scholarly journals How Musicality, Cognition and Sensorimotor Skills Relate in Musically Untrained Children

2020 ◽  
Vol 79 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 101-112
Author(s):  
Clara E. James ◽  
Sascha Zuber ◽  
Elise Dupuis-Lozeron ◽  
Laura Abdili ◽  
Diane Gervaise ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Higher Order ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Music Practice ◽  
Matrix Reasoning ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Sensorimotor Skills

Abstract. Whereas a growing corpus of research has investigated the impact of music practice on several domains of cognition, studies on the relationships between musicality and other abilities and skills in musically untrained children are scarce. The present study examined the associations between musicality, cognition, and sensorimotor skills in 69 musically untrained primary school children of around 10 years of age, using a test battery of musical, cognitive, and sensorimotor abilities. We analyzed the results using nonparametric correlations and an exploratory factor analysis. It was our anticipation that basic cognitive resources (short-term and working memory, attention, processing speed) would relate to both higher-order cognition and musicality. Results indicated that, in musically untrained children, the interconnections between musical and cognitive abilities restrain to auditory short-term and working memory. Direct associations between musicality and higher-order cognitive processes did not occur. An interesting secondary finding comprised associations between sensorimotor function, as measured by the Purdue Pegboard test, and higher-order cognition. Specifically, we found an association between bimanual coordination of fine finger dexterity and matrix reasoning. This outcome suggests that higher-order cognitive function benefits from an efficient mastering of procedural aspects of sensorimotor skills.

scholarly journals Attention Components and Spelling Accuracy: Which Connections Matter?

Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 539
Author(s):  
Lucia Bigozzi ◽  
Chiara Malagoli ◽  
Chiara Pecini ◽  
Sara Pezzica ◽  
Claudio Vezzani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Selective Attention ◽  
Primary School ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Transparent Orthography ◽  
Memory Processes ◽  
Early Primary ◽  
Age Range ◽  
The Impact

Attention and working memory are cross-domain functions that regulate both behavioural and learning processes. Few longitudinal studies have focused on the impact of these cognitive resources on spelling skills in the early phase of learning to write. This longitudinal study investigates the contributions of attention and working memory processes to spelling accuracy and handwriting speed in 112 primary school children (2nd, 3rd, and 4th grade; age range: 7.6–9.4 years) learning to write in the Italian transparent orthography. Standardised batteries were used to assess their attention and working memory skills, as well as their spelling. Homophone and non-homophone errors were measured, as they may involve different attentional and working memory processes. The results showed that, for 2nd grade children, selective attention shifting, planning, and inhibition predicted non-homophone errors, whereas sequential working memory predicted homophone errors and writing speed was explained by planning and selective attention. In 3rd grade, only homophone errors were predicted by planning and inhibition. No significant relationships were found in 4th grade, nor in the transition across grades. Dynamic and diversified roles of attentional and working memory processes in predicting different writing skills in early primary school years emerged, with a gradual decrease in the attention–writing relationship with age.

scholarly journals Working Memory, Fluid Reasoning, and Complex Problem Solving: Different Results Explained by the Brunswik Symmetry

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 5
Author(s):  
André Kretzschmar ◽  
Stephan Nebe
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Latent Variables ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Complex Problem Solving ◽  
Symmetry Principle ◽  
Fluid Reasoning ◽  
The Impact

In order to investigate the nature of complex problem solving (CPS) within the nomological network of cognitive abilities, few studies have simultantiously considered working memory and intelligence, and results are inconsistent. The Brunswik symmetry principle was recently discussed as a possible explanation for the inconsistent findings because the operationalizations differed greatly between the studies. Following this assumption, 16 different combinations of operationalizations of working memory and fluid reasoning were examined in the present study (N = 152). Based on structural equation modeling with single-indicator latent variables (i.e., corrected for measurement error), it was found that working memory incrementally explained CPS variance above and beyond fluid reasoning in only 2 of 16 conditions. However, according to the Brunswik symmetry principle, both conditions can be interpreted as an asymmetrical (unfair) comparison, in which working memory was artificially favored over fluid reasoning. We conclude that there is little evidence that working memory plays a unique role in solving complex problems independent of fluid reasoning. Furthermore, the impact of the Brunswik symmetry principle was clearly demonstrated as the explained variance in CPS varied between 4 and 31%, depending on which operationalizations of working memory and fluid reasoning were considered. We argue that future studies investigating the interplay of cognitive abilities will benefit if the Brunswik principle is taken into account.

scholarly journals ECOLOGICAL MOMENTARY ASSESSMENT OF ASSOCIATIONS AMONG HIGH AND LOW AROUSAL AFFECT AND COGNITIVE HEALTH

