The teaching of statistics is limited by numerous challenges that are not easily overcome with tr... more The teaching of statistics is limited by numerous challenges that are not easily overcome with traditional pedagogical approaches. To evaluate the potential impact of a multidisciplinary, project-based course in introductory statistics, this article examines differences in course experiences, confidence, and interest in future experiences with data analysis and applied statistics of students enrolling in a traditional introductory statistics course compared to a multidisciplinary, project-based course. Results demonstrated that students enrolled in the project-based course had more positive course experiences, showed a greater likelihood of increases in confidence in managing data (e.g. setting aside missing data, creating scales and/or dichotomizing variables), choosing the correct statistical test, and writing syntax or code to run statistical analyses. They also showed greater interest in pursuing additional course-work in statistics and related topics. Findings were not better a...
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2012
Acculturation has been linked to neuropsychological performance in several ethnic groups. However... more Acculturation has been linked to neuropsychological performance in several ethnic groups. However, research among Latina/o samples has examined primarily Mexicans/Mexican Americans and has not examined Latina/o clinical populations of Caribbean descent. This study examined associations between a multidimensional acculturation measure and neuropsychological performance among 82 HIV+ Caribbean Latina/o adults. Multivariate results showed that US acculturation significantly predicted 11-14% of the variance in global neuropsychological functioning, verbal fluency, and processing speed, whereas Latina/o acculturation predicted 6-8% of the variance in motor and executive function (trend level associations). Both linguistic and nonlinguistic cultural factors had distinct effects on neuropsychological performance.
As the number of bilinguals in the USA grows rapidly, it is increasingly important for neuropsych... more As the number of bilinguals in the USA grows rapidly, it is increasingly important for neuropsychologists to be equipped and trained to address the unique challenges inherent in conducting ethical and competent neuropsychological evaluations with this population. Research on bilingualism has focused on two key cognitive mechanisms that introduce differences between bilinguals and monolinguals: (a) reduced frequency of language-specific use (weaker links), and (b) competition for selection within the language system in bilinguals (interference). Both mechanisms are needed to explain how bilingualism affects neuropsychological test performance, including the robust bilingual disadvantages found on verbal tasks, and more subtle bilingual advantages on some measures of cognitive control. These empirical results and theoretical claims can be used to derive a theoretically informed method for assessing cognitive status in bilinguals. We present specific considerations for measuring degree of bilingualism for both clients and examiners to aid in determinations of approaches to testing bilinguals, with practical guidelines for incorporating models of bilingualism and recent experimental data into neuropsychological evaluations. This integrated approach promises to provide improved clinical services for bilingual clients, and will also contribute to a program of research that will ultimately reveal the mechanisms underlying language processing and executive functioning in bilinguals and monolinguals alike.
Hispanic individuals in the U.S. have been disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS, yet little is... more Hispanic individuals in the U.S. have been disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS, yet little is known regarding the neuropsychological sequelae of HIV within the Hispanic population. This study characterized neuropsychological (NP) test performance of HIV+ English-speaking Hispanic participants (n= 51) and investigated the combined roles of sociocultural factors (e.g., ethnicity, socioeconomic status [SES] proxy, and reading level) on NP test performance among our HIV+ Hispanic and non-Hispanic White participants (n=49). Results revealed that the pattern of NP impairment in HIV+ Hispanic participants is consistent with the frontal-striatal pattern observed in HIV-associated CNS sequelae, and the overall prevalence of global NP impairment was high compared to previous reports with more ethnically homogeneous, non-Hispanic White cohorts. Multivariate prediction models that considered both sociocultural factors and CD4 count revealed that reading level was the only unique predictor of global NP functioning, learning, and attention/working memory. In contrast, ethnicity was the only unique predictor of abstraction/executive functioning. This study provides support for the use of neuropsychological evaluation in detecting HIV-associated NP impairment among HIV+ Hispanic participants, and adds to the growing literature regarding the importance of considering sociocultural factors in the interpretation of NP test performance.
