8 research outputs found
Problem Space Matters: Evaluation of a German Enrichment Program for Gifted Children
We studied the development of cognitive abilities related to intelligence and creativity
(N = 48, 6â10 years old), using a longitudinal design (over one school year), in order
to evaluate an Enrichment Program for gifted primary school children initiated by
the government of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate (Entdeckertag
Rheinland Pfalz, Germany; ET; Day of Discoverers). A group of German primary school
children (N = 24), identified earlier as intellectually gifted and selected to join the
ET program was compared to a gender-, class- and IQ- matched group of control
children that did not participate in this program. All participants performed the Standard
Progressive Matrices (SPM) test, which measures intelligence in well-defined problem
space; the Creative Reasoning Task (CRT), which measures intelligence in ill-defined
problem space; and the test of creative thinking-drawing production (TCT-DP), which
measures creativity, also in ill-defined problem space. Results revealed that problem
space matters: the ET program is effective only for the improvement of intelligence
operating in well-defined problem space. An effect was found for intelligence as
measured by SPM only, but neither for intelligence operating in ill-defined problem space
(CRT) nor for creativity (TCT-DP). This suggests that, depending on the type of problem
spaces presented, different cognitive abilities are elicited in the same child. Therefore,
enrichment programs for gifted, but also for children attending traditional schools,
should provide opportunities to develop cognitive abilities related to intelligence,
operating in both well- and ill-defined problem spaces, and to creativity in a parallel,
using an interactive approach
There's a SNARC in the Size Congruity Task
The size congruity effect involves interference between numerical magnitude and physical size of visually presented numbers: congruent numbers (either both small or both large in numerical magnitude and physical size) are responded to faster than incongruent ones (small numerical magnitude/large physical size or vice versa). Besides, numerical magnitude is associated with lateralized response codes, leading to the Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect: small numerical magnitudes are preferably responded to on the left side and large ones on the right side. Whereas size congruity effects are ascribed to interference between stimulus dimensions in the decision stage, SNARC effects are understood as (in)compatibilities in stimulus-response combinations. Accordingly, size congruity and SNARC effects were previously found to be independent in parity and in physical size judgment tasks. We investigated their dependency in numerical magnitude judgment tasks. We obtained independent size congruity and SNARC effects in these tasks and replicated this observation for the parity judgment task. The results confirm and extend the notion that size congruity and SNARC effects operate in different representational spaces. We discuss possible implications for number representation
Attention allows the SNARC effect to operate on multiple number lines
To investigate whether participants can activate only one spatially oriented number line at a time or
multiple number lines simultaneously, they were asked to solve a unit magnitude comparison task
(unit smaller/larger than 5) and a parity judgment task (even/odd) on two-digit numbers. In both these
primary tasks, decades were irrelevant. After some of the primary task trials (randomly), participants
were asked to additionally solve a secondary task based on the previously presented number. In
Experiment 1, they had to decide whether the two-digit number presented for the primary task was
larger or smaller than 50. Thus, for the secondary task decades were relevant. In contrast, in Experiment
2, the secondary task was a color judgment task, which means decades were irrelevant. In Experiment
1, decadesâ and unitsâ magnitudes influenced the spatial association of numbers separately. In contrast,
in Experiment 2, only the units were spatially associated with magnitude. It was concluded that
multiple number lines (one for units and one for decades) can be activated if attention is focused on
multiple, separate magnitude attributes
There's a SNARC in the Size Congruity Task
The size congruity effect involves interference between numerical magnitude and physical size of visually presented numbers: congruent numbers (either both small or both large in numerical magnitude and physical size) are responded to faster than incongruent ones (small numerical magnitude/large physical size or vice versa). Besides, numerical magnitude is associated with lateralized response codes, leading to the Spatial Numerical Association of Response Codes (SNARC) effect: small numerical magnitudes are preferably responded to on the left side and large ones on the right side. Whereas size congruity effects are ascribed to interference between stimulus dimensions in the decision stage, SNARC effects are understood as (in)compatibilities in stimulus-response combinations. Accordingly, size congruity and SNARC effects were previously found to be independent in parity and in physical size judgment tasks. We investigated their dependency in numerical magnitude judgment tasks. We obtained independent size congruity and SNARC effects in these tasks and replicated this observation for the parity judgment task. The results confirm and extend the notion that size congruity and SNARC effects operate in different representational spaces. We discuss possible implications for number representation
Performance feedback enhances test-potentiated encoding
Introduction: Long-term memory retention is enhanced after testing compared
to restudying (testing effect). Notably, memory retrieval further improves when
correct-answer feedback is provided after the retrieval attempt (test-potentiated
encodingâTPE).
