The Role of Social Cognition and Person Perception in Economic Social Decision-Making

Social decision-making is often complex, requiring the decision-maker to make social inferences about another person in addition to engaging traditional decision-making processes. However, until recently, much research in neuroeconomics and behavioral economics has examined social decision-making while failing to take into account the importance of the social context and social cognitive processes that are engaged when viewing another person. Using social psychological theory to guide our hypotheses, four research studies investigate the role of social cognition and person perception in guiding economic decisions made in social contexts. The first study (Chapter 2) demonstrates that only specific types of social information engage brain regions implicated in social cognition and hinder learning in social contexts. Study 2 (Chapter 3) extends these findings and examines contexts in which this social information is used to generalize across contexts to form predictions about another person’s behavior. Study 3 (Chapter 4) demonstrates that under certain contexts these social cognitive processes may be withheld in order to more effectively complete the task at hand. Last, Study 4 (Chapter 5) examines how this knowledge of social cognitive processing can be used to change behavior in a prosocial group context. Taken together, these studies add to the growing body of literature examining decision-making in social contexts and highlight the importance of social cognitive processing in guiding these decisions. Although social cognitive processing typically facilitates social interactions, these processes may alter economic decision-making in social contexts.

Understanding the work of the city manager

The managerial behaviour approach to understanding managerial work has developed from research over the course of fifty years. The approach represents a marked departure from mainstream (and still prevalent) management approaches that depict management as a set of general composite functions. The managerial behaviour approach is distinctive in its empirical research background, object, focus and methodology. Its objective is to provide the simple answer to the complex question: what do managers do? However, the emphasis in the studies on managerial behaviour represents a limitation in so far as a context for locating and judging that behaviour is largely absent (Hales, 1986). This paper presents the results of initial research into managers operating in a different and largely neglected context - city councils. The research uses Mintzberg’s (1973) concept of behavioural roles as an analytical tool to explain and understand what city managers do. This study assesses whether these roles adequately capture the important features of managerial work in the city council. It is argued that while Mintzberg’s role framework is useful, structured observation alone does not adequately address the complexities of environments and styles of managers or the cognitive processes of managers. However, by integrating this approach with an appreciation of context and cognitive processes and how they can influence or affect managerial behaviour, we develop a more realistic description of what managers actually do and why they do it.

Different domains in abstract concepts

This study is a first attempt to unravel the almost unexplored domain of abstract conceptual knowledge. Four kinds of abstract concepts (nominal kinds, states of the self, cognitive processes, and emotion concepts) were investigated in two experiments. Emotion concepts displayed a specific pattern in both concreteness/abstractness and imagery ratings (cf. Altarriba et al., 1999), as did the other considered domains of abstract knowledge (Experiment 1). In Experiment 2 we highlighted the specific pattern of information (taxonomic, thematic, attributive, etc) these different abstract domains elicited in a definition production task.

Elevated CO2 affects predator-prey interactions through altered performance

Recent research has shown that exposure to elevated carbon dioxide (CO2) affects how fishes perceive their environment, affecting behavioral and cognitive processes leading to increased prey mortality. However, it is unclear if increased mortality results from changes in the dynamics of predator-prey interactions or due to prey increasing activity levels. Here we demonstrate that ocean pCO2 projected to occur by 2100 significantly effects the interactions of a predator-prey pair of common reef fish: the planktivorous damselfish Pomacentrus amboinensis and the piscivorous dottyback Pseudochromis fuscus. Prey exposed to elevated CO2 (880 µatm) or a present-day control (440 µatm) interacted with similarly exposed predators in a cross-factored design. Predators had the lowest capture success when exposed to elevated CO2 and interacting with prey exposed to present-day CO2. Prey exposed to elevated CO2 had reduced escape distances and longer reaction distances compared to prey exposed to present-day CO2 conditions, but this was dependent on whether the prey was paired with a CO2 exposed predator or not. This suggests that the dynamics of predator-prey interactions under future CO2 environments will depend on the extent to which the interacting species are affected and can adapt to the adverse effects of elevated CO2.

Supporting Metacognitive Development in Early Science Education: Exploring Elementary Teachers' Beliefs and Practices in Metacognition

Metacognition is the understanding and control of cognitive processes. Students with high levels of metacognition achieve greater academic success. The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to examine elementary teachers’ beliefs about metacognition and integration of metacognitive practices in science. Forty-four teachers were recruited through professional networks to complete a questionnaire containing open-ended questions (n = 44) and Likert-type items (n = 41). Five respondents were selected to complete semi-structured interviews informed by the questionnaire. The selected interview participants had a minimum of three years teaching experience and demonstrated a conceptual understanding of metacognition. Statistical tests (Pearson correlation, t-tests, and multiple regression) on quantitative data and thematic analysis of qualitative data indicated that teachers largely understood metacognition but had some gaps in their understanding. Participants’ reported actions (teaching practices) and beliefs differed according to their years of experience but not gender. Hierarchical multiple regression demonstrated that the first block of gender and experience was not a significant predictor of teachers' metacognitive actions, although experience was a significant predictor by itself. Experience was not a significant predictor once teachers' beliefs were added. The majority of participants indicated that metacognition was indeed appropriate for elementary students. Participants consistently reiterated that students’ metacognition developed with practice, but required explicit instruction. A lack of consensus remained around the domain specificity of metacognition. More specifically, the majority of questionnaire respondents indicated that metacognitive strategies could not be used across subject domains, whereas all interviewees indicated that they used strategies across subjects. Metacognition was integrated frequently into Ontario elementary classrooms; however, metacognition was integrated less frequently in science lessons. Lastly, participants used a variety of techniques to integrate metacognition into their classrooms. Implications for practice include the need for more professional development aimed at integrating metacognition into science lessons at both the Primary and Junior levels. Further, teachers could benefit from additional clarification on the three main components of metacognition and the need to integrate all three to successfully develop students’ metacognition.

Nuevo marco para la producción de textos académicos

Este trabajo presenta la reelaboración de un modelo de producción de textos escritos, publicado por el Grupo Didactext en 2003. Se sitúa en un marco sociocognitivo, lingüístico y didáctico, y está concebido desde la interacción de tres dimensiones simbolizadas por círculos concéntricos recurrentes. El primer círculo corresponde al ámbito cultural: las diversas esferas de la praxis humana en las que está inmersa toda actividad de composición escrita. El segundo se refiere a los contextos de producción, de los que forman parte el contexto social, el situacional, el físico, la audiencia y el medio de composición. El tercer círculo corresponde al individuo, en el que se tiene en cuenta el papel de la memoria en la producción de un texto desde el enfoque sociocultural, la motivación, las emociones y las estrategias cognitivas y metacognitivas, dentro de las cuales se conciben seis unidades funcionales que actúan en concurrencia: acceso al conocimiento, planificación, redacción, revisión y reescritura, edición, y presentación oral. La orientación didáctica se interesa por la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la escritura académica en las aulas, así como por la investigación de la escritura en contextos de educación.

Item and task difficulty in a B2 reading examination: perceptions of test-takers and CEFR alignment experts compared with psychometric measurements

The article presents a study of a CEFR B2-level reading subtest that is part of the Slovenian national secondary school leaving examination in English as a foreign language, and compares the test-taker actual performance (objective difficulty) with the test-taker and expert perceptions of item difficulty (subjective difficulty). The study also analyses the test-takers’ comments on item difficulty obtained from a while-reading questionnaire. The results are discussed in the framework of the existing research in the fields of (the assessment of) reading comprehension, and are addressed with regard to their implications for item-writing, FL teaching and curriculum development.

Answering questions after initial study guides attention during restudy

Though the testing-effect can be boosted by including a restudy phase after answering test questions, we do not know precisely why it does so. One possible explanation is being tested here. The present study measured attention allocation during initial reading and rereading with a remote eye tracker to gain information on the cognitive processes during restudy, with and without prior testing. The results show that at the final study moment, students in the study-test-condition attended longer to information pertaining to the initial test questions as compared to students in the study-only condition (i.e., who did not take the test). No differences in attention allocation were found for information only questioned on a posttest 1 week later. In addition, it was found that performance on the initial test questions heavily affected which information students restudy; students in the study-test-condition paid namely more attention to the answers of questions they answered incorrectly during the initial test than to the answers of the questions they answered correctly on the initial test

