Search

Mathematics achievement is core to South Africa's readiness for digital innovation, yet current pass rates in this subject are below the global average. Simply attributing mathematics performance to intelligence does not fully account for the multifaceted reality of achievement in the subject. The current study investigated the value of both cognitive and behavioural factors in predicting mathematics performance, as well as explored the interactions between these factors. A quantitative, cross-sectional design was employed. Grade 9 learners (N = 187) completed the Ravens' Standard Progressive Matrices and the Study Orientation towards Mathematics assessments to establish their fluid intelligence, study attitude, mathematics anxiety, study habits, problem-solving behaviours and study milieu. Pearson correlation coefficients established the relationships between fluid intelligence, study orientations towards mathematics, and mathematics marks. These factors were also included in a linear regression and dominance analysis to compare their relative weights in influencing mathematics performance. Study attitude and fluid intelligence were found to be the most dominant, significant factors in the model, which explained 39% of the total variance (R[superscript 2] = 0.390, F(6, 180), = 19.2, p <0.001). Moderator regressions between fluid intelligence and each of the study orientations further found that fluid intelligence and study orientations, with the exception of study milieu, independently influence mathematics performance.

This study scrutinized the effects of words' superiority, regularity, frequency and length on the intermediate and advanced EFL learner's visual word recognition. Moreover, it attempted to check whether each of these parameters could be statistically a significant predictor on recognition tasks. Accordingly, 118 intermediate and 127 advanced adult EFL learners were selected randomly from English Language Institutes based on their performance on the McMillan Placement Test (MPT). The needed data was collected through a developed Visual Word Recognition Test (WORT) and the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test (PPVT). The findings indicated that all the mentioned factors significantly affected both the intermediate and the advanced EFL learners' overall word recognition by varying degrees (words' frequency, length, superiority and regularity, respectively), however, the advanced learners' recognition was generally faster on both recognition tests. Moreover, words' regularity was found to play a more effective role for the intermediates than the advanced learners on recognition tasks. Furthermore, words' frequency, regularity and length were found to be proper predictors on comprehension tasks.

Grade repetition is an issue with important educational implications. This study analyzes the effect of cognitive variables, socio-economic status, as well as the interaction of socioeconomic status with ethnic origin, on the probability of not repeating. Data were collected to calculate socioeconomic status using the Hollingshead Socioeconomic Index, and the following tests were administered to collect information on cognitive variables: the Primary Mental Aptitude Test (PMA), the Raven's Progressive Matrices Test, and the Wechsler Intelligence for Children Information Scale (WISC IV). The sample consisted of 664 students of Compulsory Secondary Education (ESO), Baccalaureate and intermediate and higher vocational training. The results confirm the predictive power of socioeconomic status. With regard to cognitive variables, significant results were only obtained when the WISC-IV Information Scale was taken as a predictor, this measure being related to crystallized intelligence. The influence of the origin of the students did not yield significant results. There is a clear need for a debate and a rethinking of the issue leading to the identification of new strategies to reduce grade repetition and its negative effects.

This study strived to determine the effectiveness of integrative teaching of reading strategies and working memory on basic math and problem-solving skills. It is a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest study carried out on 50 second-graders from Chahashk Shandiz village in the academic year of 2020-2021 who were randomly selected by cluster sampling and randomly divided into experimental and control groups. The intervention was performed by cellphone software through virtual education in two steps. The experimental group underwent integrative training for 20 sessions, but the control group did not receive any intervention. Colored Progressive Matrices (1956) and a researcher-made story problem-solving and arithmetic skills test were used to collect data. Descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and one-way multivariate analysis of covariance were used to analyze the data. The results showed that the integrative teaching of reading strategies and working memory enhanced the basic math skills, with an effect size of 0.67 in second-grade elementary students (P<0.001). According to the results, integrative teaching improved students' problem-solving skills but did not affect their skills in arithmetic operations. Therefore, second-grade elementary teachers can use this method to enhance their story problem-solving skills.

The main objective of this study is to assess the Spanish literacy competence of students enrolled in bilingual and trilingual programs by analyzing the developmental process and evolutionary course of reading during the first cycle of Primary Education. This analysis aims to determine whether the reading skills in Spanish of students in multilingual schools are affected by immersion in a foreign language, in this case, English. To achieve this, a total of 258 second-grade primary students were examined, categorized into groups based on the number of languages they knew (two or three), in comparison to a control group of monolingual students. Two variables were measured: intelligence using the WISC-IV and literacy competence using the TALE. The results of both tests indicate that there are no significant differences in reading competence between bilingual and trilingual students and monolingual students. These results reinforce the idea that learning to read is a process not influenced by the number of languages spoken.

This study investigates school-age children's arithmetic operations performance while solving larger-size problems which produces interferences in memory. Complex problems can trigger competing responses in working memory, which are irrelevant to a task goal and increase the likelihood of interference from previously learned problems (De Visscher et al., 2018). Interference control in working memory is required to be able to manage and suppress irrelevant information while performing cognitive tasks such as arithmetic problem-solving (Unsworth, 2010). The present study explores potential cognitive processes while performing arithmetic tasks and emphasizes the important role of interference control for better performance in such tasks. This study applied a mixed-effect model experimental design. Forty-four primary school children were involved in the study. The results showed that children's performance in terms of correct responses was similar for both small-size and large-size problems. However, their response speed was significantly lower in larger-size problems, which created more interference in working memory.

In this study, we aimed to determine the role of parental praise and child affect in the neural processes underlying parent-child interactions, utilizing functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning. We characterized the dynamic changes in interpersonal neural synchrony (INS) between parents and children (4-6 years old, n = 40 dyads) during a cognitively challenging task. We then examined how changes in parent-child INS are influenced by parental feedback and child affect. Parent-child INS showed a quadratic change over time, indicating a decelerated decline during the interaction period. The relationship of parental praise, in the form of positive feedback, to change in INS was contingent upon the child's positive affect during the task. The highest levels of INS were observed when praise was present and child affect was positive. The left temporo-parietal regions of the child and the right dorsolateral prefrontal and right temporo-parietal regions of the parent demonstrated the strongest INS. The dynamic change in INS during the interaction was associated with children's independent performance on a standardized test of visuospatial processing. This research, leveraging fNIRS hyperscanning, elucidates the neural dynamics underlying the interaction between parent praise and child positive affect, thereby contributing to our broader understanding of parent-child dynamics.

Embedded performance validity tests (PVTs), like Digit Span PVTs from Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Fourth Edition (WAIS-IV), offer a valuable means of evaluating validity without extending administration time. This study investigated the utility of novel indices of performance inconsistency for WAIS-IV Digit Span (DS IRs) in the detection of invalid performance among 705 adults referred for ADHD evaluation. Results showed DS IR indices were inadequate in classifying overall validity status (areas under the curve = 0.52-0.59). Predictably, four established Digit Span PVTs effectively distinguished between valid and invalid performance score groups (areas under the curve = 0.74-0.78) with 32-49% sensitivity and 86-93% specificity at optimal cut-scores. Overall, individuals with noncredible performance scores did not differ significantly from those with valid scores regarding performance inconsistency on WAIS-IV Digit Span.

Objective: ADHD is subject to stigma from the general population. Exposure to stigma poses the risk of developing self-stigma of youth and parents, but few studies have focused on self-stigma of ADHD. Furthermore, parental factors have been implicated in self-stigma of youth, but no previous research has assessed the association between self-stigma of parents and youth. Therefore, the objective of this study was to better understand the experience of self-stigma of youth and their parents in the context of ADHD. Method: Fifty-five youth with ADHD (aged 8-17) and one parent reporter per youth completed surveys to report their experiences. Results: The results of this study found that both youth and parents reported significantly lower self-stigma scores compared to most previously published research. Parents of boys reported higher self-stigma scores compared to parents of girls. Youth who reported higher self-stigma also reported lower self-esteem. Self-stigma scores in youth were predicted by inattentive symptoms but not hyperactive/impulsive symptoms or parental self-stigma. Conclusion: Results emphasize the importance of understanding self-stigma of ADHD, symptom severity, and the need for interventions for families with ADHD.

Objective: To examine the manifestation of cognitive control deficit of children with different levels of hyperactivity, an "at risk" dimension for ADHD. Method: A group of children with high hyperactivity (N = 40) and another group of children with low levels of hyperactivity (N = 38) performed a modified stop-signal anticipation task, a revised Go/NoGo task, and the AX-continuous performance test (AX-CPT). Results: Children with higher levels of hyperactivity displayed: (1) significantly prolonged stop signal reaction time (SSRT) in the modified stop-signal anticipation task; (2) no notable differences in commission errors in the revised Go/NoGo task; (3) increased reaction time (RT) in stop-signal task and Go/NoGo task with increased probabilities of stop or NoGo signal; and (4) positive proactive behavioral index scores in AXCPT. Conclusion: The results suggested that children with heightened hyperactivity exhibited impaired reactive control, especially for responses already underway, but preserved proactive control. Further studies concerning these children are warranted.

In people with intellectual disabilities research and policy are often still focused on risks or the prevention of risks. Research on the process of resilience is in its infancy in the care for people with intellectual disabilities. In the current study, applying a guided photovoice procedure, people with intellectual disabilities were asked what helped them to deal with adverse events. Additionally, informants from their social network were asked to reflect on this question. The following sources of resilience were identified: acceptance, autonomy, beautiful memories, perseverance, physical wellbeing, positive emotions, social skills, spirituality, activities, a home and the social network. Our findings provide practical guidelines for clinicians to talk about resilience with people with intellectual disabilities. Suggestions for future research are made that will contribute to the process of resilience and inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities.

Autistic individuals are at significantly higher risk of suicide than non-autistic individuals, with transition-aged youth at potentially the highest risk. While lower executive function (EF) skills have been significantly associated with suicide risk in other clinical samples, the link between EF and suicidality has not yet been examined for autistic individuals. In this study, 183 transition-aged autistic youths completed routine suicide risk assessments and self- and informant-reports of autistic traits, depression, and EF skills. On the P4 Suicide Screener, approximately one-third of the sample (33.3%) endorsed having thoughts of hurting themselves with the intent to end their lives (i.e., suicidal ideation) in their lifetime. In addition to depressive symptoms, EF impairment independently predicted endorsement of suicidal ideation, indicating that both are crucial intervention goals to target suicidal risk for transition-aged youth on the spectrum. Findings suggest that executive functioning, a prevalent area of difficulty and common intervention target for the autistic community, is an important indicator of suicide risk in this population.

