Occupational complexity of paid work and housework, and its impact on the cognitive performance in community dwelling older adults, preliminary results.

Work and activity could be an important source of cognitive enrichment. Activities that are more challenging concerning the cognitive functions that are put into practice are associated with lower risk of cognitive decline in old age. Objective: The present study aimed to assess the impact of occupational complexity and household tasks in three cognitive domains (verbal episodic memory, language, and executive functions) in older adults residing within the community. Methods: A trail analysis was executed, using the structural equations procedure in 120 participants assessed with main lifetime occupational activity and household tasks questionnaire, as well as a neuropsychological assessment battery for memory, language, and executive functions. Results: The regression weights analysis indicated that complexity in household chores showed moderate effects on executive functions (ß=0.19; p=0.027) and that occupational complexity of paid work showed effects on memory (ß=0.26; p=0.008), language (ß=0.38; p<0.001), and executive functions (ß=0.55; p<0.001). Conclusion: Paid work promotes cognitive reserve, contrary to household activities which seem to have a moderate impact on cognition. Differences in activity complexity not only impact people´s economic and social status and possibilities but can also determine different courses of aging and cognitive risk.

Trabalho e atividade podem ser importantes fontes de enriquecimento cognitivo. Atividades que são mais desafiadoras quanto às funções cognitivas postas em prática se associam a menor risco de declínio cognitivo em idade avançada. Objetivo: O objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar o impacto da complexidade ocupacional e das tarefas domésticas em três domínio cognitivos (memória episódica verbal, linguagem e funções executivas) em idosos residentes na comunidade. Métodos: Foi realizada uma análise de trilha com o uso de procedimento de equações estruturais em 120 participantes, avaliados por meio de: questionário das principais atividades ocupacionais e tarefas domésticas da vida, bem como bateria de avaliação neuropsicológica para memória, linguagem e funções executivas. Resultados: A análise dos pesos de regressou mostrou que a complexidade nas tarefas domésticas apresenta efeitos moderados nas funções executivas (ß=0,19; p=0,027) e que a complexidade ocupacional do trabalho remunerado teve efeitos sobre a memória (ß=0,26; p=0,008), linguagem (ß=0,38; p<0,001) e funções executivas (ß=0,55; p<0,001). Conclusão: O trabalho remunerado promove a reserva cognitiva, em contraste com as atividades domésticas, que parecem ter impacto moderado na cognição. As diferenças na complexidade das atividades não apenas impactam o status econômico e social e as possibilidades das pessoas, mas também podem determinar diferentes cursos de envelhecimento e risco cognitivo.

Spontaneous emotional regulation under experimental emotional condition: The role of working memory.

The present research studied the bidirectional effects of working memory (WM) capacity and emotional regulation; that is, the effect of WM capacity on spontaneous emotional regulation and whether the emotional valence to be regulated has a differential impact on performance in a second WM task. Participants (79) first completed a WM span task (Digit Span), then a self-report emotional intelligence task, which was followed by randomly assigned mock Positive-feedback, Negative-feedback, or No-feedback. In the Negative-feedback and Positive-feedback conditions, a dummy report based on participants' responses to the Trait Meta Mood- 21 was shown on the screen. After that, participants completed another WM task (Running Span). An ordinary least squares multiple linear regression was used to evaluate the predictive power of WM span and experimental condition on post-feedback test performance. The model yielded a significant effect on post-feedback test performance for Negative-feedback and a marginal significant effect for the interaction of this parameter with WM span. The results showed that participants in the Negative-feedback condition performed worse than those assigned to other conditions, and individuals with a higher WM capacity were less susceptible to negative experimental stimuli.

Working memory capacity and individual differences in the making of reinstatement and elaborative inferences.

This study investigated the role of working memory capacity on the making of reinstatement and causal elaborative inferences during the reading of natural texts. In order to determine participants' working memory capacity, they were asked to take the reading span task before they took part in the study. Those participants that were identified as high or low working memory capacity readers were asked to perform a lexical decision task in two conditions: pre-inference and inference. In the pre-inference condition, target words representing reinstatement or causal elaborative inferences were presented immediately before the sentences that were predicted to prompt them. In the inference condition, the target words were presented immediately after the sentences that were predicted to prompt the inferences. Results indicated that, for the high working memory capacity readers, lexical decision times were faster at the inference compared to the pre-inference locations for both types of inferences. In the case of low working capacity readers, lexical decision times were faster at the inference compared to the pre-inference locations only for reinstatement inferences. These findings suggest that working memory capacity plays a role in the making of causal inferences during the comprehension of natural texts.

Estimation of cognitive reserve and its impact on cognitive performance in older adults.

OBJECTIVES: Cognitive reserve provides evidence in the search for answers regarding the role that lifestyle has in the protection of cognition in old age. Through a structural equations model, different things were analyzed: the relative weight of education, occupational complexity, free time activities and the intelligence quotient in cognitive reserve; and its impact on three cognitive domains: memory, language and executive functions. DESIGN: A trail analysis was executed, using structural equations procedure. PARTICIPANTS: 167 older participants (mean = 76.74 years, standard deviation = 6.8 years). MEASUREMENTS: Participants were assessed with: Sociodemographic Questionnaire, Occupational Activity Agency Questionnaire, Social Participation Questionnaire and Neuropsychological Evaluation Battery for: memory, language and executive functions. RESULTS: The cognitive reserve factor is well represented by the measures included, with values ​​between .43 and .86, and shows a direct effect on language (ß = .52, p < .001), executive functions (ß = .77, p <.001), and memory (ß = .36, p = .003). CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, lifestyle factors, such as education, occupational complexity, leisure time activities and intelligence quotient have an impact on the conformation of cognitive reserve and performance in some psychological processes.