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S963-S963
Author(s):  
Eric S Cerino ◽  
Martin Sliwinski
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Cognitive Health ◽  
High Arousal ◽  
Affective Influences ◽  
Ecological Momentary ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Negative affect (NA) and positive affect (PA) vary from moment-to-moment and these variations are associated with cognitive health. Past work has primarily focused on valence (negative/positive), however, largely ignoring the potential import of arousal (high/low). We address this gap by assessing the impact of high and low arousal NA and PA on daily cognition. A sample of 238 older adults (Mage=77.30 years, SD=5.14, Range=70–90) completed mobile surveys up to four times daily for 14 days. Participants reported current levels of high and low arousal NA and PA and performed processing speed and working memory tasks. For processing speed, there were significant within-person affect by age interactions. Moments when low arousal NA was higher than usual were associated with slower processing speed (Est.=0.87, SE=0.44, p<.05), and this effect was amplified in older participants (Est.=1.69, SE=0.60, p<.01). Moments when high arousal PA was higher than usual were associated with faster processing speed (Est.=-0.81, SE=0.40, p<.05), and this effect was amplified in younger participants (Est.=-1.81, SE=0.56, p<.01). For working memory, a significant within-person high arousal PA by age interaction emerged (Est.=0.001, SE=0.00, p=.046) such that moments when high arousal PA was higher than usual were marginally associated with worse working memory performance only among older participants (Est.=0.004, SE=0.002, p=.06). Results suggest momentary increases in low arousal NA and high arousal PA may confer greatest risk to daily cognitive health among older adults with more limited capacity and/or cognitive resources, whereas affective influences may be more facilitative among comparatively younger adults.

The Impact of Working Memory Training on Cognitive Abilities in Older Adults: The Role of Cognitive Reserve

2020 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-61
Author(s):  
Sara Mičič ◽  
Marina Horvat ◽  
Karin Bakracevic
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Working Memory ◽  
Executive Functioning ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Cognitive Reserve ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Experimental Group

Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine whether Working Memory (WM) training improves the cognitive functioning of older adults and to determine the role of cognitive reserve in WM training. Method: Twenty-one older adults, aged between 65 and 91 years were included in the study. Ten of them were in the experimental group and 11 in the passive control group. The experimental group underwent 15 training sessions of n-back training over a period of five weeks, whereas the control group remained passive. All participants (from the experimental and control group) were tested before the training, one week after the training, and three months after the training with Rey– Osterrieth/Taylor Complex Figure test (ROCF), Digit span, and TMT (part A and part B). Results and Conclusion: Results of our study suggest that although the experimental group slightly improved their performance on the trained task, the progress was not statistically significant. There was also no statistically significant transfer of training effects onto tasks of visual-spatial and verbal memory, as well as those related to executive functioning. However, the study did identify a statistically significant correlation between cognitive reserve and certain tests performed at the final testing: tasks measuring executive functioning and spatial ability. Results also revealed that the group that showed improvement in the training task was significantly better in the ROCF test in comparison with the group that had not improved their performance on the N-back task. Thus, visual-spatial abilities (visual perception, construction, and memory) were more connected with success in WM training, than other measured cognitive abilities (e.g. verbal and numerical memory).

Working Memory and Behavioural Problems in Relation to Malay Writing of Primary School Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 189
Author(s):  
Sieak Ling-Teo ◽  
Kee Jiar-Yeo
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Short Term Memory ◽  
Primary School Children ◽  
Behavioural Problems ◽  
Visuospatial Working Memory ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Language Writing ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Poor Memory

Deficit in working memory is common among young children across multiple abilities. Teachers have pointed to poor memory as one contributing factor to inattentiveness and short attention spans as well as some behavioural problems among students. This study aimed to explore the relationship among working memory, externalizing and internalizing behavioural problems and Malay language (writing). A total of 469 children (aged 8 and 11 year-old) and 17 school teachers were involved in the current study. It was found that working memory, externalizing behavioural problems and internalizing behavioural problems played critical roles in affecting the scores of Malay language (writing) at school. Specifically, there were five predictor variables being found in the regression model namely verbal short-term memory, inattention, somatic complaints, visuospatial working memory and aggression. As a whole, the correlation for the fivefactor model yielded a great result of 0.987.

scholarly journals Preliminary assessment of cognitive impairments in canine idiopathic epilepsy

2018 ◽  
Vol 182 (22) ◽  
pp. 633-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua Winter ◽  
Rowena Mary Anne Packer ◽  
Holger Andreas Volk
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Cognitive Dysfunction ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Spatial Working Memory ◽  
Age Of Onset ◽  
Memory Task ◽  
Idiopathic Epilepsy ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Problem Solving Task