Individuals diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are more likely to have suicidal thoughts and behaviors. However, little research delineates the temporal and mechanistic associations between potential risk factors and suicidality in autistic individuals. We assessed 129 autistic and 121 age-matched and sex-assigned-at-birth-matched typically developing (TD) children and youth at baseline and follow-up. We evaluated internalizing/externalizing problems, bullying experiences, and three executive function tasks at a mean baseline age of 13.4 years (standard deviation: 4.2 years). After an average of 5.8 years (standard deviation: 1.7 years), we evaluated their suicidal thoughts and behaviors. The experiences of being bullied partially mediated the temporal relationship between pre-existing ASD and later-reported suicidal thoughts. Several cognitive flexibility and sustained attention indices mediated the temporal relationship between pre-existing ASD and later-reported suicidal thoughts. A multiple mediation model confirmed that bullying victimization and cognitive flexibility jointly mediated the temporal relationship between ASD and suicidal thoughts. Better cognitive flexibility and experiences of bullying victimization in autistic children/youth were both associated with higher risks of later-reported suicidal thoughts in adolescence/adulthood. School bullying-prevention programs and tailored clinical support for autistic youth with better cognitive flexibility are warranted for personalized suicide prevention for the autistic population.

The emotional intelligence models have helped to develop different tools for construct assessment. Each theoretical paradigm conceptualizes emotional intelligence from one of two perspectives: ability or mixed model. Ability models consider emotional intelligence as a pure form of mental ability and therefore as pure intelligence. Mixed models of emotional intelligence combine mental capacity with personality traits. The trait models of emotional intelligence refer to the individual perceptions of their own emotional abilities. Cognitive learning involves placing new information into existing frameworks and modes of understanding.

The current study examined whether social competence and autistic traits are related to anxiety and depression in autistic and non-autistic children. Parents of 340 children aged 6 to 12 years old, including 186 autistic and 154 non-autistic children completed the Autism Spectrum Quotient (AQ) to assess their child's autistic traits, the Multidimensional Social Competence Scale (MSCS) to assess their child's social competence, and the Behaviour Assessment Scale for Children 2 (BASC-2) to assess their child's internalizing symptoms of depression and anxiety, and children were administered the Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence, Second Edition (WASI-II) to assess their intellectual abilities. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were conducted to investigate the relations between social competence, autistic traits, anxiety, and depression. Social competence was related to anxiety and depression symptoms in autistic children, but only depression symptoms in non-autistic children, above and beyond the effects of autistic traits, IQ and age. Autistic children were also reported to experience more severe anxiety and depression symptoms, and more autistic traits were related to higher levels of anxiety and depression in both groups. These findings suggest that social competence and internalizing symptoms are intricately connected in autistic children and need to be jointly considered in both assessment and intervention. The social implications are discussed with an emphasis on acceptance of diverse social styles as a viable avenue to reduce children's internalizing symptoms.

This study aimed to assess differences in emotion and elaboration quality between clinical and community child cohorts in both past reminiscing and future worry conversations. We analyzed 54 Australian parents (46 mothers, 8 fathers) and their 8- to 12-year-old children (M = 9.63, SD = 1.29; 28 boys, 26 girls) in reminiscing interactions. Dyads were recruited from local schools (community cohort, n = 26) or a children's psychology clinic waitlist (clinical cohort, n = 28). Clinical cohort children engaged in less emotion exploration in both past and future conversations, as did parents for future conversations. Elaboration quality did not differ. Parent-son dyads differed in the clinical cohort, exhibiting significantly lower emotion resolution than the community cohort, or parent-daughter dyads when discussing past events. These findings suggest that discussing anticipated negative events may be a relevant point of family-based intervention for anxious children. Additionally, this study highlights the importance of parent-son emotional discussion.

Purpose: Previous studies have reported the success of distributional learning for adult speakers across segmental and suprasegmental categories immediately after training. On the other hand, second language (L2) perception models posit that the ease with which learners perceive a nonnative speech contrast depends on the perceptual mapping between the contrast and learners' first language (L1) categories. This study examined whether a difference in perceptual mapping patterns for different L2-Mandarin tonal contrasts might result in a difference in distributional learning effectiveness for tonal speakers and whether an interval of sleep enhanced the knowledge through consolidation. Method: Following a pretest-training-posttest design, 66 L1-Cantonese participants with fewer than 9 years of Mandarin training were assigned to either the bimodal or unimodal distribution conditions. The participants of each group were asked to discriminate Mandarin level-falling (T1-T4) and level-rising (T1-T2) tone pairs on novel syllables in a within-subject design. All participants were trained in the evening, tested after training, and returned after 12 hr for overnight consolidation assessment. Results: A significant distributional learning effect was observed for Mandarin T1-T4, but only after sleep. No significant distributional learning effect was observed for Mandarin T1-T2, either after training or after sleep. Conclusions: The findings may imply that distributional learning is contingent on perceptual mapping patterns of the target contrasts and that sleep may play a role in the consolidation of knowledge in an implicit statistical learning paradigm.

Purpose: Transcription of conjoined independent clauses within language samples varies across professionals. Some transcribe these clauses as two separate utterances, whereas others conjoin them within a single utterance. As an inquiry into equitable practice, we examined rates of conjoined independent clauses produced by children and the impact of separating these clauses within utterances on measures of mean length of utterance (MLU) by a child's English dialect, clinical status, and age. Method: The data were archival and included 246 language samples from children classified by their dialect (African American English or Southern White English) and clinical status (developmental language disorder [DLD] or typically developing [TD]), with those in the TD group further classified by their age (4 years [TD4] or 6 years [TD6]). Results: Rates of conjoined independent clauses and the impact of these clauses on MLU varied by clinical status (DLD < TD) and age (TD4 < TD6), but not by dialect. Correlations between the rate of conjoined clauses, MLU, and language test scores were also similar across the two dialects. Conclusions: Transcription decisions regarding conjoined independent clauses within language samples lead to equitable measurement outcomes across dialects of English. Nevertheless, transcribing conjoined independent clauses as two separate utterances reduces one's ability to detect syntactic differences between children with and without DLD and document syntactic growth as children age.

