This PhD investigated the theoretical and clinical applications of a meta-cognitive model of psychological disorders in social anxiety. The main objective was to identify potential associations between meta-cognitive knowledge (i.e. meta-cognitive beliefs) and social anxiety. These associations could be direct or indirect via information-processing mechanisms, such as anticipatory processing (AP), focus of attention, and post-mortem processing (PM). The current thesis reports six studies (N = 686).Study 1 explored cross-sectionally the potential contribution of meta-cognitive beliefs about general worry to social anxiety. The results showed that positive and uncontrollability beliefs along with AP were individual positive predictors of social anxiety. Furthermore, these beliefs had an indirect effect on social anxiety through anticipatory processing and the post-mortem. These results prompted further exploration of the nature of meta-cognitive beliefs in social anxiety. Study 2 employed semi-structured interviews to elicit meta-cognitive beliefs that could be specific to social anxiety. High and low socially anxious individuals reported beliefs about anticipatory processing, focusing on an observer perspective (OP) self-image, and the post-mortem. The high socially anxious group reported greater engagement in both AP and focusing on the OP, and spending greater time trying to control AP, OP, and the post-mortem. Moreover, the two groups differed in beliefs about these mechanisms, in coping strategies, and in stop signals. The beliefs elicited informed two new questionnaires that were investigated in Study 3. Each questionnaire revealed three subscales of positive and negative beliefs about AP and about the OP self-image, respectively. The subscales showed good reliability and stability. In addition, the new beliefs revealed further associations with social anxiety. Study 4 investigated whether meta-cognitive beliefs could affect attentional bias in social anxiety. High and low socially anxious individuals completed a dot-probe task with emotional, social and physical words matched with neutral words. The results indicated a potential moderation effect of social anxiety and positive meta-cognitive beliefs on attentional bias. Moreover, meta-cognitive beliefs predicted attentional bias in both social anxiety groups. The above results implicated meta-cognitive beliefs in the maintenance of social anxiety. Study 5 explored whether these beliefs could affect state anxiety in high socially anxious individuals that engaged in either AP or a distraction task prior to giving a speech. The results replicated previous findings that AP was associated with more anxiety compared with distraction. Additionally, uncontrollability beliefs were associated with increased state anxiety before the speech, while positive beliefs interfered with distraction and were associated with the maintenance of anxiety after the speech was over. Finally, Study 6 explored whether a meta-cognitive intervention could be effective in the treatment of social anxiety. In a cross-over design, high socially anxious individuals practiced detached mindfulness and thought challenging prior to giving a speech. The results showed that detached mindfulness was associated with greater reductions in negative beliefs, worry, and the OP. In conclusion, the results of a series of studies support the application of the meta-cognitive model to social anxiety.

This project investigated the metacognitive strategies used to appraise obsessive thoughts employed by individuals with different anxiety symptoms. Two hundred eighty-seven undergraduate students completed two repertory grids and three anxiety scales. The repertory grids respectively examined the appraisal process of intrusive thoughts both from the perspective of the rater and the rater's imagined average person. Variables quantified from the rep grid related to the construal process of raters' own intrusions, failed to demonstrate robust differences between OCD, non-OCD anxious, and non-anxious individuals. However, it appears that anxious individuals, not just those with OCD, use metacognitive strategies to suppress rigid constructions under perceived social evaluation. Future studies may wish to use related grid variables to explore the relation between obsessions and social anxiety.

Dreams play an important role in consciousness studies, because of their ubiquitous presence but ambiguous nature. Dreams can be divided into two categories: non-lucid dreams and lucid dreams (i.e., dreams in which the dreamer knows he is dreaming). Lucid dreams are experiences with features of both waking and dreaming consciousness. In this essay, I review the differences in neural correlates between non-lucid dreams and lucid dreams. While both types of dreams share similar neural substrates, lucid dreams are especially accompanied by more activation in prefrontal areas. These areas are known to be involved in functions of secondary consciousness such as metacognition and volition. These findings are also echoed by verbal reports from lucid dreams. While the relationship metacognition and volition and lucid dreams is not yet fully clear, it seems that increased activation of metacognition and volition cause the dreamer to realize he is dreaming. Based on previous literature, I offer a conceptualization of dreams, in which a continuous variable, lucidity, can measure the degree to which metacognition and volition vary across dream types. I suggest that the transition between non-lucid and lucid dreams is a two-step process. The implications of this are discussed.

Poor informational reading and writing skills in early grades and the need to provide students more experience with informational text have been identified by research as areas of concern. Wilkinson and Son (2011) support future research in dialogic approaches to investigate the impact dialogic teaching has on comprehension. This study (N = 39) examined the gains in reading comprehension, science achievement, and metacognitive functioning of individual second grade students interacting with instructors using dialogue journals alongside their textbook. The 38 week study consisted of two instructional phases, and three assessment points. After a period of oral metacognitive strategies, one class formed the treatment group (n=17), consisting of two teachers following the co-teaching method, and two classes formed the comparison group (n=22). The dialogue journal intervention for the treatment group embraced the transactional theory of instruction through the use of dialogic interaction between teachers and students. Students took notes on the assigned lesson after an oral discussion. Teachers responded to students’ entries with scaffolding using reading strategies (prior knowledge, skim, slow down, mental integration, and diagrams) modeled after Schraw’s (1998) strategy evaluation matrix, to enhance students’ comprehension. The comparison group utilized text-based, teacher-led whole group discussion. Data were collected using different measures: (a) Florida Assessments for Instruction in Reading (FAIR) Broad Diagnostic Inventory; (b) Scott Foresman end of chapter tests; (c) Metacomprehension Strategy Index (Schmitt, 1990); and (d) researcher-made metacognitive scaffolding rubric. Statistical analyses were performed using paired sample t-tests, regression analysis of covariance, and two way analysis of covariance. Findings from the study revealed that experimental participants performed significantly better on the linear combination of reading comprehension, science achievement, and metacognitive function, than their comparison group counterparts while controlling for pretest scores. Overall, results from the study established that teacher scaffolding using metacognitive strategies can potentially develop students’ reading comprehension, science achievement, and metacognitive awareness. This suggests that early childhood students gain from the integration of reading and writing when using authentic materials (science textbooks) in science classrooms. A replication of this study with more students across more schools, and different grade levels would improve the generalizability of these results.

Orientador : Linda Gentry El-Dash / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Estudos da Linguagem / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T17:43:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Elizi_CesarEduardoDuarte_D.pdf: 2005884 bytes, checksum: 580e3b7843229d45e17544d85b6ce52a (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: O objetivo deste estudo foi investigar o conceito de Aptidão para língua estrangeira (AL2) do ponto de vista de um grupo de estudantes universitários. Nosso interesse foi conhecer os posicionamentos dos estudantes sobre questões como o papel do esforço e o senso de agência (MERCER e RYAN 2010), para então agrupá-los em termos dos perfis compartilhados e interpretá-los à luz da teoria recente sobre aptidão, notadamente os complexos de Aptidão (ROBINSON 2002,2005), o papel da memória de trabalho (WEN, 2012) e metacognição (FLAVELL 1987). Para tanto, optamos pela Metodologia Q. Assim, elaboramos um conjunto-Q com 47 afirmações sobre Aptidão para língua estrangeira, a partir da fala dos sujeitos envolvidos e da literatura. Um total de 57 estudantes, de duas faculdades da região de Campinas, ordenaram o conjunto-Q de acordo com sua visão subjetiva sobre o tema. Um software realizou a análise estatística, revelando quatro diferentes perfis. O primeiro perfil, com 27 sujeitos, revela um posicionamento que privilegia o esforço individual e não habilidades inatas, com escolhas de comportamentos informadas por estratégias metacognitivas alinhadas com a valorização do esforço. O segundo perfil reúne 7 estudantes para quem a AL2 está ligada a um dom, com a consequente desvalorização do papel que podem exercer durante o processo de aprendizagem. O terceiro perfil reuniu 4 sujeitos que focam a AL2 como (limitação da) habilidade analítica, inclusive na própria L1. O quarto perfil conta com 11 alunos que percebem a AL2 com um foco na habilidade analítica, não como limitada, mas como suficiente, também correlacionando a AL2 com a L1 em seus comentários. A análise dos dados obtidos nos leva à conclusão que, mesmo partindo da visão de língua da abordagem de Processamento de Informação (SKEHAN 1998), o conceito de aptidão vigente, essencialmente cognitivo, para que possa auxiliar em escolhas pedagógicas de adequação da prática ao perfil de cada aluno, precisa ser complementado com uma dimensão metacognitiva que estabeleça uma conexão entre capacidade cognitiva e comportamento / Abstract: The objective of this study was to investigate the concept of Foreign Language Aptitude (AL2) from the point of view of a group of college students. Our interest was to investigate the discursive positions of the students on issues such as the role of effort and sense of agency (RYAN & MERCER, 2010), to group them in terms of shared profiles and then interpret these in the light of the recent theory of aptitude, especially in terms of aptitude complexes (Robinson 2002, 2005), the role of working memory (WEN, 2012) and metacognition (FLAVELL, 1987). In order to this, we chose Q methodology. Next, we developed a Q-set with 47 statements about Foreign Language Aptitude from the speech of the subjects involved and the relevant literature. A total of 57 students, from two colleges in the Campinas region, ordered the Q-set according to their own subjective views on the subject. A software provided the statistical analysis, revealing four distinct profiles. The first profile, with 27 subjects, focuses on individual effort and not innate abilities, with behaviors and choices informed by metacognitive strategies in line with their valuation of effort. The second profile includes 7 students for whom AL2 is connected to a gift, with the consequent devaluation of the role they can exercise during the learning process. The third profile has 4 students who focus on AL2 as (limited) analytical abilities, including in their L1. The fourth profile has 11 students who perceive AL2 with a focus on analytical abilities, not as limited, but as sufficient, also correlating AL2 with L1 in their comments. The data analysis leads us to conclude that even within the language vision from the Information Processing approach (Skehan, 1998), the current concept of Aptitude, essentially cognitive, in order for it to assist us in the pedagogical choices for the tailoring of our practice to the aptitude profile of each student, needs to be complemented with a metacognitive dimension to establish a connection between cognitive ability and behavior / Doutorado / Lingua Estrangeira / Doutor em Linguística Aplicada

