Visual Abilities in Older Adults Explain Age-Differences in Stroop and Fluid Intelligence but Not Face Recognition: Implications for the Vision-Cognition Connection

The associations among age, visual abilities and cognitive abilities were investigated using structural equation modeling. Measures of Visual Acuity, Colour Vision, Contrast Sensitivity, Stroop, Face Recognition and Fluid intelligence (Gf) were administered to a volunteer sample (n = 90) aged 60-87. Visual Acuity was associated with Gf even after controlling for chronological age. Age differences in Stroop were explained entirely by Colour Vision performance. However, neither Visual Acuity nor Colour Vision explained age-differences in Face Recognition. The results show that performance on some neuropsychological tests is influenced by visual ability and challenge the conventional identification of ageing effects on the Stroop task with deficits in frontal executive functioning. Visual abilities do not, however, contribute to age-differences in all cognitive domains suggesting that sensory and cognitive performance declines are not necessarily due to common biological ageing processes.     

Measuring the development of executive control with the shape school

Although several neurodevelopmental and psychiatric disorders can emerge during the preschool period, there are comparatively few instruments to assess executive control. Evidence for validity of the Shape School (K. A. Espy, 1997) was examined in a sample of 219 typically developing young children. There was good evidence for validity, as Shape School performance variables were interrelated and were associated to other criterion measures considered to measure aspects of executive control. Also suggesting validity, the Shape School variables varied as a function of whether the task demands (a) were executive, (b) required inhibition of a prepotent response or context-controlled selection among relevant stimulus-response sets, and (c) included unitary or concurrent processing. The Shape School may be an effective tool by which to measure executive control in young children who have atypical developmental patterns.     

TPS: A hybrid automatic-interactive system for developing proofs

The theorem proving system Tps provides support for constructing proofs using a mix of automation and user interaction, and for manipulating and inspecting proofs. Its library facilities allow the user to store and organize work. Mathematical theorems can be expressed very naturally in Tps using higher-order logic. A number of proof representations are available in Tps, so proofs can be inspected from various perspectives.     

A cognitive complexity metric applied to cognitive development

Two experiments tested predictions from a theory in which processing load depends on relational complexity (RC), the number of variables related in a single decision. Tasks from six domains (transitivity, hierarchical classification, class inclusion, cardinality, relative-clause sentence comprehension, and hypothesis testing) were administered to children aged 3-8 years. Complexity analyses indicated that the domains entailed ternary relations (three variables). Simpler binary-relation (two variables) items were included for each domain. Thus RC was manipulated with other factors tightly controlled. Results indicated that (i) ternary-relation items were more difficult than comparable binary-relation items, (ii) the RC manipulation was sensitive to age-related changes, (iii) ternary relations were processed at a median age of 5 years, (iv) cross-task correlations were positive, with all tasks loading on a single factor (RC), (v) RC factor scores accounted for 80% (88%) of age-related variance in fluid intelligence (compositionality of sets), (vi) binary- and ternary-relation items formed separate complexity classes, and (vii) the RC approach to defining cognitive complexity is applicable to different content domains.     

Toward conceptual development and empirical measurement of global risk indicators in the lives of court-involved youth

This paper reports work related to the conceptual development and empirical use of global risk indicators meant to measure rapidly and reliably potential threats to the overall development and well-being of adolescents in the juvenile justice system. The development of these indicators and initial data regarding their use with court involved samples are presented. Analysis of data gathered from a sample containing 248 families of adolescents who participated in a family-based diversion program identified a seven-factor structure that corresponded to theoretically derived dimensions of risk in domains associated with prior offenses, family/parenting, education/work, peers, substance use, personality/behavior problems, and attitudes/orientation. Analysis of data gathered from a second sample containing 373 families of adolescents who came into contact with the intake/diversion department of a county juvenile court confirmed the original seven factors of the battery and generated support for an eighth dimension composed of items that reflected leisure activities. The use of these global risk indicators are discussed as part of a practical and effective assessment battery for professionals working with court-involved youth and their families.     

Therapist training in video chat technology for use in an adaptive digital mental health intervention: Challenges,facilitators and implications for training models

Objective

This qualitative study investigated therapist training experiences, elements of skill acquisition, and barriers and facilitators associated with conducting assessments, and the delivery of low- and high-intensity therapist assistance delivered via video chat technology, adjunctive to a transdiagnostic digital mental health intervention programme for anxiety and depression.

Methodology

In total, 34 semistructured interviews were conducted with 20 therapists. Twenty interviews explored experiences of training to administer a clinical assessment tool, and 14 additional interviews explored training experiences of delivering low- and high-intensity therapist assistance via video chat technology.

Results

Reflexive thematic analysis identified three themes: video chat skill acquisition, competencies transferrable to video chat and video chat service quality. Training and supervision were identified as important to scaffold skill development, and therapists described surprise that their skill set was transferrable to video chat. The most cited barrier to the adoption of video chat was the management of risk and distress, along with environmental suitability. Frequently cited facilitators to the adoption of video chat included stable Internet connection, protocols and resources.

Conclusion

The benefits of video chat technology and digital mental health interventions can be maximised through the expansion and integration of training into existing teaching curricula. If therapists are familiarised and competent to deliver mental health services via the Internet, as well as in person, the future adoption of blended and stepped-care models is likely to be increased.     

Cultural influence on COVID-19 cognitions and growth speed: The role of collectivism

Major challenges faced by humans often require large-scale cooperation for communal benefits. We examined what motivates such cooperation in the context of social distancing and mask wearing to reduce the transmission intensity of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19). We hypothesized that collectivism, a cultural variable characterizing the extent that individuals see themselves in relation to others, contributes to people's willingness to engage in these behaviors. Consistent with preregistered predictions, across three studies (n = 2864), including a U.S. nationally representative sample, collectivist orientation was positively associated with intentions, positive beliefs, norm perceptions, and policy support for the preventive behaviors. Further, at a country level, more collectivist countries showed lower growth rates in both COVID-19 confirmed cases and deaths. Together, these studies demonstrate the role of collectivism in reducing COVID-19 transmission, and highlight the value of considering culture in public health policies and communications.     

Interviewing older adults: validity of self-reports of satisfaction

Respondents in a personal interview study were asked to evaluate several domains of their lives using several different response scales that included both verbal and pictorial response alternatives. Structural equation models were specified to permit estimation of the validity of these survey measures. Across all of the items, the concept factors explain an average of about one half of the total variance, method factors explain about one tenth of the variance, and the remaining one third or so of the variance is unique to each item. Comparisons of the validity of reports by respondents of different ages indicate that method factors explain almost twice as much of the variance in the responses of older respondents as in those of younger respondents.     

Multitrait-multimethod model of adolescent deviance,drug use,academic, and sexual behaviors

A multitrait-multimethod design was used to test Jessor and Jessor's (1977) problem behavior theory with a sample of adolescents, their parents, and peers. Behaviors included general deviance, drug use, low academic motivation, and precocious sexual behavior. While research has supported this theory, the reliance on self-report data for the majority of this work may threaten the validity of these findings. Results from hierarchical confirmatory factor analyses indicated that the convergent and discriminant validity of the seven behavior constructs was high and method effects were low. A two-factor second-order model, representing General Drug Use and Other Problem Behavior, accounted for a larger proportion of variance in the lower order factors compared to a single-factor model.This research was supported by Grant DA 03706 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse.