冲动-思考型儿童在拼图游戏中的问题解决及元认知差异

以小学六年级思考型和冲动型儿童各32名为被试,通过考查儿童在完成不同难度拼图任务时的表现,探讨不同认知风格儿童在问题解决中认知活动和元认知活动的差异。结果发现:(1)在线与离线元认知监控均表现出认知风格与任务难度的交互作用。在简单和中等任务中,思考型的儿童运用更多的在线元认知监控,进行计划和检查的时间更长。离线元认知监控的差异只表现在简单任务中,思考型比冲动型儿童花费更多的时间进行预测和评价;(2)在问题解决结果上,认知风格不同的儿童完成任务的时间没有显著差异;(3)在问题解决过程中,冲动型儿童解决问题的操作步数多于思考型儿童;冲动型儿童更多地使用主体参照策略,而思考型儿童更多使用线索推断策略。     

亲子沟通问题与青少年社会适应的关系

从北京市一所普通中学、济南市一所重点中学选取887名初一至高三学生为被试,采取匿名的方式让被试报告与父母之间存在的沟通问题,以及自己的社会适应情况,以此探讨亲子沟通问题与青少年社会适应的关系.结果发现:(1)总体上,青少年报告的亲子沟通问题并不是很多.在9项亲子沟通问题中,排在第一位的问题是行为约束,排在最后一位的问题是缺乏信任.除高二和高三学生外,男女生,以及初一到高一学生的情况基本与总体相似;(2)男生报告的缺乏分享明显多于女生,而在9个方面的亲子沟通问题均存在明显的年级差异,且随年级升高呈现倒U型发展趋势,在缺乏分享方面,初二学生的得分最高,而其余8个方面均为初三的学生得分最高;(3)所有亲子沟通问题均与青少年的自尊呈显著负相关,与抑郁、社交焦虑和问题行为呈显著正相关;(4)亲子沟通问题的不同方面可以预测不同方面的青少年社会适应,但对自尊和抑郁的预测作用超过对社交焦虑和问题行为的预测作用.     

On the assessment of procedural knowledge: From problem spaces to knowledge spaces

By generalizing and completing the work initiated by Stefanutti and Albert (2003, Journal of Universal Computer Science, 9, 1455), this article provides the mathematical foundations of a theoretical approach whose primary goal is to construct a bridge between problem solving, as initially conceived by Newell and Simon (1972, Human problem solving. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.), and knowledge assessment (Doignon and Falmagne, 1985, International Journal of Man-Machine Studies, 23, 175; Doignon and Falmagne, 1999, Knowledge spaces. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.; Falmagne et al., 2013, Knowledge spaces: Applications in education. New York, NY: Springer-Verlag; Falmagne and Doignon, 2011, Learning spaces: Interdisciplinary applied mathematics. Berlin, Germany: Springer-Verlag.). It is shown that the collection of all possible knowledge states for a given problem space is a learning space. An algorithm for deriving a learning space from a problem space is illustrated. As an example, the algorithm is used to derive the learning space of a neuropsychological test whose problem space is well known: the Tower of London (TOL; Shallice, 1982, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 298, 199). The derived learning space could then be used for adaptively assessing individual planning skills with the TOL.     

(Emotion-centered) problem-solving therapy: An update

Problem-solving therapy (PST) is a psychosocial intervention, typically considered to be a member of the cognitive and behaviour therapies family, and is based on a biopsychosocial, diathesis-stress model of psychopathology. The overarching goal of this approach is to promote the successful adoption of adaptive problem-solving attitudes and the effective implementation of certain behaviours as a means of coping with life stressors in order to attenuate the negative effects of such events on physical and mental well-being. Over the past several decades, in addition to accumulating strong support for its efficacy as a clinical intervention, similar to many other forms of psychotherapy, PST has undergone various evolutionary changes. Developed primarily as a more cognitive-based approach, due to the large body of literature in the field of affective neuroscience that underscores the importance of the impact of affect on problem solving, PST has evolved into emotion-centered problem-solving therapy (EC-PST). This article provides for a brief excursion into the historical roots of PST and why it has evolved into EC-PST, as well as providing support for its characterisation as a transdiagnostic approach. In addition, several meta-analyses that underscore its efficacy are described, as well as the most recent clinical guidelines that comprise EC-PST.     

A Self‐Report Measure of Productive Thinking in Solving Insight Problems

There is broad agreement among executives on the importance of innovation and creativity in organizations. The paper aimed to provide information on the effectiveness of a new cognitive style inventory, the Productive‐Reproductive Thinking Inventory (P‐R), in identifying people with creative problem‐solving potential. Participants completed the P‐R Inventory, Kirton's Adaption‐Innovation Inventory (KAI), the Assimilator‐Explorer Inventory, self‐rating of insight problem‐solving, and a battery of insight problem‐solving tasks under controlled conditions. The P‐R scale was a significant predictor of problem‐solving performance and insight self‐ratings and correlated significantly with KAI and AE scores. In addition, the results supported distinguishing two types of reproductive thinking which are differentially associated with insight performance. The distinction was supported by confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation models. Using controlled conditions may limit the generality of the findings and further research should be carried out in applied settings. The P‐R inventory is short and easily administered and may provide HR professionals with a useful screening tool for assessing creative problem‐solving potential. The measure differs from the KAI in several ways that may offer advantages for creativity researchers in that it is non‐proprietary, based on well‐established psychological constructs, and is more particularly applicable to insight problem‐solving.     

