TEACHING STATISTICS ONLINE: COMPARING COMPETENCY-BASED AND TRADITIONAL LEARNING

Background

Interdisciplinary undergraduate students are expected to develop statistical competence to interpret research findings as they advance in their healthcare studies and careers. However, students often report anxiety related to learning statistical course content.This descriptive study examined differences in statistical knowledge and self-efficacy scores of undergraduate students enrolled in online competency-based and traditional learning statistics courses.A sample of 20 nursing and interdisciplinary, undergraduate students from a Midwestern University who were enrolled in introductory statistics courses were recruited for this study.

Methods

Significant differences between pre-test and post-test statistical knowledge and self-efficacy scores were compared for students receiving online competency-based learning and traditional learning statistical course content. The Current Statistics Self-Efficacy (CSSE) and the Self-Efficacy to Learn Statistics (SELS) measures determined the statistics self-efficacy scores.

Results

There was a significant difference in knowledge scores from pre- to post-test in the areas of hypothesis testing (p =.02), measures of central tendency (p =.001), and research design (p =.001), but there was not a significant difference in overall mean scores between competency-based learning and the traditional learning groups (p =.10). The pre-test to post-test Current Statistics Self-Efficacy student scores improved significantly in both the competency-based learning (p <.001) and traditional learning (p <.001) statistics course sections; and the Self Efficacy to Learn Statistics pre-test to post-test scores were also significantly improved in the competency-based (p <.001) and traditional (p =.02) learning groups.

Conclusions

Both online competency-based and traditional learning methods improved interdisciplinary undergraduate students' statistical knowledge and self-efficacy scores. Online competency-based learning was described by the students as at least as beneficial as traditional learning for studying statistics while allowing more flexibility to repeat content until it was mastered.

Purpose

This study compared pre- and post-test differences in statistical knowledge and self-efficacy scores of students enrolled in online competency-based learning and traditional learning statistics class sections.

Confirmatory factor analysis of Beck Depression Inventory-II with two American Indian samples

The Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II) is used to assess depression with people from many cultures and ethnicities; however, the scale has been validated with very few populations other than the majority (Gray et al., 2016). Secondary analysis of data included two-factor confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) of the BDI-II with two independent American Indian samples, which were compared with the results in the BDI-II Manual (Beck et al., 1996). Sample 1 included 527 adult American Indians recruited from seven tribal communities, and Sample 2 included a community sample of 440 American Indian adults. The results of both CFA matched the original factor structure reported in Beck et al. (1996) supporting the construct validity of the BDI-II in Northern Plains American Indians. The internal consistency of the BDI-II was very high in Sample 1 (r = .94) but somewhat lower in Sample 2 (r = .72). Measures of convergent validity and discriminant validity were below acceptability for both Sample 1 and Sample 2. The results of this study support the construct validity of the BDI-II in Northern Plains American Indians. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Using machine learning methods and EEG to discriminate aircraft pilot cognitive workload during flight

Pilots of aircraft face varying degrees of cognitive workload even during normal flight operations. Periods of low cognitive workload may be followed by periods of high cognitive workload and vice versa. During such changing demands, there exists potential for increased error on behalf of the pilots due to periods of boredom or excessive cognitive task demand. To further understand cognitive workload in aviation, the present study involved collection of electroencephalogram (EEG) data from ten (10) collegiate aviation students in a live-flight environment in a single-engine aircraft. Each pilot possessed a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) commercial pilot certificate and either FAA class I or class II medical certificate. Each pilot flew a standardized flight profile representing an average instrument flight training sequence. For data analysis, we used four main sub-bands of the recorded EEG signals: delta, theta, alpha, and beta. Power spectral density (PSD) and log energy entropy of each sub-band across 20 electrodes were computed and subjected to two feature selection algorithms (recursive feature elimination (RFE) and lasso cross-validation (LassoCV), and a stacking ensemble machine learning algorithm composed of support vector machine, random forest, and logistic regression. Also, hyperparameter optimization and tenfold cross-validation were used to improve the model performance, reliability, and generalization. The feature selection step resulted in 15 features that can be considered an indicator of pilots' cognitive workload states. Then these features were applied to the stacking ensemble algorithm, and the highest results were achieved using the selected features by the RFE algorithm with an accuracy of 91.67% (± 0.11), a precision of 93.89% (± 0.09), recall of 91.67% (± 0.11), F-score of 91.22% (± 0.12), and the mean ROC-AUC of 0.93 (± 0.06). The achieved results indicated that the combination of PSD and log energy entropy, along with well-designed machine learning algorithms, suggest the potential for the use of EEG to discriminate periods of the low, medium, and high workload to augment aircraft system design, including flight automation features to improve aviation safety.

Intermittent fasting implementation and association with eating disorder symptomatology

Intermittent fasting (IF) is an emerging dietary trend that remains understudied. This study aimed to describe the implementation and eating disorder (ED) symptomatology, relevant to engagement in IF among both men and women. Intermittent fasters (N = 44 women, N = 20 men) recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk, Reddit, and a Midwestern University were administered a demographic questionnaire, an assessment of ED symptomatology (Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire; EDE-Q), and asked about their IF use. To assess the level of ED symptomatology among individuals using IF community and clinical norms were used for comparison. We hypothesized a) men and women engaging IF would score higher on the EDE-Q and b) more individuals engaging in IF would endorse ED behaviors (e.g., self-induced vomiting) than community norms. Intermittent fasters reported fasting for approximately 16 hours daily and for weight loss purposes. Men and women engaging in IF scored significantly higher than community norms on all subscales of the EDE-Q, with 31.25% of participants' EDE-Q scores being at or above the clinical EDE-Q cut-off. Men and women engaging in IF reported engaging in ED behaviors. Results suggest that IF is associated with ED symptomatology. Further research on psychological characteristics and temporal order of the association between IF and ED symptomatology is warranted.

Examining Positivity Effect and Working Memory in Young-Old and Very Old Adults Using EEG-Derived Cognitive State Metrics

The positivity effect among older adults is a tendency to process more positive and/or less negative emotional stimuli compared to younger adults, with unknown upper age boundaries. Cognitive and emotional working memory were assessed in young-old adults (60-75) and very old adults (VOAs; 80+) to determine whether emotional working memory declines similar to the age-related decline of cognitive working memory. The moderating role of valence on the link between age and emotional working memory was examined to identify change in positivity effect with advanced age. Electroencephalography (EEG) markers of cognitive workload and engagement were obtained to test the theory of cognitive resource allocation in older adults' emotional stimuli processing. EEG recordings were collected during cognitive memory task and emotional working memory tasks that required rating emotional intensity of images pairs. Results indicate a positivity effect among VOAs that does not require additional cognitive effort and is not likely to diminish with age.

Postpartum Weight Retention in Primiparous Women and Weight Outcomes in Their Offspring

INTRODUCTION

To explore the effect of prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain on postpartum weight retention in nulliparous women and weight-for-length percentiles of offspring to 2 years following birth.

METHODS

A retrospective secondary analysis of a large, prospective longitudinal study of women conducted during pregnancy and after their first birth was completed to examine outcomes associated with postpartum weight retention. A chart review of the offspring of these women was completed to explore the relationship between maternal prepregnancy BMI and gestational weight gain on offspring weight-for-length percentiles.

RESULTS

Data from 652 woman-infant dyads were available for analysis. Average postpartum weight retention was 4.0 kg at one year for all groups. At 6 weeks postpartum, women who were obese prior to pregnancy retained significantly less weight than did women who were normal weight prior to pregnancy (P < .05). Women who were normal weight or overweight at the onset of pregnancy and had gestational weight gain within Institute of Medicine recommendations retained significantly less weight at 6 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year postpartum (P < .01) when compared with women in those same weight groups who had a gestational weight gain in excess of the recommended guideline. Women who entered pregnancy obese and who had a gestational weight gain within the recommended weight range during pregnancy retained significantly less weight compared with women who were obese and who gained in excess of the guideline at 6 weeks postpartum only (P < .05). No statistically significant differences were seen in offspring weight-for-length percentiles at any time point based on maternal prepregnancy BMI or weight gain within guidelines.

DISCUSSION

Many women retained weight up to one year postpartum. In this study, we saw no statistically significant differences between the prepregnant BMI groups or between gestational weight gain within guidelines or in excess of guidelines on offspring weight-for-length percentiles.

The effects of dynamic workload and experience on commercially available EEG cognitive state metrics in a high-fidelity air traffic control environment

The current study evaluated the validity of commercially available electroencephalography (EEG) cognitive state metrics of workload and engagement in differentially experienced air traffic control (ATC) students. EEG and pupil diameter recordings were collected from 47 ATC students (27 more experienced and 20 less experienced) during a high-fidelity, variable workload approach-control scenario. Scenario workload was manipulated by increasing the number of aircraft released and the presence of a divided attention task. Results showed that scenario performance significantly degraded with increased aircraft and the presence of the divided attention task. No scenario performance differences were found between experience groups. The EEG engagement metric significantly differed between experience groups, with less experienced controllers exhibiting higher engagement than more experienced controllers. The EEG workload metric and pupil diameter were sensitive to workload manipulations but did not differentiate experience groups. Commercially available EEG cognitive state metrics may be a viable tool for enhancing ATC training.

Differential executive functioning in young adulthood as a function of experienced child abuse

INTRODUCTION

Previous research has shown cognitive dysfunction in adults with a history of child abuse. The purpose of the present study was to measure differences that exist in executive functioning skills between individuals who have been abused as children versus those without the history of childhood abuse.

METHODS

The present study recruited 43 students from the University of North Dakota (33 women) between ages 18 and 23 years of age. The participants were administered several prescreening measures, including a measure of physical child abuse, emotional child abuse, and sexual child abuse. Based on responses to these measures, participants were grouped into a no-child-abuse group, a mild-child-abuse group, or a moderate-to-severe child abuse group. All participants were administered measures of executive functioning that included the Wisconsin Card Sorting Task, the Operation Span Task, and the Connors Continuous Performance Task with a simultaneous recording of electroencephalographic activity using a wireless 9 channel EEG system.

RESULTS

There was a statistically significant main effect of child abuse group (no child abuse vs. moderate-to-high child abuse) for the EEG-derived probability of cognitive workload during the OSPAN. Beta bandwidths for individuals in the drug abuse group, which served as a covariate, were also found to be significantly attenuated during the Connors CPT.

CONCLUSION

Individuals that have been abused as children must use significantly more mental effort to complete executive functioning tasks as compared to their non-abused counterparts. Increased neurological effort could be used to explain poor decision-making skills that are common within the population.

Psychometric evaluation of depression measures with Northern Plains Indians

Numerous psychometric measurements are used to assess for mental health problems in Native American and Alaskan Native (AI/AN) populations; however, few studies have been carried out to assess their validity and reliability within these populations. This study was designed to assess the validity and reliability of numerous measures among the Northern Plains Indians. This article is a partial report, focused on the psychometric measures directed at detecting depression, namely the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) II, the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale, the Tri-Ethnic Depression Scale (TEDS), the Beck Hopelessness Scale (BHS), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R). Results revealed moderate to strong correlation across all measures, alpha coefficients that exceeded published alphas for the general population, and overall indicated their validity and reliability of these measures, and a 2-factor solution for the BDI-II. While there were limitations to the study, analysis of the results supports the use of each measure with the Northern Plains Indians (NPI) subpopulation, that the NPI subpopulation scored similar to the general population. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Individual Differences in Multitasking Performance

The present study examined whether personality characteristics and general intelligence predict multitasking performance. The Multi-Attribute Task Battery-II was used to assess multitasking performance. Personality factors included the Big Five, openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and neuroticism. The results indicated scores on general intelligence predict performance on the tracking task of the Multi-Attribute Task Battery-II, where higher scores of general intelligence predicted improved tracking performance. Additionally, conscientiousness and neuroticism were found to predict worsened performance on the resource management task of the Multi-Attribute Task Battery-II. Furthermore, agreeableness was found to predict perceived workload on the mental demand subscale of the Workload Rating Scale.

Neurobehavioral Effects of Consuming Dietary Fatty Acids

BACKGROUND

Research results on the neurobehavioral effects of consuming dietary fatty acids are mixed. Therefore, this study examined the effects of consuming dietary fatty acids on depression, mood, and anxiety.

METHODS

In this randomized crossover-design study, 37 university students served as their own controls, consuming each of the following diets for a 4-day period with a 2-week washout period between diets: (1) low fatty acid, (2) high saturated fatty acid (SFA), (3) high polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), and (4) control. The order of sessions was counterbalanced across dietary groups. Following consumption of each diet, participants were examined for within-subject differences in depression, mood, and anxiety. Measures included weighed dietary fat intakes, Zung's Self-Rating Anxiety and Depression Scales, and the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule.

RESULTS

Participants had significantly higher positive affect scores (p < .007) and were significantly less irritable (p < .04) when they consumed diets rich in SFAs and PUFAs than when they consumed a low fatty acid or control diet. However, depression, anxiety, and negative affect scores did not differ significantly among diets. Analysis of participants' serum lipid levels following their intake of the fatty acid and control diets indicated significantly higher levels of total cholesterol (p = .006) and serum triglycerides (p = .003) with the control diet.

CONCLUSIONS

These results highlight the neurobehavioral benefits of consuming dietary fatty acids among healthy individuals. By concentrating on the positive effects of diet on affective processes, health professionals can also provide support for at-risk individuals.

Assessment of anxiety among Northern Plains Indians

This study is an examination of the reliability and validity of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI; Beck, Epstein, Brown, & Steer, 1988) in a sample of NPIs (N = 529). Validity was assessed by comparing BAI scores among 3 different diagnostic categories in a clinical sample (anxiety disorder, mood disorder, and comorbid anxiety/mood disorder diagnostic groups) and a community sample of participants with no self-reported mental health diagnoses. The BAI was also compared with depression, quality of life, and anxiety measures to assess validity. Support toward the validity of the BAI was demonstrated through high correlations with similar measures of anxiety, as well as higher scores among the clinical samples compared to the control sample. The BAI also demonstrated strong internal consistency (α = .95). An exploratory factor analysis indicated the presence of 3 factors: (a) fear, (b) cardiorespiratory, and (c) body instability symptoms. The BAI was unable to accurately differentiate between mood disorder and anxiety disorder groups. Results of this study indicate that the BAI may be a useful instrument in the assessment of anxiety with NPIs; however, the BAI is potentially unsuited to differentiating between mood disorders and anxiety disorders with this population. (PsycINFO Database Record

Effects of transdermal nicotine on attention in adult non-smokers with and without attentional deficits

Extant evidence suggests a possibility of self-medication to account for greater prevalence of cigarette smoking among adults with ADHD as they tend to show improvements on affective and cognitive measures, particularly on measures of sustained attention following nicotine administration. The present study was conducted to evaluate whether adult non-smokers with low attentiveness might exhibit greater improvements on measures of sustained attention than those with higher attentiveness using neuropsychological tests that had previously shown sensitivity to ADHD. On the basis of their scores on attention scales used in the diagnosis of adult ADHD, 62 male non-smokers were divided into 2 groups of either low or high attentiveness and treated with either a placebo or 7 mg nicotine patch. After 6 h of patch application each participant completed the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST), classic Stroop task, and Conners' Continuous Performance Test (CPT), which were administered in a counterbalanced order and a double-blind manner. No significant drug or group differences were observed on the Stroop task. On the Conners' CPT participants in the low attention group treated with nicotine committed significantly fewer errors of commission, showed improved stimulus detectability and fewer perseverations than those in the low attention placebo group. On the WCST nicotine significantly impaired the ability of participants in the high attention group to learn effective strategies to complete the test with fewer trials. The results showed nicotine-induced improvement on some measures of sustained attention in the low attention group and some decrement in working memory in the high attention group, which suggests that nicotine tends to optimize rather than improve performance on cognitive tasks.

Effects of transdermal nicotine on prose memory and attention in smokers and nonsmokers

Previous research investigating cognitive effects of nicotine has produced mixed findings partly due to the use of abstaining smokers and cigarettes as a delivery system. The present study examined effects of nicotine delivered via a transdermal patch on prose memory and sustained attention in male smokers (n=25) and nonsmokers (n=22), who were randomly assigned to either a placebo or a nicotine condition. All groups were matched on their verbal ability and gross personality characteristics (state/trait anxiety levels, extroversion-introversion, and impulsivity level). In the nicotine condition, smokers were treated with a 21-mg transdermal patch, while nonsmokers received a 7-mg nicotine patch. Six hours following patch application, their performance was assessed on a computerized prose memory task and the Rapid Visual Information Processing task (RVIP) in a counterbalanced order and double-blind fashion. The results demonstrated that smokers in the placebo group recalled a significantly greater number of propositions than their counterparts in the nicotine group. Nonsmokers in the nicotine condition also remembered significantly more of the prose material than smokers in the same condition and showed a trend towards better recall of propositions of medium importance in the nicotine condition in comparison to the nonsmokers in the placebo group. No between-group differences were found on the RVIP task. A significant effect of time was found for systolic blood pressure and heart rate. The results cannot be interpreted using the arousal theory of nicotine effects on attention and are explained on the basis of a dose-dependent nicotinic action possibly recruiting cholinergic cortical projections.

The effect of importance level, delay, and rate of forgetting on prose recall in multiple sclerosis

Memory deficits are frequently seen in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). The focus of this study was to examine semantic encoding and the rate of forgetting in MS patients. The prose passages of the Wechsler Memory Scale Logical Memory subtest were used to examine MS patients' semantic sensitivity to the idea units of a story. The stories were divided into high, medium, and low idea units, reflecting their overall importance to the meaning of the story. MS patients recalled fewer idea units than controls, but both groups favored the main ideas relative to the nonessential details at both the immediate and delayed recall of the passages. Likewise, MS patients forgot information at a much faster rate than controls. Implications of this faster forgetting rate in MS patients are discussed from an applied setting.

The effects of caffeine on memory for word lists

The present study investigated the effects of caffeine on memory for supraspan word lists. Twelve groups of male and female college students classified as high or low impulsive were administered (PO) 0 mg/kg, 2 mg/kg or 4 mg/kg of caffeine. Subjects listened to four word lists presented at a fast rate and four at a slow rate. Caffeine inhibited females' recall during the slow rate, but not the fast rate. Caffeine had no effect on the recall performance of males. The observed effects of caffeine were not influenced by subjects' typical amount of caffeine consumption, verbal ability, or level of impulsivity. The results suggest that caffeine may impair the efficiency with which females rehearse information in working memory.