A prospective study of some effects of aircraft noise on cognitive performance in schoolchildren

Before the opening of the new Munich International Airport and the termination of the old airport, children near both sites were recruited into aircraft–noise groups (aircraft noise at present or pending) and control groups with no aircraft noise (closely matched for socioeconomic status). A total of 326 children (mean age 5 10.4 years) took part in three data–collection waves, one before and two after the switch–over of the airports. After the switch, long–term memory and reading were impaired in the noise group at the new airport. and improved in the formerly noise–exposed group at the old airport. Short–term memory also improved in the latter group after the old airport was closed. At the new airport, speech perception was impaired in the newly noise–exposed group. Mediational analyses suggest that poorer reading was not mediated by speech perception, and that impaired recall was in part mediated by reading.     

Collective reflection in practice: an ethnographic study of Swedish police training

Although reflection has been viewed as an individual process, increased attention has been given to how reflective processes are socially anchored. The present article contributes to this knowledge through an examination of how collective reflection is enacted in the context of police education. The article is based on a one-year ethnographic study of police recruits undergoing training, and the main sources of data collection were participant observations and field interviews. The data were inductively analysed, and a model that differentiates amongst ‘specular’, ‘dialogic’ and ‘polyphonic’ reflection processes is presented. The findings suggest that collective reflection involving multiple individuals adds complexity to reflective processes and that these processes may take on more diverse forms than has been acknowledged, as previous research has mainly focused on dialogic collective reflection. The implications of these findings, such as how increased complexity may counteract the benefits of collective reflection, are also discussed.     

Measuring Effortful Control Using the Children's Behavior Questionnaire–Very Short Form: Modeling Matters

Effortful control (EC) is an important concept in the research on self-regulation in children. We tested 2 alternative factor models of EC as measured by the Children's Behavior Questionnaire–Very Short Form (CBQ–VSF; Putnam &; Rothbart, 2006 Putnam, S. P., &; Rothbart, M. K. (2006). Development of short and very short forms of the Children's Behavior Questionnaire. Journal of Personality Assessment, 87, 103–113. doi:10.1207/s15327752jpa8701_9[Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) in a large sample of preschoolers (N = 1,007): 1 lower order and 1 hierarchical second-order structure. Additionally, convergent and predictive validity of EC as measured by the CBQ–VSF were investigated. The results supported a hierarchical model. Moderate convergent validity of the second-order latent EC factor was found in that it correlated with compliance and observed EC tasks. Both CBQ–VSF EC measures were also negatively correlated with child physical aggression. The results have implications for the measurement, modeling, and interpretation of EC applying the CBQ.     

Shame: mechanisms of activation and consequences for social perception, self-image, and general negative emotion

In two experiments we explored Tomkins's (1963) concept of shame, comparing conscious versus unconscious shame activation. In line with Tomkins' theory, an impeded positive feedback sequence, consciously or unconsciously perceived, elicited more shame than continuously negative feedback. This was, however, true only for participants with an initially low degree of internalized shame. Participants with a high degree of internalized shame unexpectedly displayed shame following the positive feedback intended to elicit positive emotion. Whether this has implications for Tomkins's theory or rather for methodological issues is discussed. Exploring consequences of shame for social perception and self-image, we found reversed results depending on level of consciousness. Effects were consistently greater for women, although at marginal significance levels. Results partly support Tomkins's notion of shame, but imply that his theory might need modification in terms of the role played by consciousness and, possibly, by individual differences such as sex and shame proneness.     

A socioecological perspective on primate cognition,past and present

The papers in this special issue examine the relationship between social and ecological cognition in primates. We refer to the intersection of these two domains as socioecological cognition. Examples of socioecological cognition include socially learned predator alarm calls and socially sensitive foraging decisions. In this review we consider how primate cognition may have been shaped by the interaction of social and ecological influences in their evolutionary history. The ability to remember distant, out-of-sight locations is an ancient one, shared by many mammals and widespread among primates. It seems some monkeys and apes have evolved the ability to form more complex representations of resources, integrating “what-where-how much” information. This ability allowed anthropoids to live in larger, more cohesive groups by minimizing competition for limited resources between group members. As group size increased, however, competition for resources also increased, selecting for enhanced social skills. Enhanced social skills in turn made a more sophisticated relationship to the environment possible. The interaction of social and ecological influences created a spiraling effect in the evolution of primate intelligence. In contrast, lemurs may not have evolved the ability to form complex representations which would allow them to consider the size and location of resources. This lack in lemur ecological cognition may restrict the size of frugivorous lemur social groups, thereby limiting the complexity of lemur social life. In this special issue, we have brought together two review papers, five field studies, and one laboratory study to investigate the interaction of social and ecological factors in relation to foraging. Our goal is to stimulate research that considers social and ecological factors acting together on cognitive evolution, rather than in isolation. Cross fertilization of experimental and observational studies from captivity and the field is important for increasing our understanding of this relationship. This contribution is part of the Special Issue “A Socioecological Perspective on Primate Cognition”.     

