Category assignment and relatedness in the group ideation process

When groups gather to generate creative ideas on a particular topic, they can consider many aspects or components of the problem. Because such a multitude of alternatives can be overwhelming, groups may find it helpful to focus on specific aspects or categories of the problem. However, it is not clear whether it is best for group members to focus on the same components of the problem at the same time or whether it is better for group members to focus on different components of the problem. Furthermore, the impact of this type of focus may depend on the extent to which the different components of the problem are closely related semantically. It may be easier to generate ideas in semantically related areas but semantically unrelated areas may stimulate generation of more creative ideas. The present study provided a comprehensive test of the effects of task components or category assignment and the degree of relatedness of the assigned categories on the creativity of groups. Groups that were jointly assigned a small set of categories to focus on at the beginning of their session generated more ideas, explored more categories and exhibited higher clustering of similar ideas than the groups whose members were assigned their own unique category. The groups assigned with low related categories surveyed more categories than those assigned with categories of high relatedness. This study suggests that interdisciplinary or diverse groups or teams should have some common focus in the initial phase of their creative sessions and focus on unrelated aspects of the problem in this phase.     

大学生工作记忆容量对图形推理影响的眼动研究

采用眼动技术,选取瑞文图形推理测验作为实验材料,探讨工作记忆对于图形推理过程的影响。实验为2(工作记忆容量:高、低)×2(性别:男、女)×3(题目难度:高、中、低)的混合实验设计。以扫视时间、眼跳幅度、注视次数、扫视次数、瞳孔直径为因变量指标。实验结果表明:第一,不同性别大学生进行图形推理过程的眼动模式有一定差异,但这种差异并非由工作记忆差异所导致,而是图形推理策略不同所引起;第二,工作记忆容量高低影响图形推理过程,由于工作记忆影响注意资源分配,从而工作记忆容量高低不同会导致采用不同的策略进行图形推理,不仅影响工作记忆推理过程,也导致推理成绩的差异。这些结果能为学生选择适合自己的学习策略、因材施教以及考试测评提供依据。     

Manipulating attentional load in sequence learning through random number generation

Implicit learning is often assumed to be an effortless process. However, some artificial grammar learning and sequence learning studies using dual tasks seem to suggest that attention is essential for implicit learning to occur. This discrepancy probably results from the specific type of secondary task that is used. Different secondary tasks may engage attentional resources differently and therefore may bias performance on the primary task in different ways. Here, we used a random number generation (RNG) task, which may allow for a closer monitoring of a participant's engagement in a secondary task than the popular secondary task in sequence learning studies: tone counting (TC). In the first two experiments, we investigated the interference associated with performing RNG concurrently with a serial reaction time (SRT) task. In a third experiment, we compared the effects of RNG and TC. In all three experiments, we directly evaluated participants' knowledge of the sequence with a subsequent sequence generation task. Sequence learning was consistently observed in all experiments, but was impaired under dual-task conditions. Most importantly, our data suggest that RNG is more demanding and impairs learning to a greater extent than TC. Nevertheless, we failed to observe effects of the secondary task in subsequent sequence generation. Our studies indicate that RNG is a promising task to explore the involvement of attention in the SRT task.     

Anxiety, a benefit and detriment to cognition: behavioral and magnetoencephalographic evidence from a mixed-saccade task

Anxiety is typically considered an impediment to cognition. We propose anxiety-related impairments in cognitive-behavioral performance are the consequences of enhanced stimulus-driven attention. Accordingly, reflexive, habitual behaviors that rely on stimulus-driven mechanisms should be facilitated in an anxious state, while novel, flexible behaviors that compete with the former should be impaired. To test these predictions, healthy adults (N=17) performed a mixed-saccade task, which pits habitual actions (pro-saccades) against atypical ones (anti-saccades), under anxiety-inducing threat of shock and safe conditions. Whole-head magnetoencephalography (MEG) captured oscillatory responses in the preparatory interval preceding target onset and saccade execution. Results showed threat-induced anxiety differentially impacted response times based on the type of saccade initiated, slowing anti-saccades but facilitating erroneous pro-saccades on anti-saccade trials. MEG source analyses revealed that successful suppression of reflexive pro-saccades and correct initiation of anti-saccades during threat was marked by increased theta power in right ventrolateral prefrontal cortical and midbrain regions (superior colliculi) implicated in stimulus-driven attention. Theta activity may delay stimulus-driven processes to enable generation of an anti-saccade. Moreover, compared to safety, threat reduced beta desynchronization in inferior parietal cortices during anti-saccade preparation but increased it during pro-saccade preparation. Differential effects in inferior parietal cortices indicate a greater readiness to execute anti-saccades during safety and to execute pro-saccades during threat. These findings suggest that, in an anxiety state, reduced cognitive-behavioral flexibility may stem from enhanced stimulus-driven attention, which may serve the adaptive function of optimizing threat detection.     

