Smartphones are a ubiquitous part of many people's lives, but little is known about their impact on everyday thought processes. Here we introduce the "spontaneous smartphone checking scale" (SSCS)--which measures the tendency to direct attention toward one's smartphone, unpreceded by external prompts (e.g., notifications, or alerts) and…

According to cognitive load theory, learning can only be successful when instructional materials and procedures are designed in accordance with human cognitive architecture. In this context, one of the biggest challenges is the accurate measurement of the different cognitive load types as these are associated with various activities during…

Cognitive tasks are seldom evaluated on their ability to provide valid and reliable measurements of the construct they intend to measure. This scarcity of psychometric evaluations makes it challenging to evaluate replications of experimental effects and to relate performance in cognitive tasks to other constructs of interest. In developmental…

Intelligence scales are widely employed in the assessment of gifted students. The Anadolu-Sak Intelligence Scale [ASIS], an intelligence evaluation tool originating from Turkey, is extensively used for identifying gifted students. This study aimed to investigate the cognitive profiles of gifted children using the ASIS. Participants were selected…

Despite substantial evidence for the link between an individual's intelligence and successful life outcomes, questions about what defines intelligence have remained the focus of heated dispute. The most common approach to understanding intelligence has been to investigate what performance on tests of intellect is and is not associated with. This…

This article is a narrative account of my search for knowledge about the nature of consciousness, and the implications of my findings for research and education. For over three decades, I accepted the dominant script presented to me through my education, both formal and informal, which assumes that the brain creates consciousness. Further, when…

Cognitive load studies are mostly centered on information on perceived cognitive load. Single-item subjective rating scales are the dominant measurement practice to investigate overall cognitive load. Usually, either invested mental effort or perceived task difficulty is used as an overall cognitive load measure. However, the extent to which the…

We develop and validate a self-report measure of intrinsic and extrinsic cognitive load suitable for measuring the constructs in a variety of learning contexts. Data were collected from three independent samples of college students in the U.S. (N[subscript total]= 513; M[subscript age]= 21.13 years). Kane's (2013) framework was used to validate…

Processing speed is a component of general intelligence and an indicator of learning potential. There is a need for robust measures of mental speed based on contemporary theoretical developments. The current study addressed this need by proposing a mental speed test for children aged 60 to 96 months (5 to 8 years) and examining its psychometric…

This article reviews the embodied theoretical basis for the meaningful learning of abstract vocabulary and reviews selected educational programs that are theoretically based and have both success and promise for abstract vocabulary development. Abstract vocabulary is a mainstay of academic vocabulary, but its nature and educational development are…

The cognitive load imposed by instruction is an important consideration for instructional designers. Theoretical models have traditionally divided total cognitive load into intrinsic, extrinsic, and germane load. The 10-item Cognitive Load Inventory (CLI-10) is designed to measure these three types of cognitive load. It is typically administered…

The experience of love plays an integral role in human development as adolescents transition into adulthood. However, little is known about whether early adults have a shared understanding about indicators of love in daily life in this transitional phase. Using Cultural Consensus Theory informed by developmental theory, this study examined whether…

In the current article, we describe the development and validation of the Social Comparison Rumination Scale. This measured was developed as a supplement to existing social comparison measures and to enable us to determine its potential relevance to perfectionism and other personality constructs. The Social Comparison Rumination Scale (SCRS) is a…

Epistemic engagement among higher education learners often involves cognitive appraisal operations which generate emotional processes. This study aims to develop and validate a multidimensional "Emotional Presence Scale" (EPS) to measure learners' experience of emotion due to cognitive appraisal in epistemic processes. Based on the…

It has been debated whether working memory (WM) performance is modulated by the valence of the stimuli that are being processed. A recent meta-analysis revealed that at the behavioral level and in individuals without mental health problems, mean-level performance differences in WM tasks with neutral versus affective conditions are small to…