فصلنامه روانشناسی شناختی

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The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of metacognitive strategies and observation of skilled model on learning of soccer chip task. The present study was carried out by means of semi-experimental research design. Forty two students, aged 11-13 years old, in region 2^th of Tehran, participated in this study. They were divided in 3 groups (control group, observation of skilled model, and observation of skilled model with metacognitive activities). Metacognition group had to complete a semi-structured written interview that prompting them to activate their high-order thinking, before and then of acquisition blocks. An experimental intervention study in of soccer chip shot was conducted with pre-, post-, retention and transfer tests. Repeated measures analysis showed that there were statistically significant differences between groups. The result revealed that metacognitive strategies prompting had significant influence on students’ performance.

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In this study we manipulate structure of combined practice (physical along with self-modeling of positive self-review) to examine its effects on motor memory reconsolidation process and motor transfer in children. 36 female students (9-12 years old) from Maktabi elementary school of Qom trained Dart throwing. Of the 15 trials (from 1.5, 2, and 2.5 meters in blocked order), Positive self-reviewing videos were provided in the pre-test. A week later, subjects practiced in 3 groups of combined constant, random and blocked practice. Paired samples T test of Means radial error between end of acquisition and tests showed significant improvement in all practice groups (P≤0.05) for 24 hour blocked retention test (after recall), significant improvement in only combined blocked practice group (P=0.016) for 24 hour constant retention test (after recall) and significant decrease in all practice groups for 24 hour transfer test (after recall). Therefore re-stabilizing motor memory during reconsolidation could occur in children and low variable (blocked) practice could lead to more improvements in reconsolidation process and transfer of motor memory in children.

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In this research connectionist modeling of decision making has been presented. Important areas for decision making in the brain are thalamus, prefrontal cortex and Amygdala. Connectionist modeling with 3 parts representative for these 3 areas is made based the result of Iowa Gambling Task. In many researches Iowa Gambling Task is used to study emotional decision making. In these kind of decision making the role of Amygdala is so important and we expect that a model with two parts (thalamus and Amygdala) can have the best result in modeling participants decisions without considering any part for cortex process. For this purpose 56 participants composed of 20 men and 36 women wanted to do Iowa Gambling Task. Results show that the networks related to two parts model predict 62.57 Percent’s of participant’s decisions and the 3parts model has 68.46 Percent’s of that. In conclusion it can be said that three parts modeling has been more success than mathematical two parts model in predicting the performance of participants and the difference is significant. In other words cortex role in this kind of decision making is quite important.

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Integrated approaches try to connect different constructs in different theories and reinterpret them using a common conceptual framework. In this research, using the concept of processing levels, an integrated, three-level model of the cognitive systems has been proposed. In order to build an integrative framework for systematic interpretation of cognitive tests results, processing levels are divided into three categories of Feature-Oriented, Semantic and Conceptual Level. Since nervous system picks stimuli based on their features, processing levels in this framework is categorized based on the volume of stimuli's information, while Semantic network relates Feature-Oriented and Self-Oriented levels. To assessment the model quantitatively, 207 participants with impaired valance system from psychological clinics in Mashhad were selected by available sampling method. Participants' cognitive function was measured by The Beck Depression Inventory II, Semantic Distance Test, Verbal Fluency Test, Dot Probe Test, Stroop Test, Implicit Association Test and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Tets scores were organized as predictive variables, and the three processing levels were considered as mediating variables. The model's structure was analyzed through Structural Equation Model method with an exploratory approach. The best fitted model of data confirmed the three-level division of the research data. In this model, the path coefficient between semantic and conceptual constructions obtained 0.4. These results suggest that Feature-Oriented, Semantic, and Conceptual levels of cognition are differently processed, and cognitive tests results could be compared just in similar level according to the information volume of stimuli used. In previous studies, the relationship between Verbal Fluency test scores and the severity of Beck depressive score has often been controversial. Using the concept of processing levels, the relationship between these two variables have been reinterpreted.

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