Rhythmic priming across effector systems: A randomized controlled trial with Parkinson’s disease patients

This study investigated the immediate effects of auditory-motor entrainment across effector systems by examining whether Rhythmic Auditory Stimulation training of arm or finger movements would modulate gait speed. Forty-one participants with idiopathic Parkinson’s Disease were randomly assigned to 3 groups. Participants in the finger-tapping group tapped in synchrony with a metronome set to 20% faster pace than the pre-training walking cadence, whereas participants in the other group were asked to swing both arms in an alternating motion in synchrony with the metronome. Participants in the control condition did not receive training. To assess gait parameters pre- and post-training, participants walked on a 14-meter flat walkway at his/her preferred walking cadence with no auditory cueing. Results indicated that there was a significant increase in gait velocity after the finger tapping training (p < .005), whereas no differences were observed in the arm swing (p = .802) and in the control conditions (p = .525). Similarly, there were significant changes in gait cadence post-training in the finger tapping group (p < .005), but not after arm swing training (p = .879) or control (p = .759). There were no significant changes in stride length post-training in none of the groups. These findings suggest that auditory-motor entrainment in one effector system may prime a second effector system. Interestingly, however, the priming effect on gait was only observed in the finger tapping condition and not with synchronized arm swing movements. These findings have significant implications for motor rehabilitation and open new avenues for further investigation of the mechanisms underlying cross-effector coupling.     

Digitalized spiral drawing in Parkinson’s disease: A tool for evaluating beyond the written trace

One of the current scientific challenges is to propose novel tools and tasks designed to identify new motor biomarkers in Parkinson’s disease (PD). Among these, a focus has placed on drawing tasks. Independently from clinical ratings, this study aimed to evaluate the pen movement and holding in digitalized spiral drawing in individuals with PD without and with medical treatment and in healthy controls. A three-step data-driven analysis was conducted. First, the effects of spatial and temporal constraints on several variables were determined. Second, the relationship between handedness and dominance of PD symptoms was investigated for the most relevant variables. Finally, a third analysis was conducted to assess the occurrence of changes associated with PD. The first analysis revealed that the number of velocity peaks and pen altitude variations were the most relevant variables in spiral drawing for evaluating the effect of the disease and medication. The second analysis revealed that the effect of medication was present for the movement fluency only, when spirals with spatial constraints were produced at a spontaneous speed by the hand on the side of dominant PD signs. Finally, the third analysis showed that the effect of medication was greater at the beginning of drawing than at the end. Digitalized spiral drawing makes it possible to observe precisely when the kinematic changes related to the disease occur during the task. Such a simple and quick task might be of great relevance to contribute to the diagnosis and follow-up of PD.     

Postural control,falls and Parkinson’s disease: Are fallers more asymmetric than non-fallers?

Postural control asymmetry is an important aspect of Parkinson’s disease (PD) that may be associated with falls. The aim of this study was to compare the postural control asymmetry during postural tasks between fallers and non-fallers in people with PD and neurological healthy age-matched controls (CG). Individuals with idiopathic PD (n = 24) and CG (n = 24) were sub-divided into groups of fallers and non-fallers based on their fall history over the past year. Participants performed blocks of three 30-s trials of quiet standing with feet in a side-by-side and semi-tandem stance position. The center of pressure parameters for each limb were measured and used to calculate the symmetry index. Fallers compared to non-fallers had decreased asymmetry of vertical force in the side-by-side condition. During the tandem-front leg condition, PD non-fallers increased asymmetry of the medial-lateral velocity of sway compared to CG non-fallers. In addition, for the tandem–back leg condition, PD non-fallers increased asymmetry of total displacement and medial-lateral root mean square and mean velocity of sway compared to PD fallers. The results of the study did not support the hypothesis that PD fallers are more asymmetric than PD non-fallers. On the contrary, our results indicated that PD non-fallers had higher postural control asymmetry, especially during the more challenging (semi-tandem standing) postural task.     

Positive and negative affect and well-being in cardiac patients and their spouses: the mediating role of illness representations

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine whether illness representations of control and consequences mediate the relation of cardiac patients’ affect to well-being. A further aim was to examine this indirect relationship at a dyadic level (i.e. patient and spouse). Design and main outcome measures: One hundred and four patients with a cardiovascular disease and their spouses participated in the study. Positive and negative affect was assessed at baseline; illness representations were assessed 2 months later, and physical and psychological well-being 4 months later. Results: Illness representations generally mediated the impact of patients’ and spouses’ affect on well-being, while several actor and partner effects were found. However, it was only positive affect that was indirectly related to well-being, while the representations of personal and treatment control chiefly acted as mediators. The effects were stronger for patients than spouses, as well as for physical well-being. Conclusion: The results underline the strong connection between illness-related self-regulation and the overall person/environment interaction as depicted by affect. They also indicate the need to integrate theories on adaptation to illness, with models describing adaptation of couples to stressful conditions, and specific theories about the role of emotion in adaptation to illness.