separation in France on individual’s achievement, and find a negative effect of parental separation on individual’s educational attainment and social position. Using an American dataset, the second chapter asks whether this effect is driven by changes in time spent with parents, and find that 30% of the effect of parental separation on socio-emotional skills is explained by the decrease in time spent with at least one parent present. The third chapter accounts for another aspect of family structure: the number of children. Using a British dataset, we find that having a second sibling in the United Kingdom decreases the child’s socio-emotional skills, especially for girls.

Behavioral and cognitive skills training for increasing assertive behavior in college students were compared to an equally credible expectancy-control. One significant multivariate function successfully discriminated between the behavioral and control groups, and between the cognitive and control groups. This function was interpreted as showing enhanced behavioral/cognitive construction competencies in the behavioral and cognitive groups. A second function, though not significant, suggested that the cognitive training resulted in more aggressive behavior.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-04T18:29:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Adriana Aparecida Ferreira de Souza.pdf: 760418 bytes, checksum: f157f2b59d0fd9c152733f834ecdc41c (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-18 / This study aimed to compare cognitive and creative skills between people in maturity and elderly, checking the influence of sex, age and educational level, and comparing test results with the participants self-assessment. Eighty one people (61.73% from 45 to 59 years and 38.27% over 60 years) participated in the survey. The tests Battery of Cognitive Abilities of Adults (BAIAD), Thinking Creatively with Words and Pictures, besides the Self-Assessment Scale about the Performance of Cognitive and Creative Skills, and Leisure and a Personal Data Questionnaire were used for data collection. The instruments were administered individually in three or more sessions in institutions for the elderly, after free and informed consent of participants. The results showed that the verbal tests, visual combination and creativity (verbal and pictorial) were affected only by the educational level (ANOVA). The memory tests were also under significant influence of schooling and the interactions among gender, age and education. Intelligence and creativity are correlated. The performance test was related to the participants self assessment by the scale. It is concluded that schooling is a significant factor in the cognitive and creative performance. / Este estudo se prop?s a comparar as habilidades cognitivas e criativas entre pessoas na maturidade e idosos, verificando a influ?ncia do sexo, faixa et?ria e n?vel educacional e comparando os resultados de testes com a auto-avalia??o dos participantes. Participaram da pesquisa 81 pessoas (61,73% de 45 a 59 anos e 38,27% acima de 60 anos). Para a coleta de dados foram utilizados os testes Bateria de Habilidades Cognitivas de Adultos (BAIAD), Pensando Criativamente com Palavras e com Figuras, al?m da Escala de Auto-avalia??o do Desempenho de Habilidades Cognitivas, Criativas e Lazer e um Question?rio de Dados Pessoais. Os instrumentos foram aplicados individualmente em tr?s ou mais sess?es em institui??es de terceira idade, ap?s consentimento livre e esclarecido dos participantes. Os resultados mostraram que os testes verbais, combina??o visual e criatividade (verbal e figural) foram influenciados apenas pelo n?vel educacional (ANOVA). Os testes de mem?ria tamb?m sofreram influ?ncia significante da escolaridade e das intera??es entre sexo, faixa et?ria e escolaridade. Intelig?ncia e criatividade est?o correlacionadas. O desempenho nos testes teve rela??o com a auto-avalia??o dos participantes pela escala. Conclui-se que a escolaridade ? fator significante no desempenho cognitivo e criativo.

Orientadora: Profa. Dra. Ruth Ferreira Santos-Galduróz / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do ABC, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociência e Cognição, 2014. / No processo do desenvolvimento cognitivo, os estímulos fornecidos ajudam na construção do conhecimento, e cada vez mais se tem pesquisado os efeitos da música sobre esse processo. Apesar da música se basear em proporções matemáticas, poucos trabalhos buscam a sua relação com a aquisição de conceitos matemáticos. O presente estudo realizou uma pesquisa experimental, num modelo longitudinal, com o objetivo de verificar a contribuição da iniciação musical para o desenvolvimento de habilidades cognitivas, sobretudo em frações. A amostra constituiu de 61 crianças entre cinco e seis anos de idade, recém ingressas nas escolas municipais de uma cidade da Grande São Paulo. Após a aprovação do responsável, através do Termo de Consentimento Livre e Esclarecido ¿ TCLE, foram aplicados testes cognitivos (Escala de Maturidade Mental Colúmbia, teste visuoespacial, teste de memória, teste de escrita de palavras e números, e teste de fração e geometria) e escalas - (Escala de stress infantil ¿ ESI). Em seguida, as crianças foram divididas em dois grupos: 30 crianças formaram o grupo controle e 31 crianças o grupo experimental. O grupo experimental, passou por intervenção musical, duas vezes por semana, com duração de 50 minutos cada sessão, por um período de quatro meses; já o grupo controle, durante o mesmo período, continuaram a receber a estimulação prevista em suas atividades curriculares. Após o fim da intervenção musical, ambos os grupos foram reavaliados para comparação do desempenho em dois momentos (pré e pós-intervenção musical). A análise dos dados foi realizada através do programa SPSS 20 e Statistica 10, adotando um nível de significância de 95% (p<0,05) para as análises. Os resultados mostraram haver diferença significativa nos testes de fração (p=0,01), visuoespacial (p<0,01), memória I (p=0,04), memória II (p=0,01) e psicomotor (p=0,03). Estes resultados sugerem que a instrução musical contribuiu para uma melhora no desempenho de tarefas relacionadas ao cálculo de fração, juntamente com o desenvolvimento de habilidade na memória, visuoespacial e psicomotora. / During the processes of cognitive development, the stimuli provided helps building your knowledge and more and more has been researched on the effects of music on this process. Though the music is based on mathematical proportions, very few works seek their relation to the acquisition of mathematical concepts. This study conducted an experimental study, a longitudinal model, with the objective of verifying the contribution of musical initiation for the development of cognitive abilities, especially in fractions. The sample consisted of 61 children between five and six years old, newly joined in municipal schools at the city of São Paulo. After parents or legal guardians approval through the Term of Consent - Informed Consent, cognitive tests were applied (Columbia Mental Maturity Scale, visual spatial test, memory tests I and II, writing words and numbers test and fraction and geometry test) and scales - (Infant Stress Scale - ISS). Then the children were divided into two groups: 30 children formed the control group and 31 children formed the experimental group 31. The experimental group underwent musical intervention twice a week lasting 50 minutes each session for a period of four months, whereas the control group during the same period continued to receive stimulation provided by their school activities. After the end of the musical intervention, both groups were evaluated for performance comparison (pre and post-intervention musical). Data analysis was performed by using the following programs: SPSS 20 and Statistica 10, adopting a significance level of 95% (p<0.05). The results showed a significant difference in the tests, fraction (p=0.01), visuospatial (p<0.01), memory I ( p=0,04), memory II (p=0.01) and psychomotor (p=0.03). These results suggests that musical training contributed to an improvement in performance for tasks related to fraction calculation, along with the development of skill in short-term memory, visual spatial and psychomotor.