The Moderation Role of Self‐perceived Maternal Empathy in Observed Mother–Child Collaborative Problem Solving

Based on L. S. Vygotsky's sociocultural theory, previous scaffolding studies have examined some factors associated with adjustment of parental support during collaborative problem solving. However, a factor that remains unexplored in the literature is the potential relationship between parental empathy and parental support in collaborative problem solving. The present study addresses this question through the observation of 45 preschool children and their mothers cooperating in a problem‐solving task with two levels of difficulty. Teachers rated the children's fine motor skills, and sampled mothers reported their empathy levels towards their children. Consistent with the notion of scaffolding, negative correlations were found between observed maternal verbal support (cognitive, autonomy, and emotional) and child age, and between observed maternal cognitive support and teacher reports of child motor skills. An analysis of covariance revealed significant empathy‐by‐difficulty interactions for physical and cognitive support after controlling for the effect of child motor skills. Implications of these findings are discussed in terms of the role of child motor skills and the importance of parental empathy in collaborative problem solving. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Teacher Beliefs and Responses Toward Student Misbehavior: Influence of Cognitive Skill Deficits

This study aimed to examine whether having knowledge of student cognitive skill deficits changes teacher beliefs and responses in regard to classroom misbehavior. Teachers (N = 272) were randomly assigned to an experimental or control condition. Although teachers in both conditions read the same vignette describing a student's misbehavior, the experimental group also reviewed information about the student's cognitive skill deficits. Teachers provided with cognitive skill deficit information were, on average, less likely to believe the student had control over the misbehavior, suggesting perceptions of unintentionality. Furthermore, they were significantly more likely to indicate positive emotional responses. Results suggest that school psychologists may consider sharing cognitive skill deficits information with teachers who are working with students displaying challenging behavior.     

The neural basis of insight problem solving: an event-related potential study

The electrophysiological correlates of successful insight problem solving (Chinese logogriphs) were studied in 18 healthy subjects using high-density event-related potentials (ERPs). A new experimental paradigm (learning-testing model) was adopted in order to make subjects find a solution on their own initiative rather than receive an answer passively. Results showed that Successful guessed logogriphs elicited a more positive ERP deflection (P200-600) than did Unsuccessful guessed logogriphs in the time window from 200 to 600 ms after onset of the stimuli. Subsequently Successful logogriphs elicited a more negative ERP deflection than did Unsuccessful logogriphs in the time windows of 1500-2000 ms (N1500-2000) and 2000-2500 ms (N2000-2500). Maps of the P200-600 showed strong activity in the midline parieto-occipital scalp regions. Dipole analysis localized the generator of P200-600 in the left superior temporal gyrus and parietotemporo-occipital cortex areas. The N1500-2000 and N2000-2500 had a distinct activation over left frontal scalp regions. Dipole analysis localized the generator of the N1500-2000 in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the N2000-2500 in the posterior cingulate cortex (PCC). This result indicates that the parietotemporo-occipital cortex areas might be involved in forming rich associations in the early stage of successful logogriph solving. Then, the ACC might play an important role in the breaking mental set and the forming of novel associations. At last, "Aha" feeling might activate the PCC.     

Observing tutorial dialogues collaboratively: insights about human tutoring effectiveness from vicarious learning

The goals of this study are to evaluate a relatively novel learning environment, as well as to seek greater understanding of why human tutoring is so effective. This alternative learning environment consists of pairs of students collaboratively observing a videotape of another student being tutored. Comparing this collaboratively observing environment to four other instructional methods—one-on-one human tutoring, observing tutoring individually, collaborating without observing, and studying alone—the results showed that students learned to solve physics problems just as effectively from observing tutoring collaboratively as the tutees who were being tutored individually. We explain the effectiveness of this learning environment by postulating that such a situation encourages learners to become active and constructive observers through interactions with a peer. In essence, collaboratively observing combines the benefit of tutoring with the benefit of collaborating. The learning outcomes of the tutees and the collaborative observers, along with the tutoring dialogues, were used to further evaluate three hypotheses explaining why human tutoring is an effective learning method. Detailed analyses of the protocols at several grain sizes suggest that tutoring is effective when tutees are independently or jointly constructing knowledge: with the tutor, but not when the tutor independently conveys knowledge.     

Rapid solving of a problem apparatus by juvenile black-throated monitor lizards (Varanus albigularis albigularis)

It is widely accepted that providing stimulus enrichment is an important part of the development and maintenance of behavior and well-being in mammals. However, extending this idea to non-avian reptiles has barely been explored, certainly as an aid to cognitive development. Monitor lizards have a reputation for being highly curious and intelligent lizards, but quantitative experiments are necessary to evaluate such impressions as well as the value of providing enrichment to captive squamate reptiles. In this study eight juvenile black-throated monitors, Varanus albigularis, were tested in their home enclosures with three presentations, at weekly intervals, of a novel task apparatus: a transparent food tube containing several prey. The food tube allowed the monitors to obtain prey by using hinged doors at either end of the tube to access food. All eight lizards learned to open the tube, insert head, and capture the prey within 10 min in the first trial. By the second trial, both mean latencies to access the tube and capture the first prey item decreased significantly, as did the use of ineffective responses such as shaking the tube. A further slight decrease occurred in the third trial. Due to the results of this and similar studies, serious consideration should be given to further testing of cognitive abilities in squamate reptiles. Incorporating problem solving tasks may also be useful to increase the activity level and captive well-being of squamate reptiles, especially monitor lizards.     

