Executive Functions and Their Relation to Academic Performance in University Students / Funciones ejecutivas y su relación con el rendimiento académico en estudiantes universitarios

Academic performance, dropout rates, and low graduation rates constitute an area of concern in Latin American universities that has been the topic of various studies. Certain researchers suggest that some differences in academic performance could arise from interindividual variations in self-regulation mechanisms such as executive functions. Therefore, this study aimed to contribute to the investigation of the relationships between university performance and executive functions, specifically working memory, inhibition, and shifting. The study involved 196 students who completed the Reading Span Task, the Five Digits Test, and the Finger Task. Working memory, inhibition, and shifting exhibited a weak significant relationship with performance. Furthermore, additionally to age, socioeconomic status, and student work hours, inhibition and shifting accounted for 38% of the variance in academic performance. The findings provide a contribution to the understanding of this topic and to the discussion of previous contradictory findings. (AU)

El rendimiento académico universitario, el rezago y las bajas tasas de egreso suponen un área de preocupación en las universidades latinoamericanas que ha sido objeto de diferentes investigaciones. Algunos investigadores sugieren que determinadas diferencias en dicho rendimiento podrían surgir de diferencias interindividuales en distintos mecanismos de autorregulación, como las funciones ejecutivas. Por ello, este trabajo se propuso contribuir al estudio de las relaciones entre el rendimiento universitario y las funciones ejecutivas, específicamente la memoria de trabajo, la inhibición y la flexibilidad cognitiva. Se trabajó con 196 estudiantes que completaron la Tarea de Amplitud de Lectura, el Test de Cinco Dígitos y la Tarea de los Dedos. La memoria de trabajo, la inhibición y la flexibilidad presentaron una relación significativa baja con el rendimiento. Además, junto con edad, nivel socioeconómico y horas que trabaja el estudiante, la inhibición y la flexibilidad cognitiva, permitieron explicar el 38% de la varianza del rendimiento. Los resultados suponen un aporte al conocimiento de esta temática y a la discusión de los hallazgos contradictorios previos. (AU)

Prenatal anxiety during the pandemic context is related to neurodevelopment of 6-month-old babies.

Prenatal anxiety and depression in pandemic context could introduce changes in the fetal developmental trajectories that, ultimately, could alter the adaptive behaviors of the offspring, potentially affecting, for example, general neurodevelopment. The sample consisted of 105 mother-child dyads, recruited between March and May 2020. The dyads were evaluated longitudinally, prenatally and postnatally (6 months). The Pandemic Impact Questionnaire, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Beck-II Depression Inventory were used to assess indicators of maternal anxiety and depression, respectively. Regarding the babies, their mothers responded to Age and Stages: 3, which assesses different dimensions of early neurodevelopment, in addition to a closed questionnaire to identify sociodemographic and maternal and child health variables. A series of mediation models were tested to examine the association between prenatal psychopathology/negative experiences of the pandemic and neurodevelopment. The results indicated that the negative experiences of the pandemic were indirectly associated with the socio-individual and fine motor neurodevelopment of the offspring, through maternal anxiety symptoms, during the third trimester, which functioned as a mediator.  Conclusions: This study provides evidence on the mediating effects of maternal anxiety on infant neurodevelopment in contexts of early adversity. It is important to point out the need to implement public health policies that allow a timely evaluation of neurodevelopmental variables during early childhood, which can implement early interventions to reduce the risks associated with these deficits. What is Known: • Effects of maternal mental health have been reported, effects on child neurodevelopment, in motor, cognitive, linguistic and socio-emotional dimensions. • Contexts of early adversity have been associated with maternal mental health and offspring development. What is New: • The context of pandemic adversity caused by COVID-19 is associated with motor and socio-individual neurodevelopment, mediated by maternal prenatal anxiety.

Maternal anxiety, exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic and socioemotional development of offspring.

The COVID-19 pandemic context may predispose mothers to increased maternal psychopathology, which may be associated with offspring socioemotional development. The aim of this study is to analyze the relationships between prenatal anxiety and depression and exposure to the COVID-19 pandemic with offspring socioemotional development, controlling for postnatal anxiety and depression. A total of 105 mother-child dyads were assessed in pre- and postnatal periods. Questionnaires were used to assess the impact of the pandemic, indicators of psychopathology, and the socioemotional development of the offspring. Results suggest that negative pandemic experiences are indirectly associated with offspring socioemotional development via prenatal maternal anxiety symptomatology and after controlling for postnatal anxiety and depression. These indicators predispose to emotional deficits and increase the risks of psychopathological and neurodevelopmental disorders. It is important to adopt health policies that provide timely assessment of development in early childhood to reduce the risks associated with these deficits.

Effects of working memory training on cognitive and academic abilities in typically developing school-age children.

Process-based working memory (WM) training in typically developing children usually leads to short- and long-term improvements on untrained WM tasks. However, results are mixed regarding far transfer to academic and cognitive abilities. Moreover, there is a lack of studies jointly evaluating the different types of transfer, using an adequate design and considering motivational factors. In addition, evidence is needed about how pre-training performance is related to individual differences in training-induced transfer. Therefore, this study aimed to implement and evaluate the efficacy of a computerized process-based WM training in typically developing school-age children. Near and far transfer effects were evaluated both immediately after training and after 6 months, as well as individual differences in training-induced transfer. The sample was composed of 89 typically developing children aged 9-10 years (M = 9.52, SD = 0.30), who were randomized to a WM training group or an active control group. They were evaluated at pre-training, post-training, and follow-up phases with measures of visuospatial and verbal WM, reading comprehension, math computation, and fluid intelligence. Results showed that the training group significantly improved performance in verbal WM and fluid intelligence compared to the active control group, immediately after training and after 6 months. Trained children with lower initial performance in verbal WM or fluid intelligence showed greater transfer gains. No group differences were found in motivational factors. Findings of this study suggest that process-based WM training may promote transfer to cognitive abilities and lead to compensation effects of individual differences in typically developing school-age children.

El papel de la mentalidad de crecimiento en el desempeño de estudiantes de escuela primaria / The Role Of Growth Mindset In Elementary School Children's Performance

Objetivo. Estudiar la relación entre el tipo de mentalidad y el desempeño en comprensión lectora y aritmética de 247 estudiantes de 9 a 12 años de edad de dos escuelas de Argentina. Método. Los participantes completaron un cuestionario basado en una Escala de Mentalidad de Crecimiento y pruebas estandarizadas de comprensión lectora y cálculo aritmético. Además, se utilizaron las calificaciones escolares proporcionadas por docentes y datos sobre el estatus social (ES) aportados por padres/cuidadores. El diseño fue no experimental y transversal. Resultados. Los análisis de regresión jerárquica mostraron que a mayor mentalidad de crecimiento, mejor desempeño escolar, aún al controlar el efecto del ES. La relación del desempeño con las calificaciones fue más fuerte que con las pruebas estandarizadas.

Objective. The aim of the paper was to study the relation between mindset and reading comprehension and arithmetic performance of 247 students aged 9 to 12 years from two schools in Argentina. Method. Participants were asked to complete a questionnaire based on a Growth Mindset Scale, and standardized tests of reading comprehension and arithmetic calculation. In addition, school grades provided by teachers and social status data provided by parents/caregivers were used. The design was non-experimental and cross-sectional. Results. Hierarchical regression analyzes showed that the higher the growth mindset, the better the school performance, even when controlling for the effect of social status on these variables. The relation of performance with grades was stronger than with standardized tests.

The Pandemial babies: effects of maternal stress on temperament of babies gestated and born during the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic may configure an adverse prenatal context for early development. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of pandemic-related negative experiences, prenatal anxiety and depression on the temperament of six-month-old babies. The sample consisted of 105 mother-child dyads. A longitudinal evaluation was carried out using pre- and postnatal online surveys. Mothers completed the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, the Beck Depression Inventory - II, the Pandemic Impact Questionnaire and the Infant Behavior Questionnaire Revised. Serial mediation models were tested, in which the pandemic-related negative experiences constituted the independent variable, the prenatal anxiety and depression were the mediators, and the children's temperament dimensions were the dependent variables. Pandemic-related negative experiences were indirectly associated with the offspring's negative affect and surgency through anxious symptomatology, which acted as a mediating variable. This was the first study to identify the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on temperament. Such an adverse context implies risks for child development. Public health policies aiming to evaluate socioemotional variables during early childhood become necessary to allow on-time interventions for lessening these risks.