Occupational complexity of paid work and housework, and its impact on the cognitive performance in community dwelling older adults, preliminary results / Complexidade ocupacional do trabalho remunerado e o trabalho doméstico e seu impacto no desempenho cognitivo de idosos residentes na comunidade, resultados preliminares

ABSTRACT Work and activity could be an important source of cognitive enrichment. Activities that are more challenging concerning the cognitive functions that are put into practice are associated with lower risk of cognitive decline in old age. Objective: The present study aimed to assess the impact of occupational complexity and household tasks in three cognitive domains (verbal episodic memory, language, and executive functions) in older adults residing within the community. Methods: A trail analysis was executed, using the structural equations procedure in 120 participants assessed with main lifetime occupational activity and household tasks questionnaire, as well as a neuropsychological assessment battery for memory, language, and executive functions. Results: The regression weights analysis indicated that complexity in household chores showed moderate effects on executive functions (β=0.19; p=0.027) and that occupational complexity of paid work showed effects on memory (β=0.26; p=0.008), language (β=0.38; p<0.001), and executive functions (β=0.55; p<0.001). Conclusion: Paid work promotes cognitive reserve, contrary to household activities which seem to have a moderate impact on cognition. Differences in activity complexity not only impact people´s economic and social status and possibilities but can also determine different courses of aging and cognitive risk.

RESUMO Trabalho e atividade podem ser importantes fontes de enriquecimento cognitivo. Atividades que são mais desafiadoras quanto às funções cognitivas postas em prática se associam a menor risco de declínio cognitivo em idade avançada. Objetivo: O objetivo do presente estudo é avaliar o impacto da complexidade ocupacional e das tarefas domésticas em três domínio cognitivos (memória episódica verbal, linguagem e funções executivas) em idosos residentes na comunidade. Métodos: Foi realizada uma análise de trilha com o uso de procedimento de equações estruturais em 120 participantes, avaliados por meio de: questionário das principais atividades ocupacionais e tarefas domésticas da vida, bem como bateria de avaliação neuropsicológica para memória, linguagem e funções executivas. Resultados: A análise dos pesos de regressou mostrou que a complexidade nas tarefas domésticas apresenta efeitos moderados nas funções executivas (β=0,19; p=0,027) e que a complexidade ocupacional do trabalho remunerado teve efeitos sobre a memória (β=0,26; p=0,008), linguagem (β=0,38; p<0,001) e funções executivas (β=0,55; p<0,001). Conclusão: O trabalho remunerado promove a reserva cognitiva, em contraste com as atividades domésticas, que parecem ter impacto moderado na cognição. As diferenças na complexidade das atividades não apenas impactam o status econômico e social e as possibilidades das pessoas, mas também podem determinar diferentes cursos de envelhecimento e risco cognitivo.

Emotional Intelligence and Self-Perception in Adolescents.

Emotional intelligence includes self-perception regarding attention to feelings, clarity of feelings and mood repair. The aim of this work is to study the relationship between emotional intelligence, self-concept, and self-esteem. The sample included 137 adolescents from Buenos Aires City, that attended middle school, with a mean age of 13.12 years old (SD = 1.79). Correlation analysis and linear regression analysis were performed. Results showed significant positive correlations between self-esteem and clarity of feelings on the complete sample and the female subsample, and between mood repair and self-esteem on the male subsample. The linear regression analyses showed results on the same line. It´s concluded that positive self-evaluation regarding emotions, emotion comprehension and recovery can minimize the effect of negative experiences.

Producción de inferencias explicativas en la comprensión de textos expositivos: el papel de la aptitud verbal, la memoria de trabajo y la atención selectiva / Making Explanatory Inferences in the Comprehension of Expository Texts: The Role of Verbal Ability, Working Memory, and Selective Attention / Produção de inferências explicativas na compreensão de textos expositivos: o papel da aptidão verbal, memória de trabalho e atenção seletiva

El objetivo del presente trabajo consistió en estudiar el rol de la atención selectiva, el componente retentivo y ejecutivo de información de la memoria de trabajo, y la aptitud verbal en la producción de inferencias explicativas en la comprensión de textos expositivos. Con este propósito, 171 estudiantes universitarios completaron pruebas de memoria de trabajo, atención selectiva, aptitud verbal y cuestionarios de inferencias explicativas luego de leer textos expositivos. Los resultados de las ecuaciones estructurales muestran que la producción de inferencias se explica de manera directa por la aptitud verbal y el componente ejecutivo de la memoria de trabajo. El análisis también detectó una relación de interacción de mediación entre las capacidades de producir inferencias explicativas, de atención selectiva y de almacenamiento de información verbal en memoria de trabajo. Estos componentes mostraron un efecto indirecto sobre la capacidad de inferir vía el componente ejecutivo de la memoria de trabajo. Lo anterior sugiere que la capacidad de inferir explicaciones en la comprensión está fuertemente relacionada con la aptitud verbal y la capacidad de procesar información en la memoria de trabajo, mientras que el componente retentivo y de atención selectiva muestran un impacto mediado por la memoria de trabajo.

This research aimed to study the role of selective attention, the retention and executive components of working memory, and verbal aptitude in producing explanatory inferences in the comprehension of expository texts. For this purpose, 171 undergraduates completed tests of working memory, selective attention, verbal aptitude, and explanatory inference questionnaires after reading expository texts. The results of the structural equation modeling indicated that the production of explanatory inferences is determined directly by verbal aptitude and the executive component of verbal working memory. The analysis also detected a mediation interaction effect between the abilities to produce explanatory inferences, selective attention span, and the ability to store verbal information in working memory. These components indirectly affected the ability to infer via the executive component of working memory. This suggest that the ability to make explanatory inferences in the comprehension of expository texts is strongly related to verbal aptitude and the capacity to process information in working memory, while the ability to manage selective attention and retain verbal information in shortterm memory have an impact on the ability to generate inferences mediated by working memory

O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar o papel da atenção seletiva, do componente retentivo e executivo da memória de trabalho e da aptidão verbal na produção de inferências explicativas na compreensão de textos expositivos. Para tanto, 171 estudantes universitários responderam a testes de memória de trabalho, atenção seletiva, aptidão verbal e questionários de inferência explicativa após a leitura de textos expositivos. Os resultados das equações estruturais mostram que a produção de inferências é diretamente explicada pela aptidão verbal e pelo componente executivo da memória de trabalho. A análise também detectou uma relação de interação mediadora entre a capacidade de produzir inferências explicativas, o tempo de atenção seletiva e a capacidade de armazenar informações verbais na memória de trabalho. Esses componentes mostraram um efeito indireto na capacidade de inferir por meio do componente executivo da memória de trabalho. Isso sugere que a capacidade de inferir explicações na compreensão está fortemente relacionada à aptidão verbal e à capacidade de processar informações na memória de trabalho, enquanto o componente de atenção seletiva e seletiva apresenta impacto, mas mediado pela memória de trabalho.