Individual differences in spatial thinking are predictive of children's math and science achievement and later entry into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Little is known about whether parent characteristics predict individual differences in children's spatial thinking. This study aims to understand whether, and to what extent, mother's intrinsic (i.e., mental rotation) and extrinsic (i.e., spatial scaling) spatial ability directly and indirectly, via the variation in home spatial environment, predicts children's intrinsic and extrinsic spatial ability. A total of 165 mothers and their 4-6-year-old children were recruited to participate in a remote video session with an experimenter. Mothers were administered a forced-choice "Intrinsic Spatial Toy Preference Task" gauging their preference for highly spatial versus less spatial toys and asked questions with the "Home Intrinsic Spatial Environmental Questionnaire" about the frequency with which they engage their child in spatial activities at home. Mothers completed a "Mental Rotations Test" and a "Spatial Scaling Task" adapted for adults. Children were administered the "Picture Rotation Task," the "Spatial Scaling Task," and the "Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test." Structural equation modeling was used to examine direct and indirect, via home spatial environment and toy choices, influences of mother spatial ability on child spatial ability. Contrary to our predictions, we did not find direct, nor indirect, relations between mother and child spatial ability. These findings suggest that researchers should consider alternative conceptualizations of the early home spatial environment beyond the frequency of spatial play in the home.

In order to make appropriate educational recommendations, psychologists must understand how cognitive test scores influence specific academic outcomes for students of different ability levels. We used data from the WISC-V and WIAT-III (N = 181) to examine which WISC-V Index scores predicted children's specific and broad academic skills and if cognitive-achievement relations varied by general intelligence. Verbal abilities predicted most academic skills for children of all ability levels, whereas processing speed, working memory, visual processing, and fluid reasoning abilities differentially predicted specific academic skills. Processing speed and working memory demonstrated significant interaction effects with full-scale IQ when predicting youth's essay writing. Findings suggest generalized intelligence may influence the predictive validity of certain cognitive tests, and replication studies in larger samples are encouraged.

Purpose: This study examined the impact of bilingualism on affective theory of mind (ToM) and social prioritization (SP) among autistic adults compared to neurotypical comparison participants. Method: Fifty-two (25 autistic, 27 neurotypical) adult participants (ages 21-35 years) with varying second language (L2) experience, ranging from monolingual to bilingual, completed an affective ToM task. A subset of this sample also completed a dynamic eye-tracking task designed to capture differences in time spent looking at social aspects of a scene (SP). Four language groups were compared on task performance (monolingual autism and neurotypical, bilingual autism and neurotypical), followed by analyses examining the contribution of L2 experience, autism characteristics, and social face prioritization on affective ToM, controlling for verbal IQ. Finally, we conducted an analysis to identify the contribution of SP on affective ToM when moderated by autism status and L2 experience, controlling for verbal IQ. Results: The monolingual autism group performed significantly worse than the other three groups (bilingual autism, monolingual neurotypical, and bilingual neurotypical) on the affective ToM task; however, there were no significant differences between the bilingual autism group compared to the monolingual and bilingual neurotypical groups. For autistic individuals, affective ToM capabilities were positively associated with both verbal IQ and L2 experience but did not relate to autism characteristics or SP during eye tracking. Neurotypical participants showed greater SP during the eye-tracking task, and SP did not relate to L2 or autism characteristics for autistic individuals. SP and verbal IQ predicted affective ToM performance across autism and neurotypical groups, but this relationship was moderated by L2 experience; SP more strongly predicted affective ToM performance among participants with lower L2 experience (e.g., monolingual) and had less of an impact for those with higher L2 experience. Conclusion: This study provides support for a bilingual advantage in affective ToM for autistic individuals.

The influence of the epistemological beliefs of parents on the development of comprehensive scientific reasoning abilities was investigated in a five-wave longitudinal study from kindergarten to elementary school. The 161 German 5-10-year-olds (89 girls, 72 boys) were assessed yearly on their scientific reasoning abilities using comprehensive measures for experimentation and data-interpretation skills, as well as understanding of the nature of science. The children were also tested on their language abilities and intelligence. Their parents completed a sociodemographics questionnaire and answered ten questions about their epistemological beliefs regarding (1) the interpretive nature of science, (2) the tentative nature of knowledge, and (3) the role of scientific framework theories. The personal epistemology of the parents significantly predicted the scientific reasoning development of their children regardless of the parents' education level and the children's general cognitive abilities. However, the effect of the epistemology of parents on their children's scientific reasoning was limited to the intercepts, suggesting that the epistemic understanding of parents affects how scientific reasoning develops in their children, but not the development speed. Although parental epistemology exerts substantial effects on scientific reasoning of their children, it did not affect their reading ability, suggesting an involvement of science-specific mechanisms rather than generalized family-based influences. These findings highlight the importance of family as a variable in the development of scientific reasoning, which is an area lacking in research, and it suggests that early interventions targeted at the epistemic understanding of caregivers can provide useful ways for promoting the reasoning of children.

Income-based childcare programs provide children access to developmentally appropriate and vocabulary-rich literacy experiences. For this study, participating U.S. Head Start Centers requested families complete a weekly home literacy log to encourage vocabulary-rich shared book reading activities in the home. Using participant characteristics, including literacy log competition, this study examined which factors adequately predicted vocabulary growth as measured by Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Fourth Edition standard scores. Results indicated that vocabulary increased significantly for children who were enrolled in participating Head Start pre-kindergarten (Pre-K) programs. Important predictors of the magnitude of vocabulary growth during an academic year included sex, language(s) spoken in the home, and completion of home literacy logs. Clinical implications of this study would warrant recommending home literacy logs as a component of holistic Head Start programming, as completion of literacy logs emerged as an important variable in predicting the magnitude of vocabulary growth second only to race and sex.

