ADVANCES IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Year:2017 | Volume:19 | Issue:2 |Papers Count:11

Introduction: Emotions can be called a complex phenomenon which has been derived from an individual’s daily matters. Emotion has huge effect on individuals’ decision making. Decision making spectrum can have effect on self and social life of a society.Method: Some pictures with contents of happiness, sadness and neutral have been shown to a group of subjects and a 16-channel EEG signal has been recorded. The goal is to estimate effective connectivity in brain source area. Independent Component Analysis (ICA) is used to move from sensory space to brain source area. The brain sources are sorted and marked based on Shannon entropy. Relation between brain regions will be surveyed by effective connectivity. Granger causality and Direct Transform Function (DTF) is used for estimating effective connectivity.Results: Based on the result of Granger causality and brain source topographies, different models of effective connectivity have been proposed. Subjects’ individual models were compared with proposed models and each of them were labeled. Accuracy for classification of happiness, sadness and neutral moods are equal to 63.8%, 55.5% and 61.1%.Conclusion: Proposed model with spatial information based on Granger causality shows that in happy mood brain’s left hemisphere has more activity. In sad mood, the right hemisphere has more activity. In neutral mood, also brain’s left hemisphere is engaged. The occipital and frontal lobes are engaged in information exchange. DTF with respect to Granger causality has less resolution in estimating the connectivity. As a result, proposing model based on it will be harder and less accurate.

Introduction: Social anxiety is a common mental disorder. Cognitive theories of social anxiety considered attention bias as an etiological and maintaining factor in social anxiety. Cognitive bias modification (CBM) is an experimental paradigm and an innovative approach to modifying cognitive biases. Attention bias modification (ABM) protocols represent one of a number of cognitive bias modification techniques, which are beginning to show promise as therapeutic interventions for emotional pathology. This study introduces computer program of attention bias modification treatment (ABMT) and the construction process and examination of the reliability and validity of this program.Method: The reliability of faces used in computerized attentional bias modification program, was examined by 120 students. Validity of computer program of attention bias modification was examined in two groups (n=16) of adolescents with social anxiety disorder.Results: The results indicate the high reliability and validity of computer program of attention bias modification and faces used in it. Implementation of this program on adolescents with social anxiety disorder showed differential validity of this technique and its ability to reduce social anxiety and attentional bias.Conclusion: The current results clearly suggest that use of computerized attention training procedures can be a promising alternative or complementary intervention in changing attentional bias and social anxiety.

Introduction: The present research aimed to compare the cognitive performance of bilinguals (Farsi- Turkish) and monolinguals (Farsi) on working memory.Method: The selected sample in this causal- comparative study included 120 male and female students in two groups of bilinguals and monolinguals who were matched in intelligent, age, and level of education variables. The tool package employed in this investigation comprised of numerical and spatial n-back task to assess the working memory. Findings were analyzed using the ANOVA analysis statistical methods.Results: Findings demonstrated that the performance of bilingual students in tasks of working memory central executive and visual- spatial was better than monolingual students. The gender differences showed that males were significantly more accurate than females on the spatial and numerical versions of the n-back task.Conclusion: Bilingualism is perhaps one of the numerous factors which has positive effect on cognitive performance. This study showed bilingual adolescence have better performance in non- verbal tasks than monolingual adolescence. In addition, the results support a male advantage for high cognitive load spatial and central executive control of working memory.

Introduction: The present study was aimed to identify the influence of sports vision exercises on fundamental motor skills and visual perceptual skills of 8-10-year-old dyslexic children.Method: A pretest- posttest quasi-experimental study was conducted.. The sample was composed of 22 eight- to ten- year- old dyslexic children who were referred to two learning disabilities treatment centers in Isfahan, Iran. The children were selected purposefully, using convenience sampling, and randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group participated in sports vision exercises for 12 weeks (3 one-hour sessions per week) and the control group continued their daily activities during this period of learning. Before and after the training, the fundamental motor skills were assessed using Movement Assessment Battery for Children (MABC) and visual perceptual skills were measured by Gardner’s test (TVPS-R, the data were analyzed using analysis of covariance.Results: The results showed that the sports vision exercises increase fundamental motor skills and visual perceptual skills in dyslexic children.Conclusion: Based on the findings of recent research there is a suggestion for parents and authorities to include sports vision exercises in the educational programs of dyslexic children.