Precisión y aspectos prosódicos en la lectura en voz alta en adolescentes / Accuracy and Prosodic Features in Oral Reading in Adolescents

Background: Reading fluency is the ability to read fast, accurate and with proper expression as well as comprehending what is read. This ability is expected to be consolidated in High School. Main goal: The aim of this research is to show the results obtained when a Reading fluency scale designed ad hoc that includes aspects related to accuracy and prosodic was applied. Method: A sample of 39 students in the 1st year of secondary school responded to a reading aloud and comprehension task of two expository texts (1 and 2), one with punctuation (condition A) and one without punctuation (condition B), which were administered in a counterbalanced manner. Results: Fluency performance was compared according to the presentation condition of the texts (A and B), a percentile analysis and nine mixed variance analyses were performed, considering as an independent intersubject variable the fluency condition (fluent vs. non-fluent), as the intrasubject independent variable was the text punctuation condition (without vs. with punctuation) and as dependent variables the measures contemplated in the scale. Conclusions: The results show that fluent and non-fluent students show differences in prosodic aspects values. Keywords: reading fluency, oral reading, accuracy, prosody, adolescents.

Antecedentes: la fluidez lectora se define como una lectura rápida, sin errores y con la entonación adecuada, lo que se refleja en la comprensión lectora. La fluidez debería estar consolidada en el nivel secundario. Objetivo: presentar los resultados obtenidos al aplicar una escala subjetiva de fluidez diseñada ad hoc que contempla medidas de precisión y expresividad lectora. Método: una muestra de 39 estudiantes de 1.er año de nivel secundario respondió una tarea de lectura en voz alta y comprensión de dos textos expositivos (1 y 2), uno con puntuación (condición A) y otro sin puntuación (condición B) que fueron administrados de modo contrabalanceado. Resultados: se comparó el rendimiento en fluidez según la condición de presentación de los textos (A y B), se realizó un análisis percentilar y nueve análisis de varianza mixto, considerando como variable independiente intersujeto la condición de fluidez (fluido vs. no fluido), como variable independiente intrasujeto la condición de puntuación del texto (sin vs. con puntuación) y como variables dependientes las medidas contempladas en la escala. Conclusiones: los resultados permiten diferenciar entre estudiantes fluidos y no fluidos e indican que estos grupos se diferencian en relación con los aspectos prosódicos o expresivos al leer. Palabras clave: fluidez lectora, lectura en voz alta, precisión, prosodia, adolescente.

La comprensión de narraciones orales y las diferencias individuales en niños con Trastornos del Espectro Autista / The oral narratives comprehension and individual differences in children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Muchos niños con trastorno del espectro autista (TEA) presentan dificultad en la comprensión de narraciones orales. Investigaciones relacionadas reportan peores desempeños en inferencias emocionales respecto a otros tipos de inferencias. En este estudio participaron 15 niños con TEA entre 8 y 12 años, agrupados según nivel intelectual. Se evaluó la memoria de trabajo, la atención sostenida y el vocabulario; y medidas de comprensión como, la generación de inferencias y el recuerdo de información literal. Los resultados evidenciaron mejores desempeños en preguntas a inferencias emocionales y explicativas en los lectores con TEA sin déficit cognitivo en comparación a sus pares con déficit cognitivo. Además, no se encontraron diferencias significativas en desempeños a preguntas de información literal. Finalmente, el grupo con déficit cognitivo mostró mejor rendimiento en preguntas de inferencias explicativas respecto a otro tipo de inferencias, estos desempeños podrían vincularse con el tipo de material, narraciones orales acompañadas de ilustraciones AU

A lot of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) present difficulty in oral narrative comprehension. Related research reports worst performance in emotional inferences than other inferences type. This study involved 15 children with ASD between 8 and 12 years, grouped according to the intellectual level. Working memory, vocabulary and sustained attention were assessed. Also, comprehension measures such as generating inferences and recalling literal information. The results evidenced better performance in emotional and explanatory inference questions in readers with ASD and without cognitive deficit than their peers with cognitive deficit. In addition, no significant differences were found in performance on literal information questions. Finally, the group with cognitive deficit showed better performance in questions of explanatory inferences compared to other types of inferences, these performances could be linked to the type of material, oral narrations accompanied by illustrations AU

Possible Associations between Subitizing, Estimation and Visuospatial Working Memory (VSWM) in Children.

