Advances in Cognitive Sciences
Year:2021 | Volume:23 | Issue:2|Papers Count:13

Introduction: One of the possible psychological variables in cosmetic surgery applicants is negative body self-concept (including thoughts, feelings, tendencies, and memories of the person concerning the body). Therefore, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on the components of anxiety tolerance, physical self-concept, and well-being in women seeking cosmetic surgery. Methods: The research method was quasi-experimental with a pre-test-post-test design and control group. The population of the study consists of all women applying for cosmetic surgery who were referred to Shokoofeh Beauty clinic in the first six months of 2020. Among them, 40 people (20 people for each group) were selected by purposive sampling method and then were randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The experimental group received mindfulness-based cognitive therapy in eight ninety-minute sessions, and the participants in the control group did not receive training. Distress tolerance scale, body image concern inventory and mindful attention awareness scale were used to collect data. Data were analyzed using analysis of covariance in SPSS-24 statistical software. Results: The results showed that there is a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the distress tolerance, physical self-concept, and mindfulness. Accordingly, the mean scores of distress tolerance and consciousness of the experimental group compared to the control group increased significantly, and the mean scores of physical self-concept of the experimental group compared to the control group decreased significantly. Conclusion: Due to the effect of this training in increasing the tolerance of distress and consciousness and reducing the negative physical self-concept of cosmetic surgery applicants, the results of research in this field can be used in practice in counseling centers and medical centers, so that in these centers workshops and training courses of mindfulness-based interventions should be considered for counselors and patients.

Introduction: Studies of visual attention in people with autism spectrum disorder often lead to contradictory results. These contradictory results are due to the use of assumptions, consideration of limited properties, and limitation of the type of stimuli. In this study, an attempt has been made to investigate the visual attention patterns of people with autism through a comprehensive study using eye-tracking data analysis, as well as image processing tools and models. Methods: In this study, the eye-tracking data of 28 subjects with a mean age of eight years (range 5-12 years) were initially processed. Three hundred images of this study were then analyzed, visually segmented, labeled, and categorized based on low-level features (color, intensity, and directions), higher-level features (such as object size), and communication and social features by using models such as Itti Koch Model and image processing tools such as LabelMe. Visual attention patterns among people with autism were assessed using statistical tests. Results: The obtained results revealed that people with autism pay less attention to parts of the images that include semantic and communicative features. On the contrary, they spend more time on the parts that contain tools and equipment. Besides, they are slower to pay attention to parts of the image that contain social features and instead spend more time paying attention to the background parts of the image that include repetitive patterns. In addition, they spend more time in each fixation in parts that lack semantic or social features. Conclusion: The present study concluded that the main signs and symptoms of autism spectrum disorder could be observed in the visual attention patterns of people with autism, and these patterns may also be used to design an autism screening tool based on eye-tracking technology.

Introduction: It was shown that directing early attention toward the target location enhances sensory-perceptual processing of the target. However, it is not clear whether visual-spatial attention is controlled by the limited capacity of central attention. This study aimed to investigate behavioral and electrophysiological changes, directing early attention on central attention limitations of dual tasks with various difficulty levels. Methods: Twenty-four participants were selected voluntarily, and they were randomly assigned into two groups with simple and selective. A dual-task paradigm with and without cue was incorporated in which the second task was either detection or discrimination, and the cue was presented before the first stimulus. The stimulus onset asynchrony between the first and second stimulus was 200, 400, and 800ms. The response time to the first and second stimulus and event-related potential was recorded and analyzed. Results: The simple pattern had a faster response time than the combined pattern. Also, the response time of the target in the valid position was faster than the invalid position. The lowest response time was for the simple group and the highest for the selected group. The main effect of pattern, group, and time interval on primary sensory components P1 and N1 was significant. Conclusion: Facilitating the early sensory-perceptual by directing attention toward the cued location would reduce the dual-task interference.