More than a year of pandemic: Longitudinal assessment of anxiety and depressive symptoms in the argentine general population during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed daily life and the way we interact with others. It has also brought negative psychological consequences: several studies have reported increased levels of distress symptomatology at the onset of the pandemic. However, few longitudinal studies have been carried out, and even fewer in low- and middle-income countries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse longitudinally the anxiety and depressive symptomatology of the Argentine general population during the first 13 months of the pandemic. The total sample included 988 adults (ages 18-77) from different regions of Argentina. Open-access surveys were distributed via social media at five time points (March, April, May, August 2020 and April 2021). Depression and anxiety symptoms were assessed through the Beck Depression Inventory-II and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. Mixed repeated-measures ANOVA were applied, with time as a within-subjects factor, and socioeconomic status, gender, and age group as between-subjects factors. Results showed a progressive increases in anxiety (F (27.78, 3417.60) = 62.88, p < 0.01, ηp2  = 0.060) and depression (F (3.42, 3373.75) = 84.78, p < 0.01, ηp2  = 0.079) symptoms in the general population throughout the pandemic (except for a slight decrease in anxiety in Wave 2). All of the between-subjects factors showed significant effects on both types of symptoms: female gender, younger age and lower income were associated with greater depression and anxiety in all waves. A time-age interaction effect was found (F (10.26, 3364.05)  = 2.99, p < 0.01, ηp2  = 0.009): after the third wave, depressive symptoms tended to decrease or stabilise in the young adult group, whereas there was a positive linear increase in the older groups. This study provided evidence that anxiety and depression symptoms tend to increase during crisis contexts, and that this effect is even more pronounced for certain vulnerable population groups. Mental health monitoring and support interventions should be included in government strategies to deal with the long-term impact of the pandemic.

Parental Perceptions of Child and Adolescent Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Argentina.

Background: As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments have implemented preventive measures towards reducing infections. These conditions can affect the mental health of children and adolescents; however, this has not yet been fully explored. Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze changes in symptomatology and positive emotions in Argentine children and adolescents since the onset of isolation, based on parent/caregiver report. We analyzed differences based on gender, age, socioeconomic status (SS) and containment measure (and their interactions); their associations with symptomatology and positive affect of parents/caregivers; and the moderating effects of sociodemographic factors on these associations. Method: A total of 1205 caregivers responded to a survey regarding the mental health of children and adolescents under their care. They also completed a set of anxiety, depression, and affect measures about themselves. Results: A considerable proportion of parents/caregivers perceived changes in their children's and adolescents' mental health compared to before the pandemic. Increased levels of anxiety-depression, aggression-irritability, impulsivity-inattention, and dependence-withdrawal were reported, as well as alterations in sleeping and eating habits, and a reduction in positive affect. Differences were observed according to their age and containment measure. Finally, we found correlations between parents/caregivers' symptomatology and that reported about their children or adolescents. Gender, age and SS moderated some of these relationships. Conclusions: Continued monitoring of child and adolescent mental health is a fundamental necessity. We recommend the implementation of early intervention strategies to prevent the escalation of serious mental health problems, particularly in those groups that have been most adversely affected since the onset of the pandemic.

Intolerance of COVID-19-related uncertainty and depressive and anxiety symptoms during the pandemic: A longitudinal study in Argentina.

The current COVID-19 pandemic is a novel, unprecedented situation that has created considerable uncertainty due in part to the unpredictability of the future situation. Intolerance of Uncertainty is the inability to withstand negative uncertain situations, and predisposes people to overestimate threats and to develop psychopathological symptoms. The aim of this study was to longitudinally analyze the relationship between intolerance of COVID-19-related uncertainty and anxiety and depression symptoms. A non-probabilistic online snowball sampling method was used. For the study, 1230 Argentine adults (216 men; 1005 women; 9 other genders; mean age = 41.62; SD = 13.81) were recruited to complete three open-access surveys at three different time points: (1) between May 6 and June 1, 2020, (2) between August 8 and 13, 2020, and (3) between April 17 and 23, 2021. The results suggest that anxiety and depressive symptoms increase over time, and that intolerance of uncertainty is a predictor of this variability even up to eleven months after the initial assessment. Gender- and age- related effects were also observed (women and young people reported more psychopathological symptoms). The findings suggest the importance of intolerance of uncertainty for mental health and the importance of this type of study for understanding the psychological impact of the pandemic.

Longitudinal study on prenatal depression and anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several studies have reported the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic context on mental health. Given that pregnant women constitute a vulnerable group, they may be at greater risk for developing psychopathological symptoms due to the confinement. The current study aimed to longitudinally analyze the presence and evolution of indicators of depression and anxiety in pregnant and non-pregnant women, and to identify the differential effects of social isolation or distancing measures on these groups. Participants were 105 pregnant and 105 non-pregnant Argentine adult women. They completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and closed-ended questions on sociodemographic factors, at four different times. Results showed a progressive increase in anxiety and depressive symptoms in the first 50 days of confinement in both groups, and a slight decrease after approximately 150 days. Pregnant women presented a more pronounced initial increase in symptoms, and a weaker decrease at the last wave, compared to the non-pregnant. Results suggest that the pandemic context produces a moderate negative early response and that the initial flexibilizations of sanitary measures (50 days) did not slow down the progression of symptoms (even less in pregnant women). In conclusion, being pregnant could be an extra risk factor for the development of psychopathological symptoms during this pandemic. The particular vulnerability of pregnant women and the associated potential negative effects both on them and on their offspring underline the importance of perinatal health policies aimed at prevention and treatment of possible future consequences.

Desarrollo y validación del Cuestionario de Funciones Ejecutivas en niños de 9 a 12 años (CUFE) / Development and Validation of the Executive Function Questionnaire (CUFE) for Children aged 9-12 Years / Desenvolvimento e validação do Questionário de Funções Executivas em crianças de 9 a 12 anos (CUFE)

El presente estudio tuvo como objetivo desarrollar y validar el Cuestionario de Funciones Ejecutivas (CUFE), un cuestionario accesible para evaluar las tres principales funciones ejecutivas (memoria de trabajo, inhibición y flexibilidad cognitiva) en niños de 9 a 12 años y, así, proporcionar valores descriptivos de referencia y evidencias acerca de su confiabilidad y validez. Para ello se analizó su funcionamiento en una muestra de 269 niños argentinos de 9 a 12 años de edad, alumnos del segundo ciclo de la escuela primaria. El análisis factorial exploratorio reveló una estructura de tres factores que explicaban 49.08 % de la varianza, con cargas factoriales unidimensionales y satisfactorias. Los factores retenidos presentaron buenos índices de confiabilidad y fueron llamados: memoria de trabajo, inhibición y flexibilidad y con-trol emocional. La memoria de trabajo se asoció con la comprensión lectora, el cálculo matemático y las calificaciones escolares de Prácticas del lenguaje y Matemática. Las restantes dos subescalas se asociaron con las calificaciones escolares de ambas asignaturas. Las dimensiones del cuestionario coinciden con los actuales modelos teóricos de funcionamiento ejecutivo. En función de las evidencias de validez y confiabilidad, el CUFE se presenta como un instrumento ecológico y valioso para la medición de las funciones ejecutivas en el contexto de la evaluación infantil

The present study aimed to develop and validate an accessible questionnaire to assess the three core execu-tive functions (working memory, inhibition, cognitive flexibility) in children aged 9-12 years: the Executive Function Questionnaire (CUFE), and to provide descrip-tive baseline values and evidence about its reliability and validity. The questionnaire was tested on a sample of 269 Argentinean children from 9 to 12 years old. Children attended elementary schools in Mar del Plata's city. The exploratory factorial analysis revealed a three-factor structure that explained 49.08% of the variance. The items were unidimensional and showed satisfactory factor loadings. The retained factors presented good reliability and were called working memory, inhibition and flexibility, and emotional control. Working memory was associated with reading comprehension, mathemat-ical skills, and school grades (language practices and mathematics). Inhibition and flexibility, and emotional control were associated with school grades. The factors were consistent with current theoretical models on executive functioning. Based on the evidence obtained, the cufe represents an ecological and valuable instru-ment for measuring executive functions on children