Methods: To evaluate whether explicit positive or negative feedback further
enhances memory performance beyond the effect of TPE, in two experiments
additional explicit positive or negative performance-contingent feedback was
presented before providing correct-answer feedback. After an initial exposure to
the full material, 40 participants learned 210 weakly associated cue-target word
pairs by either restudying or testing (Experiment 1). Depending on the accuracy of
the retrieval attempt, the tested word pairs were followed by positive or negative
performance feedback (50%) or no feedback (50%). Irrespective of the type of
repetition, trials were followed by a restudy opportunity. Participants returned to
perform a final cued-recall test (Day 2).
Results: Final test results replicated the testing effect (better memory
performance for tested compared to restudied items). Explicit performance
feedback in addition to correct-answer feedback increased retrieval performance,
but only on Day 2. This pattern of results was replicated in Experiment 2 in an
independent sample of 25 participants. To assess the specific effects of learning
history, we also examined retrieval accuracy and reaction times during repetition
cycles: Explicit feedback improved retrieval for material successfully encoded in
the initial study phase (consistent positive feedback) as well as for material learned
during the repetition phase (mixed positive and negative feedback).
Discussion: Performance feedback improves learning beyond the effects of
retrieval practice and correct-answer feedback, suggesting that it strengthens
memory representations and promotes re-encoding of the material
Problem Space Matters: Evaluation of a German Enrichment Program for Gifted Children
We studied the development of cognitive abilities related to intelligence and creativity
(N = 48, 6â10 years old), using a longitudinal design (over one school year), in order
to evaluate an Enrichment Program for gifted primary school children initiated by
the government of the German federal state of Rhineland-Palatinate (Entdeckertag
Rheinland Pfalz, Germany; ET; Day of Discoverers). A group of German primary school
children (N = 24), identified earlier as intellectually gifted and selected to join the
ET program was compared to a gender-, class- and IQ- matched group of control
children that did not participate in this program. All participants performed the Standard
Progressive Matrices (SPM) test, which measures intelligence in well-defined problem
space; the Creative Reasoning Task (CRT), which measures intelligence in ill-defined
problem space; and the test of creative thinking-drawing production (TCT-DP), which
measures creativity, also in ill-defined problem space. Results revealed that problem
space matters: the ET program is effective only for the improvement of intelligence
operating in well-defined problem space. An effect was found for intelligence as
measured by SPM only, but neither for intelligence operating in ill-defined problem space
(CRT) nor for creativity (TCT-DP). This suggests that, depending on the type of problem
spaces presented, different cognitive abilities are elicited in the same child. Therefore,
enrichment programs for gifted, but also for children attending traditional schools,
should provide opportunities to develop cognitive abilities related to intelligence,
operating in both well- and ill-defined problem spaces, and to creativity in a parallel,
using an interactive approach
Epiphenomenon or prognostically relevant interventional target?
Tricuspid regurgitation (TR) frequently develops in patients with long-standing pulmonary hypertension, and both pathologies are associated with increased morbidity and mortality. This study aimed to improve prognostic assessment in patients with severe TR undergoing transcatheter tricuspid valve intervention (TTVI) by relating the extent of TR to pulmonary artery pressures.
In this multicenter study, we included 533 patients undergoing TTVI for moderate-to-severe or severe TR. The proportionality framework was based on the ratio of tricuspid valve effective regurgitant orifice area to mean pulmonary artery pressure. An optimal threshold for tricuspid valve effective regurgitant orifice area/mean pulmonary artery pressure ratio was derived on 353 patients with regard to 2-year all-cause mortality and externally validated on 180 patients. Patients with a tricuspid valve effective regurgitant orifice area/mean pulmonary artery pressure ratio 1.25/mmHg (defining proportionate TR) featured significantly lower 2-year survival rates after TTVI than patients with disproportionate TR (56.6% versus 69.6%; =0.005). In contrast with patients with disproportionate TR (n=398), patients with proportionate TR (n=135) showed more pronounced mPAP levels (37.99.06mmHg versus 27.98.17mmHg; ) and more severely impaired right ventricular function (tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion: 16.04.11 versus 17.04.64mm; =0.012). Moreover, tricuspid valve effective regurgitant orifice area was smaller in patients with proportionate TR when compared with disproportionate TR (0.3500.105 versus 0.7700.432; ). Importantly, proportionate TR remained a significant predictor for 2-year mortality after adjusting for demographic and clinical variables (hazard ratio, 1.7; =0.006).
The proposed proportionality framework promises to improve future risk stratification and clinical decisionmaking by identifying patients who benefit the most from TTVI (disproportionate TR). As a next step, randomized controlled studies with a conservative treatment arm are needed to quantify the net benefit of TTVI in patients with proportionate TR