Researchers have focused on identifying the mechanisms involved in subitizing and its differences with estimation. Some suggest that subitizing relies on a visual indexing system in charge of the simultaneous individuation of objects that is also used by visuospatial working memory (VSWM). In adults, studies found associations between subitizing and VSWM, in the absence of correlation between VSWM and estimation. The present study analyzed the performance of 120 4 and 6-year-old children in three tasks: dot enumeration to measure subitizing capacity, quantity discrimination for estimation, and Corsi Block-tapping task for VSWM. In the enumeration task RTs (F(9, 1062)=720.59, MSE=734394, p<.001, η2=.86) and errors (F(9, 1062)=42.15, MSE=.194, p<.001, η2=.26.) increased with the array, but this growth was statistically significant only from 4 dots onward. Each subject's subitizing range was estimated by fitting RTs with a sigmoid function of number of dots and obtaining the bend point of the curve. Data fit (age 4: R 2 = .88; SD = .08; age 6: R 2 = .91, SD = .08) showed a mean subitizing range of 2.79 (SD = .66) for 4 year-olds and of 3.11 (SD = .64) for 6 year-olds. Subitizing ranges and average RTs showed low association with storage (r = .274; p < .05; r = -.398; p < .001) and average RTs with concurrent processing (r = -.412; p < .001) in VSWM. Subitizing range and speed showed no association with estimation speed and a poor association with accuracy (r = .234, p < .01; r = -.398, p < .001), which suggests independent systems for small and large quantities. Subitizing and estimation measures correlated with VSWM (p < .01), which suggests that both processes may require VSWM resources.

Las relaciones entre prosodia y comprensión lectora en alumnos hispanohablantes: revisión sistemática y metaanálisis / Relations between prosody and reading comprehension in Spanish-speaking students: systematic review and meta-analysis

Resumen La fluidez ha sido considerada como uno de los factores relevantes que interviene en la comprensión lectora. Actualmente se incluye en la fluidez, además de la velocidad y la precisión, la prosodia como uno de los componentes que actúa de forma preponderante en la construcción del significado de la lectura. El propósito de este estudio fue realizar una revisión sistemática y un metaanálisis para determinar, por un lado, la situación de la agenda investigativa en la materia y, por el otro, mensurar la magnitud de la relación entre prosodia y comprensión lectora en alumnos hablantes nativos del español. Se realizó para ello un rastreo bibliográfico en las bases de datos Dialnet, Redalyc, SciELO, ERIC, Scopus y PubMed, sin restricciones temporales. En la revisión sistemática se incluyeron 18 estudios. Con los estudios correlacionales (n = 12) se llevó a cabo un metaanálisis multinivel, en el que se examinaron 59 coeficientes de correlación. El análisis mostró una asociación significativa entre prosodia y comprensión lectora (t(58) = 9.77, p < .001) con un efecto moderado de .46 (Z de Fisher = .49 [95 % CI = .39, .59]). Ni el nivel escolar al que asisten los alumnos (primario o secundario), ni el nivel en el que se evaluó la comprensión (oración o texto) moderaron la relación entre las variables. En suma, los resultados sostienen que las habilidades prosódicas contribuyen al procesamiento semántico de las oraciones y textos en español, más allá del nivel educativo del que se trate.

Abstract Fluency has been considered one of the relevant factors involved in reading comprehension, by providing a bridge between decoding and comprehension. At present, fluency includes, alongside rate and accuracy, prosody as one the parts which plays a preponderant role in the construction of meaning during the reading process. Prosodic reading is the use of oral language features when reading a text, such as pausing, stress and intonation, in order that the text will be read aloud with the tonal and rhythmic characteristics of speech. Furthermore, prosodic reading makes it possible to organize word sequences into syntactically cohesive units of meaning. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis, firstly, in order to determine the situation of research articles which enquire into the relation between prosody and reading comprehension, and secondly, to measure the significance of that relation in students who are native speakers of Spanish. To that end, a bibliographic search was performed without time restrictions in the following databases: Dialnet, Redalyc, SciELO, ERIC, Scopus and PubMed. The systematic review included 18 studies. The qualitative synthesis showed four categories of articles: (1) validation studies of instruments to assess reading fluency; (2) intervention studies on different prosodic aspects and enquiries into their impact on reading comprehension; (3) comparisons of good and poor comprehenders; and (4) correlational studies. A multilevel meta-analysis was performed in the correlational studies (n = 12), examining 59 correlation coefficients. The analysis showed a significant association between reading comprehension and prosody (t(58) = 9.77, p < .001) with a moderate effect of .46 (z = .49 [95 % CI = .39, .59]). Once outlier values had been removed, no variation was found in the size of the estimated effect (r = .46). Two additional models were adjusted, including as moderating variables, respectively, the type of assessment performed on comprehension (sentence or text level) and the educational level (primary or secondary). The results obtained from these models suggest the association between comprehension and prosody is neither moderated by the type of assessment carried out (F(1, 57) = 1.51, ρ = .22), nor by the educational level (F(1, 57) = 0.10, ρ = .75). In summary, the meta-analysis showed a moderate relation between prosody and reading comprehension. These relations continued beyond the level at which the latter variable (sentence or text) was examined, and throughout the school trajectory. In other words, and in contrast to other aspects of fluency, such as accuracy and rate, prosody seems to maintain its contribution to comprehension. In sum, the findings support the claim that suprasegmental skills, both at lexical level (i. e. the skills related to the identification, stress and manipulation of stressed syllables in words) and at metrical level (the capabilities responsible for processing intonation, rhythm and pausing when reading), contribute to the semantic processing of sentences and texts in Spanish, regardless of the educational level under analysis. These results should be moderated given the limited number of studies found and the smaller amount of research carried out at secondary school level. In spite of these limitations, the relationships observed among the variables studied support the importance of prosodic reading to psychoeducational diagnosis and intervention in reading comprehension, and they provide significant background for future research.

