Exploring determinants of formation of cognitive anchors from altruistic messages: A fuzzy DEMATEL approach

Altruistic communication by non-profit organizations plays a crucial role in shaping individuals' perceptions and beliefs about altruism. One of the indicators of effective communication is the anchoring of the messages. Therefore, understanding the underlying determinants of anchoring in altruistic communication is essential. Despite the importance of anchoring in the communication of altruism, extant research has not done much to examine the determinants of anchoring in altruistic communication. This paper investigates the determinants of anchoring in non-profit organizations' altruistic communication through the lens of the dual process theory. It applies the Fuzzy Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (F-DEMATEL) method to analyze the causal and effect factors. Data were gathered from 12 social communication experts based in Taiwan. Out of the 12 proposed determinants, three factors, namely consistency, cultural consideration, and emotional anchoring, were established as significant causal factors. Consistency had causal effects on five other factors, namely, the use of metaphors, the use of antinomies, thematic anchoring, understanding the cognitive ability of the audience, and crafting engaging information. Cultural consideration had causal effects on feedback, naming, use of antinomies, thematic anchoring, emotional anchoring, and repetition. Emotional anchoring had causal effects on thematic anchoring, use of antinomies, use of metaphors, consistency, naming, feedback, understanding the cognitive ability of the audience, and repetition. On the other hand, feedback, naming, and use of antinomies were established as significant effect factors. The study's findings offer crucial contributions to the social communication literature and provide important insights for social communication practitioners.

Social support, psychological flexibility and coping mediate the association between COVID-19 related stress exposure and psychological distress

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to an increase in psychological distress. However, protective factors such as social support, psychological flexibility, and coping mechanisms can help individuals cope with the effects of psychological distress. This study aimed to test a recent hypothesis suggesting that psychological flexibility is not necessarily a coping strategy but a mechanism that can influence the coping strategies an individual employs during stressful events. We tested a mediation model that COVID-19 concerns would contribute to higher levels of perceived social support, which would directly increase psychological flexibility, and finally test if the effect of psychological flexibility on distress was mediated by approach and avoidant coping strategies. The results show that social support facilitates higher levels of psychological flexibility. Further, that psychological flexibility indirectly reduces psychological distress by reducing avoidant coping and increasing approach coping strategies. Within the context of COVID-19, we have shown the importance of social support and psychological flexibility for reducing distress. We have provided further evidence that psychological flexibility might not be a coping mechanism but a strategy that leads individuals to engage in more approach coping strategies and fewer avoidant coping strategies.

Memory deficits in aphantasics are not restricted to autobiographical memory - Perspectives from the Dual Coding Approach

Scene Construction Theory suggests similar neural mechanisms for visual imagery and autobiographical memory, supporting the seeming scientific consensus that a loss of visual imagery affects autobiographical memory. Based on the Dual Coding Theory and the Reverse Hierarchy Model, we also assumed influences of visual imagery on recent visual memory and even verbal memory, although little evidence has been provided so far. Thus, in a sample of 67 congenital aphantasics (= persons without mental imagery) and 32 demographically matched controls, it was investigated whether deficits in visual imagery are associated with deficits in visual as well as verbal short-term and long-term memory. The memory tasks were theoretically selected based on task difficulty, retrieval condition, and subcategories of stimuli, as previous null findings were attributed to insensitive tasks that were solvable by aphantasics by means of non-visual alternative strategies. Significant group differences were found in all memory components, with aphantasics performing worse than non-aphantasics. Therefore, evidence was obtained for the influence of visual imagery on all memory components beyond autobiographical memory.

Awareness and usage of evidence-based learning strategies among health professions students and faculty

Introduction: Learning is essential and life-long for faculty and students. Often students and teachers use ineffective learning strategies and are not aware of evidence-based strategies.Methods: A multicenter, international, cross-sectional, online survey-based assessment of awareness of evidence-based learning strategies among health professions students (n = 679) and faculty (n = 205).Results: Students endorsed many study habits which violate evidence-based principles, including studying whatever is due soonest (389/679, 57%), failing to return to course material once a course has ended (465/679, 68%), and re-reading underlined or highlighted notes (298.679, 44%). While the majority of faculty surveyed (125/157, 80%) reported recommending effective study strategies for their students, most students (558/679, 82%) said they did not study the way they do because of instruction from faculty. The majority of faculty (142/156, 91%) and students (347/661, 53%) believe students have different learning styles.Discussion: The results of this study demonstrate health professions students continue to use many ineffective study strategies, and both students and faculty hold misconceptions about evidence-based learning. While planning a curriculum, medical educators should focus on teaching students how to learn and use higher order thinking procedures in addition to teaching content.

Examining competing hypotheses for the effects of diagrams on recall for text

Supplementing text-based learning materials with diagrams typically increases students' free recall and cued recall of the presented information. In the present experiments, we examined competing hypotheses for why this occurs. More specifically, although diagrams are visual, they also serve to repeat information from the text they accompany. Both visual presentation and repetition are known to aid students' recall of information. To examine to what extent diagrams aid recall because they are visual or repetitive (or both), we had college students in two experiments (n = 320) read a science text about how lightning storms develop before completing free-recall and cued-recall tests over the presented information. Between groups, we manipulated the format and repetition of target pieces of information in the study materials using a 2 (visual presentation of target information: diagrams present vs. diagrams absent) × 2 (repetition of target information: present vs. absent) between-participants factorial design. Repetition increased both the free recall and cued recall of target information, and this occurred regardless of whether that repetition was in the form of text or a diagram. In contrast, the visual presentation of information never aided free recall. Furthermore, visual presentation alone did not significantly aid cued recall when participants studied the materials once before the test (Experiment 1) but did when they studied the materials twice (Experiment 2). Taken together, the results of the present experiments demonstrate the important role of repetition (i.e., that diagrams repeat information from the text) over the visual nature of diagrams in producing the benefits of diagrams for recall.

The use of Screen Recorders for Assessment and Learning of Data Analysis

For their first assignment on a Year 1 research design and analysis module, 145 undergraduate psychology students used screen capture software, Windows Media Encoder, to produce short narrated movies of themselves conducting a statistical analysis exercise. As anticipated, the submitted movie files proved to be more informative of students' statistical understanding than were traditional pen and paper methods, betraying weaknesses in their statistical thinking. This led to an average 14% drop in marks awarded in comparison to pen and paper groups, but served to discriminate ability across a cohort more effectively and allow for more useful feedback. Feedback questionnaires completed by the students at the end of the module revealed the new assessment method had increased their engagement with the assignment, and improved confidence and competence in conducting statistical analysis. The results are interpreted as providing promising initial support for the method. Psychological factors considered to contribute to the effectiveness of the method, plus further potential applications across the psychology curriculum, are discussed.