scholarly journals Predictors of training efficacy during n-back training

2021 ◽  
pp. 129-137
Author(s):  
Andrea Vranić ◽  
Marina Martinčević ◽  
Vedran Prpić
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Additional Measurement ◽  
Cognitive Aspect ◽  
Initial Testing ◽  
Fluid Reasoning ◽  
Differential Contribution ◽  
Over Time

Numerous studies have investigated the efficacy of various cognitive trainings, with working memory being the most often trained cognitive aspect. In this regard, executive aspects of working memory have received the most attention, with updating training being vastly explored. In this study, we aimed to examine the differential contribution of some individual characteristics to the efficacy of updating training using a well-established n-back training paradigm. More specifically, we examined the contribution of fluid reasoning (gf), and personality (neuroticism, conscientiousness) to training efficacy. Participants (N = 47) took part in a 15-session, dual n-back training, spread over 4 weeks. They were pretested for fluid reasoning (CFT-3), personality (IPIP-100), and performed the initial testing on the OSPAN task. OSPAN was measured in three additional measurement points (after 5th, 10th, 15th session). The data was analyzed within the multilevel modeling approach. Initial hypotheses were partly confirmed, in that: 1) training was efficient in terms of OSPAN score, which grew linearly over time and the trajectory was similar between participants, 2) although the growth was similar for all participants, differences were found in intercepts, and 3) these differences could be partly explained by differences in fluid reasoning, but not with personality traits of conscientiousness and neuroticism.

scholarly journals The Double Standard of Aging for Men and Women: Evidence From Across Europe, 2006–2018

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 556-557
Author(s):  
Richard Settersten ◽  
Jack Day ◽  
Gunhild Hagestad
Keyword(s):  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Old Age ◽  
Double Standard ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Individual Characteristics ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
Men And Women ◽  
Variation Explained ◽  
Cultural Constructions ◽  
Over Time

Abstract Is there a “double standard” (i.e., a harsher judgment) in the perceived ages at which women and men reach old age, and have these judgments changed over time? We use European Social Survey data from 23 countries in 2006 and newly released data from 16 of those countries in 2018. In both 2006 and 2018, men typically assign women substantially earlier ages than women themselves do. In some places, however, men also give themselves lower ages than women give them. With respect to when women become old, the differential views of men and women are persistent. So is the fact that women differentiate less between the sexes¬–though men differentiate less in 2018 relative to 2006. We use multilevel modeling to examine variation explained by both individual characteristics and country indicators of demographic and policy contexts. Findings underscore the significance of the double standard in cultural constructions of aging.

Investment Traits and Intelligence in Adulthood

2013 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 82-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sophie von Stumm
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Fluid Intelligence ◽  
Need For Cognition ◽  
Openness To Experience ◽  
Intelligence Tests ◽  
Crystallized Intelligence ◽  
New Knowledge ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Over Time

Intelligence-as-knowledge in adulthood is influenced by individual differences in intelligence-as-process (i.e., fluid intelligence) and in personality traits that determine when, where, and how people invest their intelligence over time. Here, the relationship between two investment traits (i.e., Openness to Experience and Need for Cognition), intelligence-as-process and intelligence-as-knowledge, as assessed by a battery of crystallized intelligence tests and a new knowledge measure, was examined. The results showed that (1) both investment traits were positively associated with intelligence-as-knowledge; (2) this effect was stronger for Openness to Experience than for Need for Cognition; and (3) associations between investment and intelligence-as-knowledge reduced when adjusting for intelligence-as-process but remained mostly significant.

