ADVANCES IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Year:2014 | Volume:16 | Issue:1(61)|Papers Count:14

Introduction: Despite the fact that risky behaviors lead to undesirable outcomes, the recognition of related correlate factors has received less attention.The aim of the present study was to assess the role of consciousness, agreeableness, and sensation-seeking personality traits in risky behaviors.Method: The NEO-Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI), Zuckerman’s Sensation-Seeking Scale-V (SSS-V) and High-Risk Behaviors Measure were administrated to 120 (70 males) volunteer participants from Elm-o-Sanat and Art universities.Results: Sensation-seeking was positively correlated with high-risk behaviors, whereas agreeableness and conscientiousness were negatively correlated with the same. The step-wise regression analysis revealed that the personality dimensions of compatibility and dutifulness were significant predicators of highrisk behaviors. On the other hand, from the dimensions of sensation-seeking, components such as disinhibition and experience-seeking predicted the high-risk behaviors. Furthermore, the mean of boys' scores in risk taking, experience seeking, border seeking and sensitivity to high-risk behaviors was higher than that of girls.Conclusion: Given the role which personality factors play in the tendency towards high risk behaviors, our results may be appropriately applied in prediction and prevention of the behaviors and to decide upon required interventions.

Introduction: Quantification of the neonatal brain development has a significant role in understanding, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of nervous system diseases during infancy. Since brain development and the its corresponding morphological changes are very fast during the first days after birth, an age-related brain atlas representing fine anatomical features of a neonatal brain is deemed necessary.Method: We constructed two neonatal brain atlases for the age ranges of 39-40 and 41-42 weeks of gestation, using 16 T1-weighted magnetic resonance images (MRI) through an improved group-wise registration paradigm.Results: Neonatal images were normalized to the newly created and previously available neonatal atlases. The similarity between these atlases and normalized images were calculated via mutual information.The mean mutual information between normalized images and the new atlases using proposed algorithm was considered optimal.Conclusion: This result confirms the greater similarity between normalized images and the atlases created through group-wise registrations of features retrieved from MRI.

Introduction: Social cognition refers to mental function in social interactions, self and other’s role in community context, which is relatively independent from other aspects of cognition. The aim of present study was to compare theory of mind and facial emotion recognition in psychotic, neurotic and normal individuals.Method: 400 randomly selected female university students were selected and completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire-Revised (EPQR).Later, on the basis of inter criteria, three groups including psychotic, neurotic and normal (n=90) were identified. All participants were assigned to theory of mind (TOM) task, the Facial Emotion Recognition test and Short form of The Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R). Data were analyzed using the ANCOVA and MANOVA.Results: The results revealed no significant difference in theory of mind between the three groups; while neurotic and normal individuals had significant difference in fear facial emotion recognition.Conclusion: Our results together with theoretical and practical basics may explain theory of mind and facial emotion recognition differences in psychotic, neurotic and normal subjects.

Introduction: This article examined the discourse goals of people in producing eight different types of figurative language and assessed whether these goals vary in different types.Method: Enrolled subjects were 130 associate degree students (65 men and 65 women). An author-composed questionnaire was administered to subjects in which they were asked to read the writers examples first and then to state some examples for that type of figurative language. Later, they were asked to state their intention of using the special type of figurative language instead of literal counterparts.Results: According to Roberts and Kreuz, about 20 discourse goals were devised. results indicated that the most frequent goals for indirect request are: To show positive emotion, showing a clear-sighted characteristics, To be polite. The most frequent goals for Understatement: others, To guide another's actions, To protect the self. The most frequent goals for idiom: To clarify, To be conventional. The most frequent goals for simile: To clarify, To emphasize, To be eloquent. The most frequent goals for Rhetorical question: To emphasize. The most frequent goals for Hyperbole: To emphasize, To clarify. The most frequent goals for irony: To show negative emotion, To be humorous. The most frequent goals for metaphor: others, To guide another's actions, To show negative emotion, To be humorous.Conclusion: This can be concluded that there are similarities and differences in stating figurative language discourse goals which are stated in this report.

Introduction: This study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of LEARN multifaceted intervention in modifying meta-cognition and the meta-worry beliefs among female students of Payam-e-Noor university in Tehran.Method: Based on the convenient sampling method and defined inclusion-exclusion criteria, 26 participants with high levels of stress (Perceived Stress Scale Score>35.58) were enrolled and randomly assigned into two experimental and control arms. All participants filled out the meta-cognition and meta-worry questionnaires prior to and after LEARN multifaceted intervention (administered to the experimental group).Results: Data analysis by variance analysis test revealed a significant difference between the two groups with regard to meta-cognition and meta-worry scores (p<0.05).Conclusion: The LEARN multifaceted intervention which affects the cognitive, behavioral and emotional aspects of the stress cycle, appeared to modify feeding strategies of meta-cognitive beliefs thus improved metacognition and the meta-worry beliefs in students with high levels of stress.

Introduction: Considering the unpleasant effects of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) upon development of mental talents and social-emotional skills in children, various psychological interventions are suggested to treat this problem. The present study was designed to assess the possible effectiveness of meta-cognitive knowledge in reducing hyperactivity and improving the attention among children with ADHD.Method: This study enrolled the Isfahan primary school students afflicted with ADH, during the educational years 2012-2013. Using the multi-stage cluster sampling method, 30 children with ADHD were assigned to experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The meta-cognitive knowledge training intervention was administered to the experimental group. The applied instruments were Conner’s questionnaire (parents form), together with a structured psychological interview.Obtained data were analyzed using the covariance statistical analysis method.Results: Our findings strongly suggested the effectiveness of the meta-cognitive training in decreasing hyperactivity and improving the attention of ADHD children upon post-test and follow-up stages [F(1, 28)=85.65, p<0001].Conclusion: Since the metacognitive process in ADHD children does not take place by default, training the afflicted children with such knowledge may be quite an effective step to reduce the hyperactivity behavior and improve their attention when dealing with specific tasks.

Introduction: This study was conducted to determine the process of executive functions development amongst 5-12 year-old ADHD children in preschools and primary schools across the city of Isfahan.Method: The Conners' Parent Rating Scale-48 (CPRS-48) was administered to 210 (105 girls and 105 boys) pre- and primary schoolers aging 5-12 years. To determine the evolution of the executive functions, the Tower of London (ToL) test was applied. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, two-way ANOVA and Scheffe post-hoc test.Results: Our findings suggested increased scores of ADHD childrens' executive functions by age. A significant difference in the average of scores of executive functions among different age-groups was noted. There was no significant difference in the average scores for executive function between boys and girls.Conclusion: Based on our finding, the development process of executive functions in boys and girls with ADHD follows an upward trend by age.Moreover, based on ToL test results, there was no significant difference in executive functions between girls and boys with ADHD, aging 5-12 years.