El rol de las actividades del tiempo libre en la reserva cognitiva en adultos mayores / The Role of Leisure Activities in the Cognitive Reserve of Seniors / O papel das atividades de lazer na reserva cognitiva em idosos

La participación en actividades de ocio puede prevenir el deterioro cognitivo. El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar a través de un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales, el peso relativo que tiene la participación en actividades del tiempo libre en cuatro dominios cognitivos: memoria episódica verbal, lenguaje, funciones ejecutivas y funciones atencionales en adultos mayo-res autoválidos. Para ello, se llevó a cabo un análisis de senderos, utilizando el procedimiento de ecuaciones estructurales (sem) en 167 participantes mayores (m= 72.34 años, de= 5.07 años) independientes en actividades de la vida diaria. Todos fueron evaluados con cuestionario de datos sociodemográficos, cuestionario de participación social y una batería neuro-psicológica de pruebas de uso frecuente en el ámbito clínico para memoria, lenguaje, funciones atencionales y funciones ejecutivas. Los resultados obtenidos indican que el factor de actividades muestra efectos significativos sobre el factor de funciones ejecutivas (ß = .45, p < .001, R2 = .20), también sobre el factor de memoria (ß = .38, p < .001, R2 = .14), al igual que con el factor de lenguaje (ß = .45, p < .001, R2 = .20) y el factor funciones atencionales (ß = .44, p = .03, R2 = .20). Estos resultados concuerdan con los de otros estudios que indican que las actividades de ocio podrían desempeñaron papel diferencial e importante en la construcción de la reserva cognitiva a lo largo del ciclo de vida, conformando un posible factor de protección cognitiva en el proceso de envejecimiento

Participation in cognitively demanding leisure activities can prevent cognitive decline. The objective of the present work is to analyze through a structural equation model (sem) the relative weight that partici-pation in leisure time activities has in three cognitive domains: episodic verbal memory, language execu-tive functions, and attentional functions in self-validated seniors. A path analysis was carried out using the semin 167 elderly participants (m=72.34 years, sd=5.07 years), independent in activities of daily living. All the participants were evaluated with a sociodemographic data questionnaire, a social participation questionnaire, and a neuropsychological battery of neuropsycho-logical tests frequently used in the clinical setting for memory, language, attentional functions, and executive functions. The results obtained indicate that the activities factor shows significant effects on the executive functions factor (ß=.45, p<.001, R2=.20), also on the memory factor (ß=.38, p<.001, R2=.14), as well as on the language factor (ß=.45, p<.001, R2=.20) and the attentional functions factor (ß=.44, p=.03, R2=.20). These results coincide with those of other studies that indicate that leisure activities could play a differential and important role in the construction of cognitive reserve throughout the life cycle, forming a possible cognitive protection factor in the aging process.

A participação em atividades de lazer pode prevenir o declínio cognitivo. O objetivo do presente trabalho é analisar, por meio de um modelo de equações estruturais, o peso relativo que a participação em atividades de lazer exerce em quatro domínios cognitivos: memória verbal episódica, linguagem, funções executivas e funções atencionais em idosos autovalidados. Foi realizada uma análise de trilha por meio do procedimento de equações estruturais (sem) em 167 idosos (m= 72.34 anos, dp = 5.07 anos), independentes nas atividades de vida diária. Todos os participantes foram avaliados com: questionário de dados sociodemográficos, questionário de participação social e uma bateria neurop-sicológica de testes neuropsicológicos frequentemente utilizados em âmbito clínico para: memória, linguagem, funções atencionais e funções executivas. Os resultados obtidos indicam que o fator atividade apresenta efeitos significativos sobre o fator funções executivas (ß = 0.45, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.20), também sobre o fator memória (ß = 0.38, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.14), assim como no fator linguagem (ß = 0.45, p < 0.001, R2 = 0.20) e sobre o fator funções atencionais (ß = 0.44, p < 0.03, R2 = 0.20). Estes resultados são corroborados por outros estudos que indicam que as atividades de lazer podem desempenhar um papel diferencial e importante na construção da reserva cognitiva ao longo do ciclo vital, constituindo um possível fator de proteção cognitiva no processo de envelhecimento.

Expertise, Working Memory and Articulatory Suppression Effect: Their Relation with Simultaneous Interpreting Performance.

Simultaneous interpreting is a complex bilingual verbal activity that involves the auditory perception of an oral communication and the production of a coherent discourse. One of the cognitive functions underlying simultaneous interpreting is working memory. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between expertise, working memory capacity and articulatory suppression effect, and the ability to perform simultaneous interpreting. For this purpose, four working memory tasks and one simultaneous interpreting task were administered to thirty Spanish-speaking professional English interpreters. Results showed that simultaneous interpreting ability might be supported by the working memory´s capacity to store or process information, but also by the ability of the interpreter to cope with the articulatory suppression effect. We conclude that interpreters may have or develop resources to support the effect caused by articulatory suppression.

Comprensión de narraciones en niños de 5 y 6 años: Efectos de la memoria de trabajo verbal y la atención sostenida / Narrative Comprehension in 5 and 6-Year-Old Children: Effects of Working Memory and Sustained Attention

Resumen Comprender un texto es una actividad cognitiva compleja que implica la construcción de una representación mental coherente en la memoria. Un proceso importante para ello es la generación de inferencias. La memoria de trabajo ha mostrado ser un factor cognitivo importante para explicar las diferencias en comprensión e inferencias, al igual que la capacidad de sostener la atención. El propósito del presente trabajo consiste en estudiar la relación entre la memoria de trabajo y la atención sostenida en la comprensión de narraciones en niños de 5 y 6 años. Para ello, se trabajó con una muestra de 100 niños, quienes escucharon tres textos narrativos y respondieron preguntas acerca de su contenido literal e inferencial, y además realizaron dos pruebas de memoria de trabajo y una de atención sostenida. Los resultados indican que los niños de 6 años muestran desempeños mejores y significativos en la comprensión de información literal y en la respuesta a preguntas de inferencia que los niños de 5 años. Además, el análisis de correlación mostró que las medidas de comprensión se hallan vinculadas a medidas de atención sostenida y a medidas de memoria de trabajo. El análisis de senderos sugiere que, en niños de 5 y 6 años, las mejoras logradas en la comprensión general como producto de la edad están mediadas, en parte, por la capacidad del niño para mantener la atención en la narración y almacenar temporalmente la información recibida en la memoria de trabajo mientras la escucha.

