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吳凱怡 and Hoi-yee Kathy Ng. "The validity of the Montreal cognitive assessment (Cantonese version) as a screening tool for mild cognitive impairment in Hong KongChinese." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2008. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B41005661.
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Hall, Janice Anne Crawford. "The Assessment of Cognitive Functioning of Persons with Schizophrenia: Identification of Neuropsychological Markers." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1995. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc278218/.
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Basehore, Zachariah D. "Is Simpler Better? Testing the Recognition Heuristic." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1435053668.
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Ioana-Smarandita, Arbone. "Testing the Cultural Cognition Hypothesis in a Canadian Undergraduate Student Population." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/31856.
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Background and Research Goals. This study aims to see the association between worldviews and HPV vaccine risk perceptions in a sample of Canadian undergraduate students enrolled in Health Sciences and Business programs at the University of Ottawa. It is a follow-up to the Kahan et al. (2010) research in the U.S. that showed the association to be present in a nationally representative U.S. sample. In addition to searching for this association in the Canadian context, this study examines whether worldviews differ between (a) men and women; and (b) students with health sciences and with business degrees. Furthermore, this study tests a set of candidate questions for supplementing the worldview questionnaire of Kahan et al. (2010). Design and Analysis. The data for the study was collected using an Internet-based questionnaire and the study was conducted in two phases. During the first phase, a customized worldview questionnaire was administered. During the second phase, questions related to HPV and Canadian healthcare system were presented. In order to analyze the data, regression models, correlation matrices, and MANOVAs were employed. Results. The findings of this study are that worldviews are related to HPV vaccine risk perceptions. However, though hierarchism was a better predictor then individualism in the Kahan et al. (2010) study, our present research indicates that individualism is a better predictor. Also, our findings, contrary to those of Kahan et al. (2010), suggest that the more individualistic a person is, the more likely he or she is to perceive the vaccine as being safe. With respect to gender, men were more hierarchical. Also, when females in health sciences were compared to women in business, the latter were also more hierarchical. Finally, three healthcare items were identified as possibly benefiting from refinement and inclusion in a worldview instrument more suited for the Canadian context.
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Collins, William C. "The effects of time on employment selection test performance : learning disabled versus non-learning disabled." Thesis, Georgia Institute of Technology, 1994. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/28673.
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Uhland, Gary A. "Beyond difference scores : testing models of speed of information-processing using confirmatory factor analysis." PDXScholar, 1988. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/3845.
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This study has two parts: Part I discusses the limitations of difference scores and exploratory factor analysis for representing speed of information-processing stages in the context of a reanalysis of a study by Vernon (1983). Vernon interpreted the differences between objectively measured reaction times on various simple cognitive tasks as components of speed of information processing. Correlations were calculated among these differences and subjected to exploratory factor analysis. The factors obtained from this analysis were interpreted by Vernon in terms of short-term and long-term memory processing constructs. The use of difference scores, however, implies an additive model allowance for random error, which correlations between these differences. that does not make leads to spurious The application of exploratory factor analysis to among these differences compounds uncover latent variables the problem because it admits many alternative interpretations which cannot be tested against one another for goodness-of-fit to the data. Confirmatory factor analysis addresses these problems. This thesis demonstrates that the correlations between the difference scores can be accounted for in terms of factors obtained from factor analysis of the original reaction time data. These factors lead to an alternative interpretation of the results which is contrasted with Vernon's interpretation.
Part II of this study illustrates the use of confirmatory factor analysis with this kind of data. An attempt to test the assumptions of Vernon's difference score model with confirmatory factor analysis did not succeed because the implied model was too constrained for the statistical program we were using; consequently, the program could not find a starting solution. In order to demonstrate how confirmatory factor analysis can be used to test models of speed of cognitive processing, Part II partially replicates a study by Lansman, Donaldson, Hunt, & Yantis (1982). This research analyzed a simple cognitive reaction time task that was examined in detail by Vernon. Donaldson (1983) used the Lansman et al. data to compare difference scores and part correlational techniques with a general approach based on analysis of covariance structures to demonstrate how the components of cognitive processes can be explicated using confirmatory factor analysis.
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Miller, Angela L. "Cognitive processes associated with creativity scale development and validation /." Muncie, Ind. : Ball State University, 2009. http://cardinalscholar.bsu.edu/763.
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Watson, Tonya L. "Can I get there from here (and can I get back)?: a study of abilities and wayfinding performance." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/32971.
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Moxley-Paquette, Elizabeth Ann. "Testing a Structural Equation Model of Language-based Cognitive Fitness." ScholarWorks, 2014. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/1545.
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The normative development of language is often taken for granted, yet problems with language development can result in stress for the individual and family. A challenge with these language development problems lies within the contemporary education system, which assumes that children have appropriate skills when they begin school. The purpose of the study was to test a theoretical model of language readiness known as language-based cognitive fitness, which includes measures associated with structural concepts of language involving receptive language, expressive language, spontaneous narrative speech, and writing fluency. The sample included children from a private school who received an extensive battery of tests at admission and annually thereafter. Scores from a variety of cognitive measures were used in a structural equation modeling framework to test the model. Results demonstrated language-based cognitive fitness to be an interplay of verbal reasoning abilities, visual synthesis, and active analysis broadly representing receptive language, expressive language, spontaneous narrative expression, and writing fluency. Verbal reasoning, visual synthesis, and active analysis explained 91% of the variance in achievement. Implications for positive social change include an improved understanding for those who work with children's language development, specifically of the language structures responsible for language deficits and how these relate to overall cognitive fitness; interventions can be provided to help children more quickly make up language deficits.
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Pollock, Edwina Jane Education Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences UNSW. "Assimilating complex information." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Education, 2000. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/17813.
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Methods of instruction which are intended to facilitate understanding tend to incorporate all of the elements required for understanding in the instructions. Frequently, these types of instructions may overwhelm a learner???s limited working memory and hinder learning. The five experiments reported in this thesis were generated by cognitive load theory. Cognitive load theory is based on the assumption that features of human cognitive architecture have important implications for how we learn and understand. The experiments examined an alternative approach to instructional design which had the goal of promoting schema construction in order to foster understanding. A two phase, isolated-interacting elements learning approach was developed which, in the first phase, artificially reduced the element interactivity of complex material by presenting the material as isolated elements of information that could be processed serially, rather than simultaneously, in working memory. In the second phase of instruction, all the information for understanding was presented. The control group???s instruction was a more conventional approach to promoting understanding where all the information for understanding was presented in both Phase 1 and 2. Although a possible consequence of artificially reducing the element interactivity of material may be an initial decrease in a student???s capacity for understanding, it was hypothesised that over the longer term it would lead to an increase in learners??? understanding. The results reported in this thesis provide powerful evidence that for certain groups of learners, information is better learnt through the isolated-interacting elements instructional method. Evidence is also provided in support of the proposal that schema construction is the mechanism underlying the success of the isolated-interacting elements instructional method. Experiments 1 and 3 demonstrated that when novice students are required to learn complex information, the isolated-interacting elements method of instruction was superior to the control method. In contrast, no evidence was found in Experiments 2 and 4 to suggest a difference between these instructional techniques. These contrasting results can be explained by the different levels of domain knowledge possessed by the participants of each experiment. The results of Experiment 5 were similar to those of Experiments 1 and 3, namely that students performed superiorly if they had studied the isolated elements followed by interacting elements instruction. These results provide significant theoretical support for the claim that expertise is the key factor implicated in the beneficial effects associated with the isolated-interacting elements instructional technique since the participants in Experiment 5 had previously participated in Experiments 2 and 4. The difference in the outcomes of these experiments can be explained by the level of domain specific knowledge the participants of Experiment 5 had in each of the knowledge domains tested by the various experiments.
