In conditioned odor aversion (COA), the association of a tasteless odorized solution (the conditioned stimulus [CS]) with an intraperitoneal injection of LiCl (the unconditioned stimulus [US]), which produces visceral malaise, results in its future avoidance. The strength of this associative memory is mainly dependent on two parameters, that is,…

The incubation effect (IE) is a problem-solving phenomenon composed of three phases: pre-incubation where one fails to solve a problem; incubation, a momentary break where time is spent away from the unsolved problem; and post-incubation where the unsolved problem is revisited and solved. Literature on IE was limited to experiments involving…

Executive functions are a set of cognitive skills and processes used when directing behaviour towards the attainment of a certain goal. A large literature has documented positive associations between executive functions and a variety of desirable outcomes throughout life, including academic achievement. However, training executive functions…

This study investigated the impact of soundfield amplification (SFA) on reading fluency in normal-hearing students (n = 84) aged 8-10 years. Twenty-three grade 3 and 4 classes participated across three academic terms, alternating between SFA-On and SFA-Off conditions. Reading fluency was assessed using the Wheldall Assessment of Reading Passages.…

Background: Children nowadays have to read and understand multiple digital documents while living in the current digital society. We examined the relation between digital exposure and multiple digital document reading outcomes in 203 5th graders (age, M = 10.33 years). Methods: At the beginning of 5th grade, we assessed their working memory,…

Through research-backed strategies and practical applications, author Julia A. Simms explores self-regulated learning, instructional sequences, and brain-based learning. She examines the development of cognitive and metacognitive skills, working memory, and effective explicit instruction, offering step-by-step guidance for teachers to facilitate…

Soldiers are challenged with interpreting information in unpredictable contexts, while maintaining high levels of job-specific performance. Virtual reality (VR) provides a controlled, immersive environment to evaluate military-relevant tasks under stress. This study determined psychological, physical, and cognitive associations with…

By using a three-time longitudinal design, the present study focuses on three components of executive function (EF), respectively, to examine whether the relation between EF and receptive vocabulary was reciprocal and whether the direction of the above relation would differ by EF components and child gender. A total of 320 Chinese preschool…

Representing the base-10 structure of numbers is a challenging cognitive ability, unique to humans, but it is yet unknown how precisely this is done. Here, we examined whether and how literate adults represent a number's full syntactic structure. In 5 experiments, participants repeated number-word sequences and we systematically varied the order…

Performance on a single executive function (EF) task (e.g., a card sorting task) is often taken to represent ability on the underlying subcomponent of EF (e.g., set shifting) without accounting for the non-specific and non-executive skills employed to complete the task. This study used a manualised battery of EF tasks to derive individual task…

An indirect connection between executive functioning and imagination was revealed earlier in the study of pretend play. This study aimed to explore the relationship between imagination and executive functions in children. Two-hundred-six typically developing children aged 6-7 years were assessed with main executive functions (working memory,…

Previous research suggests people struggle to detect a series of movements that might imply hostile intentions of a vessel, yet this ability is crucial in many real world Naval scenarios. To investigate possible mechanisms for improving performance, participants engaged in a simple, simulated ship movement task. One of two hostile behaviors were…

This study investigated executive function deficits among Chinese primary school children with word reading deficit and specific reading comprehension deficit. Working memory, inhibitory control, and cognitive flexibility were examined among children with Word Reading Deficit (WRD), children with Specific Reading Comprehension Deficit (S-RCD) and…

Background: The conversational speech of most children can be understood by people outside the family by the time they reach 4 years. However, for some children, speech sound disorders (SSDs) persist into their early school years, and beyond, despite adequate hearing, oromotor function, and language learning opportunities. One explanation for…

The association of phonological and lexical-semantic processes with spelling ability in children has received scant research interest even though uncovering such associations can increase our understanding of literacy development. A cross-sectional study was carried out with 42 6- and 8-year-old children in the southeast of Ireland. The children…