Dual processing in syllogistic reasoning: An individual differences perspective

The study aimed to examine several assumptions of dual process theories of reasoning by employing individual difference approach. A set of categorical syllogisms was administered to a relatively large sample of participants (N = 247) along with attached confidence rating scales, and measures of intelligence and cognitive reflection. As expected, response accuracy on syllogistic reasoning tasks highly depended on task complexity and the status of belief-logic conflict, thus demonstrating belief-bias on the group level. Individual difference analyses showed that more biased subject also performed poorer on Raven's Matrices (r =.25) and Cognitive Reflection Test (r =.27), which is in line with assumptions that willingness to engage and capacities to carry out type 2 processes both contribute to understanding of rational thinking. Moreover, measures of cognitive decoupling were significantly correlated with the performance on conflict syllogisms (r =.20). Individual differences in sensitivity to conflict detection, on the other side, were not related to reasoning accuracy in general (r =.02). Yet, additional analyses showed that noteworthy correlation between these two can be observed for easier syllogistic reasoning tasks (r =.26). Such results indicate that boundary conditions of conflict detection should be viewed as a function of both tasks' and participants' characteristics

Rationing of Raven's Matrices Scale for Emotional Intelligence to Students

The purpose of this study is to modify "Raven's Matrices" scale of emotional intelligence to the students of Al al-Bayt University in Jordan, as this scale has some features such as the deliverance of the influence of culture and language. The scale was applied to a sample of (526) students at Al al-Bayt University in Al Mafraq. To researcher used statistical analysis to answer the questions of the study in order to check the effectiveness of the items of the scale through the extraction of difficulty and differentiation factors of the different levels of the general point average and total sample. The researcher extracted the reliability using Kr20  equation to calculate the internal consistency between the items, the validity of the scale also was measured using formative validity through differentiation rates by tracking the increase in the means and standard deviations of the thirteen  categories of the  general point average (GPA ). The results of the study showed the effectiveness of the scale paragraphs has been proven  in terms of difficulty and differentiation coefficients, and Raven's Matrices scale has got high psychometric characteristics (reliability, validity) In a sign that the scale is suitable for application with a university education students in Jordan. Key words: Raven's Matrices scale, emotional intelligenc

Cultural differences in neuropsychological tests and intelligence of Cuban preschool children

The objective of this research was to determine the cultural differences in the execution of neuropsychological tests between a group of preschoolers with typical development in the province of Cienfuegos and another one in Sancti Spíritus, both in Cuba; as well as to identify the neuropsychological functions that influence intellectual performance. Sixty-seven children were selected and subdivided into groups. The Raven's Progressive Matrices Intelligence Test and the Luria Initial Neuropsychological Battery were used as neuropsychological evaluation instruments. The results showed significant differences in intelligence and various neuropsychological functions between the provinces. The neuropsychological variables influencing intellectual performance varied depending on the cultural groups. Taken together, the results suggest that cultural differences demand diverse patterns of cognitive skills that uniquely influence the development of intelligence and neuropsychological factors in preschool childhood.La investigación tuvo como objetivo determinar las diferencias culturales en la ejecución de los tests neuropsicológicos entre un grupo de preescolares con desarrollo típico de la provincia de Cienfuegos, y otro de Sancti Spíritus, ambas de Cuba; así como identificar las funciones neuropsicológicas que influyen en el rendimiento intelectual. Fueron seleccionados y subdivididos en grupos 67 niños. Como instrumentos de evaluación neuropsicológica se aplicaron la prueba de inteligencia matrices progresivas de Raven y la batería neuropsicológica Luria Inicial. Los resultados mostraron diferencias significativas en la inteligencia y diversas funciones neuropsicológicas entre las provincias. Las variables neuropsicológicas que influyen en el rendimiento intelectual, varían en dependencia de los grupos culturales. En conjunto, los resultados sugieren que las diferencias culturales demandan diversos patrones de habilidades cognitivas que influyen de forma singular en el desarrollo de la inteligencia y en los factores neuropsicológicos en la infancia preescolar

A genetic association analysis of cognitive ability and cognitive ageing using 325 markers for 109 genes associated with oxidative stress or cognition

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Non-pathological cognitive ageing is a distressing condition affecting an increasing number of people in our 'ageing society'. Oxidative stress is hypothesised to have a major role in cellular ageing, including brain ageing.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Associations between cognitive ageing and 325 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), located in 109 genes implicated in oxidative stress and/or cognition, were examined in a unique cohort of relatively healthy older people, on whom we have cognitive ability scores at ages 11 and 79 years (LBC1921). SNPs showing a significant positive association were then genotyped in a second cohort for whom we have cognitive ability scores at the ages of 11 and 64 years (ABC1936). An intronic SNP in the <it>APP </it>gene (rs2830102) was significantly associated with cognitive ageing in both LBC1921 and a combined LBC1921/ABC1936 analysis (<it>p </it>< 0.01), but not in ABC1936 alone.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study suggests a possible role for APP in normal cognitive ageing, in addition to its role in Alzheimer's disease.</p

Analogical Reasoning

Analogical reasoning is the ability to perceive and use relational commonality between two situations. Most commonly, analogy involves mapping relational structures from a familiar (base situation to an unfamiliar situation (target). For example, solving the analogy “chicken is to chick like tiger is to___?” requires perceiving the relation parent–offspring in the base domain (chicken:chick) and mapping the same relation to the target (tiger:__?) to get to the answer cub. Relational similarity is the crux of analogical reasoning; what is crucial here is the sameness of the relation, not of other similarities—chickens and tigers do not look alike

The development of domain-specific and domain-general metacognitive monitoring

Metacognitive monitoring may be a critical element in self-regulated learning. Two types of metacognitive monitoring have been identified: domain-specific and domain-general. Domain-specific metacognitive monitoring occurs when an individual is monitoring content-specific knowledge. Domain-general metacognitive monitoring occurs in situations when content-specific knowledge is not available. Currently no research is available that examines the developmental differences between domain-specific and domain-general metacognitive monitoring in children. This study attempted to address this issue by asking children in first, fourth, and seventh grade to make item-by-item confidence judgments while providing answers in two domain-specific tasks and two domain-general tasks. Two working memory spans tasks were also employed to control for maturational processes. Domain-specific metacognitive monitoring appeared earlier than domain-general metacognitive monitoring. Both domain-specific and domain-general metacognitive monitoring appear to benefit from experience because older students were more accurate metacognitive monitors and less overconfident than younger students. Maturational processes likely play a less significant role than experience in student improvement at metacognitive monitoring than previously thought