O presente estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver e validar um questionário acessível para avaliar as três principais funções executivas (memória de trabalho, inibição, flexibilidade cognitiva) em crianças de 9 a 12 anos: o Questionário de Funções Executivas (cufe); e fornecer valores de referência descritivos e evidên-cias sobre sua confiabilidade e validade. Para tanto, foi analisado seu funcionamento em uma amostra de 269 crianças argentinas entre 9 e 12 anos, estudantes do se-gundo ciclo do ensino fundamental. A análise fatorial exploratória revelou uma estrutura de três fatores que explicou 49.08% da variância, com cargas fatoriais unidi-mensionais satisfatórias. Os fatores retidos apresentaram bons índices de confiabilidade e foram denominados Memória de trabalho, Inibição e Flexibilidade e con-trole emocional. A memória de trabalho foi associada à compreensão de leitura, ao cálculo matemático e às notas escolares de Prática de Linguagem e Matemática. As duas subescalas restantes foram associadas às notas escolares de ambas as disciplinas. As dimensões do ques-tionário coincidem com os modelos teóricos atuais de funcionamento executivo. Com base nas evidências de validade e confiabilidade, o cufe apresenta-se como um instrumento ecológico e valioso para a mensuração das funções executivas no contexto da avaliação infantil

Mental health of pregnant women during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal study.

Several studies have reported the susceptibility of pregnant women to emotional instability and stress. Thus, pregnancy may be a risk factor that could deepen the already negative effects of the current COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze longitudinally the psychopathological consequences of the pandemic in pregnant women, and to explore differences with non-pregnant women. The participants in this study were 102 pregnant women, and a control group of 102 non-pregnant women (most of them reported having university studies and little financial impact from the pandemic). They completed the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, in three different times (2, 14, and 47 days after the start of the lockdown). In a time range of 50 days of quarantine, all women showed a gradual increase in psychopathological indicators and a decrease in positive affect. Pregnant women showed a more pronounced increase in depression, anxiety and negative affect than the non-pregnant women did. In addition, pregnant women showed a more pronounced decrease in positive affect. It is important for institutions dedicated to perinatal health care to count on empirical information to optimize the provision of their services.

Estudio de la memoria de trabajo y la inhibición perceptiva en niños y adolescentes / Study of working memory and perceptual inhibition in children and adolescents

La memoria de trabajo (MT) mantiene y manipula información de manera temporal, por lo que interviene en importantes procesos cognitivos como la comprensión del lenguaje y el razonamiento. La inhibición perceptiva (IP) controla el ingreso de información irrelevante a la MT, permitiendo que acceda información pertinente y no se sature la MT. Por ende, ambos procesos necesitan actuar conjuntamente. En este trabajo se buscó determinar la relación existente entre IP y MT en estudiantes de 4º y 6º año de escuela primaria (de 8-9 y 11-12 años respectivamente) y 3er año de escuela secundaria (15-16 años) de Mar del Plata, Argentina, y comparar el rendimiento de esos grupos. Se encontró que la IP y la MT verbal continuaron mejorando durante la adolescencia, que las modalidades verbal y viso-espacial poseen mecanismos de control específicos, y que la modalidad compleja de la tarea verbal insume mayor control inhibitorio que la simple(AU)

Working memory (WM) is a system that mantains and manipulates information temporally, so it intervenes in important cognitive processes such as language comprehension and reasoning. Perceptual inhibition (PI) prevents irrelevant information from entering WM, allowing access to relevant information and avoiding saturation of WM. Therefore, both processes need to act together. The purpose of this study was to determine the relation between WM and PI in 8- to 9-year-olds and 11- to 12-year-old elementary school students, and 15- to 16-year-old high school students from Mar del Plata, Argentina, and to compare these groups´ performance. Results showed that PI and verbal WM continued to improve during adolescence; also, that verbal and visuospatial modalities possess specific, functionally independent control mechanisms, and that the complex verbal task requires greater inhibitory control than the simple one(AU)

A Longitudinal Study on the Emotional Impact Cause by the COVID-19 Pandemic Quarantine on General Population.