Classroom experiments on the effects of different noise sources and sound levels on long‐term recall and recognition in children

A total of 1358 children aged 12–14 years participated in ten noise experiments in their ordinary classrooms and were tested for recall and recognition of a text exactly one week later. Single and combined noise sources were presented for 15 min at 66 dBA L_eq (equivalent noise level). Single source presentations of aircraft and road traffic noise were also presented at 55 dBA L_eq. Data were analysed between subjects since the first within‐subjects analysis revealed a noise after‐effect or a asymmetric transfer effect. Overall, there was a strong noise effect on recall, and a smaller, but significant effect on recognition. In the single‐source studies, aircraft and road traffic noise impaired recall at both noise levels. Train noise and verbal noise did not affect recognition or recall. Some of the pairwise combinations of aircraft noise with train or road traffic, with one or the other as the dominant source, interfered with recall and recognition. Item difficulty, item position and ability did not interact with the noise effect. Arousal, distraction, perceived effort, and perceived difficulty in reading and learning did not mediate the effects on recall and recognition. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Structural equation models of memory performance across noise conditions and age groups

Competing models of declarative memory were tested with structural equation models to analyze whether a second-order latent variable structure for episodic and semantic memory was invariant across age groups and across noise exposure conditions. Data were taken from three previous experimental noise studies that were performed with the same design, procedure, and dependent measures, and with participants from four age groups (13-14, 18-20, 35-45, and 55-65 years). Two noise conditions, road traffic noise and meaningful irrelevant speech, were compared to a quiet control group. The structural models put to the test were taken from Nyberg et al. (2003), which employed several memory tests that were the same as ours and studied age-groups that partly overlapped with our groups. In addition we also varied noise exposure conditions. Our analyses replicated and supported the second-order semantic-episodic memory models in Nyberg et al. (2003). The latent variable structures were invariant across age groups, with the exception of our youngest group, which by itself showed a less clear latent structure. The obtained structures were also invariant across noise exposure conditions. We also noted that our text memory items, which did not have a counterpart in the study by Nyberg et al. (2003), tend to form a separate latent variable loading on episodic memory.     

CHRONIC NOISE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL STRESS

Abstract— This article illustrates the value of incorporating psychological principles into the environmental sciences Psycho physiological, cognitive, motivational, and affective indices of chronically exposed to aircraft noise We demonstrate for the first time that chronic noise exposure is associated with elevated neuroendocnne and cardiovascular measures, muted cardiovascular reactivity to a task presented under acute noise, deficits in a standardized reading test administered under quiet conditions, poorer long-term memory, and diminished quality of life on a standardized index Children in high-noise areas also showed evidence of poor persistence on challenging tasks and ambulation to auditory distraction on a signal-to-noise task They reported considerable annoyance with community noise levels, as measured utilizing a calibration procedure that adjusts for individual differences in rating criteria for annoyance judgments     

Designs of Learning and the Formation and Transformation of Knowledge in an Era of Globalization

In this article, the formation and transformation of knowledge and the role of designs for learning will be elaborated and discussed in relation to the introduction of national curricula and school textbooks during the beginning of the industrialized era vs. the introduction of individual curricula and new digital learning resources in the post-industrialized era of globalization and multiculturalism. Quite different teaching and learning strategies have been emphasized, which I will call here “designed information and teaching” vs. “designs for learning”. It seems obvious that our current society is in a stage of change that requires a new understanding of knowledge, learning and identity formation. The new position and role of the learner underlines the productive and constructive aspect of learning. Pupils not only read texts, they also produce texts, pictures, film and music and they compile and edit virtual texts. Multimodal texts, as well as the information flow of the Internet, are the consequences of, and at the same time a vehicle for, new social patterns. “Learning Design Sequences” (LDS) is introduced as a theoretical map for the purpose of analyzing critical incidents in (a creative) learning process, using different genres, modes and media in a process of meaning-making.

Bystanders' Reactions to Witnessing Repetitive Abuse Experiences

The Impact of Event Scale—Revised (D. S. Weiss &C. R. Marmar, 1997) was used to obtain self‐reported trauma levels from 587 young adults recalling childhood or adolescence experiences as witnesses to common forms of repetitive abuse defined as bullying. Mean participant scores were in a range suggesting potential need for clinical assessment at the time these events occurred. Multiple regression analysis identified significant predictors of distress levels, with intensity of abuse being the strongest. Additional results and implications of findings are discussed.