Understanding cognitive effort expended during assessments is essential to improving efficiency, accuracy, and accessibility within these assessments. Pupil dilation is commonly used as a psychophysiological measure of cognitive effort, yet research on its relationship with effort expended specifically during language processing is limited. The present study adds to and expands on this literature by investigating the relationships among pupil dilation, trial difficulty, and accuracy during a vocabulary test. Participants (n = 63, M[subscript age] = 19.25) completed a subset of trials from the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test while seated at an eye-tracker monitor. During each trial, four colored images were presented on the monitor while a word was presented via audio recording. Participants verbally indicated which image they thought represented the target word. Words were categorized into Easy, Medium, and Hard difficulty. Pupil dilation during the Medium and Hard trials was significantly greater than during the Easy trials, though the Medium and Hard trials did not significantly differ from each other. Pupil dilation in comparison to trial accuracy presented a more complex pattern, with comparisons between accurate and inaccurate trials differing depending on the timing of the stimulus presentation. These results present further evidence that pupil dilation increases with cognitive effort associated with vocabulary tests, providing insights that could help refine vocabulary assessments and other related tests of language processing.

Introduction: The objective of the present study was to determine if emotional intelligence and family stress are predictors of satisfaction with studies in university students. Method: Cross-sectional predictive study with a quantitative approach. The population was made up of 414 university students of both sexes who applied the TMMS-24 Emotional Intelligence Scale by Salovey and Mayer Family Stress Scale, the original version of Olson, and the Brief Satisfaction with Studies EBSE scale. Results: When performing statistical processing, it was evident that family stress has a standardized beta coefficient [beta] = -0.116; p < 0.05 indicates a low, statistically significant, indirect prediction. In other words, the greater the family stress, the lower the satisfaction with studies. In the same way, the standardized beta coefficient that represents the prediction of emotional intelligence on satisfaction with studies, which was [beta] = 0.470; p < 0.05, showed a direct, moderate, and statistically significant predictive value. Discussion and Conclusions: The results establish that emotional intelligence and family stress predict satisfaction with studies. The areas that are part of emotional intelligence, such as perception, understanding, and regulation, are related to family stress levels, and these influence the degree of satisfaction with studies. The greater the emotional intelligence, the greater the satisfaction with studies and different life stages.

The perspective of emergent literacy was applied to investigate the name-writing skills of 4-year-old, low-income Mandarin Chinese-speaking children in Taiwan. One hundred and eleven children in Taiwan were recruited from 12 public preschools. Children were individually assessed with a name-writing task, the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test-Revised, book and print concepts, and recognition of Chinese characters and radicals. Analyses of correlations and stepwise regressions were conducted. The results indicated the following: (1) children's age, vocabulary ability, book and print concepts, and recognition of Chinese characters and radicals were significantly correlated with name-writing skills, whereas the total number of name strokes was not, and (2) recognition of Chinese characters and radicals made the greatest contribution (30%) to explain the variance in name-writing skills, followed by PPVT-R score (3%). A discussion and implications are provided in relation to early writing skills and instruction.

Graduate Records Examinations (GRE) remain an important criterion for admission to the graduate program. This study explored the predictive role of the GRE for college success among deaf students because most deaf and hard-of-hearing students experience lifelong difficulties in English language and literacy because of their different language acquisition processes. Additionally, the study examined the students' undergraduate grade point average (UGPA), first-semester grade point average (FSGPA), and graduating graduate grade point average (GGPA) to understand D/HH students' performance in a graduate program. Additionally, the study examined the use of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS) as a substitute for the GRE criterion for graduate admission. The findings' discussions offer suggestions for using GRE scores in admitting D/HH students to graduate academic programs across the United States.

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 from students who underwent intelligence testing at the Gifted Education Research and Practice Center [GERPC]. The study focused on data from 360 students with a GIQ score of 130 or higher. To determine the cognitive profiles of gifted students, a statistical technique called latent profile analysis [LPA] was employed using the tidyLPA package in R. The results revealed two distinct gifted profiles: verbal gifted (38%) and nonverbal gifted (62%). Children with a verbal gifted profile excelled in tasks involving verbal reasoning, analogies, and linguistic abilities. Conversely, children with a non-verbal gifted profile demonstrated exceptional abilities in tasks requiring visual flexibility and sequential processing. Both groups exhibited superior cognitive abilities across various domains compared to the average group mean. These findings challenge the notion of a single, general intelligence profile and underscore the importance of considering multiple domains and psychometric categories when identifying and supporting gifted individuals.

This study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Wechsler-4 Intelligence Scale who are deaf with Mild Intellectual Disability. Descriptive survey method was used. The sample included (174) deaf students in Jordan, ranging in age from (6-16.11) years. The scale was also applied in sign language. Validity indicators were found which were Content Validity (80%), Construct Validity (1.939- 0.489), Concurrent Validity with Goodenough- Harris Drawing Test (0.688) and Achievement (0.887), and the correlation coefficients ranged between subtests and the total score of the scale Between (0.487 - 0.898). Also, the significance of Reliability scale was the Test Re-test method (0.866), the arbitrator's agreement (78.2%), and the half-way method for individual questions (0.76), the marital questions (0.75), and the correlation coefficient between odd and even paragraphs (0.868). The results showed that the level of total intelligence was (IQ = 62.54). And the existence of differences in the level of arithmetic average intelligence (Verbal Comprehension Index, VCI) = (62.02), (Perceptual Reasoning Index, PRI) = (66.63), (Working Memory Index, WMI) = (74.50), and (Processing Speed Index, PSI) = (82.68), and Full-Scale IQ (FSIQ) = (62.54).And the presence of statistically significant differences in the level of Intelligence (WMI and PSI) in favor of females. There were no differences in IQ, attributable to the variable degree of hearing impairment for each of the tests (VCI, PRI, WMI, PSI, and FSIQ). The study recommends related to the understanding of sign language of deaf Mild Intellectual Disability.