COVID-19 pandemic represents, not only a public physical health emergency, but a mental health serious problem as well. However, little is known about the psychological impact of the quarantine during this pandemic. The aim of this study is to assess the emotional impact of the lockdown measures imposed by the Argentinian government to fight the virus. For this, a survey was distributed on social network. We surveyed the Argentinian general population twice: 2 days after the mandatory quarantine started (time 1), and 2 weeks later (time 2). Anxiety levels were assessed using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory; depressive symptoms were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory-II; and affect was assessed using the Positive and Negative Affect Scale. A total of 6057 people answered both surveys. In addition, different socio-demographic factors were considered, such as risk factors for COVID-19, age, gender, educational level, variation in family income due to quarantine, number of children, whether they have older adults in charge or not and the number of hours viewing information about COVID-19. Statistically significant variations were observed between the two time points. The effect size, however, was very small. Depression tends to increase slightly, while levels of anxiety and affect (positive and negative) tend to decrease. Also, some slight differences related to the socio-demographic factors were found. Findings suggests that sustaining the lockdown measures could have a larger effect on mental health in the long term. It is necessary to continue monitoring emotional distress and other related mental health problems on the general population. It is also necessary to create programs aimed at promoting mental health, and to distribute information about it.

The Change Processes in Selective Attention during Adulthood. Inhibition or Processing Speed?

Selective attention is involved in multiple daily activities. Several authors state that it experiences a decline after 20 years, although there is no agreement regarding the cognitive processes that explain it. Two theories dominate the discussion: The theory of inhibitory inefficiency and the theory of processing speed. At the same time, it has been suggested that there could be complementary relations between both; however, it is not clear what the contribution of inhibition and processing speed is on the changes of selective attention. Therefore, the present study proposes to analyze this contribution, in adults between 20 and 80 years old. To assess selective attention and inhibitory control, two indices of a visual search task were obtained in which participants must identify a target stimulus among a set of distracting stimuli. To evaluate the processing speed, a response speed task was used. The main results indicate that, from the age of 60, a gradual decrease in selective attention begins and that this decline can be largely explained by a decrease in processing speed and inhibitory control. We discuss about the literature on the development of selective attention, the contribution of processing speed, and the inhibitory inefficiency hypothesis.

Working Memory Training in Children: A Review of Basic Methodological Criteria.

Working memory is a process of great relevance during childhood due to its role in diverse complex skills. Like the rest of executive functions, it is highly sensitive to environmental influences, so it is assumed that it could be modified through targeted interventions. A large number of working memory training studies in children aim to achieve transfer effects both on this process and on those with which it is related. Although some promising results have been found, the efficacy of working memory training cannot be affirmed; methodological quality of studies is one of the main reasons for this. Compliance with basic methodological criteria (inclusion of a control group that must preferably be active, random assignment of participants to groups) has a great impact on the internal validity of the studies. Furthermore, the need to control for the effects of motivational factors associated with the intervention is added and emphasized. This study reviews the fulfillment of these criteria in process-based working memory training literature in children, analyzing its impact on internal validity. Limitations of the field in relation to the lack of compliance with the proposed criteria are discussed and alternatives are suggested in order to improve the quality of future studies.

The change processes in selective attention during adulthood. Inhibition or processing speed?

Selective attention is involved in multiple daily activities. Several authors state that it experiences a decline after 20 years, although there is no agreement regarding the cognitive processes that explain it. Two theories dominate the discussion: The theory of inhibitory inefficiency and the theory of processing speed. At the same time, it has been suggested that there could be complementary relations between both; however, it is not clear what the contribution of inhibition and processing speed is on the changes of selective attention. Therefore, the present study proposes to analyze this contribution, in adults between 20 and 80 years old. To assess selective attention and inhibitory control, two indices of a visual search task were obtained in which participants must identify a target stimulus among a set of distracting stimuli. To evaluate the processing speed, a response speed task was used. The main results indicate that, from the age of 60, a gradual decrease in selective attention begins and that this decline can be largely explained by a decrease in processing speed and inhibitory control. We discuss about the literature on the development of selective attention, the contribution of processing speed, and the inhibitory inefficiency hypothesis

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El conocimiento de las fracciones. Una revisión de su relación con factores cognitivos / Fraction Knowledge. A Review Of Their Relationship With Cognitive Factors