The Prediction of Problem-Solving Assessed Via Microworlds

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 298-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Greiff ◽  
Katarina Krkovic ◽  
Jarkko Hautamäki
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Problem Solving ◽  
Complex Problem ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Assessment Instruments ◽  
Complex Problem Solving ◽  
Visual Spatial ◽  
Rule Knowledge ◽  
Rule Application ◽  
Fluid Reasoning

Abstract. In this study, we explored the network of relations between fluid reasoning, working memory, and the two dimensions of complex problem solving, rule knowledge and rule application. In doing so, we replicated the recent study by Bühner, Kröner, and Ziegler (2008) and the structural relations investigated therein [ Bühner, Kröner, & Ziegler, (2008) . Working memory, visual-spatial intelligence and their relationship to problem-solving. Intelligence, 36, 672–680]. However, in the present study, we used different assessment instruments by employing assessments of figural, numerical, and verbal fluid reasoning, an assessment of numerical working memory, and a complex problem solving assessment using the MicroDYN approach. In a sample of N = 2,029 Finnish sixth-grade students of which 328 students took the numerical working memory assessment, the findings diverged substantially from the results reported by Bühner et al. Importantly, in the present study, fluid reasoning was the main source of variation for rule knowledge and rule application, and working memory contributed only a little added value. Albeit generally in line with previously conducted research on the relation between complex problem solving and other cognitive abilities, these findings directly contrast the results of Bühner et al. (2008) who reported that only working memory was a source of variation in complex problem solving, whereas fluid reasoning was not. Explanations for the different patterns of results are sought, and implications for the use of assessment instruments and for research on interindividual differences in complex problem solving are discussed.

Power Values and Power Distance Moderate the Relationship Between Workplace Supervisory Power and Job Satisfaction

2020 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-141
Author(s):  
Kenneth D. Locke
Keyword(s):  
Job Satisfaction ◽  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Power Distance ◽  
European Social Survey ◽  
Social Survey ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Workplace Power ◽  
Over Time

Abstract. Person–job (or needs–supplies) discrepancy/fit theories posit that job satisfaction depends on work supplying what employees want and thus expect associations between having supervisory power and job satisfaction to be more positive in individuals who value power and in societies that endorse power values and power distance (e.g., respecting/obeying superiors). Using multilevel modeling on 30,683 European Social Survey respondents from 31 countries revealed that overseeing supervisees was positively associated with job satisfaction, and as hypothesized, this association was stronger among individuals with stronger power values and in nations with greater levels of power values or power distance. The results suggest that workplace power can have a meaningful impact on job satisfaction, especially over time in individuals or societies that esteem power.

A Comparison of General and Context-Specific Personality Traits Over Time

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin J. Eschleman ◽  
Nathan A. Bowling ◽  
Gary N. Burns
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Context Specific ◽  
Over Time

Personality change and environmental concerns

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher James Hopwood ◽  
Ted Schwaba ◽  
Wiebke Bleidorn
Keyword(s):  
Personality Traits ◽  
Personality Change ◽  
Environmental Concerns ◽  
Big Five Personality ◽  
German Population ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Sustainable Behavior ◽  
Nationally Representative ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Over Time

Personal concerns about climate change and the environment are a powerful motivator of sustainable behavior. People’s level of concern varies as a function of a variety of social and individual factors. Using data from 58,748 participants from a nationally representative German sample, we tested preregistered hypotheses about factors that impact concerns about the environment over time. We found that environmental concerns increased modestly from 2009-2017 in the German population. However, individuals in middle adulthood tended to be more concerned and showed more consistent increases in concern over time than younger or older people. Consistent with previous research, Big Five personality traits were correlated with environmental concerns. We present novel evidence that increases in concern were related to increases in the personality traits neuroticism and openness to experience. Indeed, changes in openness explained roughly 50% of the variance in changes in environmental concerns. These findings highlight the importance of understanding the individual level factors associated with changes in environmental concerns over time, towards the promotion of more sustainable behavior at the individual level.