Abstract Text comprehension involves the construction of a coherent mental representation, which requires the person to build bridges between the new information and the background knowledge. In adults, establishing associations between information provided by the text is frequently an automatic skill, while for children it implies an important cognitive effort. This ability develops gradually over time and is connected to the generation of inferences. Working memory and the ability to sustain attention are considered two crucial processes for comprehension. The purpose of this study is to analyze the role of working memory and sustained attention in the comprehension of narratives in 5 and 6-year-old children. The study included 100 children of 5 and 6 years of age, of both sexes, that participated with the informed consent of their parents. Three oral texts were narrated to the children by a professional storyteller. For each text, six questions were asked: three of literal content and three of inferential content. Additionally, two working memory tasks were administered with one task of sustained attention. Three analyses were performed: First, a correlation analysis, to study the associations between comprehension, working memory, and sustained attention measures. Then, a comparison analysis of comprehension, working memory, and sustained attention scores between ages 5 and 6. And finally, a path analysis to study the role of age, sustained attention, and working memory on comprehension. Spearman Rho analyses in the whole sample show that literal comprehension had a significant correlation with forward digit span (Rho = .37, p < .001), backward digit span (Rho = .37, p < .001), and with the sustained attention task (Rho = -.37, p < .001). Inferences showed a significant correlation with forward digit span (Rho = .36, p < .001), backward digit span (Rho = .46, p < .001), and with the sustained attention task (Rho = -.37, p < .001). Sustained attention measures showed a significant correlation with forward digit span (Rho = -.34, p < .001) and with backward digit span (Rho = -.37, p < .001). The comparison analysis indicated significant differences between 5- and 6-year-olds in sustained attention measures (t(98) = 3.08, SEM = 5.41, p < .01), literal comprehension (t(98) = 4.05, SEM = 0.59, p < .001), and inferences (U = 750.50, z = 3.50, p < .001), but not in forward digit span (t(98) = 1.43, SEM = 0.34, p = .16) and backward digit span (U = 1043.50, z = 1.49, p = .14). A model of interrelation was proposed with age as independent variable, comprehension as dependent variable, and working memory and sustained attention as mediating variables, being comprehension, a latent factor formed by literal comprehension and inferences, and working memory another latent factor formed by forward digits and backward digits span. The path analysis showed a good fit of the data to the model (c2(5) = 1.93, p = .86; AGFI = .97, CFI = .99, TLI = .99, RMSEA = .00). The analysis showed that 6-year-olds perform better than 5-year-olds in literal and inferential information, and in sustained attention, but not in working memory. The correlation analyses, on the other hand, indicated that comprehension measures are associated to working memory and sustained attention scores and the path analysis indicated that both working memory and sustained attention play a role in comprehension. This suggests that, in 5 and 6-year-olds, age has an effect on the comprehension of general information and the ability to generate inferences, but this effect is mediated, in part, by the child's ability to sustain attention on the narration and to temporarily store the information received while listening to it.

Tower of London: planning development in children from 6 to 13 years of age.

Executive Function is a multidimensional construct that includes a wide range of cognitive abilities that allow solving goal-directed behaviors efficiently. Its development begins in early childhood and continues through adolescence. A key aspect of Executive Function is planning, defined as the capacity to generate and organize the necessary step sequence to carry out a goal-directed behavior. The aim of this study was to assess the development of planning in children. The Tower of London task was used in 270 children aged 6, 8, 11, and 13 years. The results showed that the time required to generate and organize the plan to solve a goal-directed problem increases as the difficulty of the problem increases, and that older children need less time to solve problems with a certain level of difficulty than younger children F(15, 1330) = 8.787; MSE = 1.441; p < .01; η2 =.090. These results are in line with the findings that planning develops through childhood and even during the first years of adolescence.

Computerized Working Memory Battery (BIMeT-V): Studying the Relation between Working Memory, Verbal Reasoning and Reading Comprehension / Bateria Computadorizada de Memória de Trabalho (BIMeT-V): Estudo da Relação entre a Memória de Trabalho, o Raciocínio Verbal e a Compreensão de Leitura / Batería Computarizada de Memoria de Trabajo (BIMeT-V): Estudio de la relación entre la Memoria de Trabajo, el Razonamiento Verbal y la Comprensión Lectora

Abstract Working memory refers to all the systems and processes linked to the maintenance and active retention of information relevant to the performance and execution of complex cognitive tasks. Individual differences in working memory have been shown to explain differences in other cognitive abilities, such as comprehension and reasoning. The purpose of the present work was to study the relationship between verbal working memory, verbal reasoning and text comprehension, for which a verbal working memory battery was designed and validated: The verbal Computerized Working Memory Battery (Batería Informatizada de Memoria de Trabajo Verbal [BIMeT-V]). Results showed that the tests administered presented a very good reliability due to internal consistency and, in terms of validity, two latent factors saturated the tests: one of storage and one of storage and concurrent processing of verbal information. Likewise, verbal reasoning skills and the ability to comprehend expository texts are supported by working memory's concurrent storage and processing of verbal information, and to a lesser extent, or with a lesser role, the verbal information storage component.

Resumo A memória de trabalho refere-se a todos os sistemas e processos ligados à manutenção ativa e à retenção de informações relevantes para a execução de tarefas cognitivas complexas. As diferenças individuais na memória de trabalho mostraram estar ligadas com as diferenças nas habilidades, como a compreensão e raciocínio. O objetivo deste trabalho foi estudar a relação entre a memória de trabalho verbal, o raciocínio verbal e a compreensão, para o qual foi projetada e validada uma bateria de memória de trabalho verbal (Bateria de memória de trabalho verbalizada computadorizada, BIMeT-V). Os resultados mostraram que os testes administrados mostraram uma boa confiabilidade em relação a consistência interna, quanto à validade, dois fatores latentes saturavam os testes: um fator de armazenamento e outro de armazenamento e processamento simultâneo. Da mesma forma, as habilidades de raciocínio verbal e de compreensão são tarefas que são suportadas pela capacidade verbal de armazenamento e processamento simultâneo da memória de trabalho e, em menor grau, ou com um papel menos relevante, com o componente do armazenamento de informações verbais.