Resumen El objetivo de este trabajo es realizar una revisión de la literatura que permita comprender la relación del conocimiento de las fracciones con los factores cognitivos en estudiantes de escolaridad primaria y secundaria. Se realizó una búsqueda de artículos empíricos en las bases de datos Education Research Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE, Primary Search, PsycARTICLES y PsycINFO. Los criterios de inclusión fueron: (a) trabajos empíricos, (b) efectuados con niños de escolaridad primaria o secundaria (de 6 a 18 años de edad), (c) publicados en revistas científicas con referato y (d) redactados en español o inglés. Las investigaciones seleccionadas coinciden respecto de que: (a) la atención predice el conocimiento conceptual y procedimental de las fracciones, (b) el lenguaje y la inteligencia fluida explican el conocimiento conceptual de las fracciones en la etapa inicial de su enseñanza sistemática y (c) el ejecutivo central contribuye a la predicción del conocimiento conceptual de las fracciones en años avanzados de la escolaridad. Se discuten las implicaciones teóricas y prácticas de estos resultados y se señalan posibles líneas de investigaciones futuras.

Abstract Learning fractions presents large difficulties for many children and adults. This is a serious problem, because different studies have shown that fraction knowledge predicts advanced mathematics, like algebra. Adult mathematic knowledge is related to employment opportunities, participation in high-skills occupations and economic and social well-being. Therefore, since fractions represent a backbone in mathematics achievement, understanding the factors that explain fractions learning is very important. Some theories of numerical cognition propose that general cognitive factors, like attention or working memory, contribute to learning mathematics. However, recent research has shown different and contradictory results about which cognitive factors are involved in fraction learning. Identifing the cognitive factors that explain fraction knowledge could lead to early identification of children with potential math learning difficulties and the development of interventions to improve their achievement. Therefore, the aim of this article is to perform a systematic literature review to analyze the relationship among some cognitive factors and fraction knowledge. A systematic literature search could define the state of the art on this topic, identify possible sources of controversy among studies, analyze those reasons to recognize points of agreement and discrepancy among studies and direct all this information towards future research lines. A systematic search of empirical articles was done on Education Research Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE Primary Search, PsycARTICLES, and PsycINFO databases. Search was carried out on September of 2017, with keywords in Spanish and their translation into English. Search terms were "fractions" ("fracciones") and "cognitive ability" ("habilidad cognitiva"), "cognitive processes" ("procesos cognitivos"), "working memory" ("memoria de trabajo"), "attention" ("atención"), "intelligence" ("inteligencia"), "speed of processing" ("velocidad de procesamiento"), "inhibition" ("inhibición") and "language" ("lenguaje"). Articles inclusion criteria were: (a) empirical studies, (b) with scholar age samples (6-18 years old), (c) published on peer review journals, (d) written in spanish or english. Thirteen publications were selected. They agree about attention predicting conceptual and procedural knowledge of fractions between fourth and sixth grade, (b) language and fluid intelligence explains conceptual knowledge of fractions in the initial stage of its systematic teaching, (c) central executive predicts fractions concepts in advanced levels of fraction instruction but not in the initial stages of learning, (d) central executive and fluid reasoning does not predict procedural fraction knowledge when other cognitive factors and mathematical abilities, like attention or whole number calculation skills, are included in the explanation models. In broad terms, these results are in line with some theoretical models of numerical cognition and suggested that cognitive processes and abilities are important to learn fractions. There are some practical implications to these results. Fraction learning could be improved by using pedagogical strategies and didactic materials which maximize cognitive performance. For example, employing novelty and ludic materials for teaching fractions could enable students to focus, maintain attention and improve their learning. Also, short instructions with low linguistic complexity would help students with attention, working memory or language difficulties to afford fractions activities and achieve a meaningful learning. On the other hand, working memory load to perform complex fraction activities would be reduced if basic fraction concept and procedures are consolidated in long term memory. Therefore, before advancing to more complex fractions activities in higher grades, the teacher should verify that the basic notions of fractions have been learnt and memorized by students. To develop theoretical cognitive models of mathematics learning, future research might analyze if cognitive factors contribute to fractions knowledge mainly through direct or indirect effects (that is, via their effects on others areas of math knowledge which affect fraction learning). On the other hand, the tasks used to measure cognitive factors are not always pure, that is, different cognitive operations are involved in their execution. Future studies might work with latent variables that allow the identification of the share variance between cognitive task, and consequently, the main cognitive factors involved in fractions learning.