Information literacy: uma análise nas bibliotecas escolares da rede privada em Natal / RN

GUEDES, Clediane de Araújo; FARIAS, Gabriela Belmont de. Information literacy: uma análise nas bibliotecas escolares da rede privada em Natal / RN. Revista Digital de Biblioteconomia e Ciência da Informação, Campinas, v. 4, n. 2, p. 110-133, jan./jun. 2007

Marqueurs électrophysiologiques des dysfonctions attentionnelles et de leur récupération suite à un traumatisme craniocérébral léger

L’objectif principal de cette thèse était d’obtenir, via l’électrophysiologie cognitive, des indices de fonctionnement post-traumatisme craniocérébral léger (TCCL) pour différents niveaux de traitement de l’information, soit l’attention sélective, les processus décisionnels visuoattentionnels et les processus associés à l’exécution d’une réponse volontaire. L’hypothèse centrale était que les mécanismes de production des lésions de même que la pathophysiologie caractérisant le TCCL engendrent des dysfonctions visuoattentionnelles, du moins pendant la période aiguë suivant le TCCL (i.e. entre 1 et 3 mois post-accident), telles que mesurées à l’aide d’un nouveau paradigme électrophysiologique conçu à cet effet. Cette thèse présente deux articles qui décrivent le travail effectué afin de rencontrer ces objectifs et ainsi vérifier les hypothèses émises. Le premier article présente la démarche réalisée afin de créer une nouvelle tâche d’attention visuospatiale permettant d’obtenir les indices électrophysiologiques (amplitude, latence) et comportementaux (temps de réaction) liés aux processus de traitement visuel et attentionnel précoce (P1, N1, N2-nogo, P2, Ptc) à l’attention visuelle sélective (N2pc, SPCN) et aux processus décisionnels (P3b, P3a) chez un groupe de participants sains (i.e. sans atteinte neurologique). Le deuxième article présente l’étude des effets persistants d’un TCCL sur les fonctions visuoattentionelles via l’obtention des indices électrophysiologiques ciblés (amplitude, latence) et de données comportementales (temps de réaction à la tâche et résultats aux tests neuropsychologiques) chez deux cohortes d’individus TCCL symptomatiques, l’une en phase subaigüe (3 premiers mois post-accident), l’autre en phase chronique (6 mois à 1 an post-accident), en comparaison à un groupe de participants témoins sains. Les résultats des articles présentés dans cette thèse montrent qu’il a été possible de créer une tâche simple qui permet d’étudier de façon rapide et peu coûteuse les différents niveaux de traitement de l’information impliqués dans le déploiement de l’attention visuospatiale. Par la suite, l’utilisation de cette tâche auprès d’individus atteints d’un TCCL testés en phase sub-aiguë ou en phase chronique a permis d’objectiver des profils d’atteintes et de récupération différentiels pour chacune des composantes étudiées. En effet, alors que les composantes associées au traitement précoce de l’information visuelle (P1, N1, N2) étaient intactes, certaines composantes attentionnelles (P2) et cognitivo-attentionnelles (P3a, P3b) étaient altérées, suggérant une dysfonction au niveau des dynamiques spatio-temporelles de l’attention, de l’orientation de l’attention et de la mémoire de travail, à court et/ou à long terme après le TCCL, ceci en présence de déficits neuropsychologiques en phase subaiguë surtout et d’une symptomatologie post-TCCL persistante. Cette thèse souligne l’importance de développer des outils diagnostics sensibles et exhaustifs permettant d’objectiver les divers processus et sous-processus cognitifs susceptible d’être atteints après un TCCL.

Processing of hierarchical syntactic strusture in music

Hierarchical structure with nested nonlocal dependencies is a key feature of human language and can be identified theoretically in most pieces of tonal music. However, previous studies have argued against the perception of such structures in music. Here, we show processing of nonlocal dependencies in music. We presented chorales by J. S. Bach and modified versions inwhich the hierarchical structure was rendered irregular whereas the local structure was kept intact. Brain electric responses differed between regular and irregular hierarchical structures, in both musicians and nonmusicians. This finding indicates that, when listening to music, humans apply cognitive processes that are capable of dealing with longdistance dependencies resulting from hierarchically organized syntactic structures. Our results reveal that a brain mechanism fundamental for syntactic processing is engaged during the perception of music, indicating that processing of hierarchical structure with nested nonlocal dependencies is not just a key component of human language, but a multidomain capacity of human cognition.

