ADVANCES IN COGNITIVE SCIENCE
Year:2016 | Volume:18 | Issue:2 (70) |Papers Count:10

Introduction: The main purpose of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties of the Stress Appraisal Measure-Revised (SAM-R, Rowley, Roesch, Jurica & Vaughn, 2005) among Iranian university students. Method: A total of 300 university students (138 male, 162 female) completed the SAM-R, the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire (AEQ, Pekrun, Goetz & Perry, 2005) and the Academic Self-Efficacy Beliefs Questionnaire (ASEBQ, Zajacova, Lynch & Espenshade, 2005). The exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis methods and internal consistency were used to compute the SAM-R’s factorial validity and reliability, respectively. Additionally, to examine the construct validity of the SAM-R, the correlation between different dimensions of SAM-R with positive and negative achievement emotions and academic self-efficacy beliefs were assessed.Results: The results of principal component analysis (PC) and varimax rotation replicated three-factor structure of the threat, challenge and resources in our study sample. Goodness-of-fit indices of confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the three extracted factors. The correlation analyses between different dimensions of SAM-R with positive and negative achievement emotions and the total score of academic self-efficacy provided initial evidence for the SAM-R convergent validity. Internal consistency for the threat, challenge and resources dimensions was 0.88, 0.82 and 0.79, respectively.Conclusion: Taken together, our findings provide evidence for the validity and reliability of the SAM-R as an instrument for cognitive appraisal among Iranian university students.

Introduction: Investigations have suggested that people with an obsessive-compulsive disorder have an impaired processing of threatening information and attentional bias toward such stimuli. Meanwhile, according to the important role of disgusting stimuli in the persistence of obsessive-compulsive disorder, more research is needed to evaluate the visual attention of these people with regards to the disgusting stimuli. The choice of proper disgusting pictures for the assessment of visual attentional processes in obsessive-compulsive disorder is yet to be addressed. This research aimed to develop and validate a test serving the above purpose using disgusting and matched neutral pictures. Method: To this end, 113 paired disgusting pictures which were matched with neutral ones in terms of size, resolution, complexity and background, were selected through a thorough search in the web. Assessment of the external validity of the pictures was performed by five independent psychiatrists and clinical psychologists. As such, 73 neutral and 80 disgusting pictures which met the experts’ criteria were selected. To assess the internal validity, pictures were submitted to 20 subjects with obsessive-compulsive disorder (12 cases with washing rituals and 8 without). Subjects were then asked to evaluate the pictures based on the four dimensions including, valence, arousal, disgusting and threatening load from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest).Results: The results of discriminant validity evaluation and reliability of measures, indicated that the pictures which were selected in this study as disgusting-neutral pictures are sufficiently valid and reliable.Conclusion: Pictures which were selected in this study as disgusting-neutral pictures could be suitable for the assessment of visual attention processes in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder and washing rituals.

Objective: Audience trust is considered as a main asset for the news media, hence assessment of the influence of audience trust in the news is of great importance. An ultimate goal is to design a machine capable of anticipating the state of trust in the news, based on an emotional cognitive model, known as brain emotional learning (BEL) machine, and also determining the factors contributing to audience trust in the news. Method: In this study, factors contributing to audience trust were evaluated by means of a survey conducted among 110 news experts in IRIB. Each record comprised a set of features in six categories which were in fact the six factors of audience trust in this study. Accordingly, a cognitive model was designed and implemented using the brain emotional learning machine. Furthermore, Whitney and Kolmlgorov-smirnov statistical tests were employed to analyze the difference between the dataset from experts and the test outputs of the machine. The task was simulated using the MATLAB software.Results: Findings demonstrated that the six components of “impartiality and objectivity”, “censorship”, “integrity”, “accuracy”, “source credibility” and “broadcast attractiveness” had a very strong correlation coefficient with the audience trust in the news. The results of training data showed an error of less than 0.002 and output of test data showed insignificant difference between the results of the designed cognitive model and the results of the survey, suggesting the proper performance of the machine.Conclusion: Taking the significance of audience trust assessment in the news, information technology can help design a machine to predict the audience trust in the news before broadcast.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence rate of personality disorders and its relationship with demographic factors and attachment styles among patients referring to the psychological clinics in Tehran. Method: This survey used cluster sampling to enrol 463 subjects from the patients referring to psychological clinics in Tehran. Subjects were asked to complete the demographic datasheet, Millon Multiaxial Inventory-III (MCMI-III) and Collins& Reid Attachment Style Questionnaire.Results: based on our analysis, the prevalence of dependent, histrionic, schizoid, avoidant, depressed, narcissistic, sadistic, obsessive, and negativistic personality disorders turned to be 1.1%, 35.4%, 1.7%, 0.4%, 6.9%, 4.3%, 0.4%, 15.6% and 0.9%, respectively. Our records included no case with antisocial, masochistic, and schizotypal, borderline, and paranoid personality disorder. In addition, there was a significant relationship between secure, insecure avoidant and ambivalent insecure attachment styles with personality disorders.Conclusion: The prevalence of personality disorders and attachment styles needs to be taken into account for the diagnosis and treatment of such disorders.