Resumen La memoria de trabajo se refiere a todos aquellos sistemas y procesos vinculados con el mantenimiento activo y la retención de información relevante para la ejecución de tareas cognitivas complejas. Diferencias individuales en memoria de memoria han mostrado explicar diferencias en habilidades, tales como la comprensión y el razonamiento. El propósito del presente trabajo consistió en estudiar la relación entre la memoria de trabajo verbal, el razonamiento verbal y la comprensión, para ello se diseño y validó una batería de memoria de trabajo verbal (Batería Informatizada de Memoria de Trabajo Verbal; BIMeT-V). Los resultados mostraron que las pruebas administradas mostraron una muy buena confiabilidad por consistencia interna, y en relación a la validez, dos factores latentes saturaron las pruebas: un factor del almacenamiento y otro de almacenamiento y procesamiento concurrente. Asimismo, las habilidades de razonamiento verbal y de comprensión son tareas que son soportadas por la capacidad verbal de almacenamiento y procesamiento concurrente de la memoria de trabajo, y en menor medida, o con un rol menos relevante el componente de almacenamiento de información verbal.

Perfiles cognitivos de niños de nivel socioeconómico bajo con dificultades en la velocidad lectora: análisis de los resultados de una intervención / Cognitive profiles of low readers in low-SES: analysis of an intervention results

El presente trabajo busca contribuir a la comprensión de las dificultades en la adquisición de velocidad lectora en niños que crecen en contextos de pobreza. Se realizaron dos estudios: el primero se propuso comparar los perfiles cognitivos de niños con y sin dificultad en el desarrollo de la velocidad en el reconocimiento de palabras. Participaron 68 niños de 6to grado de zonas vulneradas del conurbano bonaerense: 22 niños presentaban adecuada precisión pero baja velocidad lectora y 46 niños conformaron el grupo de comparación, con niveles promedio de precisión y velocidad. A ambos grupos se les administraron pruebas de conciencia fonológica, denominación rápida, memoria verbal y escritura convencional. Exceptuando la prueba de memoria, en el resto de las pruebas el grupo con baja velocidad lectora presentó desempeños inferiores a los del grupo de comparación. El segundo estudio buscó explorar en qué medida una intervención pedagógica permitía mejorar la velocidad lectora. Para ello, los "lectores lentos" del Estudio 1 participaron de una situación pre-test-intervención para promover el desarrollo de la velocidad lectora vía formación de representaciones ortográficas-postest. Los resultados del Estudio 2 mostraron que la intervención con lecturas repetidas y aceleradas de palabras modificó significativamente el tiempo de lectura de las palabras de entrenamiento. Los datos también sugieren que el trabajo con unidades subléxicas en la intervención permitió transferir la velocidad ganada en las palabras de entrenamiento a palabras de transferencia, palabras no trabajadas en las sesiones, pero con unidades subléxicas incluidas en las palabras de entrenamiento.

Reading speed is achieved based on automatic word recognition and, together with prosody, constitutes an essential link between word recognition and text comprehension. Despite the relevance of reading speed acquisition for success at school, a high percentage of children growing up in poverty contexts face difficulties in achieving automatic word recognition. Consequently, this paper aims to contribute to the understanding of difficulties in reading speed acquisition in children growing in poverty contexts. Two studies were designed. In the first study, in order to explore the origin of difficulties in developing word reading speed, a comparison of the cognitive profiles of children from low-in-come backgrounds with and without difficulties in this ability was carried out. In a previous study, norms were obtained for accuracy and speed in a word reading test. Participants were 168 6th grade children from several educational institutions attending children growing up in poverty contexts in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In the present study, the same word reading test was administered to 96 6th grade children. Based on the norms obtained in the previous study, two groups of children were identified: a group who performed at or above the 50th percentile in reading accuracy but below the 30th percentile in reading speed and another groupper forming at or above the 50th percentile in both measures. The first group was made up of 22 children, and the second one, of 46 children. The remaining 28 children were not included in the study because they performed below the 50th percentile in reading accuracy. Additional tests measuring phonological awareness, rapid naming, verbal memory and word spelling were administered to children in both groups. Between-groups comparisons in these tasks showed that children with speed acquisition difficulties underperformed the other group in the tests tapping phonological awareness, rapid naming and spelling. These results suggest that the children in the group experiencing reading difficulties were still using the phonological route for word recognition. The second study aimed to explore whether a specifically designed educational intervention could enable children with low reading speed from the previous study to increase their reading speed. Both groups of children (with and without reading speed difficulties) were administered two additional reading tests: an experimental test comprising target words which would subsequently be included in the training study for the children with reading speed difficulties; and a reading test of additional words and pseudo words not targeted in the training study, but considered transfer items because they comprised sub lexical units that were included in the target words to be trained during the intervention. These same reading tests were re-administered as a post-test, after the reading intervention for the reading speed difficulties group. The training study aimed to promote reading speed via the acquisition of orthographic representations. The intervention involved two weekly individual sessions lasting 20 minutes each. Each child participated of a total of 15 sessions. Each session included repeated and accelerated reading of lexical units, as well as activities for promoting the analysis of sublexical units included in the target words and also present in the transfer pseudo words from the post-test. The comparison between the pre- and post-test performance of the training group showed a statistically significant increase in reading speed both of trained and transfer words, an increase that was not obtained for the comparison group. This result suggests that during the intervention children were able to develop orthographic representations of the trained lexical units, but also of the sub lexical units that were present in both the target and the transfer words. Educational implications from this study point to the importance of repeated and accelerated reading for increasing speed, a critical reading ability.