Introduction: Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD) has recently been included in the mood disorder section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), and has two main symptoms of anger and irritability. The present study aimed to examine and compare social information processing in children with DMDD and normal children based on Crick and Dodge’ s (1994) social cognition model. Methods: In this causal-comparative study, 58 children with DMDD and 167 normal children were selected among boys aged 9-12 years studying in Bushehr (Iran) elementary schools in the 2018-2019 academic year. Random cluster sampling was performed, and the participants were selected based on the Anger and Irritability Questionnaire (AIQ) and clinical interviews. Then, the participants were compared based on the Children's Evaluation of Everyday Social Encounters Questionnaire. The data were analyzed using MANOVA in SPSS-19. Results: The results obtained from the multivariate analysis of variance revealed a significant difference between the group in the stages of interpretation of social cues (F=5. 5, P=0. 001), clarification or selection of a goal (F=6. 65, P=0. 001), emotional processing (4. 01, P=0. 004), response access or construction (P=7. 02, P=0. 001). Conclusion: Compared to normal children, children with DMDD have more bias and more unsatisfactory performance when processing information in an ambiguous social situation; therefore, they show more hostile behaviors. It is recommended that future studies investigate the effectiveness of interventional protocols based on Dodge’ s model to mitigate and treat the symptoms of DMDD.

Introduction: Resilience as a motivational-emotional variable has a vitalrole in dealing with stress and anxiety problems in school and university. As one of the educational packages affecting academic variables, the metacognitive package consists of three components: critical thinking, problem-solving, and metacognition. the current study aimed to develop an educational package on the cognitive components of critical thinking, problem-solving, and metacognition and their effect on students' resilience. Methods: The present study was quasi-experimental with a pretest-posttest design with a control group. The statistical population included all first-grade female students of the second secondary school in Zanjan in the academic year 2019-2020, of which 40 students were randomly selected by multi-stage cluster sampling method who were assigned intothe experimental and control group (20 people in each group). The research instrument included a 25-item resilience scale (CD-RIS). The psychological package of critical thinking, problem-solving, and metacognition was considered for the experimental group students in 17 sessions of 90 minutes in two sessions per week, but it was not considered for the educational control group. Data were analyzed using the analysis of covariance in SPSS-24 software. Results: The results revealed that the educational package of cognitive components of critical thinking, problem-solving and metacognition affects students' academic resilience (P<0. 05). In other words, the rate of academic resilience in people who participated in cognitive components training sessions increased significantly compared to the control group. Conclusion: According to the results of this study, it is possible to suggest an educational package of cognitive components as a facilitator in learning and an influential factor in increasing student resilience so that in practice in counseling centers and workshop treatment centers. Courses cognitive components should be considered for school counselors and parents.

Introduction: Intestinal parasites diseases, in addition to causing specific physical problems, also cause cognitive impairments in children similar to children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This study aimed to investigate the role of brain waves in the differentiation of children with a parasitic intestinal infection and children with ADHD. Methods: The study was a descriptive cross-sectional study. The statistical population consisted of all children referred to a Rehabilitation Center in winter and spring 2019. Convenient sampling was performed on 120 children in groups of 40 healthy children with ADHD and intestinal parasites. Research tools included a diagnostic interview, Conners Rating Scale, brainwave recording by the two-channel ProCamp biographer in the FCZ area, and parasitic test. Data were analyzed by SPSS software version 23 using logistic regression and diagnostic analysis. Results: Findings revealed that theta wave logistic coefficients were obtained in children with intestinal parasites disease and active memory and attention retention in children with ADHD. Also, healthy children and children with ADHD of 85% had the highest accuracy in predicting, and children with a parasitic intestinal infection with 52. 5% had the second-highest accuracy in predicting and, based on the proposed model, were correctly classified. Conclusion: As hyperactivity has a pattern of theta surge, diseases associated with intestinal parasites can also have such symptoms. When electroencephalographic waves of a child with a parasitic intestinal disease are similar to that of a child with ADHD, the behavioral symptoms that these two disorders exhibit can overlap and, if left unchecked, can lead to errors in evaluation and diagnosis. Therefore, testing for intestinal parasites disease before starting treatment for a child diagnosed with ADHD can be helpful and vital.

Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is a mental disorder occurring in women twice as much as men. In both sexes, the average age of people with MDD is roughly 25 years. Family, twin, and epidemiological studies all point to the multifactorial and polygenetic characteristics of the psychiatric traits of major depressive disorder. The present study aimed to screen genes related to the pathogenesis of major depressive disorder by bioinformatics. Methods: Two hundred twenty-three different genes (DEGs) were expressed by comparing female patient samples with controls by TAC screening software using GSE98793 microarray data from the GEO database. Hub genes were screened via STRING and Cytoscape, followed by KEGG enrichment analysis. Results: According to the obtained results, comparing female patients with control of 103 genes showed increased expression and 120 genes identified as decreased expression. The results of KEGG and panther pathway enrichment analysis comparing female patient samples with control showed that DEGs are mainly in the HIF-1 signaling pathway, FOXO signaling pathway, Th-17 cell differentiation pathway, pathway PI3K-Akt signaling, programmed cell death pathway (Ferptosis), and purine synthesis pathway were important. The results of this study revealed that IGF1R and ATM genes with increased expression and GMPS genes with decreased expression for women with this disease could also be beneficial for therapeutic purposes. Conclusion: The key genes obtained by microarray analysis provide essential clues for revealing the molecular mechanism and could be suitable and new candidates for future studies on major depression as well as optimization of treatment methods.

Introduction: In real-life decision-making, in many cases, evidence becomes available separately over time. Individuals are able to integrate evidence well and make a decision after receiving double brief information pieces. However, it is not clear how confidence is formed in such circumstances. The present study aims to investigate the confidence of participants after receiving an extra piece of information. Methods: In order to create a perceptual decision-making situation, an experiment was designed with random-dot-motion stimuli. In each trial, one or two information pieces were displayed to the participants, and participants had to declare their decision and confidence simultaneously. In order to understand the effect of the time interval between information pieces, the second piece was displayed to participants immediately or at most one second after the offset of the first piece. In addition to analyzing behavioral data, computational models were used to explain the integration of evidence and confidence formation. Results: Accordingly, although the participants' accuracy in the experiments containing double-piece trials improved more than expected, the confidence in these trials was not much different from the single-piece trials and was less than the prediction. Also, the metacognitive sensitivity of individuals, which indicates the coordination of accuracy and confidence, improved more than expected in double-piece trials. Conclusion: These results revealed that providing brief and gradual information leads to more confident and sustainable decisions despite the time gap between presenting evidence. These results are applicable to marketing and behavioral economics.

Emotions and feelings include a diversity of mental states with distinct qualitative features known as “ qualia” . These mental states' qualitative features consist of how these mental states are perceived or how things appear to us. For this reason, these features are often called phenomenal aspects or phenomenal consciousness. This is how mental states appear to us. This subjective phenomenal feature is commonly defined as follows: there is a thing such that it is the specific quality of the existence of a particular mental state. Some philosophers have gone too far to deny the existence of qualia. George Rey is among these philosophers. He argues that it is possible to design a machine that possesses all mental processes and capacities. Even though such a machine has all the mental capacities that human beings can have, Rey argues, it is dubious that it has qualia. If it is suspicious that this machine has qualia, then no mental capacities and processes are reasonable candidates for qualia. Rey concludes that it is equally reasonable to doubt if human beings possess qualia. The present studyshall first formulate Rey’ s argument and then shows that it is inefficient. This research will explore the question if it is possible to design a machine that, analogous to human beings, possesses mental capacities.

