Prospective memory training in young adults enhances trained-task but not transfer-task performance

ABSTRACT

Training and transfer effects of prospective memory training have not been assessed in healthy young adults yet. The present study examined the effects of an 8-day prospective memory training programme using the Virtual Week computer game in 18–24-year-old students. Using the performance of an active control group as comparison, the study revealed a significant short-lived beneficial training-induced effect on a nearest-transfer task consisting of a different version of the trained task. No evidence was obtained for transfer effects to other tasks measuring prospective memory (near transfer), or to tasks measuring various executive functions or general intelligence (far transfer). These results were compared to those from a previous study in which an identical training and testing protocol was used in 13–15-year-old adolescents. This study did reveal some evidence of near and far transfer. The results of the two studies combined suggest a greater potential for prospective memory training to induce beneficial transfer effects in young adolescents than in young adults.     

全球视野下高等医学教育面临的挑战与改革出路

医学卫生人才培养质量和高等医学教育改革备受全球瞩目.分别从体制层面涉及的四个功能和教学层面涉及的四个方面分析了目前我国高等医学教育面临的一些问题及其原因,并从全球视野出发,重新定位医学教育改革的目标,探讨在全球视野下我国高等医学教育改革的出路,提出改革构想.     

Green construction and energy training program for at‐risk individuals: a case study

Training individuals who are at risk of unemployment/underemployment to increase their employability is a mission of many nonprofit agencies. These training programs, often supported by government funding, attempt to reduce these individuals’ reliance on government assistance. The purpose of this study is to obtain hard data and an in‐depth understanding about the factors that contribute to the success of the Green Construction training program. The methodology used is a multimethod, multimeasure approach, which provides a reasonably robust triangulation of results. The findings indicate that the program is successful because it has good participant retention, knowledge gain, and placement rates.     

Cognitive bias modification of interpretations: A viable treatment for child and adolescent anxiety?

Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents are common and impairing. As many patients do not benefit from – or have difficulties accessing – frontline treatments, novel, effective and easy-to-deliver interventions are needed. Cognitive Bias Modification of Interpretations (CBM-I) training has been used to treat adult anxiety disorders. CBM-I methods train individuals to endorse benign rather than negative resolutions of ambiguous cues. Developmental extensions of CBM-I are important for several reasons. First, implementing CBM-I in symptomatic children and adolescents may facilitate early preventative gains. Second, as training uses simple learning mechanisms, CBM-I may reflect a developmentally-suitable strategy for shaping adaptive processing styles. Third, as this age range involves protracted neurocognitive maturation and associated plasticity, administering CBM-I early could drive powerful, long-lasting benefits for emotional development. Finally, data from CBM-I studies could inform the cognitive mechanisms involved in the genesis of early-emerging anxiety. This paper provides the first organised review of CBM-I studies conducted in children and adolescents, and contains suggestions for future research that may help realise the therapeutic potential of early CBM-I interventions.     

Music Training and Semantic Clustering in College Students

College students with 5 or more years of music training recalled significantly more words from a 16-item word list than did students with 0-4 years of training. The superior recall of the extensively trained students linked to better application of a semantic-clustering strategy across a series of 3 test trials. Music education and language experience may have similar influences on the development of verbal memory.     

Health psychology in international perspective: A summary and some thoughts for the future

This article reviews the progress made by the field in its short history and attempts to look at developments which seem likely to occur as the field matures.

Recommendations are made for training of health psychologists in the future and a plea is made for international standardisation of health psychology training programmes at the Ph.D. level which incorporate research and clinical training. Health psychologists are further encouraged to take a more active public and political role in order to provide needed visibility for their work.     

Implementing a behavioral medicine program in an internal medicine residency: A description of curriculum content,resources and barriers encountered

Abstract

Many internal medicine training programs are currently developing curricula designed to teach the psychosocial aspects of patient care and doctor-patient communication skills. However, faculty may lack expertise regarding how to accomplish new educational goals in these areas. This article is designed to assist programs by describing in detail how a comprehensive behavioral medicine program was integrated into a general internal medicine program at a university-affiliated community hospital. It describes the program goals, resources needed, content included, obstacles to implementation and potential solutions to the problems encountered.     

Testing mediator variables in a resistance training intervention for obese adults with type 2 diabetes

A poor understanding of behaviour change mechanisms has hindered the development of effective physical activity interventions. The aim of this study was to identify potential mediators of change in a home-based resistance training (RT) program for obese individuals with type 2 diabetes. Obese individuals with type 2 diabetes (N?=?48) were randomly allocated to either an RT intervention (n?=?27) or a control group (n?=?21) for the 16-week study period. The study sample included 16 men and 32 women and the mean age of participants was 54.4 (±11.7) years. Participants in the RT group received a multi-gym and dumbbells and home supervision from a certified personal trainer. RT behaviour was measured using a modified Godin Leisure Time Questionnaire. Social-cognitive constructs were measured and tested in a mediating variable framework using a product-of-coefficients test. The intervention had a significant effect on RT behaviour (p?<?0.001) and muscular strength (p?<?0.001). The intervention had a significant effect on RT planning strategies (p?<?0.01), which mediated the effect of the intervention on RT behaviour. The home-based RT program successfully targeted participants’ RT planning strategies which contributed to their exercise adherence.     

Measuring Situation Awareness in Virtual Environment-Based Training

We evaluated the efficacy of a computer-based situation awareness (SA) measurement system for training dismounted infantry SA in an urban terrain virtual reality (VR) simulation. Based on past research, we hypothesized that the SA measures would be sensitive to individual (squad leader) differences, and that the frequency of specific probes would reveal differences in critical SA requirements among scenarios. Three infantry squads performed multiple trials across two different scenarios. A confederate platoon leader posed probes to squad leaders during trials and experts made ratings afterward. Results revealed squad leaders had similar responses to probes, despite differences in combat experience. Analysis of probe frequency revealed different high priority SA elements and decisions for each scenario. The SA behavior and communication ratings revealed differences among squads, which trended with experience. Measures of SA were also consistent across the test scenario as a result of similar mission types and task difficulties. We discuss the implication of our findings for future research and theory within this area.     

The Relationship Between Postdeployment Factors and PTSD Severity in Recent Combat Veterans

Combat traumas precipitate posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD); however, nontraumatic deployment and postdeployment factors may also contribute to PTSD severity. The Deployment Risk and Resilience Inventory (DRRI) was used to investigate pre-, peri-, and postdeployment factors associated with current PTSD severity in 150 recent combat veterans with PTSD and hazardous alcohol use. Hierarchal linear regression analyzed what factors independently predicted PTSD severity when controlling for sociodemographic characteristics and combat specific variables. Four postdeployment factors independently predicted PTSD severity: unemployment, alcohol use, social support, and stressful (nontraumatic) life events. The centrality of trauma in the maintenance of PTSD and clinical implications for treatment providers are discussed.