School based working memory training: Preliminary finding of improvement in children’s mathematical performance

Working memory is a complex cognitive system responsible for the concurrent storage and processing of information. Ggiven that a complex cognitive task like mental arithmetic clearly places demands on working memory (e.g., in remembering partial results, monitoring progress through a multi-step calculation), there is surprisingly little research exploring the possibility of increasing young children’s working memory capacity through systematic school-based training. Tthis study reports the preliminary results of a working memory training programme, targeting executive processes such as inhibiting unwanted information, monitoring processes, and the concurrent storage and processing of information. Tthe findings suggest that children who received working memory training made significantly greater gains in the trained working memory task, and in a non-trained visual-spatial working memory task, than a matched control group. Moreover, the training group made significant improvements in their mathematical functioning as measured by the number of errors made in an addition task compared to the control group. Tthese findings, although preliminary, suggest that school-based measures to train working memory could have benefits in terms of improved performance in mathematics

Conceptual instability in children and adults

SIGLEAvailable from British Library Document Supply Centre- DSC:DX180929 / BLDSC - British Library Document Supply CentreGBUnited Kingdo

Emotional intelligence abilities and traits in different career paths.

Two studies tested hypotheses about differences in emotional intelligence (EI) abilities and traits between followers of different career paths. Compared to their social science peers, science students had higher scores in adaptability and general mood traits measured with the Emotion Quotient Inventory, but lower scores in strategic El abilities using the emotional intelligence test MSCEIT, as well as neuroticism, and openness. Neuroticism mediated relationships between career path and El traits but not El strategic abilities. In the second study participants in science and business career paths had higher scores in positive affect and in several work-related El traits and lower scores in work-related El abilities than their science counterparts. The results raise questions about the mechanisms that may sustain the observed differences in self-perceptions and about the validity of some El measures. They also have implications for El skills assessment and training in Higher Education graduates and career starter