Models of Personality Development in Emerging Adulthood

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Pratt ◽  
M. Kyle Matsuba
Keyword(s):  
Emerging Adulthood ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Life Story ◽  
Personality Development ◽  
Emerging Adult ◽  
Late Adolescence ◽  
The Self ◽  
Personal Goals ◽  
Integrative Framework ◽  
Over Time

Chapter 2 reviews research and theory on the life story and its development and relations to other aspects of personality. The authors introduce the integrative framework of McAdams and Pals, who described three levels in a broad model of personality: personality traits; personal goals, values, and projects; and the unique life story, which provides a degree of unity and purpose to the individual’s life. This narrative, which develops in late adolescence and emerging adulthood, as individuals become able to author their own stories, includes key scenes of emotional and personal importance to provide a sense of continuity, while remaining flexible and dynamic in incorporating changes in the self over time. The chapter ends with a description of Alison, an emerging adult from our Canadian Futures Study, who illustrates these levels and what they tell about personality development during this period.

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 QOL-01. LONGITUDINAL COMPARISON OF NEUROCOGNITIVE TRAJECTORIES IN PEDIATRIC MEDULLOBLASTOMA PATIENTS TREATED WITH PROTON VERSUS PHOTON RADIOTHERAPY

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (Supplement_3) ◽  
pp. iii431-iii431
Author(s):  
Lisa Kahalley ◽  
Rachel Peterson ◽  
M Douglas Ris ◽  
Laura Janzen ◽  
M Fatih Okcu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Working Memory ◽  
Processing Speed ◽  
Parental Education ◽  
Normal Brain ◽  
Treatment Protocols ◽  
Pediatric Medulloblastoma ◽  
Boost Dose ◽  
Perceptual Reasoning ◽  
Photon Radiotherapy ◽  
Over Time

Abstract PURPOSE By reducing dose to normal brain tissue, proton radiotherapy (PRT) may lessen neurocognitive risk traditionally associated with photon radiotherapy (XRT). We examined change in neurocognitive scores over time in pediatric medulloblastoma patients treated with PRT versus XRT. METHODS Neurocognitive scores from 79 patients (37 PRT, 42 XRT) were examined. Patients were treated between 2007–2018 on the same treatment protocols that differed only by craniospinal modality (PRT versus XRT). Change in scores over time since diagnosis were compared between groups. RESULTS Groups were similar on most demographic/clinical variables: sex (67.1% male), age at diagnosis (mean 8.6 years), CSI dose (median 23.4 Gy), length of follow-up (mean 4.3 years), and parental education (mean 14.3 years). Boost dose (p<0.001) and margin (p=0.001) differed between groups. Adjusting for covariates, the PRT group exhibited superior outcomes in global IQ, perceptual reasoning, and working memory versus the XRT group (all p<0.05). The XRT group exhibited significant decline in global IQ, working memory, and processing speed (all p<0.05). The PRT group exhibited stable scores in all domains except processing speed (p=0.003). Posterior fossa syndrome imparted risk independent of modality. CONCLUSION This is the first study comparing neurocognitive trajectories between pediatric patients treated for medulloblastoma with PRT versus XRT on comparable, contemporary protocols. PRT was associated with more favorable neurocognitive outcomes in most domains compared to XRT, although processing speed emerged as vulnerable in both groups. This is the strongest evidence to date of an intellectual sparing advantage with PRT in the treatment of pediatric medulloblastoma.

Polyvictimization Experiences and Depression Among Youth Living in Foster Care

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 146-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimée X. Delaney ◽  
Melissa Wells
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Multilevel Modeling ◽  
Psychological Outcomes ◽  
Policy Implications ◽  
Foster Care Youth ◽  
Experienced Child ◽  
Changes Over Time ◽  
Over Time

Current research indicates that violence against youth contributes to adverse psychological outcomes but has yet to focus on violence against youth while living in foster care and the associated psychosomatic changes over time. Multilevel modeling regression was used to analyze self-reported depression for a sample of 354 youth living in foster care from one Midwestern state. The present study found that changes in depression levels over time among the foster care youth who experienced polyvictimization, compared to the youth who experienced child maltreatment alone, were conditional upon gender and varied significantly by race. Policy implications are discussed.

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