Influencia de las estrategias cognitivas de regulación emocional en el bienestar subjetivo y psicológico en estudiantes universitarios / Influence of cognitive strategies of emotional regulation in the subjective and psychological well-being of university students

Antecedentes: en los últimos años se ha propuesto que las estrategias cognitivas de regulación emocional (ECRE) tendrían capacidad predictiva sobre distintos indicadores de bienestar, dado que algunas de ellas serían eficientes para elevar directamente la experiencia de emociones positivas y disminuir la experiencia de emociones negativas. Objetivo: el objetivo de esta investigación fue analizar la contribución explicativa del uso de las ECRE para los niveles de bienestar subjetivo (BS) y de bienestar psicológico (BP) en estudiantes universitarios, debido a que esta población se caracteriza por una vulnerabilidad particular producto de las exigencias de la vida académica. Método: se evaluaron 84 estudiantes universitarios de la Licenciatura en Psicología de la Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata, con una edad promedio de 23 años. Se realizaron análisis de correlación y de regresión lineal múltiple para analizar los datos. Resultados: se observó que las ECRE adaptativas (ECRE-AD) se asociaron positivamente con ambos tipos de bienestar, en tanto las ECRE no adaptativas (ECRE-NA) lo hicieron en sentido opuesto. Conclusiones: este estudio muestra la contribución explicativa del uso diferencial de las ECRE con los niveles de bienestar de estudiantes universitarios. Los resultados podrían ser un aporte al diseño de programas de promoción y prevención de la salud en esta población, dado que los sentimientos de bienestar influyen en las formas de afrontar las demandas académicas.

Background: in recent years it has been proposed that cognitive strategies of emotional regulation (CSER) would have predictive capacity on different indicators of well-being, since some of them would be effective to directly increase the experience of positive emotions and lessen the negative ones. Objective: this investigation aimed to analyze the explanatory contribution of using CSER to influence the levels of subjective well-being (SWB) and psychological well-being (PWB) in university students, because this population is characterized by its particular vulnerability due to the demands of academic life. Method: eighty-four (84) university students of the psychology program from the National University of Mar del Plata were evaluated, whose average age was 23 years old. Correlation and multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the data. Results: adaptive CSER (CSER- AD) were found to be positively associated with both types of well-being, while non-adaptive CSER (CSER-NA) did so in the opposite direction. Conclusions: this study shows the explanatory contribution of the differential use of CSER in university students' well-being levels. The results could contribute to designing health promotion and prevention programs in this population, given that feelings of well-being influence the coping skills for facing the academic demands.

Autocontrol y desempeño escolar en lengua y matemática / Self-control and school achievement in language and mathematics

Se ha destacado que uno de los aspectos más relevantes para el desempeño académico (DA) de los niños es el AC (autocontrol), definido como la capacidad para modular la cognición, la emoción y el comportamiento. El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar las relaciones entre el AC en el dominio escolar e interpersonal informado por el/la niño/a, sus familiares y docentes; las calificaciones escolares en matemática y prácticas del lenguaje y el desempeño en tareas estandarizadas de comprensión lectora y cálculo aritmético, en 69 niños/as de entre 8 y 12 años de edad. Sólo se encontraron asociaciones entre el AC escolar reportado por el/la docente y el desempeño en la prueba estandarizada de cálculo aritmético. El AC se asoció a las calificaciones académicas en prácticas del lenguaje sólo en 5° grado. Se discuten posibles explicaciones de los resultados y direcciones futuras

It has been highlighted that one of the most relevant aspects related to children's performance in school is self-control, defined as the ability to modulate cognition, emotion and behavior. In this article we analyzed the relationships between self-control in the interpersonal and schoolwork domain reported by the child, their parents and teachers and academic achievement in terms of report card grades in mathematics and language and performance in standardized tasks of reading comprehension and arithmetic calculation, in 69 children between 8 and 12 years of age. We found associations between the self-control in schoolwork domain reported by the teacher and performance in the standardized arithmetic calculation task. Self-control was associated with report card grades in language learning. Possible explanations for this pattern of results and future directions are discussed