Although numerous studies show that intelligence, measured by various tests, is a significant predictor of school achievement, this cognitive variable can only explain about 50% of the variance. It is also known that communicative language ability represents an important basis for learning subject content in the early period of formal education. One of the most comprehensive models of language ability (Bahman, Palmer, 1996), in addition to strategic knowledge, includes language knowledge that includes organizational language knowledge (grammatical and textual) and pragmatic language knowledge. Although the non-cognitive factors de facto participate in the explanation of school success, the aim of the research presented in this paper was to determine the predictive influence of intelligence and communicative language ability, i.e. organizational and pragmatic language knowledge on differences in school achievement in Serbian, English and Mathematics at the end of the first half of the fifth grade. The research was conducted on the sample of 197 fifth-grade students (51% girls, average age 11.5 months) in elementary schools in Loznica. The authors of the paper applied an adapted form of the test of communicative language abilities that was applied in research in a bilingual context (Šimonji-Cernak, 2005). Revisk was used to test verbal and manipulative intelligence (Biro, 1997). We started from the assumption that organizational language knowledge, has a more significant predictive influence on differences in school performance in the above-mentioned subjects than intelligence. Hierarchical regression analysis model determined that the predictor variables of organizational language knowledge explain 36.8%-49.4% of the variance in school achievement, while the intelligence variables are related to the achievements in Serbian and Mathematics and explain 0.6%-3% of the variance. A significant partial contribution of pragmatic knowledge and knowledge of verbs as an element of grammatical language knowledge were determined in all three subjects, as well as the contribution of knowledge of grammatical rules only in the Serbian language.The results confirm the hypothesis and indicate that for success in the mother tongue, foreign language and mathematics it is important to develop grammatical knowledge, and pay special attention to the importance and strategies of developing pragmatic language function in the period of early formal education.

The Flynn effect, which advocated that there was a rise in the global IQ score, was widely accepted by the relevant scientific community. However, there are recent research findings that this effect has been reversed. In this study, both Flynn and anti-Flynn effects were investigated. The purpose of this study is to analyze students' general, verbal, and visual intelligence score trends in the last six years (range = 2016--2021). The participants of the study included 2192 students who were in first grade in elementary school by the time of data collection. The Anadolu-Sak Intelligence Scale (ASIS) was used to measure the full-scale IQ, verbal IQ, and visual IQ scores of the participants. Participants' mean general, verbal, and visual intelligence scores in different years were analyzed by trend analysis. The research findings showed that there was a descending trend in general, verbal, and visual scores between the years 2016 to 2021. Moreover, our findings reveal that there is a sharp decrease in IQ score trends between 2020 and 2021. Because of this study, the Flynn effect could not be seen in the way that was predicted.

While symbolic number processing is an important correlate for typical and low mathematics achievement, it remains to be determined whether children with high mathematics achievement also have excellent symbolic number processing abilities. We investigated this question in 64 children (aged 8 to 10), i.e., 32 children with persistent high achievement in mathematics (above the 90th percentile) and 32 average-achieving peers (between the 25th and 75th percentile). Children completed measures of symbolic number processing (comparison and order). We additionally investigated the roles of spatial visualization and working memory. High mathematics achievers were faster and more accurate in order processing compared to average achievers, but no differences were found in magnitude comparison. High mathematics achievers demonstrated better spatial visualization ability, while group differences in working memory were less clear. Spatial visualization ability was the only significant predictor of group membership. Our results therefore highlight the role of high spatial visualization ability in high mathematics achievement.

The rapid spread of COVID-19 has forced schools and universities to close. Globally, education systems face unprecedented challenges, and learning management systems (LMS) are the only solution. The current study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a Blackboard collaborative breakout group on the cognitive achievement of physical education teaching styles. The quasi-experimental method involved creating two groups: one experimental and one control, with the experimental group using Blackboard collaborative breakout groups and the control group relying exclusively on online lectures and continuing with the same method without breakout groups. The study sample consisted of 40 students who were randomly assigned and divided equally into the two groups. Based on the research sample, homogeneity within the group and equivalence between groups in terms of age, Grade Point Average (GPA), and high intelligence test (IQ) were evaluated. The results showed that the experimental group's cognitive achievement was superior to that of the control group. Therefore, the design of the learning process enhances student collaboration, participation, and reinforcement. Additionally, the experimental group retained the learning outcomes for a month after the cessation of all teaching and learning processes. To conclude, giving a lecture using webinar tools such as Blackboard Collaborate Ultra does not necessarily mean achieving the intended educational goals. As a result, it is necessary to look for ways to integrate active learning strategies, such as collaborative learning, to enhance student involvement in distance learning.

The development of social intelligence is a delicate issue among teenagers. Insufficient social intelligence leads to social disorientation which may impede students' capacity to grow positively and to understand the reasons for their actions and the logic of the development of complex situations of interpersonal interaction. This study aims to evaluate the technology of pedagogical support in increasing the social intelligence of adolescents in a primary school's educational process. The Mann-Whitney test was used to find differences between subject groups and the Wilcoxon T-test was used to evaluate the social intelligence development programme. The study involved 40 students from Almaty's secondary school no. 76. The social intelligence of adolescents in the school environment was improved through the effective application of technological and pedagogical support in the teaching process. Education policymakers assess the social intelligence of adolescents in their own countries and institutions and make international comparisons.

