Adriano Pagnin

Aging and everyday memory: the beneficial effect of memory training

The authors investigated elderly peoples ability to benefit from specific memory training. Empirical evidence of cognitive aging shows a deterioration in working memory ability but also suggests that elderly people maintain the ability to acquire new information and strategies. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of two different mnemonic strategies (Loci mnemonic vs. Strategic training) in young and older adults and to evaluate the ability of the older groups to improve performance. Participants received extensive practice in the use of a specific strategy. Three groups of participants (20 adult, 20 younger elderly, and 20 older elderly) were tested in the laboratory, as well as in ecological conditions using a battery of cognitive tests. Questionnaires were also administrated to explore cognitive, metacognitive and emotive motivational aspects of working memory performance. The results show the efficacy of both trainings in improving performances in different tasks, particularly the ecological. The elderly benefit from strategies as much as younger people; nevertheless, the memory performances of the latter are higher. Differences between the two trainings are found only in the task evaluating ability to re-use learnt strategies in other unfamiliar situations. Improvement in performance was more pronounced for the strategic training.

Reading Minds: The Relation between Children's Mental State Knowledge and Their Metaknowledge about Reading.

The relation between childrens mental state knowledge and metaknowledge about reading was examined in 2 studies. In Study 1, 196 children (mean age = 9 years) were tested for verbal ability (VA), metaknowledge about reading, and mental state words in a story task. In Study 2, the results of Study 1 were extended by using a cross-lagged design and by investigating older children (N = 71, mean ages = 10 years at Time 1 and 11 years at Time 2) for mental state knowledge, metaknowledge about reading, and VA. Results showed a significant relation between early cognitive (but not emotion) mental state knowledge and later metaknowledge about reading, controlling for VA. Results suggest close links between different aspects of childrens knowledge about the mind.

Long-term effect of theory of mind on school achievement: The role of sensitivity to criticism

This study adds to the research on theory of mind (ToM) and school achievement by testing whether the mediating effect of sensitivity to criticism is significant when considered longitudinally and using an index of academic performance that incorporates both direct and indirect measures. A group of 49 children was tested during the last year of kindergarten (Time 1, mean age = 5 years and 6 months), in Year 1 (Time 2, mean age = 6 years and 5 months) and Year 5 (Time 3, mean age = 10 years and 2 months) of primary school. Childrens ToM and verbal ability were tested at each time point, sensitivity to criticism at Time 2 and school achievement at Time 3. Results showed that sensitivity to criticism (as indexed by self-reported ability rating) mediates the relationship between Time 1 ToM and Time 3 school achievement. Practical implications of this pattern of associations are discussed.

The rehabilitation of memory in old age: Effects of mnemonics and metacognition in strategic training

Abstract This study examined the characteristics of strategic memory training, which could be employed to treat both young and old people. The aim of the research was twofold: to investigate the efficacy of the training and to evaluate the recuperation possibilities for the aged suffering from cognitive decline. Sixty participants (20 young, 20 young elderly, and 20 old elderly people) underwent testing in a laboratory as well as in ecological conditions in order to investigate cognitive, metacognitive and emotive motivational aspects of working memory performance. Our results strengthen the hypothesis that memory problems are also linked to strategic and metacognitive variables, unrelated to aging, and they confirm the validity of a multifaceted strategic training. Moreover, the results confirm the validity of the training to improve the memory capacity and the possible wider application of strategies even in unfamiliar situations, improving memory performance of both young and elderly people.

False-belief understanding at age 5 predicts beliefs about learning in year 3 of primary school

This study examined the concurrent and longitudinal relationships between childrens theory of mind (ToM) and their beliefs about learning. A sample of 63 children was tested for theory of mind and verbal ability at four time points: 5, 6, 7 and 8 years of age. In addition, at Time 4, children were administered a questionnaire investigating their beliefs about learning. Results showed longitudinal and concurrent relationships between ToM and constructivist, but not reproductive, beliefs about learning. Crucially, false-belief understanding at age 5 predicted unique variance in constructivist beliefs about learning at age 8, when controlling for subsequent levels of ToM. This relationship was not due to verbal ability. The authors discuss theoretical and practical implications of the longitudinal effect of theory of mind ability on constructivist beliefs about learning.

MORAL REASONING IN GIFTED ADOLESCENTS: COGNITIVE LEVEL AND SOCIAL VALUES

In a population of 1141 students attending the last year of secondary school (age 17‐19) in three towns of North, Central and South Italy, who were tested using four ability tests, we studied responses to six moral dilemmas, comparing subjects of low, average and high ability by means of analysis of variance and cluster analysis. Two groups of very high (5 percent of the total sample) and extremely high (2 percent) students were individually interviewed in order to explore the motivation for their choices. The gifted showed, as expected, more responses at the formal level (greater choice of items concerning general and abstract principles, greater support for law and social contracts, more coherence), but in the average and lowest groups we found a more sentimental, humanitarian orientation, with a sympathetic attitude towards other peoples feelings, which can constitute the base for a more intuitive, but not inferior morality.

EXCELLENCE AND EQUALITY IN EDUCATION: CONFLICTING VALUES IN A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

Three factors have traditionally prompted a large section of the population to oppose the idea of special support for the development of excellence: the view that intellectual giftedness depends on innate dispositions and can manifest itself under any educational and environmental conditions; the feeling of injustice connected with the perceived superiority of gifted people; the perception of special education for the gifted as a threat to ordinary people and/or to democracy. In contrast, more recent perception of the faults of an educational orientation inspired by the above prejudices and a decline in egalitarian ideology have combined to open new perspectives on better educational support for the gifted, although agreement on the means of support is often lacking. There is a strong connection between the underlying principles of a democratic society and the conditions which foster giftedness and creativity. However, the development of creativity and giftedness should not entail the separation of the gi...

The role of mother–child and teacher–child relationship on academic achievement

Abstract Robust findings have highlighted the importance of early cognitive abilities for academic performance. However, little is known about the role played by relational variables. In this longitudinal study, we examined children’s relationship with their mothers and teachers as predictors of later academic achievement. We addressed this issue following a group of 45 Italian children (29 boys) from the last year of preschool (mean age: five years and six months) until Year 4 of primary school (mean age: nine years and six months). Results showed that mother–child relationship at age 5 and teacher–child relationship at age 7 correlate with children’s academic achievement at age 9, controlling for early background and verbal abilities. Further analyses showed that teacher–child conflict partially mediates the relationship between early mother–child conflict and children’s later academic achievement. Mechanisms by which relational variables influence learning outcomes are discussed.