In humans, epilepsy can induce or accelerate cognitive impairment (CI). There is emerging evidence of CI in dogs with idiopathic epilepsy (IE) from recent epidemiological studies. The aim of our study was to assess CI in dogs with IE using two tests of cognitive dysfunction designed for use in a clinical setting. Dogs with IE (n=17) were compared against controls (n=18) in their performance in two tasks; a spatial working memory task and a problem-solving task. In addition, owners completed the Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Rating (CCDR) scale for their dog. The groups did not differ statistically with respect to age and breed. Dogs with IE performed significantly worse than controls on the spatial working memory task (P=0.016), but not on the problem solving task (P=0.683). CCDR scores were significantly higher in the IE group (P=0.016); however, no dogs reach the recommended threshold score for CCD diagnosis. Our preliminary data suggest that dogs with IE exhibit impairments in a spatial working memory task. Further research is required to explore the effect of IE on other cognitive abilities in dogs with a larger sample, characterising the age of onset, nature and progression of any impairments and the impact of anti-epileptic drugs.

scholarly journals The effect of nasal provocation with a single-dose allergen on the physical and cognitive performance of patients with ragweed allergy

2017 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 334-343
Author(s):  
M Tokodi ◽  
E Csábi ◽  
Á Kiricsi ◽  
E Kollár ◽  
AH Molnár ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Physical Performance ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Memory Capacity ◽  
Allergen Exposure ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Single Shot ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact

Purpose This study aims to compare the impact of active allergic rhinitis on physical and cognitive abilities of trained allergic athletes to untrained allergic patients. Methods Cognitive, respiratory, and fitness functions were assessed before and after allergen exposure. Participants in both groups were provoked intranasally with ragweed allergen. Results The group of athletes revealed significantly higher average values in peak inspiratory flow and fitness index before and after provocation. In neuropsychological assessments, athletes performed significantly better after allergen provocation in complex working memory capacity. Due to single acute allergen exposure, the size of the nasal cavity and nasal inspiratory peak flow significantly decreased in both groups. The physical performance of both groups did not change after provocation. Executive functions and complex working memory capacity of athletes significantly improved resulting from provocation. Conclusions A single-shot allergen in high dose might cause an increase in mental concentration, which was more pronounced in the group of athletes. This study indicates that acute exposure to allergen cannot affect the physical performance and may result in increased mental focus in patients with allergy notwithstanding the declining respiratory functions.

scholarly journals Music and Cognitive Abilities

2005 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 317-320 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Glenn Schellenberg
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Family Income ◽  
Intellectual Functioning ◽  
Music Listening ◽  
Cognitive Tests ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Music Lessons ◽  
Confounding Variables ◽  
The Impact

Does music make you smarter? Music listening and music lessons have been claimed to confer intellectual advantages. Any association between music and intellectual functioning would be notable only if the benefits apply reliably to nonmusical abilities and if music is unique in producing the effects. The available evidence indicates that music listening leads to enhanced performance on a variety of cognitive tests, but that such effects are short-term and stem from the impact of music on arousal level and mood, which, in turn, affect cognitive performance; experiences other than music listening have similar effects. Music lessons in childhood tell a different story. They are associated with small but general and long-lasting intellectual benefits that cannot be attributed to obvious confounding variables such as family income and parents' education. The mechanisms underlying this association have yet to be determined.

What Influences Successful Communication? An Examination of Cognitive Load and Individual Differences

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ester Navarro ◽  
Brooke N Macnamara ◽  
Sam Glucksberg ◽  
Andrew R. A. Conway
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Cognitive Load ◽  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Working Memory Capacity ◽  
Cognitive Resources ◽  
Audience Design ◽  
Low Load ◽  
Communication Errors

The underlying cognitive mechanisms explaining why speakers sometimes make communication errors are not well understood. Some scholars have theorized that audience design engages automatic processes when a listener is present; others argue that it relies on effortful resources, regardless of listener presence. We hypothesized that (a) working memory is engaged during communicative audience design and (b) the extent to which working memory is engaged relies on individual differences in cognitive abilities and concurrent amount of resources available. In Experiment 1, participants completed a referential task under high, low, or no cognitive load with a present listener, whose perspective differed from the speaker’s. Speakers made few referential errors under no and low load, but errors increased when cognitive load was highest. In Experiment 2, the listener was absent. Speakers made few referential errors under no and low load, but errors increased when cognitive load was highest, suggesting that audience design is still effortful under high cognitive load, regardless of the presence of a listener. Experiment 3 tested whether cognitive abilities predicted communication performance. Participants with higher fluid intelligence and working memory capacity made fewer communication errors. Our findings suggest that communication relies on available cognitive resources, and therefore errors occur as a function of factors like cognitive load, and individual differences.

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