The teaching of statistics is limited by numerous challenges that are not easily overcome with tr... more The teaching of statistics is limited by numerous challenges that are not easily overcome with traditional pedagogical approaches. To evaluate the potential impact of a multidisciplinary, project-based course in introductory statistics, this article examines differences in course experiences, confidence, and interest in future experiences with data analysis and applied statistics of students enrolling in a traditional introductory statistics course compared to a multidisciplinary, project-based course. Results demonstrated that students enrolled in the project-based course had more positive course experiences, showed a greater likelihood of increases in confidence in managing data (e.g. setting aside missing data, creating scales and/or dichotomizing variables), choosing the correct statistical test, and writing syntax or code to run statistical analyses. They also showed greater interest in pursuing additional course-work in statistics and related topics. Findings were not better a...
Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2012
Acculturation has been linked to neuropsychological performance in several ethnic groups. However... more Acculturation has been linked to neuropsychological performance in several ethnic groups. However, research among Latina/o samples has examined primarily Mexicans/Mexican Americans and has not examined Latina/o clinical populations of Caribbean descent. This study examined associations between a multidimensional acculturation measure and neuropsychological performance among 82 HIV+ Caribbean Latina/o adults. Multivariate results showed that US acculturation significantly predicted 11-14% of the variance in global neuropsychological functioning, verbal fluency, and processing speed, whereas Latina/o acculturation predicted 6-8% of the variance in motor and executive function (trend level associations). Both linguistic and nonlinguistic cultural factors had distinct effects on neuropsychological performance.
As the number of bilinguals in the USA grows rapidly, it is increasingly important for neuropsych... more As the number of bilinguals in the USA grows rapidly, it is increasingly important for neuropsychologists to be equipped and trained to address the unique challenges inherent in conducting ethical and competent neuropsychological evaluations with this population. Research on bilingualism has focused on two key cognitive mechanisms that introduce differences between bilinguals and monolinguals: (a) reduced frequency of language-specific use (weaker links), and (b) competition for selection within the language system in bilinguals (interference). Both mechanisms are needed to explain how bilingualism affects neuropsychological test performance, including the robust bilingual disadvantages found on verbal tasks, and more subtle bilingual advantages on some measures of cognitive control. These empirical results and theoretical claims can be used to derive a theoretically informed method for assessing cognitive status in bilinguals. We present specific considerations for measuring degree of bilingualism for both clients and examiners to aid in determinations of approaches to testing bilinguals, with practical guidelines for incorporating models of bilingualism and recent experimental data into neuropsychological evaluations. This integrated approach promises to provide improved clinical services for bilingual clients, and will also contribute to a program of research that will ultimately reveal the mechanisms underlying language processing and executive functioning in bilinguals and monolinguals alike.
Hispanic individuals in the U.S. have been disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS, yet little is... more Hispanic individuals in the U.S. have been disproportionately impacted by HIV/AIDS, yet little is known regarding the neuropsychological sequelae of HIV within the Hispanic population. This study characterized neuropsychological (NP) test performance of HIV+ English-speaking Hispanic participants (n= 51) and investigated the combined roles of sociocultural factors (e.g., ethnicity, socioeconomic status [SES] proxy, and reading level) on NP test performance among our HIV+ Hispanic and non-Hispanic White participants (n=49). Results revealed that the pattern of NP impairment in HIV+ Hispanic participants is consistent with the frontal-striatal pattern observed in HIV-associated CNS sequelae, and the overall prevalence of global NP impairment was high compared to previous reports with more ethnically homogeneous, non-Hispanic White cohorts. Multivariate prediction models that considered both sociocultural factors and CD4 count revealed that reading level was the only unique predictor of global NP functioning, learning, and attention/working memory. In contrast, ethnicity was the only unique predictor of abstraction/executive functioning. This study provides support for the use of neuropsychological evaluation in detecting HIV-associated NP impairment among HIV+ Hispanic participants, and adds to the growing literature regarding the importance of considering sociocultural factors in the interpretation of NP test performance.
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