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Lavins, Bethany D. "Testing the Compensatory Health Belief Scale: The Role of Cognitive Factors and Their Relationship to Health Outcomes." Ohio University / OhioLINK, 2013. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ohiou1367609821.
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Yocum, Amanda A. "Employing Strategy in Measures of Executive Functioning: Young Versus Old Adults." Cleveland, Ohio : Cleveland State University, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1210296951.
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Thesis (M.A.)--Cleveland State University, 2008.Abstract. Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 7, 2008). Includes bibliographical references (p. 31-36). Available online via the OhioLINK ETD Center. Also available in print.
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Garguilo, Keith Francis. "Design and testing of a nonlinear mechanical advantage demonstration mechanism." Thesis, This resource online, 1995. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-03242009-040330/.
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Rice, Valerie J. Berg. "Complex cognitive performance and antihistamine use." Diss., This resource online, 1990. http://scholar.lib.vt.edu/theses/available/etd-02052007-081232/.
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Kingen, Sharon A. "When middle school writers compose : exploring relationships of processes, products, and levels of cognitive development." Virtual Press, 1990. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/720404.
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This study was designed first to describe the writing processes and products of students in grades 7, 8, and 9 and second to explore patterns of differences related to cognitive development. From the 117 students enrolled at a midwestern university laboratory school who voluntarily completed the Arlin Test of Formal Reasoning, 12 subjects were chosen on the basis of sex, grade, and test score.Each subject individually wrote four letters. A talk-aloud procedure was employed during three sessions and stimulated recall was used during the last session. Finally, all subjects were interviewed.Audio tapes of interviews and videotapes of writing sessions were transcribed. Final copies of texts were typed. Interview responses were examined and summarized. The letters were rated holistically and scored for audience awareness. Counts of words, T-units, and clauses were conducted. Verbalizations in protocols were coded. Further, all data produced during stimulated recall were examined for information about time use, fluency, and pausing, as well as revising and editing.The data revealed that writers considered themselves capable, but the papers received mediocre ratings and scores. The analysis of products showed that subjects wrote more in response to an expressive/informative task, but syntax was more mature on information and persuasion.Overall, formal thinkers wrote more syntactically mature discourse and usually received higher ratings. The analysis of processes data failed to reveal consistent differences, but there were many similarities. The subjects prewrote mentally and focused on producing text quickly. They reread text and edited often, but they rarely revised. Descriptions of processes and rhetorical principles were vague. Although the writers employed many strategies, had some intuitive sense of purpose and audience, and made decisions on the basis of many factors, they lacked control over their composing activities and were unable to transfer strategies from one task to the next.The study concluded with a series of recommendations for composition instruction and further research, particularly a call for teaching the processes of composing at the middle school level and for measuring the effects of this instruction against the baseline of data provided in this study.Department of Secondary, Higher, and Foundations of Education
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Witt, Emilee A. "Is hearing loss over-diagnosed due to impaired cognition in elderly patients?" Cleveland State University / OhioLINK, 2021. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=csu1624485488772529.
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Yang, Shengyu. "Multidimensional self-construals : testing the model and refining measurement." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2018. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/75716/.
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Markus and Kitayama (1991) developed self-construal theory, and proposed that independent and interdependent self-construals would account for cultural variations in cognition, emotion and motivation. Based on this theory and Vignoles and colleagues' (2016) reconsideration of self-construal measurement, this thesis investigates if a multi-dimensional model of self-construal helps explain cultural differences better than previous studies using the conventional two-dimensional model, as well as reporting the development of a scale that unpacks eight different ways of being independent and interdependent in multiple cultures. The thesis includes three studies. Focusing on the cultures of China and the UK, Study 1 explores if a seven-dimensional self-construal model (Vignoles et al., 2016) helps provide previously missing evidence for the predicted mediation effects of selfconstrual on cultural differences in cognition, emotion and motivation. The results show that Chinese and British participants are significantly different in six dimensions of self-construal, and explicit self-construal significantly mediated cultural differences in certain aspects of cognition, emotion and motivation. In the same two cultures, Study 2 examines individualism and collectivism priming techniques, using the seven-dimensional self-construal model to detect what two commonly used selfconstrual primes actually manipulate. The results indicate that Similarities vs. Differences with Family and Friends task (SDFF) and Sumerian Warrior Story (SWS) cue different aspects of self-construal. Effects of SWS show a similar profile across the two cultures, whereas SDFF has a much stronger effect on Chinese participants than British participants. Study 3 reports the development of a new self-construal scale. By introducing a new factor and extending the participants to 13 countries, the final version is a 48-item eight-dimensional self-construal scale. The importance of the multidimensional model and the new measure are discussed.
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Harrison, Benjamin James, and habj@unimelb edu au. "Functional imaging studies of executive-attention in humans comparing healthy subjects & patients with neuropsychiatric disorders." Swinburne University of Technology, 2006. http://adt.lib.swin.edu.au./public/adt-VSWT20060227.101116.
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One of the major goals of cognitive neuroscience is to better understand the psychological and
neural bases of human executive-attention. Executive or supervisory attention refers to a collection
of higher-order cognitive functions whose primary contribution to behavior is to support controlled
information processing and action. The capacity to control attention is essential for our adaptive
interaction with the environment because it allows flexibility in our responses to ever changing
situational contexts and demands. Executive-attention processes therefore play a unique role in
shaping the human experience.
Use of three-dimensional functional neuroimaging has fast become the empirical standard for
investigating how executive-attention is implemented in the human brain. Most recently, emphasis
has been placed on the use of these techniques to parse discrete components of a putative neural
network relating to action-monitoring and cognitive control processes of the medial and lateral
prefrontal cortex. This work has relied heavily on the use of popular experimental paradigms such
as the Stroop task and their unique capacity to challenge such processes in humans. These tasks
have also been especially useful for conceptualizing the nature of higher-cognitive dysfunction in
complex brain disorders such as schizophrenia.
The focus of this thesis concerns a novel application of the Stroop paradigm and functional imaging
approach to examine executive-attention performance in healthy subjects and patients with
schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. On one hand, this work aimed to address
current ideas on the nature of executive-control mechanisms and how they may be compromised in
these two common psychiatric disorders. On the other hand, this work aimed to examine important
conceptual and methodological issues associated with functional imaging approaches to the study
of higher-cognition and cognitive psychopathology in humans.
In line with connectionist models of executive-attention phenomena, the first study in this thesis
investigated the effects of task practice on a larger-scale neurocognitive network associated with
performance of the Stroop task in healthy subjects. This study involved the use of a novel methodological approach to model physiological covariances or ?functional connectivity? in PET
data, which generated previously unseen and interesting insights into the neural basis of Stroop
phenomena, whilst complimenting existing ideas on the role of the anterior cingulate and lateral
prefrontal cortex in mediating executive-control functions. These findings were then extended to a
comparative study of patients with schizophrenia and obsessive-compulsive disorder. This study
largely corroborated previous reports of prefrontal executive dysfunction in schizophrenia,
although patients also showed evidence for a compensatory strengthening of connectivity in a
fronto-parietal network that accompanied task practice. This finding has important implications for
existing models of higher-cognitive dysfunction and abnormal brain integration in schizophrenia.
For patients with OCD compared to healthy subjects, performance of the Stroop task evoked a
pattern of abnormal connectivity among predominantly corticostriatal regions, including a
previously reported hyperfunction of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex. While this latter result
has been linked to a specific disturbance of action-monitoring in patients with OCD, the current
study suggests that this may map onto a more extensive corticostriatal network abnormality in line
with current theoretical models of this illness.