The purpose of this follow-up study was to determine the specific contribution of phonological processing abilities, including phonological awareness (PA), rapid automatized naming (RAN) and verbal short-term memory (VSTM), as well as visual perception (VP), in word reading accuracy. A sample of 62 native Arabic speaking children from Grade 1 participated in study, were subdivided into typical readers (n= 42) and poor readers (n=20). Along with a diagrammatic representations test to assess visual perception, phonological processing tasks included syllable deletion, RAN objects, and pseudo-word repetition, in addition to word and pseudo-word reading tests. Participants were tested in grade 1 using the phonological and VP tasks and one year later in grade 2 using the same tasks in addition to the reading test. The main research hypotheses stipulated that typical and poor readers differ significantly in all the phonological and VP measures. It was also hypothesized that phonological and VP processing abilities contribute independently to the prediction of word reading accuracy for the entire sample. The results showed that the two groups differ significantly in PA and VSTM which were assessed in Grade 1, and in PA and VP assessed in grade 2. More importantly, hierarchical regression analyses showed that among the three phonological processing skills, PA as assessed in both grade 1 and grade 2 was the unique predictor of word reading accuracy after controlling for age and the Raven's matrices for nonverbal abstract reasoning. Visual perception also contributed significantly to the prediction of reading but only when assessed in grade 2. The findings demonstrate the key role of both PA and VP for the early development of word reading accuracy in Arabic.

An examination of gender-related differential item functioning was conducted on the verbal subtests of the Anadolu-Sak Intelligence Scale. Analyses were conducted using the scale standardization data (N = 4641). A Mantel-Haenszel statistic was used to detect differential item functioning (DIF). A total of 58 verbal analogical reasoning items, 20 verbal short-term memory items, and 70 vocabulary items were analyzed. Initially, items displaying DIF in different age groups were determined, and then experts were consulted to determine whether these items were biased. There were three items with item effects on the Verbal Analogical Reasoning subtest and five items on the Vocabulary subtest. Short-term Memory subtests did not reveal any bias. Several implications regarding cognitive development, gender perceptions, and cultural factors were discussed.

The acquisition of vocabulary and narrative comprehension are key abilities for children's literacy development and to potentiate cognitive and academic skills from early ages. The aim with this study was to analyse the effects of a 6-week integrated active-lessons programme based on playful games, vocabulary, and narrative comprehension. Ninety-two preschool children (45.7% girls) aged 35.83 ± 2.57 months were split into experimental and control groups. Results from the pre- and post-intervention assessments show improvements of 56.1% in vocabulary (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.759) and 24.7% in narrative comprehension (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.710) in the treatment group. The results do not vary based on gender or age (31-36 and 37-42 months). Active lessons based on playful games within the classroom are suggested as support for the acquisition of vocabulary and narrative comprehension in childhood education.

We applied a balance theory of wisdom to thinking in the domain of science. In two studies, we administered maximum-performance scales measuring Scientific Wisdom, Scientific Reasoning, Scientific Creativity, and fluid and crystallized intelligence, and a typical-performance scale of self-assessed wisdom. Our Scientific Wisdom scale, along with the Scientific Reasoning scales and a Scientific Creativity scale, loaded on one clear factor separate from the factor(s) on which the psychometric tests of intelligence, SAT and ACT scores, and GPA loaded. These results suggested that the scientific tests were assessing abilities that were different from g, as well as what the SAT/ACT and academic GPA were assessing. The studies are merely a starting point for a relatively new idea--that schools should consider teaching for and assessing scientific wisdom, and that a full analysis of scientific giftedness should include scientific wisdom.

Oral language abilities have been reported to be related to reading development. This relationship seems to be determined by orthographic systems and reading development. Children with developmental language disorder (DLD) show reading difficulties, although most studies focus on reading comprehension. The present study has two main objectives: to examine the reading performance of a group of Spanish-speaking children with DLD compared to a chronologically age-matched group of typically developing children (TD); and to study the relationship between oral language abilities and reading performance using network analysis. They were administered five standardized tests to obtain measures about oral language abilities and reading performance. Results showed that children with DLD were less accurate and slower in reading than TD children. Meanwhile, the network analyses suggest strong and stable connections between reading and oral production in the DLD group. This finding confirms the importance of language abilities for reading acquisition.

Although research suggests a relationship among personal characteristics, behaviors, and performance, there has been limited examination of these influences in the context of intelligence tests using eye movement techniques. Thus, this study explored the roles of personal characteristics (i.e., visual/verbal cognitive styles, self-efficacy) and reading behaviors in the reasoning performance of Raven's Advanced Progressive Matrices test based on social cognitive perspectives using eye movement techniques, in order to provide more authentic information about individuals' actual behaviors. A total of 53 undergraduate and graduate students participated. Thirty participants were classified as visual style and the others were classified as verbal style learners. Regarding the role of cognitive styles in reading behaviors and reasoning performance, the results indicated a marginal difference in dispersion reading behavior between participants with visual and verbal cognitive style, and a significant relationship between visual style and dispersion reading behavior. However, no difference was found in performance between these two styles. As for the role of self-efficacy, the results showed that it was positively related to horizontal reading and APM-short performance. Mediation analyses revealed that self-efficacy not only directly impacted reasoning performance, but also had an indirect effect on performance through horizontal and tilted reading. On the other hand, cognitive style had no direct or indirect effect on reasoning performance. Moreover, the results showed that horizontal, vertical and tilted reading significantly predicted reasoning performance. The findings suggest that educators could enhance learners' self-efficacy through goal setting, feedback, and strategy instruction, which would help facilitate their learning behaviors and performance.