Introduction: Teachers' beliefs are the essential factor in their practice. However, the source of many teachers' beliefs is their personal experiences from their experiences as students and teachers. The purpose of this study was to investigate the conceptions of Iranian teachers about the concepts of learning and teaching and examine its compatibility with contemporary scientific perspectives, especially cognitive science of learning. Methods: In this research, the phenomenological method was used, which examines various ways of understanding a concept or phenomenon from the perspective of a specific group of people. Participants in the study were 15 elementary school teachers whose beliefs about learning and teaching were examined through in-depth semi-structured interviews. Results: The results revealed that during the recent educational reforms, Iranian teachers have become more aware of the role of teachers in providing various experiences for students. At the same time, the differences and contradictions between student-centered and teacher-centered concepts are still unclear to teachers. They have interchangeably referred to these two approaches. Teachers are also unaware of the importance of the role of previous knowledge as an organizing framework for new experiences and information, pay little attention to the role of social factors in learning, consider the place of knowledge in mind, and despite the great emphasis on emotional factors they lacked scientific theories about it. In addition, teachers have a limited understanding of memory and attention despite the growing interest in incorporating cognitive psychology and cognitive neuroscience concepts in teacher education. Conclusion: According to previous findings, the belief system of Iranian teachers is also inconsistent and contains contradictory beliefs. A careful examination of the contradictions and the reasons for their formation will illuminate future interventions to improve the classroom.

Introduction: Working with collage is a kind of art style that deals with pasting and putting objects next to each other. It is not only therapy and preventive method for the appearance of some disorders, but it is a way of reinforcing the mind’ s abilities, including cognitive-visual function. Therefore, the purpose of the research was to investigate the effectiveness of working with collage on children’ s cognitive-visual function and its scales, such as visual perception, visual memory, and fundamental visual ability. Methods: The research method was experimental, with the pre-test/post-test along with a control group and the follow-up. The statistical population included all boys and girls in preschool in Kerman, from whom 40 children were recruited using the multi-cluster sampling method and the simple random method within each cluster. The children were placed in two experimental and control groups, with 20 members in each group (ten boys and ten girls). Accordingly, only the experimental group was instructed to work with the collage designed by the researcher for eight sessions. The design was derived from Towhidi et al. instructional package. The Benton’ s visual retention test (year) was conducted on both experimental and control groups as the pre-test and the post-test. Data were analyzed using the multiple Covariance (MANCOVA). Results: The results showed that the effect of collage instruction was significant on visual perception (η 2= 0. 40, P= 0. 0001), visual memory (η 2= 0. 54, P= 0. 0001), and fundamental visual ability (η 2= 39, P= 0. 0001). Conclusion: With regards to conducting the follow-up phase and durability of the intervention effectiveness, it is concluded that working with collage is a suitable method of improving children’ s cognitive neuropsychological functions. Therefore, collage can be used as a way of enhancing cognitive-visual function.

Introduction: A key finding in Embodied Construction Grammar (ECG), including perceptual and motor systems, influences higher cognitive abilities like memory, language comprehension, and mental simulation. Specifically, concerning this idea, several studies have shown that action execution and observation influence subsequent language processing, in that action verbs processing elicit activation of effector-specific regions in the primary motor and premotor cortex. However, the relationship between motor skills impairment and action-related language processing is still a controversial issue. Methods: This study was a descriptive-analytical one. Thirty-four children from grades 2 through 6 (aged between 8 to 13 years old) participated in this study. A group of 17 children with developmental dyslexia and a group of 17 typically developing children was selected. In both groups, the children were matched pairwise on chronological age and gender. People with dyslexia were selected according to three subtests: 1) clinical interview, 2) Persian version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV), and 3) Bender Visual-Motor Gestalt Test. Results: The statistical analyses were performed by SPSS-23 software. The results showed that there was a significant difference between two groups in all verb types; matching verbs (P<0. 001), same-effector mismatches (P<0. 001), and different-effector mismatches (P<0. 001). Conclusion: The findings revealed that embodied experiences play an essential role in language comprehension, and motor skill impairment can affect motor imagery ability during action verbs processing. Therefore, the results lend support to the connection between language comprehension and other cognitive abilities.