One caveat raised in the first study of patients with schizophrenia concerned the effects of illnesschronicity
and medication on functional imaging studies of higher-cognition and prefrontal
function in schizophrenia. To address this, a second clinical study was undertaken in patients with
a first-episode of schizophrenia (diagnosis confirmed at follow-up) who were examined before and
after commencing antipsychotic treatment. Overall, the findings from this study support the idea of
trait-like disturbances of prefrontal executive function in schizophrenia; however, they also
suggested that aspects of this disturbance may be specific to the critical, early stage of illness -
implicating progressive changes with illness chronicity and/or treatment intervention. These
findings are discussed in relation to the developmental context of cognitive psychopathology in
schizophrenia.
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Whiteford, Kristen Maryann. "Testing the Validity of the PEAK Relational Training System in Assessing Language & Cognition After Brain Injury." OpenSIUC, 2014. https://opensiuc.lib.siu.edu/theses/1451.
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As a field, Behavior Analysis lacks an evidence based solution to assessing and treating language deficits in individuals with brain injuries. Research suggests that using direct instruction with persons with brain injuries is the most effective approach for teaching skills. Research on the PEAK Relational Training System suggests it may be applicable to adults with brain injuries because it does not have an age maximum and it assesses and trains complex language skills. The purpose of the current research is to determine the PEAK Relational Training System's potential applicability in assessing language and cognition functioning in adults with brain injury. 20 adults with brain injuries served as the participants for this study. Using a Pearson Correlation, the relationship between performance on the PEAK assessment and the Ross Information Processing Assessment (RIPA-2), pre-morbid education levels, Glasgow Coma Scale scores, and the location of injury in the brain was analyzed. Significant relationships between PEAK and RIPA-2 scores and PEAK and number of years since injury were shown. Furthermore, implementation of the PEAK was shown to be highly reliable. The current research has shown the effectiveness of the PEAK Relational Training System Direct Training Assessment for adults with brain injury.
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Bickley, Patricia. "The three stratum theory of cognitive abilities: test of the structure of intelligence across the life span." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1993. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/38539.
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Recently a three stratum theory of intelligence that combines the major aspects of Spearman~s theory of general intelligence (g) (1927) and Horn and Cattell's theory of crystallized and fluid intelligence (Gf-Gc) (1991) has been proposed (Carroll, 1993). The purpose of this study was to test the three stratum theory using confirmatory factor analysis with the LISREL computer program. Developmental changes in the structure of intelligence were also investigated. Results provided support for the three stratum theory, suggesting the possibility of intermediate factors between the second and third stratum but no support for developmental changes in the organization of cognitive abilities.Ph. D.
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de, Sousa Paulo Alexandre Brito. "Testing the role of social isolation and social cognition in thought disorder in service users diagnosed with psychosis." Thesis, University of Liverpool, 2018. http://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/3026447/.
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Eichenhofer, David J. "Auditory and visual factors of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children : a confirmatory factor analysis." Virtual Press, 1987. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/514707.
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The Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children is a relatively new instrument designed to measure the cognitive abilities of children ages 2 1/2 to 12 1/2. The battery was predominantly based upon Luria's theory of cognitive processing which proposes a simultaneous and sequential dichotomy for the analysis of information. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses have generally supported this theory. However, across different age groups and with special populations, analyses have been inconsistent.Few alternative structures for the battery have been tested, especially with special populations.The purpose of the present study was to assess the viability of a two factor structure based upon the modality of input for a group of students referred for learning difficulties. One hundred and twelve students, ages 7 to 12 1/2, who had been referred by teachers because of learning difficulties were used in the study. The thirteen subtests of the K-ABC were specified as being associated with a visual input factor, an auditory input factor, or both. Confirmatory factor analysis, as performed by the LISREL VI computer program, was then used to test this hypothesis. Unreasonable parameter estimates led to the rejection of the model for this sample. This lack of confirmation is discussed in terms of high correlations among estimates, misspecification of the model, sample homogeneity, and lack of independence among the subtests in terms of input modality. It was concluded that input modality was not a major factor in performance on the battery for this particular sample.
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Zhang, Zhidong 1957. "Cognitive assessment in a computer-based coaching environment in higher education : diagnostic assessment of development of knowledge and problem-solving skill in statistics." Thesis, McGill University, 2007. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=102853.
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Diagnostic cognitive assessment (DCA) was explored using Bayesian networks and evidence-centred design (ECD) in a statistics learning domain (ANOVA). The assessment environment simulates problem solving activities that occurred in a web-based statistics learning environment. The assessment model is composed of assessment constructs, and evidence models. Assessment constructs correspond to components of knowledge and procedural skill in a cognitive domain model and are represented as explanatory variables in the assessment model. Explanatory variables represent specific aspects of student's performance of assessment problems. Bayesian networks are used to connect the explanatory variables to the evidence variables. These links enable the network to propagate evidential information to explanatory model variables in the assessment model. The purpose of DCA is to infer cognitive components of knowledge and skill that have been mastered by a student. These inferences are realized probabilistically using the Bayesian network to estimate the likelihood that a student has mastered specific components of knowledge or skill based on observations of features of the student's performance of an assessment task.The objective of this study was to develop a Bayesian assessment model that implements DCA in a specific domain of statistics, and evaluate it in relation to its potential to achieve the objectives of DCA. This study applied a method for model development to the ANOVA score model domain to attain the objectives of the study. The results documented: (a) the process of model development in a specific domain; (b) the properties of the Bayesian assessment model; (c) the performance of the network in tracing students' progress towards mastery by using the model to successfully update the posterior probabilities; (d) the use of estimates of log odds ratios of likelihood of mastery as a measure of "progress toward mastery;" (e) the robustness of diagnostic inferences based on the network; and (f) the use of the Bayesian assessment model for diagnostic assessment with a sample of 20 students who completed the assessment tasks. The results indicated that the Bayesian assessment network provided valid diagnostic information about specific cognitive components, and was able to track development towards achieving mastery of learning goals.
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李素貞 and So-ching Janet Li. "Assessing the cognitive function among the elderly dialysis patients: a single center study." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2002. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B2594907X.
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Tekell, Jeremy Kyle. "Affective and cognitive components of job satisfaction: Scale development and initial validiation." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2008. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc9024/.
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Job satisfaction is one of the most commonly studied variables in the organizational literature. It is related to a multitude of employee-relevant variables including but not limited to performance, organizational commitment, and intent to quit. This study examined two new instruments measuring the components of affect and cognition as they relate to job satisfaction. It further proposed including an evaluative (or true attitudinal) component to improve the prediction of job satisfaction. Results provide some evidence of both two and three factor structures of affect and cognition. This study found minimal support for the inclusion of evaluation in the measurement of job satisfaction. Affect was found to be the single best predictor of job satisfaction, regardless of the satisfaction measure used. Further development is needed to define the factor structures of affect and cognition as well as the role of these factors and evaluation in the prediction of job satisfaction.
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Baturo, Annette. "Getting to know probability : a descriptive study of the cognitive processes employed by the year 12 students engaged on probability tasks." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1992. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36705/1/36705_Baturo_1992.pdf.
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This study was conducted to explore Year 12 students' cognitive functioning in the
domain of probability in an endeavour to discover what it means to know/understand the
elementary notions of probability. Previous research had indicated several issues
concerning: (1) the domain of probability, (2) students' understanding of probability, and
(3) what it means to understand a piece of curriculum.
With regard to the domain of probability, a review of the literature had revealed that
there were at least four types of probability (a priori, frequentist, subjective, forma~ that
were incorporated in research studies. However, in several of these studies, it was not
clear which type of probability was the focus of the research. This circumstance had
served to confuse rather than clarify the research findings regarding students' ability to
understand probability. By using tasks related to the elementary notions of probability,
this study focused on formal probability, that is, that type of probability which is
calculated precisely using mathematical laws.