Spontaneous performance of wild baboons on three novel food-access puzzles

Although the technical problem-solving expertise of nonhuman primates has been investigated extensively in captivity, few species have been tested in their natural habitats. Here I examine the physical cognition of wild savanna baboons (Papio anubis), a species that occupies an omnivorous foraging niche in which a variety of embedded food items are extracted and processed. Baboons were tested on three puzzles, each involving high-quality food that required removal from a novel obstruction: (1) a string-pulling puzzle in which food was hung from tree branches, (2) a twig-dipping puzzle in which food was embedded in a vertical tube, and (3) a stick-pushing puzzle in which food was contained in a horizontal conduit. The baboons failed to solve the second and third puzzles even when tools had been appropriately positioned in advance. And although they solved the first puzzle, their actions (running while holding food that was still attached to the string), suggested they did not fully comprehend the string’s connective property. The baboons’ performance might reflect the time constraints of life in the wild, which relative to captivity may provide fewer opportunities for the development of understanding about the physical properties of objects and their potential uses as tools. Further experiments on the physical cognition of baboons and many other primate species in their natural habitats would help test this ontogenetic hypothesis. Such field experiments would be especially fruitful if they continued to target extractive foragers like baboons: these experiments could simultaneously provide a test of phylogenetic hypotheses that invoke extractive foraging as the key stimulus for brain expansion in savanna-dwelling hominids. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

合作学习小组的认知风格对其问题解决的影响

本研究以认知风格为依据,将合作学习小组分为场依存同质组、场独立同质组及异质组,通过小组对开放问题以及逻辑问题的解决,考察不同认知风格个体、不同类型小组的问题解决水平。结果表明:(1)个体认知风格的作用依任务性质不同而不同。(2)异质组中存在的个体之间的差异会成为有效沟通合作的障碍,进而影响异质组的问题解决水平,影响程度受到问题本身对沟通合作要求程度的影响。(3)异质分组能更好解决开放性问题。     

Situated problem solving in Kashmiri carpet weaving practice

This paper discusses situated problem solving accomplished in the three constituent domains of Kashmiri carpet weaving practice viz. designing, coding and weaving. While, the designers’ problem relates to carving spatial regions on graph-sheets, the coders’ problem relates to cognitively demarcating relevant coding area in those graphs while generating code. Likewise, the weavers’ problem lies in demarcating weaving-territory on the loom, while the manufacturers’ problem relates to determining a particular spatial area for quality assessment. The paper discusses how the actors create fixed, transient and negotiable boundaries on the graph, the loom and the carpet to solve this problem of area determination and demarcation.Section 1 introduces this practice, its task domains and the problem of area determination and demarcation, Section 2 discusses the methodology, Section 3 discusses in detail the problem of area-determination in each task domain and the problem solving strategies employed by the actors using material available in their task-environments itself. In addition, the problem and resolution of area determination as encountered by the manufacturers is discussed. The paper concludes with a discussion on findings of this study with larger findings in cognitive science and accentuates the role played by situated and distributed cognition in unearthing the findings reported in this paper.     

Mistakes on display: Incorrect examples refine equation solving and algebraic feature knowledge

Although findings from cognitive science have suggested learning benefits of confronting errors (Metcalfe, 2017), they are not often capitalized on in many mathematics classrooms (Tulis, 2013). The current study assessed the effects of examples focused on either common mathematical misconceptions and errors or correct concepts and procedures on algebraic feature knowledge and solving quadratic equations. Middle school algebra students (N = 206) were randomly assigned to four conditions. Two errorful conditions either displayed errors and asked students to explain or displayed correct solutions and primed students to reflect on potential errors by problem type. A correct example condition and problem-solving control group were also included. Studying and explaining common errors displayed in incorrect examples improved equation-solving ability. An aptitude-by-treatment interaction revealed that learners with limited understandings of algebraic features demonstrated greater benefits. Theoretical implications about using examples to promote learning from errors are considered in addition to suggestions for educational practice.     

智商对物理问题解决表征体系动态特征的影响

基于对物理问题解决表征体系特征的研究,本文用口语报告法,对不同智商水平的被试在解决物理问题过程中表征体系的动态差异进行了实证性研究。结果证明,智商水平对物理问题解决表征体系动态特征的影响显著。