Processing speed, intelligence, creativity, and school performance: Testing of causal hypotheses using structural equation models

According to mental speed theory of intelligence, the speed of information processing constitutes an important basis for cognitive abilities. However, the question, how mental speed relates to real world criteria, like school, academic, or job performance, is still unanswered. The aim of the study is to test an indirect speed-factor model in comparison to rivaling models explaining the relationships between different mental abilities and performance. In this speed-factor model, basic cognitive processing is assumed to influence higher mental abilities (IQ and creativity). Intelligence and creativity themselves should be valid predictors of school performance. We computed bivariate correlations and structural equation models to test this hypothesis, using indicators of processing speed [Zahlen-Verbindungs-Test (ZVT) and Coding Test], psychometric intelligence [Kognitiver Fähigkeits-Test (KFT) and Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices (APM)], creativity [Verbaler Kreativitäts-Test (VKT) and Verwendungs-Test (VWT)] and school performance (grades). In a sample of 271 students from German gymnasiums (Class Levels 9 to 11) the speed-factor model can reproduce at best the empirical relationships between processing speed, intelligence, creativity, and school performance: It assumes that processing speed influences higher mental abilities (intelligence and creativity), which, in the sequel, influence school performance. Therefore, processing speed seems to have no direct effect on school performance; the effect is indirect as it operates via mediation through higher cognitive abilities.     

Dream rebound of suppressed emotional thoughts: the influence of cognitive load

Initial evidence suggests that suppressing a thought prior to sleep results in subsequent dreaming of that thought. The present research examined the influence of cognitive load on dreaming following suppression. In Experiment 1, 100 participants received either a suppression instruction or no instruction for an intrusive thought prior to sleep, and subsequently completed a dream diary. Participants instructed to suppress reported dreaming about the target thought more than controls; dream rebound was predicted by poorer performance on a working memory task. In Experiment 2, 126 participants received either a suppression instruction or no instruction for an intrusive thought prior to sleep, and half of participants also had cognitive load of learning a 9-digit number. Participants receiving the suppression instruction under cognitive load reported greater dream rebound than other participants. These findings indicate that thought suppression prior to sleep leads to dream rebound, and this effect is enhanced by cognitive load.     

Contribution of temporal preparation and processing speed to simple reaction time in persons with Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment

Temporal preparation was assessed in 15 Alzheimer’s disease (AD) patients, 20 persons with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 28 healthy older adults. Participants completed a simple reaction time task in which the preparatory interval duration varied randomly within two blocks (short versus long temporal window). Results indicated that AD and MCI patients had difficulty preparing for the shortest preparatory interval of the short temporal window. AD and MCI patients also had difficulty maintaining an optimal level of preparation up to 5 s within the short temporal window. These results suggest that AD and MCI patients might show difficulty preparing for rapidly occurring events and maintaining preparation over time. This phenomenon should be considered when using reaction time measures with such patients.     

超文本阅读绩效研究述评——认知的视角

网络不同于传统媒介的最大特点是以灵活的超文本形式呈现信息,超文本将关联的信息以网络状形式加以组织,读者可以通过链接从一个节点跳转到其他任何一个节点。本文回顾了超文本阅读的研究历程,指出目前这一领域研究存在的困境并试图寻找原因,在此基础上提出了今后研究的建议。     

来源记忆提取的情境线索效应

探索当存在多维来源信息时,对一个维度的来源信息的再现是否会促进对另一个维度的来源记忆的提取,即出现情境线索效应。以汉字词语作为项目刺激,以背景颜色作为情境线索,通过两个实验分别考察对呈现位置和背景形状的提取是否会出现情境线索效应。结果发现：只在对背景形状的提取中出现了情境线索效应,并且线索负载越高,效应越小。该结果表明对来源记忆提取时,来源信息间的高可结合性是引发情境线索效应的重要因素。     

注意捕获效应受知觉负载及目标与干扰项距离的共同影响

研究考察了无关干扰项引发的注意捕获效应如何受到任务知觉负载以及目标与干扰项距离的共同影响。被试在视觉搜索集中搜索目标并做辨别反应。通过控制搜索集的大小来控制任务知觉负载, 同时在搜索集中存在一个用颜色标定的无关干扰项(奇异项), 该奇异项与当前的搜索目标存在一致、中性或不一致的关系, 该奇异项的位置与当前目标相邻或相距较远。结果发现, 被试在低负载条件下出现显著的干扰效应(不一致条件的反应时减中性条件的反应时), 而在高负载条件下干扰效应减小。此外, 在高负载条件下, 当目标与干扰项相距较近时没有出现干扰效应, 而当目标与干扰项相距较远时存在显著的干扰效应。干扰效应受到任务知觉负载和目标与无关干扰项距离的共同影响。这些结果说明, 与任务无关的刺激是否捕获注意取决于当前任务总体上是否存在可用的剩余注意资源, 也受到其周围临近区域的局部注意资源是否充足的影响。     

背景图相关度与知觉流畅性对意义材料学习的影响

可取难度理论和不流畅理论认为不流畅加工可促进学习,认知负荷理论则认为知觉不流畅所激发的额外认知负荷可能阻碍学习。研究采用2（知觉流畅性：流畅,不流畅）×3（背景图相关度：相关背景图、无关背景图和空白背景）被试间实验设计,考察学习意义材料时认知负荷（通过插入的背景图控制）与知觉流畅性的相互作用。结果发现：（1）知觉流畅性的主效应显著,知觉流畅时的学习成绩显著高于知觉不流畅时的成绩;背景图相关度的主效应显著,相关背景图条件下的成绩显著高于空白背景和无关背景图。（2）知觉流畅性与背景图相关度的交互作用显著,在知觉流畅条件下,呈现相关背景图的得分显著高于空白背景和无关背景图,后二者无显著差异;知觉不流畅条件下,三者间无显著差异。研究结果表明,在知觉流畅的条件下插入相关背景图有利于意义材料的学习;该结果支持认知负荷理论。     

诱发的积极情绪会促进多媒体学习吗?

近来, 教育心理学领域开始关注情绪因素对多媒体学习的影响, 其中诱发情绪逐渐成为研究者关注的指导设计形式。已有研究主要通过外部情绪诱发和内部情绪设计来考察诱发的积极情绪在学习过程中的作用, 并发现外部情绪诱发和内部情绪设计能够成功诱发积极情绪, 但由于情绪诱发方式的多样性和多媒体学习过程的复杂性, 诱发的积极情绪对学习效果的促进作用比较微弱。综述发现, 7项涉及外部情绪诱发的实验在学习结果上产生的效应量中值分别为d_保持 = -0.25, d_理解 = 0.04, d_迁移 = 0.30; 14项涉及内部情绪设计的实验在学习结果上产生的效应量中值分别为d_保持 = 0.27, d_理解 = 0.36, d_迁移 = 0.29。诱发的情绪对学习过程的主观体验影响很小。多媒体学习认知情感理论认为诱发的积极情绪会通过动机的中介作用进而促进学习; 相反, 认知负荷理论认为诱发的积极情绪会增加学习者的外在认知负荷从而阻碍学习。未来研究仍需关注情绪的操纵方法、效果评定以及潜在调节变量的作用等。