Introduction: Academic engagement plays an important role in predicting the academic achievement of students. Students who find meaning and purpose for their activities, enjoy learning increasingly and have more energy to succeed. The purpose of the present study was to examine the effectiveness of logo therapy training on academic engagement of middle school students in khorramabad.Method: The statistical population comprised all middle school students in khorramabad in the academic year of 2015- 2016 among whom 32 students were selected through step random sampling method. Participants were assigned to either test or control groups following the pretest- post test and follow up experimental design (16 students were assigned to test group and 16 to the control group). The test group received interventions related to logo therapy training for 12 sessions of 90 minutes in a one-week period of time. The applied tool was zerang academic engagement questionnaire (1391). The obtained data were analyzed using the multi- variable covariance analysis (MANCOVA).Results: Findings demonstrated a significant difference between the groups. Similarly, results from the single variable research showed a meaningful difference between the two test group and control group and findings were also preserved in the follow- up phase.Conclusion: Accordingly, it is recommended to teachers to embark on teaching logotherapy training during their training period.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine the psychometric properties of the Perceived Scale catastrophic cognition in a sample of adolescents between the ages of 13 and 17 in a subclinical group.Method: The study is cross-sectional, and its statistical population was selected from among the high school students in Qods city of Tehran Province. The sample size of 783 students was selected by multistage sampling. Research instrument was catastrophic cognition questionnaire that was applied to the sample along with Academic Expectations Stress (AES) and Self- Efficacy questionnaires.Results: Confirmatory factor analysis of the scale of the three- factor model supports (df/S–Bc2=4.52, RMSEA=0.067, GFI=0.97, CFI=0.97). Divergent and convergent validity through the Pearson correlation coefficient, cognition catastrophic scale with the (GSE) and (AES) questionnaires were satisfactory. The results of Cornbrash’s alpha coefficient and retest coefficients were 0.84 and 0.83 respectively.Conclusion: Therefore, based on the results of this research, cognition catastrophic scale has favorable psychometric properties and can be used for research purposes and assessment of anxiety and emotional disorders.

Introduction: Memory performance of patients with diabetes can be influenced by different physical and psychological factors. One of high prevalent psychological disorders in these patients that can influence their memory performance is depression. To investigate this effect, this research aimed to compare retrospective, everyday and prospective memory performance of depressed and non-depressed patients with type 2 diabetes versus healthy controls.Method: The present study is Causal- Comparative research. Its statistical society is patients with type 2 diabetes who visited endocrinologists during Iranian years of 1391 and 1392 in the central city of Isfahan. The research sample were 48 patients (24 depressed, 24 non- depressed patients) and 24 healthy controls selected via convenience sampling. Groups were matched in age, education, duration of disease and glucose in blood after eating. They were assessed through the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II), Everyday Memory Questionnaire (EMQ) and Prospective and Retrospective Memory Questionnaire (PRMQ).Results: The results indicated significant differences in retrospective (p<0.02) and everyday memory (p<0.008) performance between the three groups. But no meaningful error in their prospective memory.Conclusion: Psychological factors such as depression can have effects on retrospective and everyday memory performance of patients with type 2 diabetes and depression can intensify memory deficits of these patients.

Introduction: The aim of the present study is to review the effectiveness of critical thinking training on problem solving styles and self-directed learninig.Method: statistical research community includes all undergraduate students of the Bachelor of the Payame noor University of Tehran in the academic year of 94-95 who were among 40 students who were chosen thro the methods of random sample selection using multi- stage cluster store with cloud- based research plan of the type before the test- so the test with the control group in an experiment and control groups were appointed (20 students in tests and 20 students in the control group). Interventions relating to the training of critical thinking were conducted on the students group during 12, 45 minutes long sessions which took place two times each week. The tools that were used include, problem- solving style questionnaire Cassidy, long (1996), and self- directed learning questionnaire Fisher et al. (2001). the data obtained by statistical analysis method of case analysis.Results: the results of the study showed a significant the difference between the groups (MANCOVA). The test results also suggest the existence of a single variable the difference which was significant in both variables.Conclusion: the result is to combine of the student’s abilities and critical thinking, and maximizing it to promote is self- directed learninig and problem solving leads. so it can be acknowledged that with the growth and progress of critical thinking as level and capabilities effects problem solving, and the levels of self- directed learninig of students also will be upgraded.