Concerning the issue of what it means to understand a piece of curriculum, research
studies over the last decade have taken a cognitive perspective and five themes have
been identified in the literature: (1) understanding as representation, (2) understanding
as knowledge structures, (3) understanding as connections, (4) learning as the active
construction of knowledge, and (5) understanding as situated cognition. In addressing
the issue of what it means to understand a piece of mathematics curriculum, this current
study has focused on understanding as connections of different types of knowledge. To
this end, Lelnhardt's (1988) theory of the four kno.wledge types (intuitive, concrete,
computational, principled conceptua~ has served as the model for examining the Year
12 students' understanding of the elementary notions of probability with a view to
identifying relationships between the knowledge types and between the knowledge
types and the domains of fractions and ratios.
The research design incorporated two pilot studies and a main study and, altogether, 31
students (thirty Year 12 students and one Year 11 student) participated in the studies.
Each student was clinically interviewed whilst working on a set of tasks which were
developed for the study and which assessed, in the main, elementary probabilistic
notions. An account of these interviews and an analysis of the students' competence in
terms of the four types of knowledge is provided.
The results of the tasks indicated that the students had performed quite well. However,
the protocols revealed that they used a variety of cognitive schema when contemplating
probabilistic situations. For example, there appeared to be evidence that the students
were using the part/whole traction schema, the part/part ratio schema and the .
whole/ whole comparison schema. As well, there appeared to be evidence that many of
the students did not employ just one schema but rather called on a medley of schema,
depending on the type of problem. However, the study indicated that there could be a
positive link between principled conceptual common fraction knowledge and probability
competence .
Leinhardt's model was found to be useful when examining the students' knowledge but
there appeared to be evidence that the students in this study .had not connected the
various knowledge types into a cohesive whole which would indicate understanding of
probability. It was found that not having the correct language with which to think about
probability notions and having impoverished concrete knowledge were the main
inhibitors for making the connections between the knowledge types,
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Kenny, Michael J. "Cognitive developmental differences by class level and gender." Virtual Press, 1994. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/902493.
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The purpose of this study was to determine if the present college experience and curriculum fosters cognitive development through graduate school. This thesis also assessed whether any gender differences exist between males and females. The assessment of cognitive ability was undertaken by two distinct instruments. One instrument measured this ability objectively and the other in a more subjective manner. A total of 110 students completed the two measures and these were students covering all four undergraduate levels and also master's and doctoral students. The results of the study suggest that the graduate school curriculum may foster cognitive growth. There were some gender differences with the females performing at a higher level on the subjective instrument. The findings of this study could be used to improve current curriculum by implementing more critical thinking courses.Department of Counseling Psychology and Guidance Services
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Nelson, Jeffrey. "Executive functioning and the adaptation to novelty." University of Western Australia. School of Psychology, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2008.0157.
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[Truncated thesis] This thesis is concerned with executive functioning in two different but related ways. The first is as an information processing construct in cognitive psychology. There are many different conceptualisations of the information processing basis of executive functioning but this thesis will pursue the notion that executive functioning is best thought of as adaptation to novelty. In the thesis, this will be operationalised using performance indices (principally reaction time) from a number of information processing tasks. These tasks have typically been used in the literature to index either executive functioning or speed of information processing. Both kinds of tasks are used to tackle the second concern of this thesis, namely, how executive functioning is measured. The data analytic techniques developed in this thesis are based on the hypothesis that executive functioning is the process or processes involved in resolving task novelty and consequently measurement will be enhanced through an analysis of performance changes within tasks as the task changes from novel to familiar. The analysis methods will be based largely on the computation of coefficient of variation of reaction time in successive performance windows across the information processing tasks. An elderly sample was chosen for this thesis because of a history of research that has attempted to determine whether cognitive deficits in the elderly are the consequence of the slowing of information processing speed or to impairment in executive functioning. ... The analysis was driven by the hypothesis that a significant shift in the coefficient of variation would mark a transition from novelty to familiarity in task performance and hence from executive to non-executive phases. Three methods were applied to individual performance curves to determine the point at which for each task this transition occurred. Using criterion measures of variability to separate the task data into two stages, analyses showed, contrary to the hypothesis, that later task performance was more highly associated with executive functioning than in initial task performance. The fourth stage of analysis (Chapter 7) applied confirmatory factor analysis to the newly-formed pre- and post transition data. Evidence was found that the magnitude of the contributions of EF across the pre- and post-criterion phases was stable, failing to support the hypothesis. Finally, structural equation modelling was used to examine how age and intelligence in this elderly sample exerts its influence on task performance and whether EF or IPS was the primary cause of age-related cognitive decline. The results showed that the age and intelligence effects on performance were mediated by the requirement to adapt to novelty. Although there was limited evidence to claim that EF is the primary cause of age-related cognitive decline, ageing effects were only apparent when the participants were adapting to novelty. The thesis concludes that there is some support for the hypothesis that executive functioning is best thought of as the processes underpinning adaptation to novelty. While not a panacea, the analytic techniques developed show promise for future research.
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Sit, Bik-yan Sonia, and 薛碧茵. "Cognitive function in Chinese stroke patients." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2005. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45010390.
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Pappas, Colleen. "How Did I Get Here? Testing the Translation of the Morris Water Maze and the Influence of Hemoglobin A1c on Spatial Navigation Performance." Scholar Commons, 2017. https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/7434.
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Changes in cognitive status occur with aging and significant attention has been placed on developing interventions to possibly delay cognitive decline and identifying risk factors that exacerbate cognitive deficits. One issue that arises when studying interventions is that they do not always effectively translate from animal models to human subjects. When testing potentially modifiable risk factors related to cognitive impairment, more sensitive metrics could help in identifying targets for intervention at earlier time-points. Therefore, the aims of the current dissertation were twofold. The first study examined the ability to translate between species using a common behavioral paradigm, the Morris water maze (MWM). The second study evaluated human MWM performance and commonly used neuropsychological test performance in relation to a marker of glucose regulation, HbA1c.
The first study tested translation between rats and humans using the MWM paradigm. Using secondary data sources from a study of nutrition, inflammation, and aging among rats and the Czech Brain Aging Study among humans, differences in average performance and across trial learning were examined between young (3 months; n=10) and aged (20 months; n=13) rats as well age young-old (age 53-70; n=47) and old-old (age 71-85; n=30) human subjects. The cumulative distance was measured in rats and distance error to the hidden goal was measured in human subjects. Results indicated that age-related deficits in performance are greater in magnitude for rats than human subjects. Further, the across trial learning data is more sensitive to change in performance than average performance metrics. Across learning trials indicated poorer performance for aged rats than young rats. Significant effects of age were also observed for human subjects using with the allocentric and egocentric subtests.
The second study examined the influence of a measure of glucose regulation (HbA1c) on commonly used neuropsychological tests and a test of spatial navigation abilities among human subjects. Participants classified as cognitively normal, subjective cognitive decline, amnestic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI), and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) were evaluated on verbal memory, nonverbal memory, working memory, visuospatial skills, and executive function in addition to the virtual and real space versions of a human MWM paradigm. A total of 116 participants were included in the complete data sample and 133 participants were included in the multiple imputation sample. Results indicated that HbA1c influenced executive function but not any other measures of cognition. Higher HbA1c levels were associated with poorer performance. A significant interaction was observed between cognitive status and HbA1c. Those with cognitive impairment and higher HbA1c levels had poorer executive function performance. This effect, however, was not observed with the imputation sample.
Results of the first study indicated that the MWM paradigm serves as a good tool to assess translation between rats and human subjects. This would be helpful in examining interventions designed to improve normal age-related changes in cognition. It is important to note, however, that the differences observed among animals tend to be greater than human subjects. Therefore, the margin of improvement may be greater following treatment with studies utilizing animals rather than human subjects. The second study indicated that glucose levels may have an impact on cognitive abilities, particularly those related to executive function. Targeting blood glucose levels may be one effective way to keep executive function abilities more intact with age. Taken together, these studies will better inform future work related to delaying cognitive decline among older adults.
