Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2006. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-07, Section: B, page: 4145. Adviser: Ed Diener. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-68) Available on microfilm from Pro Quest Information and Learning.

<p> This project employed the Development and Research Utilization Model (DRU) to compile a counseling group manual to help transition freshman college students from divorced homes. Analysis revealed that divorce is unfortunately a common occurrence affecting approximately four out of every eight marriages. Research showed that children from divorced homes are more likely to become anxious or depressed. Further study showed college campuses do not have the on-campus support needed for freshmen who were adversely affected by their parents&rsquo; divorce. The development phase of the DRU consisted of a literature review which affirmed the need for specific resources and help for this freshmen population. College students from divorced homes struggled with academic achievement and showed emotional, mental health, economic, and adjustment issues. Counselors at colleges and universities need to have support for students coming from divorced homes, and this manual will equip group leaders.</p><p>

<p> The present study investigated working memory capacity and the affect it has on employees to perform their job and to be innovative. The study also considered moderation of effort and stress to the relationship of working memory capacity to job performance and innovation. As cognitive ability has a strong relationship with working memory, this study aimed to determine if working memory is a stronger predictor of job performance and innovation than intelligence. This study did not find that working memory was statistically significant with job performance or innovation. Support was also lacking in any significant relationship with the moderation of effort or stress. </p><p>

<p> The present study compared the validity of a new graphic probe presentation technique for the Situation Awareness Present Method (SPAM) with the established traditional text-based probe presentation method. Three primary research questions were to be answered: 1) Which method of assessing situation awareness will best predict air traffic controller (ATCo) performance? 2) Will the method of probe administration, graphics-based vs. text-based, affect the time to respond to the question?, and 3) Will the method of administration, graphics-based vs. text-based, affect the accuracy of probe responses? Participants performed a simulated air traffic control task using a Multi Aircraft Control System (MACS), which is a simulated mid-fidelity ATCo environment. SPAM probe questions were presented on an adjacent computer. Two manipulations were used during the course of this study: 1) the amount of aircraft in the sector at a given time (traffic density), and 2) the probe presentation technique (Graphic vs. Text-based), with the traditional SPAM dependent variables of probe accuracy, subjective workload, workload latency, and probe question latency. First, the findings of the present study show the shorter response time of text-based probes. Second, the findings of the present study show text-based probes to generate more accurate participant responses. Lastly, the findings of the present study suggest both text-based and graphic probes predict aspects of ATCo performance. However, only specific text-based probe questions predict Losses of Separation, the primary measurement of ATCo safety. While significant findings were discovered during the course of the present experiment, further research is needed to determine the validity and reliability of the present findings.</p><p>

<p> This exploratory study was designed to establish a foundation for understanding the relationship between college students&rsquo; epistemic fluency, the need (self-concordance); want (self-determination); and ability (self-efficacy) to think about their learning; their regulatory mode orientation (locomotion versus assessment), and their academic goals. A novel instrument measuring both epistemic fluency and regulatory mode orientation was constructed for this purpose. </p><p> Self-efficacy may be the most important element of epistemic fluency as well as the most important moderating factor in goal pursuit. Assessment, a mode of regulatory orientation, and goal activity are inextricably linked. Goal activity may be a metacognitive byproduct of regulatory mode orientation. The differential expression of epistemic fluency and regulatory mode orientation was observable through participant identified academic goals. Personal characteristics such as self-identified racial or gender identity were important moderators in the expression of both epistemic fluency and regulatory mode orientation. Minority or female students had higher factor scores. The extent to which a goal signals intrinsic motivation (value) governs the dynamic allocation of self-regulatory resources more so than the differential time horizons of goals</p><p>

<p> El prop&oacute;sito general del estudio fue investigar si difieren significativamente los perfiles cognitivos de adultos puertorrique&ntilde;os con y sin s&iacute;ntomas de depresi&oacute;n. Esta investigaci&oacute;n fue de naturaleza cuantitativa, y se utiliz&oacute; un dise&ntilde;o transversal. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 229 adultos puertorrique&ntilde;os (62% mujeres) de la comunidad mayores de 50 a&ntilde;os (M = 63.07, DE = 9.34). La muestra fue dividida en dos grupos, adultos sin s&iacute;ntomas de depresi&oacute;n (n = 175) y adultos con s&iacute;ntomas de depresi&oacute;n (n = 54). Los resultados mostraron diferencias significativas en el estado cognitivo general (ECG) de los grupos con y sin s&iacute;ntomas de depresi&oacute;n, t(227) = 3.46, p = .001, d = 0.22, 95% IC [0.97, 3.54]; siendo el ECG del grupo con s&iacute;ntomas de depresi&oacute;n significativamente menor. Al explorar diferencias entre los grupos por funciones cognitivas, se observ&oacute; que el grupo con s&iacute;ntomas de depresi&oacute;n present&oacute; un desempe&ntilde;o cognitivo significativamente m&aacute;s bajo que el grupo sin s&iacute;ntomas de depresi&oacute;n en las funciones: atenci&oacute;n, concentraci&oacute;n y memoria de trabajo, t(227) = 3.23, p &lt; .01, d = 0.21, 95% IC [0.29, 1.20], funciones ejecutivas, t(76.84) = 2.52, p &lt; .05, d = 0.28, 95% IC [0.10, 0.86], y lenguaje, t(227) = 2.92, p &lt; .01, d = 0.19, 95% IC [0.18, 0.91]. Al realizar an&aacute;lisis de regresi&oacute;n lineal m&uacute;ltiple para evaluar si las variables edad, sexo, escolaridad y s&iacute;ntomas de depresi&oacute;n permiten explicar la variabilidad en el ECG de la muestra total, se observ&oacute; que la variable sexo no aport&oacute; de forma significativa. Dejando la variable sexo fuera del modelo, se observ&oacute; que las variables edad, escolaridad y s&iacute;ntomas de depresi&oacute;n permitieron explicar el 38.9% de la varianza en el ECG de la muestra. Se concluy&oacute; que los d&eacute;ficits cognitivos en adultos puertorrique&ntilde;os con s&iacute;ntomas de depresi&oacute;n se caracterizan por bajo funcionamiento del ECG y de las funciones atencionales, ejecutivas y de lenguaje. Para un tratamiento eficaz de la depresi&oacute;n y/o el deterioro cognitivo, es clave un diagn&oacute;stico diferencial. Finalmente, se recomienda el desarrollo de programas de pol&iacute;tica p&uacute;blica, as&iacute; como m&aacute;s investigaciones en la isla sobre la relaci&oacute;n depresi&oacute;n y deterioro cognitivo.</p><p>