The project section is divided into two parts. Part one contains lesson plans that focus on the process of comprehending and part two contains lesson plans that focus on the product of comprehension. Both parts provide the reader with valuable strategies that address the needs of struggline readers in reading comprehension.

Research over decades has demonstrated that emotions interact with various cognitive functions. In contrast with first-order cognition, studies exploring the influence of emotions on metacognition (i.e. the ability to reflect on and control our own cognitive processes) are still very sparse. The present thesis investigated how several emotional states influence metacognitive performance. We have considered different emotions (such as happiness, anxiety or depression) and different metacognitive measures (such as subjective difficulty, overall confidence or metacognitive efficiency). Altogether, our results provide evidence that emotional states can specifically influence the way individuals evaluate their own decisions, which exist independently of their first-order performance. Furthermore, our findings suggest that different emotions each exert a different impact on metacognition. For instance, inducing a sad mood reduces overall confidence, while induced anxiety leads to a decrease in metacognitive efficiency. However, predicting how an emotion will influence metacognition remains very difficult, as this seems to depend on many parameters. / Doctorat en Sciences psychologiques et de l'éducation / info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

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<p>Disorganized speech is a core feature of schizophrenia. It is a key component of formal thought disorder (FTD). Recent work has tied disorganized speech to deficits in metacognition, or one’s ability to integrate experiences to form complex mental representations. In this study, we aimed to 1) explore the relationship between disorganized speech and metacognition and 2) compare trained rater and emerging automated analysis methods. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and Indiana Psychiatric Illness Interviews (IPII) were conducted; the IPII was coded for disorganized speech using the Communication Disturbances Index (CDI) and Coh-Metrix multidimensional indices. Metacognition was rated using the Metacognition Assessment Scale. We compared FTD (<i>n </i>= 16; PANSS conceptual disorganization ≥ 3) and non-FTD (<i>n</i> = 29; PANSS conceptual disorganization < 3) groups on metacognition and examined CDI and Coh-Metrix’s ability to account for variance in metacognition. We hypothesized that the FTD group would have lower metacognition and that both CDI and Coh-Metrix would account for significant variance in metacognition. Analyses indicated metacognition did not differ between groups and neither measure accounted for significant variance in metacognition. Results also showed that the CDI was able to distinguish the groups. Overall, results suggest little relationship between FTD and metacognition. Findings also indicate that trained rater measures of disorganized speech may have clinical utility in classifying FTD. Future research examining these constructs should address important limitations of this study by ensuring adequate levels of FTD in the study sample and by assessing neurocognition. </p>

abstract: This dissertation develops a heuristic—one I call the iterative narrative reflection framework—for rhetorically engaged, data-driven teacherly theory building using Kenneth Burke’s frames of acceptance and rejection. Teacher-scholars regularly develop curricula and lesson plans informed by theory and prior experience, but the daily practice of teaching and learning with students rarely plays out as expected. In many cases, institutional constraints and the unpredictable lives of students interact with teachers’ plans in surprising and sometimes confounding ways. Teachers typically make sense of such challenges by constructing post-hoc narratives about what happened and why, attributing motives and agencies to other participants in ways that suggest how to respond, move forward, and get back on track. Whether such narratives are part of a deliberate practice of reflection or an informal and largely unnoticed mental process, they are rarely thought of as constructed accounts and therefore as rhetorical acts that can be subjected to serious review, criticism, and revision. Yet these stories are shaped by familiar genre conventions that influence interpretations of events and motives in ways that may or may not serve well as teachers consider how best to respond to unfolding events. Using the iterative narrative reflection framework to guide my analysis of my own teacherly narratives through multiple layers of reflection and criticism, I demonstrate across the dissertation’s three cases how such deliberate, methodical analysis can reveal tacit assumptions and additional interpretive possibilities. Ultimately, such a process of iterative reflection enables the teacher-scholar to choose from among a wider range of available means of persuasion and pedagogical possibilities. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation English 2019