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Ryan, Heather E. "Marijuana use and its cognitive effects." Virtual Press, 2006. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1337204.
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The present study compared three commonly used cognitive screeners: the Test of Cognitive Skills – Second Edition (TCS-2), the Kaufman Brief Intelligence Test (K-BIT), the Wide Range Achievement Test – Third editions (WRAT3) and the impact of marijuana use on these screeners in a population of juvenile delinquents. One hundred records (67 males and 33 females) were selected from archival data at the Allen County Juvenile Center. Results from this study found, that as predicted, individuals who tested positive for marijuana performed significantly worse on all subtests of the TCS-2, on the Verbal and Composite Score of the K-BIT, and the Spelling subtest of the WRAT3 than individuals who tested negative for marijuana use. The results of this study support the notion that marijuana can impair cognitive abilities in a group of adolescents.Department of Psychological Science
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Walters, Elizabeth R. "Factors affecting neuropsychological testing in the elderly and the use of a newly developed virtual reality test. Implications for the accurate and early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/7353.
Full textAbstract:
Neuropsychological testing is one method used in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders. However, the testing process may be affected by subtle external factors which if not controlled for may have the ability to affect the scores obtained. The primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of some of these external factors, namely caffeine, non-oily fish consumption and time of day. A secondary aim was to evaluate the use of a novel virtual assessment as a possible tool for the early detection of AD. Healthy elderly participants over the age of sixty with no existing cognitive impairment or neurological condition were recruited to take part. For each external factor investigated participants were required to undertake a cognitive assessment. The results demonstrated that subtle external factors present during a typical testing session have the ability to significantly affect the scores obtained. Scores on one part of the virtual test correlated with existing tests used for the early detection of cognitive impairment and were significantly lower in participants classified as mildly impaired. With further modification this test has the potential to be used as an early detection tool. The results have implications for the interpretation of neuropsychological test scores which may be considered when classifying participants, determining treatment interventions, selecting participants for research and making a diagnosis. These findings have important considerations for psychological and cognitive research that investigates human brain function.
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Krusen, Richard Montgomery 1954. "Cognitive Indices of Criminal Thought: Criminals Versus Non-Criminals." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1988. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc330871/.
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The ability of several psychometric instruments to differentiate between criminal and non-criminal subjects was investigated. The subjects in the study consisted of fifty male individuals between the ages of 18 and 55, half of which had been convicted of one crime and half of which had no history of criminal activity. The tests administered consisted of the Psychopathic Deviation Scale from the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), the Psychopathic Deviation Scale of the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire, and two tests designed by the author. The author's tests consisted of the Test of Criminal Cognitions which evaluated antisocial thought patterns and cognitive flexibility, and the Social Semantics Test which assessed individual role definitions. The Test of Criminal Cognitions was administered as a part of a structured interview, and all other scales were administered in a paper and pencil format. The results indicated that the Psychopathic Deviation Scale of the MMPI, and a portion of both the Test of Criminal Cognitions and the Social Semantics Scales differentiated between the groups at the .05 level or better. These findings indicated that criminals tend to be significantly less flexible in their thought and tend to view others in a much more narcissistic manner than non-criminals. The results also indicated that these tests can be utilized to discriminate between criminals and non-criminals. It was additionally noted that the Psychopathic Deviation Scale of the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire did not consistently differentiate between the groups and should not be considered a valid instrument for discriminating between these groups.
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Titus, Jeffery B. "The prediction of cognitive ability from sensory/motor performance : examining the role of sensory/motor performance in the Dean-Woodcock Cognitive Neuropsychology Model." Virtual Press, 2002. http://liblink.bsu.edu/uhtbin/catkey/1239213.
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The present study investigated the relationship between sensory/motor skills and cognitive abilities in psychiatric and neurologically impaired patients to determine how sensory/motor skills are associated with cognitive abilities. Previous research has demonstrated a significant relationship between performance on sensory/motor tasks and cognition but has failed to examine how well sensory/motor skills can predict specific cognitive performance. Because brain functioning is hierarchical with simpler processes being foundational to the development of more complex functions, it is likely sensory/motor skills can aid in the prediction of specific cognitive abilities. If this is true, then investigation of the relationship between sensory/motor performance and cognition should provide insight into the role of sensory/motor skills in the Dean-Woodcock Cognitive Neuropsychology Model.This study examined the relationship between scores on the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability - Revised (WJ-R COG) and scores on the Dean-Woodcock Sensory and Motor Battery (D-WSMB). Participants included 458 patients referred for neuropsychological consultation with neurological and/or psychiatric diagnoses. Results indicated a significant correlation among cognitive scores and sensory/motor scores. Moreover, factor analysis revealed 7 overall factors that account for approximately 65% of the variance. These factors were identified as being thinking ability and processing speed, subcortical functioning, verbal working memory, peripheral processes, tactile kinesthetic thinking (Gtk), visual processing, and simple sensory/motor.Integration of sensory/motor factors into the Dean-Woodcock Cognitive Neuropsychology Model revealed the significant role sensory/motor performance plays in predicting higher-order cognitive abilities. From the analysis it appeared that certain sensory/motor functions were significant contributors to the prediction of specific cognitive abilities. That is, subcortical functioning aided in the prediction of all measured areas of cognition; visual processing contributed to visual-spatial thinking, novel reasoning, and crystallized knowledge; tactile-kinesthetic thinking helped predict visual-spatial thinking, auditory processing, and crystallized knowledge; and simple sensory/motor functioning aided in the explanation of long-term storage-retrieval.These results offer a beginning point for further investigation into the relationship between specific sensory/motor skills and cognitive abilities. Research in this area can provide further insight into the functional organization of the brain and offer application to cognitive outcome in rehabilitation as well as preschool screening.Department of Educational Psychology
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Coppola, Vincent Jesse. "Neurocognitive aging in homing pigeons (Columba livia):Further investigation into hippocampal-dependent memory impairment and testing of the cholinergic hypothesis of cognitive decline." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1553609743315119.
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Ginns, Paul William Education Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences UNSW. "When imagining instructions is effective." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Education, 2002. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/18634.
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Learning from worked examples typically involves study activities, involving reading such materials carefully and attempting to understand the information presented. Considerable evidence has amassed regarding the benefits for novices of studying appropriately constructed worked examples paired with practice questions. However, prior research from the cognitive and sports psychology literatures suggests mental practice of worked examples may be an effective adjunct to studying such materials. Meta-analyses of these literatures suggest the utility of mental practice depends upon the degree of cognitive elements contained within a task, and also suggest that some prior knowledge of a task is necessary for mental practice to be effective. The present series of studies aimed to identify conditions under which mental practice is effective in educationally realistic, highly cognitive domains. Based on the above meta-analytic results, mental practice was hypothesised to enhance learning over further study in highly cognitive domains, but only when students either had sufficient prior knowledge, or were able to develop such knowledge over the course of an instructional intervention. Study activities were primarily expected to support knowledge acquisition, while imagining-based activities (mental practice) were expected to support knowledge automation. The experiments herein thus investigated interactions between levels of prior knowledge, complexity of instructional material, and levels of learning from imagination versus conventional study strategies. In Experiment 1, under conditions of low prior knowledge and complex material (HTML), students who studied worked examples outperformed those who imagined. Experiment 2, using simplified but still complex materials and a similar participant pool, found no differences between conditions, but Experiment 3, using stricter experimental design, found a study effect. In Experiment 4, an imagination effect was found under high prior knowledge. Experiment 5, using less experienced learners, suggested those who studied outperformed those whom imagined on acquisition questions. Experiment 6 found a sequence of study then imagination is more effective than imagination then study. The results have broad application for effective sequencing of these instructional strategies, but development of an accurate metric for imagination "readiness" is required to advance theory and practice, and more evidence is needed for a schema automation explanation of mental practice effects.