动画呈现速度对多媒体学习效果影响的眼动研究

多媒体学习过程中,动画学习材料的呈现速度是影响学习效果的一个重要因素。基于认知负荷理论,已有研究对动画速度是否影响多媒体学习中的注意转换和学习效果存在不一致的结论。研究采用闪电形成原理动画作为实验材料,操纵慢速、正常速度和快速三个速度水平,利用Eyelink 1000眼动仪记录学习过程中的眼睛注视,探讨多媒体学习中动画呈现速度对学习效果和注意转换的影响。结果发现,在记忆测验的成绩上,慢速水平的迁移测验成绩要好于正常速度和快速;慢速在注视次数、眼跳次数、任务相关区停留时间和进出兴趣区次数这些总体眼动指标上比其他两组显著要高,但是对相关指标按时间进行加权后发现,只在兴趣区停留时间上慢速和快速长于正常速度。结论认为多媒体学习过程中,动画呈现速度会影响学习的理解效果,但是对识记不产生影响;材料呈现速度影响知识深层次加工,它独立于学习者的注意转换。并且材料呈现速度对学习者眼动的影响是微弱的。     

不同认知成分在图形推理测验项目难度预测中的作用

理解项目难度变异的来源是实现计算机自动化项目生成的第一步。通过文献综述, 总结出影响图形推理测验项目难度的四个方面的因素, 再通过操控构图元素熟悉性、属性的抽象性、知觉组织的和谐性以及规则类型与数目这些因素, 编制8套图形推理测验, 共包含112个与高级瑞文推理类似的项目。采用铆测验等值设计, 在每套测验中嵌入10个高级瑞文推理测验项目为铆题, 通过网络施测于6323名被试。使用BILOG MG估算项目参数, 并使用IRTEQ进行测验等值, 将后七套测验上所有项目的项目参数都转换到第一套测验的单位系统上。以项目难度为因变量, 项目题干特征变量为预测变量进行回归分析, 结果发现这四个因素均对项目难度有显著预测作用。优势分析的结果显示记忆负荷(即规则类型与数目的组合)是项目难度的最重要的预测变量, 其他依次为属性的抽象性、知觉组织的和谐性和构图元素熟悉性。     

高二学生阅读插图课文的即时加工研究

采用ASL4200R型眼动仪,对28名高二年级学生阅读插图课文的阅读理解特点进行研究,结果表明:(1)高二学生阅读不同呈现方式课文的阅读成绩和阅读时间,以及注视次数、注视点持续时间和回视次数,插图课文显著优于无图课文.插图对课文的阅读理解具有明显的促进作用;(2)高二学生阅读不同难度课文的阅读成绩和阅读时间,以及注视次数和回视次数,易课文显著优于难课文.     

Movement Control Strategies in a Dynamic Balance Task in Children With and Without Developmental Coordination Disorder

Abstract

Our study aimed to analyze movement control strategies using predefined criteria for amplitude and differences in these strategies between children with and without DCD. Children with (n?=?28) and without DCD (n?=?15) were included. A video-observation-tool was used to score the moving body parts during a Wii Fit slalom task over multiple time points. Two-step cluster analysis was used to extract distinct movement strategies. Two different movement strategies were identified that were independently validated by a measure of task performance and a subjective mark of quality of the movement. Initial differences between groups and changes over time toward the more successful strategy were found in both groups, albeit in a different percentage. This study shows that the more efficient movement strategy is seen in the majority of the TD children and only in a small number of children with DCD, even after practice.     

Effects of Developmental Task Constraints on Kinematic Synergies during Catching in Children with Developmental Delays

Abstract

The aim of this study was to examine effects of a task intervention on kinematic synergies in catching. Participants were young children (5.58?±?0.52?years) with the lowest scores on two-hand catching, according to assessments with the Test of Gross Motor Development-2 (TGMD-2) and were allocated into two groups. The constraints group took part in an 8-week intervention, whereas the control group experienced a typical physical education. Both groups were assessed with motor development and kinematic coordination measures with a catching task with a ball thrown from 2?m distance. Kinematic variables were recorded using a wireless motion capture system. A principal component analysis (PCA) was used to measure the kinematic synergies formed among active body parts. Two synergies that emerged in catching were mainly utilised for “reaching” and “catching” the ball. The control group tended to re-organise the majority of active body parts into two functional units in all phases, whereas the constraints group adapted their active parts into functional units according to the requirement of the novel movement in the transfer task. The findings of this study suggested that task constraints could facilitate object control by re-organisation of active body parts into functional synergies to achieve successful performance.