A Study of Implicit Leadership Theories Among Business & Management Undergraduate Students

This qualitative study explores the subjective experience of being led by investigating the impact of their Implicit Leadership Theories (ILTs) on followers’ cognitive processes, affective responses and behavioural intentions towards leadership-claimants. The study explores how such responses influence the quality of hierarchical work-place relationships using a framework based on Leader-Member Exchange (LMX) Theory. The research uses focus groups to elicit descriptions of ILTs held by forty final year undergraduate Business and Management students. The data was then analysed using an abductive process permitting an interpretative understanding of the meanings participants attach to their past experiences and future expectations. This research addresses a perceived gap by making a theoretical contribution to knowledge and understanding in this field, focusing on how emotional responses affect their behaviour, how this impacts on organisational outcomes, and what the implications are for HRD practitioners. The findings support previous research into the content and structure of ILTs but extend these by examining the impact of affect on workplace behaviour. Findings demonstrate that where follower ILT needs are met then positive outcomes ensued for participants, their superiors, and their organisations. Conversely, where follower ILT needs are not matched, various negative effects emerged ranging from poor performance and impaired well-being, to withdrawal behaviour and outright rebellion. The research findings suggest dynamic reciprocal links amongst outcomes, behaviours, and LMX, and demonstrate an alignment of cognitive, emotional and behavioural responses that correspond to either high-LMX or low-LMX relationships, with major impacts on job satisfaction, commitment and well-being. Copyright

The role of muscarinic cholinergic signaling in cost-benefit decision making

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Washington, 2016-08

Efeito do cronótipo e da hora do dia no desempenho numa tarefa de emparelhamento de faces

Os ritmos circadianos têm vindo a despertar interesse há largos anos, sabendo-se que cada indivíduo tem a sua preferência pessoal por estar ativo a diferentes horas do dia. A noção de cronótipo traduz esta preferência, classificando-nos em matutinos, intermédios, ou vespertinos. Encontra-se já definida uma relação entre o cronótipo de um indivíduo e a hora do dia a que realiza determinadas tarefas, fator que influencia o desempenho em muitos processos cognitivos, observando-se o designado efeito de sincronia: o desempenho atinge o seu pico quando a tarefa se realiza na hora ótima, aquela que se coaduna com a hora preferencial da pessoa. Desse modo, sujeitos matutinos têm frequentemente um melhor desempenho em diversas tarefas durante a manhã, e sujeitos vespertinos ao final do dia. O presente estudo pretendeu verificar se este efeito influencia o processo de emparelhamento de faces não familiares, tarefa em que o desempenho é por norma pobre. Nesse sentido, 33 participantes (17 matutinos e 16 vespertinos) avaliaram os 168 pares de faces (84 em cada sessão) que compõem o Glasgow Face Matching Test, e decidiram se as duas pertenciam à mesma pessoa, ou a pessoas diferentes. A tarefa foi realizada em duas sessões, uma às 9h e outra às 19h, para avaliar o efeito de sincronia. Verificou-se um efeito de interação significativo entre o cronótipo e a hora ótima no tempo de reação dos participantes, quando acertavam a sua resposta. Parte dos nossos resultados foram de encontro ao esperado, com os participantes vespertinos a serem mais rápidos na sua hora ótima. É sugerida então a existência de alguma influência do cronótipo e da hora do dia na rapidez de processamento e emparelhamento de faces não familiares.

Information literacy: uma análise nas bibliotecas escolares da rede privada em Natal / RN

GUEDES, Clediane de Araújo; FARIAS, Gabriela Belmont de. Information literacy: uma análise nas bibliotecas escolares da rede privada em Natal / RN. Revista Digital de Biblioteconomia e Ciência da Informação, Campinas, v. 4, n. 2, p. 110-133, jan./jun. 2007