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Lam, Wai-tak Ronny, and 林偉德. "Validation of modified fuld object-memory evaluation (FOME) for screening of geriatric population with cognitive impairment in HongKong." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2005. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B45010730.
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Walters, Elizabeth Rachel. "Factors affecting neuropsychological testing in the elderly and the use of a newly developed virtual reality test : implications for the accurate and early diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease." Thesis, University of Bradford, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/10454/7353.
Full textAbstract:
Neuropsychological testing is one method used in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders. However, the testing process may be affected by subtle external factors which if not controlled for may have the ability to affect the scores obtained. The primary aim of this thesis was to investigate the effects of some of these external factors, namely caffeine, non-oily fish consumption and time of day. A secondary aim was to evaluate the use of a novel virtual assessment as a possible tool for the early detection of AD. Healthy elderly participants over the age of sixty with no existing cognitive impairment or neurological condition were recruited to take part. For each external factor investigated participants were required to undertake a cognitive assessment. The results demonstrated that subtle external factors present during a typical testing session have the ability to significantly affect the scores obtained. Scores on one part of the virtual test correlated with existing tests used for the early detection of cognitive impairment and were significantly lower in participants classified as mildly impaired. With further modification this test has the potential to be used as an early detection tool. The results have implications for the interpretation of neuropsychological test scores which may be considered when classifying participants, determining treatment interventions, selecting participants for research and making a diagnosis. These findings have important considerations for psychological and cognitive research that investigates human brain function.
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Redick, Thomas Scott. "Working Memory Capacity, Perceptual Speed, and Fluid Intelligence: An Eye Movement Analysis." Thesis, Available online, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006, 2006. http://etd.gatech.edu/theses/available/etd-11202006-143305/.
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Moreno, Sala María Teresa. "The influence of perceptual shift, cognitive abilities and environmental factors on young children's development of absolute and relative pitch perception /." Thesis, McGill University, 2005. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=85941.
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The main purpose of the present study was to investigate whether a shift from absolute to relative pitch perception occurs during early childhood. Other factors that can influence the development of absolute pitch, such as cognitive abilities and the child's environment were examined. Young children completed (n=88): (1) a variety of pitch tasks (absolute and relative pitch tests) prior to and after two months of focused instruction on absolute and relative pitch, (2) tests of cognitive abilities, and (3) a questionnaire gathering information about family musical environment.The results indicate that a shift from absolute to relative perception occurs between the ages of 5 and 7. Children younger than six demonstrated limited ability to perform relational tasks such as ordering bells, identifying transposed intervals, and comparing pitches. However, they memorized target pitches better than the older children, matched target tones on the xylophone and sang newly learned songs in their original key more often than did the older children. Older children benefited to a larger extent from the training on relative pitch. Cognitive and spatial abilities were related to absolute pitch development: children who identified pitches better had a more sequential and a less simultaneous way of processing information. Family musical environment seems to have influenced the development of absolute pitch. Implications for the acquisition of absolute pitch are discussed.
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Marcontell, Deborah K. (Deborah Kay). "The Aronson Cognitive Residual Evaluation Scale (ACRES): an Evaluation of Reliability with the Elderly." Thesis, University of North Texas, 1990. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc504529/.
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The Aronson Cognitive Residual Evaluation Scale (ACRES) is a new, relatively short neuropsychological test which attempts to measure residual cognitive skills. This study evaluated the ACRES test-retest reliability over a one to twelve month interval. The Trail Making Test (TMT) was included as a validation measure. Subjects were 58 males and females, aged 68 to 94, living in a retirement center or in the community. The ACRES exhibited moderate to strong reliability correlations and the TMT demonstrated low to moderate correlations with the ACRES. There was no time interval effect. Age had a negative effect on four of five ACRES subtests and gender was significant for one ACRES subtest and the TMT Part B. Percent of subjects classified as brain impaired using traditional cutoffs was higher than when age-corrected norms were used. Clinical utility of the ACRES and the TMT is discussed regarding need for age-corrected norms.
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Wiechmann, April. "The Utility of the Spatial Span from the Wechsler Memory Scales in a Geriatric Population with Cognitive Impairments." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2010. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc30527/.
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Performance on the Spatial Span subtest of the Wechsler Memory Scale has been viewed as an indicator of working memory and visuospatial processing. A number of factors including age and gender have been posited to effect performance on Spatial Span by older adults. The current study examined the impact of various forms of cognitive impairment and severity of impairment on Spatial Span performance. Five hundred thirty-eight individuals between the ages of 65 and 89 were evaluated in a university memory disorders clinic using a battery of neuropsychological tests that included Spatial Span. Participants were grouped by consensus diagnosis into type of cognitive impairment (Alzheimer's disease, vascular disease, amnestic mild cognitive impairment or non-amnestic mild cognitive impairment) or cognitively normal. As expected, an increase in severity of impairment results in a decrease in Spatial Span Total Score. Other findings included a weak relationship between age and Spatial Span Total Score. Gender, as well as age, did not fully account for the decline in Spatial Span Total Score. Spatial Span Forward score was not as good a predictor of severity in that reduction in score for Spatial Span Forward remains relatively stable regardless of level of impairment. Spatial Span Backward performance was found to be more sensitive to severity. No significant differences were found between performance of Alzheimer's disease and vascular disease suggesting they share similar deficit patterns with regard to the cognitive abilities measured by the Spatial Span subtest. A comparison between those diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment and individuals without such a diagnosis showed no significant difference suggesting that visuospatial processes are not affected early in the dementing process.
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McCann, Geoff. "The Use Of The Cognitive Status Examination In Detecting Cognitive Impairment In Elderly People." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2000. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1538.
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Dementia is a growing social problem in Australia because as the population ages, the incidence of dementia increases. While the prevalence rates are only about I% at age 65, they double every five years until by 85 years of age the rate is over 24%. It is expected that by the year 2030, the number of elderly people with dementia will increase by 200%. Dementia is easily recognized in its advanced stages but can be overlooked in the early phase. Family members, care-givers and even the treating medical practitioner may mistakenly attribute the early decline in mental function to the normal aging process. A diagnostic instrument that is easy to administer and score yet is sensitive and specific to the detection of cognitive impairment in the elderly may prove to be of significant benefit to clinicians and assist care-givers and family members in treatment decisions, accommodation requirements and the timely provision of a range of support services. This study investigates the use of the Cognitive Status Examination (CSE) for detecting brain impairment in elderly people. The Cognitive Status Examination comprises the Cognitive Difficulties Scale and a Letter Symbol Substitution Task. It was developed as a screening instrument to detect Alcohol Related Brain Impairment and has proved to be 80% sensitive and 88% specific in detecting brain impairment in that group. This study extended those results to males and females aged 65 years and over with early dementia. A sample of 58 community-dwelling, elderly people aged 65 years and above and a clinical sample of 44 in-patients who were diagnosed with early dementia completed the Cognitive Status Examination. An existing groups, quasi-experimental research design was used. The Cognitive Status Examination proved to be marginally useful as a screening instrument for detecting cognitive impairment in elderly people with early stage dementia with a sensitivity of 59% and a specificity of 93% when the original cut-off scores were used. A revised cut-off score, determined by trial and error, was developed. This resulted in a sensitivity of 86.2% and a specificity of 77.3%, but even with such ad hoc adjustments the CSE fell marginally short of the required 80% for both specifications. Use of the CSE may enable clinicians to utilize existing resources more effectively by referring elderly people in need to appropriate medical care, accommodation and community support services, but further research is required to confirm the revised cutting scores for the CSE. Regression analysis showed that a combination of the raw LST score and the BDI score gained over 90% sensitivity and specificity, and such an actuarial approach also shows promise for future development.