The comprehension of connectives is crucial for understanding the discourse relations that make up a text. We studied connective comprehension in English to investigate whether adult comprehenders acquire the meaning and intended use of connectives to a similar extent and how connective features and individual differences impact connective comprehension. A coherence judgment study indicated that differences in how well people comprehend connectives depend on the lexical transparency but not on the frequency of the connective. Furthermore, individual variation between participants can be explained by their vocabulary size, nonverbal IQ, and cognitive reasoning style. Print exposure was not found to be relevant. These findings provide further insight into the factors that influence discourse processing and highlight the need to consider individual differences in discourse comprehension research as well as the need to examine a wider range of connectives in empirical studies of discourse markers.

Purpose: Two types of orthographic knowledge were examined: i) knowledge of permissible letter combinations (general orthographic knowledge) and ii) knowledge of whole words (word-specific orthographic knowledge), to gain further insights into the relationship of general and word-specific orthographic knowledge with literacy skills. Method: Mediation models were estimated using a sample of 2,636 3rd and 4th grade children (50.6% female, ethnic backgrounds were not surveyed) to examine whether general orthographic knowledge predicts reading fluency and spelling performance and whether this path is mediated by word-specific orthographic knowledge. Using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), we examined whether the responses to correctly spelled words/legal letter patterns and pseudohomophones/illegal letter patterns in word-specific and general orthographic knowledge tasks were generated by separate latent constructs. Results: Our results confirm that word-specific orthographic knowledge is a facilitatory mediator in the relationship between general orthographic knowledge and literacy skills. The relationship of general and word-specific orthographic knowledge with literacy skills varies by item type, with a tendency toward higher correlations between literacy skills with pseudohomophones (vs words) and illegal (vs legal) pseudowords, which is in line with the two-factor solution of the CFA. Conclusion: From a theoretical perspective, we conclude that general orthographic knowledge facilitates orthographic learning of words. From a methodological perspective, we encourage future researchers to distinguish between targets and foils in orthographic decision tasks.

Eye tracking research technologies are often used to study how individuals attend visually to different types of AAC displays (e.g. visual scene displays, grid displays). The assumption is that efficiency of visual search may relate to efficiency of motor selection necessary for communication via aided AAC; however, this assumption has not received direct empirical study. We examined the relation between speed of visual search and speed of motor selection of symbols. Ten individuals on the autism spectrum (AS; Study 1) and nine with Down syndrome (DS; Study 2) participated in a search task using simulated AAC displays with a main visual scene display (VSD) and a navigation bar of thumbnail VSDs. Participants were given an auditory prompt to find one of four thumbnail VSDs in the navigation bar. Eye tracking technologies measured how long it took participants to fixate visually on the thumbnail VSD, and recorded how long it took participants to select the thumbnail VSD with a finger. A statistically significant relationship emerged between visual fixation and selection latencies, confirming the positive relationship between visual processing and motor selection for both groups of participants. Eye tracking data may serve as a useful proxy measure for evaluating how display design influences selection of AAC symbols, especially when individuals are unwilling or unable to comply with traditional behaviorally-based assessment tasks.

Reading comprehension is a fundamental skill to be developed from the early stages of reading acquisition and it is essential for both formative and personal learning. This study examines eye-tracking as a useful and complementary tool in the assessment and improvement of implicit reading comprehension. The aim is to understand the role of eye-tracking in implicit reading comprehension and, complementarily, in intervening skills such as vocabulary, rapid automatized naming, and processing speed. In a final sample of 7-8 year-old 67 students, tests for implicit reading comprehension (literal, inferential, and total), eye-tracking measures, vocabulary, rapid automatized naming, processing speed, as well as tests to control for intellectual and attentional levels were administered. The results of the correlational and regression analyses indicate the existence of predictive relationships between (i) implicit reading comprehension and eye-tracking measures; and additionally, (ii) between intervening skills (vocabulary, rapid automatized naming, processing speed) and eye-tracking measures; and (iii) between implicit reading comprehension and intervening skills (vocabulary, rapid automatized naming, processing speed). In summary, better performance in implicit reading comprehension (literal, inferential, and total) is related to and explained by shorter eye movement times in recognition and access to meaning, larger vocabulary, and faster rapid automatized naming and processing speed. Furthermore, eye-tracking measures are better predictors of implicit reading comprehension. These findings provide promising evidence for the contribution of eye-tracking to optimising the level of implicit reading comprehension, which is applied daily in classrooms.

Objective: This study investigated the effect of Cognitive Rehabilitation Training (CRT) on executive functions, problem solving, and attention in students with a specific learning disorder (SLD). Method: Forty-two SLD students from the third to sixth grade (8-12 years old) were randomly assigned to 16 sessions of CRT (n = 21) or to a control (n = 21) group. Executive functions were assessed by the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (2nd ed.), problem solving by the Tower of London test, and attention by the Stroop test. Results: Analyses of variance and post-hoc analyses revealed that there were significant improvements in the CRT group in most aspects of executive functions, problem solving, and attention, and these improvements were maintained over a two-month follow-up. Conclusion: These findings suggest that a CRT program may have positive implications for cognitive functioning and may provide preliminary support for alternative therapeutic interventions for use in children with SLD.