¿Qué palabras conozco?: propiedades psicométricas de una prueba de vocabulario para niños y niñas de nivel primario / Which words do I know? Psychometric properties of a vocabulary test for primary school children

El vocabulario es el conocimiento acerca de las palabras que maneja y conoce una persona. Juega un rol preponderante en el desarrollo y la ejecución de gran cantidad de habilidades cognitivas. El objetivo de este trabajo consistió en mostrar las propiedades psicométricas de un instrumento para la evaluación de la amplitud y profundidad del vocabulario (¿Qué palabras conozco? [QPC]), y su desempeño en niños y niñas de 3ro a 7mo grado de escuela primaria, de distinto nivel socioeconómico. Con este propósito se administró la prueba a 1327 niños y niñas de nivel socioeconómico medio y bajo. Las puntuaciones obtenidas mostraron evidencias muy satisfactorias de consistencia interna de los ítems y estabilidad temporal. Con respecto a las de validez, se obtuvo una correlación significativa con la tarea de vocabulario del WISC IV. Asimismo se observó que los niños y niñas de nivel socioeconómico medio presentaron un desempeño significativamente mayor que los niños y niñas de nivel socioeconómico bajo.

Vocabulary is the knowledge about words that a person uses and understands. It plays a preponderated role in the development and execution of a large number of cognitive abilities. The aim of this study was to show the psychometric properties of an instrument for the assessment of vocabulary breadth and depth (¿Qué Palabras Conozco? [QPC]), and its performance in children from 3rd to 7th grade in primary school, from different socioeconomic status. For this purpose, the test was administered to 1327 children of medium and low socioeconomic status. The scores obtained showed a very satisfactory evidence of internal consistency of the items as well as temporal stability. Regarding its validity, a significant correlation was obtained with the vocabulary task of the WISC IV. Likewise it was observed that the children from medium socioeconomic status showed a significantly higher performance than the children from low socioeconomic status.

Resolución de Problemas aritméticos en niños y niñas: incidencia de la habilidad matemática y la comprensión de texto / Arithmetic problem solving in children: the incidence of mathematical skills and text comprehension

La resolución de problemas aritméticos es una actividad cognitiva compleja, de particular dificultad para niños y niñas, que implica poder identificar los componentes relevantes, las relaciones entre ellos y poder llevar a cabo los cómputos necesarios. Distintos estudios han buscado las variables predictoras de esta capacidad, centrándose en uno de dos aspectos: la competencia matemática del niño/a o su comprensión de texto. El propósito del presente trabajo consistió en estudiar si la incidencia de uno u otro sobre la resolución de problemas en niños y niñas de 4 y 5 años se modifica por la inclusión simultánea de ambos en un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales. A su vez, existe amplia evidencia que sugiere que habilidades de dominio general, como la memoria de trabajo, influyen significativamente sobre la capacidad matemática y de comprensión de texto de los sujetos. Por este motivo, se estudió, adicionalmente, la presencia de un efecto indirecto de la memoria de trabajo verbal y visoespacial y del conocimiento previo sobre la resolución de problemas aritméticos, mediado por las otras dos habilidades. Los resultados obtenidos sugieren que, a esta edad, solo la habilidad matemática tiene un efecto directo significativo sobre la resolución de problemas, y la memoria de trabajo, tanto visual como verbal, un efecto indirecto. Asimismo, se observó que ambos componentes de la memoria de trabajo se vinculan con la capacidad matemática, pero sólo la verbal con la comprensión de texto. Por otro lado, el conocimiento previo sólo parece vincularse con la comprensión

The resolution of arithmetic word problems is a complex cognitive activity which requires the subject to identify the relevant elements, the relationships between them and to be able to carry out the necessary computations. Different studies have searched for predictive variables of this capacity, focusing on one of two aspects: the child's mathematical competence or his or her text comprehension. The purpose of the present work was to study if the incidence of one or the other on the resolution of arithmetic problems in children of 4 and 5 years of age is modified by the simultaneous inclusion of both in a structural equation model (SEM). Additionally, there is ample evidence to suggest that general domain abilities, such as working memory, significantly influence the subject's mathematical and comprehension capacity. That is why we also studied the presence of an indirect effect of verbal and visuospatial working memory, as well as the child's previous knowledge, on the resolution of arithmetic problems, mediated by the other two skills. The results suggest that, at this age, only mathematical ability has a significant direct effect on the resolution of problems, and that working memory, both visual and verbal, have an indirect effect over it. Likewise, both components of working memory are linked with mathematical ability, but only verbal working memory with text comprehension. On the other hand, prior knowledge seems to be associated with text comprehension

Desarrollo de la inteligencia emocional percibida: Estudio comparativo / Development of perceived emotional intelligence: Comparative study

La inteligencia emocional percibida está compuesta por tres factores: la atención a las emociones, la claridad emocional, y la reparación de las emociones (Salovey, Mayer, Goldman, Turvey, & Palfai, 1995). El objetivo de este trabajo es comparar y estudiar las características de la inteligencia emocional percibida en diferentes etapas de la vida. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 456 sujetos, a quienes se les administró el TMMS-21. Se hallaron diferencias en el nivel de atención y recuperación, tanto en la muestra general como en el grupo de mujeres, siendo los adultos quienes reportaron menores índices. Por otro lado, la edad resultó ser un predictor significativo del nivel de atención y reparación. Se explican las diferencias halladas a la luz del desarrollo cognitivo que afectaría la percepción que el sujeto tiene sobre sus habilidades emocionales

Perceived emotional intelligence is composed of three factors: the attention to emotions, emotional clarity and the repair of emotions (Salovey, Mayer, Goldman, Turvey y Palfai, 1995). The purpose of this work is to compare and study the characteristics of perceived emotional intelligence in different stages of life. The sample consisted of 456 subjects, who were administered the TMMS-21. Differences were found in attention and recovery levels, both in the general sample and in the group of women, with adults reporting lower rates. On the other hand, age was a significant predictor of the subject's level of attention and reparation. These differences are explained by the cognitive development that would affect the perception that the subject has about their emotional abilities.