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Patel, Avani Rajnikant. "Cognitive Rehab Solutions: A computer-assisted cognitive training program." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2002. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2321.
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The purpose of this project is to offer a functionally comprehensive application, Cognitive Rehab Solutions (CRS), that is designed for neuropsychologists to deliver restorative cognitive training in areas of attention and memory of persons with brain impairment.
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Smith, Kathryn Elizabeth. "Assessment and prevalence of dementia in indigenous Australians." University of Western Australia. School of Primary, Aboriginal and Rural Health Care, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0062.
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Until recently, there was no dementia screening tool for Indigenous Australians and a paucity of information on the extent of dementia in Indigenous Australians. This thesis describes the development and validation of a tool to assess cognitive impairment in remote Indigenous Australians with the primary purpose of determining the prevalence of dementia and other associated conditions in this population. The tool was reevaluated with the larger prevalence sample and a short version of the tool was developed and evaluated. The Kimberley Indigenous Cognitive Assessment (KICA) tool was validated with Indigenous Australians aged over 45 years from the Kimberley region of Western Australia (n=70). The results were later confirmed in a larger sample from the remote Kimberley (n=363), and an additional sample in rural and remote areas of the Northern Territory (n=47). The KICA results were compared to independent consensus diagnoses using DSM-IV and ICD-10. Interpreters were used whenever participants were not proficient in English. These data led to the determination of a cut-off score of 33/34 out of a possible total score of 39 for the cognitive component of the KICA (KICA-Cog), with a sensitivity of 0.93 and specificity of 0.95 and AUC of 0.98. The tool is now widely used within remote areas of Australia. A short version of the KICACog (sKICA-Cog) was developed and found to be a valid brief screening tool for dementia in the Kimberley population, and had a cut-off score of 20/21 out of a possible 25, with a sensitivity of 0.89, specificity of 0.95 and AUC of 0.98. The sKICA-Cog should be used in combination with the KICA cognitive informant questionnaire (KICA-IQ). The KICA-IQ cut-off score of 2/3 out of a possible 16 was determined, with a sensitivity of 0.76 and specificity of 0.84 and AUC of 0.91. Using the validated KICA, the prevalence of dementia and cognitive impairment not dementia (CIND) was determined in a semi-purposive sample consisting of 363 Indigenous Australians aged over 45 years from 6 Aboriginal communities and one town in the Kimberley region. Participants were screened with the full KICA and 165 participants had an independent specialist review with consensus diagnoses. The prevalence of dementia was 12.4%, 5.2 times greater than the Australian prevalence of 2.4%, after age adjustment. The prevalence of CIND was 8.0%. Characteristics associated with dementia included older age, male gender (OR 3.1, 95% CI 1.4, 6.8), no formal education (OR 2.7, 95% CI 1.1, 6.7), smoking (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.1, 18.6), previous stroke (OR 17.9, 95% CI 5.9, 49.7), epilepsy (OR 33.5, 95% CI 4.8, 232.3) and head injury (OR 4.0, 95% CI 1.7, 9.4). Other factors associated with dementia included incontinence, falls and poor mobility. The KICA is a valid assessment tool for rural and remote Indigenous Australians. The prevalence of dementia amongst Indigenous Australians is substantially higher than generally found in non - Indigenous Australians and other populations in the developed and developing world.
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Unsworth, David I. "Individual differences in complex memory span and episodic retrieval examining the dynamics of delayed and continuous distractor free recall / by David I. Unsworth." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/10463.
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Individual differences on complex memory spans predict a variety of higher-order cognitive tasks (e.g. reading comprehension, reasoning, following direction) as well as low-level attention tasks (e.g. Stroop, dichotic listening, antisaccade). The current study attempted to better determine the role of individual differences in complex memory span and episodic retrieval. Specifically, two experiments explored the possibility that individual differences in complex memory span reflect differences in the ability to successfully retrieve items from secondary memory via a cue-dependent search process. High and low complex span participants were tested in delayed (Experiment 1) and continuous distractor (Experiment 2) free recall with varying list-lengths. Across both experiments low spans recalled fewer items than high spans, recalled more previous list intrusions than high spans, and recalled at a slower rate than high spans. It is argued that low spans search through a larger set of items than high spans and, thus low spans episodic retrieval deficits are associated with an inability to use cues to guide a search and retrieval process of secondary memory. Implications for dual-component models of memory are discussed.
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Rochelle, Gary B. "Concurrent Validity of the Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability-Revised with a Neurologically Compromised Pediatric Population." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2000. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc2700/.
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The Wide Range Assessment of Memory and Learning (WRAML) is a relatively new instrument used in the assessment of memory in children. The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of the WRAML by comparing the performance of children on both the WRAML and the Woodcock-Johnson Tests of Cognitive Ability- Revised (WJTCA-R). Subjects for the study were children in treatment for a brain tumor at a regional children's medical center. Fifty children participated in the study ranging from ages 6 to 17. A multiple regression analysis was conducted to determine which of four selected clusters from the WJTCA-R would have the highest correlation with the Verbal Memory Index (VERI) from the WRAML. The Short-Term Memory (GSM) cluster had the highest correlation ( r = .82) as predicted. A Pearson's product-moment correlational analysis was conducted between the Visual Processing (GV) cluster from the WJTCA-R and the Visual Memory Index (VISI) from the WRAML. GV was found to have a high positive correlation ( r = .63) with VISI. A similar analysis was conducted between the Long-Term Retrieval (GLR) cluster from the WJTCA-R and the Learning Index (LRNI) from the WRAML. GLR was found to have a high positive correlation ( r = .81) with LRNI. Finally, a correlational analysis was conducted between the Broad Cognitive Ability (BCA) scale from the WJTCA-R and the General Memory Index (GENI) from the WRAML. A high positive correlation ( r = .87) was found between these most global measures from the two batteries. The observed correlation between BCA and GENI was much higher than anticipated. The author concluded that neurological impairment had affected subject memory and intellectual functioning in similar ways. The results do not generalize to children who have not had similar decrements in cognitive functioning. Future research should establish a baseline correlation between the two instruments with a non-impaired population.
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Jordan, Sharon Teresa. "Correlates of cognitive skills used by boys and girls on sequencing and construction tasks." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1986. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/214.
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Duffield, Tyler Cole. "A comparison of paper-pencil versus video-conferencing administration of a neurobehavioral screening test." Master's thesis, University of Central Florida, 2011. http://digital.library.ucf.edu/cdm/ref/collection/ETD/id/4882.
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Regardless of the reason, many patients/clients do not have access to face-to-face medical, neuropsychological, or mental health consultation, assessment, or treatment (Cowain, 2001). The term Remote Neuropsychological Assessment (RNA) has been proposed by Browndyke to denote the general use of telecommunication and Internet-based technologies in neuropsychological assessment and practice (as cited in Schatz & Browndyke, 2002). RNA (Telemedicine) offers a plausible, potentially cost-effective solution to individuals in need of medical, neuropsychological, or mental health consultation, assessment, or treatment that are located in geographical areas away from the specialist (Armstrong, 2006; Berman, 2005; Cowain, 2001; Jacobsen, Sprenger, Andersson, & Krogstad, 2003). The purpose of this study was to examine if test performance for RNA administration of the Cognistat is comparable to test performance for the pencil-paper administration. A one-way repeated measures multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was used to analyze the data. The main effect for administration modality was not significant, F(9, 126) = .375, p = .945. The present study demonstrated the utility of a widely used neurobehavioral screening test that provides a differentiated profile of cognitive status can now reliably be used through a video-conferencing administration. The importance of this finding is that a more comprehensive detection of deficits in multiple domains of cognitive functioning for screening purposes is now possible remotely.ID: 030422907; System requirements: World Wide Web browser and PDF reader.; Mode of access: World Wide Web.; Thesis (M.A.)--University of Central Florida, 2011.; Includes bibliographical references (p. 38-40).