Introduction: Language disorders are among the cognitive deficits in schizophrenic patients. Such abnormalities are even considered as key diagnostic features for this mental illness. This study compared the lexical-semantic processing as a right-hemisphere language function between schizophrenics and healthy individuals. Method: A total of 120 subjects (60 schizophrenics and 60 healthy controls) were compared using the Lexical-Semantic Test. Both groups were matched for age, gender and educational level. The Lexical-Semantic Test comprised 11 nouns from different semantic categories and each word accompanied 6 pictures (a target word, two semantic co-ordinates, a functional associate, phonological control and visual control). Subjects were asked to listen to the target word and point to the relevant picture. The obtained data were analyzed using the SPSS package.Results: The result of t-test between schizophrenic patients and healthy individuals demonstrated a significant difference, indicating lexical-semantic processing deficits in schizophrenic patients. The comparison of subjects’ function in Lexical-Semantic Test based on sex and educational level variable revealed no statistically significant difference. Meanwhile, two-way ANOVA suggested a significant difference based on the age variable.Conclusion: The schizophrenic patients were found to have difficulty in lexical-semantic processing as compared to controls. Such a finding supports the previous studies suggesting lexical-semantic processing deficits in schizophrenic patients.

Introduction: Recently, the psycholinguistic approach has been used to understand reception and expression of prosodic skills in several languages. To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate the receptive and expressive functions of prosody based on the psycholinguistic approach in 5-10 year-old typically-developing children in a Farsi-speaking population. Method: This cross-sectional study recruited 60 typically-developing children (30 males and 30 females) in three age-groups of 5-6, 7-8 and 9-10 years old. At first, the Turn-end, Affect, Chunking and Focus tasks (both receptive and expressive) were designed by researchers with regard to the prosodic functions in Farsi based on the psycholinguistic approach. The tasks were then completed by all enrolled subjects.Results: The 5-6 and 7-8 year-old groups scored above 12 (chance level) in all receptive and expressive tasks except for the expressive focus, while the 9-10 year-old subjects scored near the ceiling scores in all tasks. In Turn-end and Focus, receptive and expressive mean scores were significantly different across age groups (p≤0.05). The analysis showed a significant correlation between the receptive and expressive performance in Turn-end and Focus (p≤0.05) Conclusion: The receptive and expressive prosodic functions seem to develop by age in typically-developing Farsi-speaking children. The performance of Farsi-speaking children in reception and expression tasks of prosodic functions in 5-6 year-old kids appears to be above chance. Meanwhile, the acquisition of the Focus output skill seems to delay until the age of 10.

Introduction: The present study examined the effectiveness of spectrum project activities to promote multiple intelligences in preschool children with Neuropsychological/ Developmental Learning Disabilities.Method: The study was conducted on experimental and control groups through pretest and posttest stages.A total of 56 children with Neuropsychological/ Developmental Learning Disabilities in Isfahan preschool centers were selected based on the multi-stage random sampling method and the cut-off point 57 in Executive Skills Scale For Preschool Children-Parent version. Subsequently, the enrolled subjects were randomly assigned to experimental and control groups. The spectrum project activities comprising seven types of activities was conducted for the experimental group during 12 weeks (two session per week). The Checklist of Gardner’s multiple intelligences and Executive Skills Scale For Preschool children- Parent Version (ESS-P) were used. Data analysis was performed using of descriptive and inferential statistical methods (Multivariate analysis of covariance).Results: Results suggested a significant effect of spectrum project activities on promoting multiple intelligences of children with Neuropsychological/Developmental Learning Disabilities (p<0.05).Conclusion: The spectrum project activities is suggested to be taught to teachers and parents of preschoolers, especially children with Neuropsychological/Developmental Learning Disabilities.

Introduction: The aim of our study was to compare the accuracy of free-throw in basketball among Hand-Eye coordinated and uncoordinated students. Method: 60 students of 3rd grade in high school were selected in Mashhad, Iran. Subjects were classified based on whether they had hand-eye coordination. The task was the accuracy of basketball free-throw from penalty era using one hand. All participants received ongoing training for 5 days, with 30 throws and after that did the task 10 times for the accuracy of their throwing.Results: The analysis revealed a significant difference between hand-eye coordinate and uncoordinated subjects (p=0.005, F=24.82).Conclusion: By understanding the individual characteristics and features, athletic training can be designed based on the individual differences leading to accelerated progress in the acquired athletic skills.