<p> Autism spectrum disorder is a neuropsychiatric condition characterized by abnormal interactions, communicative deficits, and perseverative thoughts and behaviors. In addition to these core symptoms, autism is associated with a cognitive endophenotype of spared and impaired executive abilities. People with other neuropsychiatric disorders like schizophrenia also show executive dysfunction. Intact executive function requires prefrontal cortex and its connections to other cortical areas. Measures of executive control in adults with neuropsychiatric disorders are predictive of adaptive functioning, so research should seek methods for minimizing these impairments. A helpful tool in this search is the laboratory mouse. Mice possess homologous prefrontal cortex and assays exist for quantifying rodent cognition. The core domains of autistic behavior can be evaluated in mice as well. Mouse models can therefore be used to investigate neuropsychiatric symptoms. BTBR, <i>LgDel</i>, and <i>Cntnap2</i> mice are valid models of neuropsychiatric disorder. Using visual discrimination tasks presented in an automated operant touchscreen apparatus, three separate studies on these models were performed to determine the cognitive profiles of these mice. BTBR mice and C57 mice were assessed on a series of tasks. BTBR did not differ from C57 on the acquisition or reversal of the visual discrimination. They did, however, show deficits on a novel task that required contextual inhibition of a prepotent response. <i> LgDel</i> mice and wildtype littermates were tested on the visual discrimination acquisition and reversal. <i>LgDel</i> mice were impaired on one measure of the acquisition and several measures of reversal, including learning errors which is thought to depend on medial prefrontal cortical circuitry. Additionally, frequency of layer 2/3 projection neurons in this region significantly correlated with cognitive performance. Lastly, <i>Cntnap2</i> null mice were compared on touchscreen tasks to wildtype and heterozygous littermates. Like <i>LgDel</i>, <i>Cntnap2</i> null mice were impaired on a measure of acquisition and some reversal measures including learning errors. Separately, these studies contribute validation to the behavioral phenotypes of the three mouse models of neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorder. Together, they also provide evidence of the utility of computer-automated touchscreen systems for revealing subtle cognitive deficits that correlate with prefrontal cortical structures.</p><p>

Metacognitive self-knowledge has been identified as a crucial component of effective learning. It entails students recognizing their learning strengths and weaknesses, styles and preferences, and motivational beliefs. The present study explored a method for the development of metacognitive self-knowledge and in doing so, was also a means for discovering what academic experiences students perceive as influential in their development as learners. Twenty-seven college students, all senior psychology majors, produced written narratives in response to a guided reflection activity. A qualitative research approach employing analytic induction was used. Themes of academic experiences as described by participants provided support for neuroscientific findings on learning and active learning pedagogy. In addition, guided reflection was found to be effective for developing metacognitive self-knowledge. However, familiarity with the process of reflection was a crucial factor. This study suggests that educators provide increased opportunities for students to build competency in this regard, referred to as metacognitive literacy.

Abstract not available

This study explored and demonstrated the effects of storytelling and pretend play on short-term and long-term narrative recall. Specifically, this study examined and identified the cognitive changes which underlay children's actions during pretense enactment and narration. Educators and researchers propose that play and storytelling emerge at the same time in a "stream of symbolization" as preschool and kindergarten children learn basic skills relevant to the narrative as a cognitive model of an event. Pretend play has long been considered an important area in the development of the child's growing cognitive and social competence. This study focused on the developmental differences between storytelling and pretend play, short-term and long-term memory, encoding and inferences and their interrelationships. According to the data, there were significant differences between storytelling and pretend play in facilitating narrative recall. The data also indicated that the ability to encode exceeded the ability to make inferences. The children were able to engage in storytelling and pretend play while at the same time they did not improve in their abilities to make inferences. This indicates that inferences required more complex cognitive skills, and was not related to the improvement of storytelling and pretend play. There was not a significant difference overall between the short- and long-term conditions. However, this study supports the hypothesis that storytelling and pretend play are affected by cognitive variables.