M.A.
Masters
Psychology
Sciences
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Tecle, Hagos Ghebremicael. "The psychometric properties of the Paper and Pencil Games Level 2 for Tigrigna-speaking children in Eritrea." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53666.
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Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The aim of this study was to investigate the psychometric properties of a screening test of cognitive ability, the Paper and Pencil Games Level 2 (PPG Level 2), for Tigrignaspeaking schoolchildren in Eritrea. This study represents one of the first attempts to measure cognitive ability in Eritrea. The PPG was developed in South Africa (Claassen, 1996) as a group test of general cognitive ability for children in Grade 2 and 3 (PPG Level 2), and Grade 4 and 5 (PPG Level 3). The PPG provides Total, Verbal and Nonverbal ability scores. The Verbal Scale consists of two subtests, namely (a) Verbal and Quantitative Reasoning and (b) Comprehension. The Non-verbal Scale consists of three subtests, namely (a) Figure Classification, (b) Figure Series, and (c) Pattern Completion. Although the PPG has the appearance of a standardized intelligence test, Claassen emphasized that it is best used as a screen for academic difficulties or failures. Participants were 577 Tigrigria-speaking Grade 3 children. The children were selected from schools in the capital, Asmara, from small towns, and villages. Eleven schools participated. The participants can be considered representative of the Grade 3 Tigrignaspeaking population in Eritrea. The PPG Level 2 was completed under supervision of the researcher. Classical and Rasch item analyses were conducted on the Verbal and Non-verbal Scales, respectively. The internal consistency of the Non-verbal scale can be considered satisfactory for a screening instrument (Cronbach's a = .85). Furthermore, the non-verbal items showed satisfactory fit to the Rasch model (INFIT values and OUTFIT values < 1.3 for all items), suggesting that they measure a unidimensional construct. In addition, the item difficulty estimates corresponded well with the serial order of the items, with easy items being presented earlier than more difficult items. The internal consistency of the Verbal scale was lower (Cronbach's a = .72), which can probably be attributed to the relative easiness of the items for the particular group of participants. The verbal items also showed satisfactory fit to the Rasch model. The Rasch analysis, which expresses person ability and item difficulty on the same scale, clearly showed that the Verbal items were too easy for the majority of the children. However, it should be kept in mind that the PPG is intended to discriminate among children with low ability. Hence, the observed mismatch between the abilities and item difficulties was not unexpected. It should also be noted that the serial order of the items did not correspond well with item difficulty, with some difficult items being presented early and some easy items presented late in the scale. The five subtests of the PPG were subjected to a confirmatory factor analysis. Two models were specified and compared. Model 1 specified a single general factor; this provided a more parsimonious description of the data and showed a satisfactory fit with the data, though a bit weaker than that of Model 2. Model 2 specified two correlated factors, namely a Verbal and a Non-verbal factor. Model 2 also fitted the data well, but a high correlation between the factors was observed (r = .77; r2 = .59), suggesting the presence of a general factor. The results provide support for two levels of interpretation, namely on the Total score level and the Verbal and Non-verbal level. The validity of the PPG Level 2 was further investigated by examining the correlations between the PPG scores and teacher ratings of academic achievement. Because different schools had different raters, the correlations within each of the schools were pooled to obtain an estimate of the correlations between the PPG scales and academic achievement for the total group. The pooled correlation for the PPG Total score with academic achievement was .56, for the Non-Verbal score .53, and for the Verbal score .41. The correlations for the Total and Non-verbal scores are similar to those typically reported in the educational psychology literature and provide support for the validity of these scales as a screen for academic difficulties. The results show that the PPG, which was developed in South Africa, may be fruitfully exported to Eritrea. It is recommended, however, that before the PPG Level 2 is routinely used for screening purposes with Tigrigna-speaking children, the functioning of the Verbal Scale should be re-examined and possibly some of the Verbal items should be rewritten.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van die onderhawige studie was om die psigometriese eienskappe van 'n siftingstoets van kognitiewe vermoë, naamlik die Paper and Pencil Games Level 2 (PPG Level 2), vir Tigrigna-sprekende kinders in Ertirea te bestudeer. Hierdie studie verteenwoordig een van die eerste pogings om kognitiewe vermoë in Eritrea te meet. Die PPG is in Suid-Afrika ontwikkel (Claassen, 1996) as 'n groeptoets van kognitiewe vermoë vir kinders in Grade 2 en 3 (PPG Level 2), en Grade 4 en 5 (PPG Level 3). Die PPG lewer tellings van kognitiewe vermoë op drie vlakke, naamlik Totaal, Verbaal en Nie-Verbaal. Die Verbale skaal bestaan uit twee subskale: (a) Verbale en Kwantitatiewe redenering en (b) Begrip. Die Nie-Verbale skaal bestaan uit drie subskale, naamlik (a) Figuur Klassifisering, (b) Figuurreekse en (c) Patroonvoltooiing. Alhoewel die PPG op die oog af soos 'n konvensionele intelligensietoets lyk, beklemtoon Claassen dat dit te beste geskik is as 'n siftingsinstrument vir akademiese probleme of mislukkings. Die deelnemers was 577 Tigrigna-sprekende kinders in Graad 3. Die kinders is uit skole van die hoofstad, Asmara, klein dorpe en geselekteer. Elf skole het aan die studie deelgeneem. Daar kan aanvaar word dat die deelnemers verteenwoordigend is van die Graad 3 Tigrigna-sprekende populasie in Eritrea. Die PPG Level 2 is onder supervisie van die navorser voltooi. Klassieke en Rasch item-ontledings is op die Verbale en Nie- Verbale skale, onderskeidelik, uitgevoer. Die interne konsekwentheid van die Nie- Verbale skaal kan as bevredigend vir 'n siftingsinstrument beskou word (Cronbach se a = .85). Hierbenewens het die Nie-Verbale items 'n bevredigende passing met die Rasch model getoon (INFIT gemiddelde kwadrate en OUTFIT gemiddelde kwadrate < 1.3 vir alle items), wat daarop dui dat die items 'n essensiëel eendimensionele konstruk meet. Die moeilikheidswaardes van die Nie- Verbale items het ook sterk ooreengestem met die volgorde waarin die items in die skaal aangebied word - die maklike items is eerste aangebied en daarna die moeilike items. Die interne konsekwentheid van die Verbale skaal was laer (Cronbach se a = .72). Die laer koëffisiënt kan waarskynlik aan die relatiewe lae moeilikheidsgraad van die Verbale items toegeskryf word. Die Verbale items het egter ook 'n bevredigende passing met die Rasch model getoon. Die Rasch ontleding, wat vermoë en item moeilikheid op dieselfde skaal uitdruk, het duidelik getoon dat die Verbale items te maklik vir die meeste kinders was. Daar dien egter op gelet te word dat die PPG ontwerp is om te diskrimineer tussen kinders met relatiewe lae vermoëns. In hierdie lig gesien is die swak passing tussen vermoë en item moeilikhede nie te onverwags nie. Die volgorde waarin die items in die skaal aangebied word het ook nie goed ooreengestem met die item moeilikheidswaardes nie - sommige moeilike items is vroeg in die skaal aangebied en sommige maklike items laat in die skaal. Die vyf subtoetse van die PPG is aan 'n bevestigende faktorontleding onderwerp. Twee modelle is gespesifiseer en vergelyk. Model 1 het 'n enkele algemene faktor gespesifisieer.