I am interested in the key role of working memory in human development and its connection to executive functioning and language processes. Phone: +27117174511 Address: Department of Psychology
School of Human and Community Development
University of the Witwatersrand
Johannesburg
South Africa
ABSTRACTCreativity involves generating novel and valuable ideas. While the importance of creative... more ABSTRACTCreativity involves generating novel and valuable ideas. While the importance of creative thinking is widely acknowledged, its cognitive basis is poorly understood, particularly in older adults. This study aimed to develop and test an explanatory model of creative thinking to elucidate its underlying cognitive functions in an elderly sample. The role of demographic variables, including age, multilingualism, socioeconomic status (SES), level of education, and gender in creative thinking was also investigated. One hundred and twenty‐five participants aged 65 years and above‐completed measures of divergent, convergent and associative thinking, as well as task‐switching, inhibition and fluid intelligence. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyzed the relationships between these cognitive functions, and group differences assessed whether there were significant differences in the cognitive measures based on the demographic variables. Creative thinking appeared to entail the coop...
Extracted from text ... 160 Title: International handbook of intelligence Editor: R. J. Sternberg... more Extracted from text ... 160 Title: International handbook of intelligence Editor: R. J. Sternberg Date: 2004 Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 0521004020 (paperback, 496 pages) Given the interest in, and accessibility to, the topic, it is hardly surprising that volumes have been written about intelligence in the past few decades. Yet, after more than a century, any single definition of intelligence still yields much debate. These debates are reflected in this handbook and its contents also show the significant progress that has been made in the study of intelligence over the last century. For example, one of the most important advances made recently is the acknowledgment that intelligence ..
The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine whether or not children with learning disa... more The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine whether or not children with learning disabilities, specifically children with dyslexia, were more creative than non-learning disabled children of the same age. Torrance's Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) were administered to a group of 36 children with dyslexia in Grades four to seven, all attending the same remedial school. The scores obtained on the TTCT from the children with dyslexia were then compared to those of the normative sample for the TTCT. Results indicated that the children with dyslexia in all Grades were significantly better than the norm group at generating a large quantity of ideas. The children with dyslexia in Grade six also produced significantly more original responses than the non-learning disabled sample. It was concluded that the children with dyslexia within the current study may have higher than average ability on certain dimensions of creativity, and that these abilities could be drawn on when educating such children.
Objective : Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience workin... more Objective : Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience working memory difficulties. However, research findings are inconsistent, making it difficult to compare results across studies. There are several reasons for this inconsistency. Firstly, most studies make no distinction between ADHD subtypes, despite evidence that predominantly inattentive ADHD (ADHD/I) represents a different neurocognitive profile to the hyperactive-impulsive subtype (ADHD/HI). Secondly, documented studies use different tests of working memory which may be measuring different skills. Some assess only the verbal components of working memory and others the visuo-spatial; few of the tests assess both. Further, some tests employ a recognition methodology and others use recall, which require different brain regions and cognitive processes. To clarify these inconsistencies, the verbal and visuo-spatial working memory of children with ADHD/I, ADHD/HI and a control group with no ADHD symptoms were compared. Method : The Automated Working Memory Assessment and Ravens Coloured Progressive Matrices were administered to 72 children (ADHD/I n = 27; ADHD/HI n = 25; control n = 20). Results : The ADHD groups performed similarly, but were significantly poorer than the control group in all aspects of working memory. Storage abilities were stronger than processing abilities, while verbal and visuo-spatial abilities were equally developed for all groups. Conclusion : ADHD-related deficits were apparent across working memory components, even when IQ was controlled for, suggesting a generalised impairment. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2011, 23(2): 107–118
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a childhood mood disorder characterized by sever... more Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a childhood mood disorder characterized by severe difficulty in emotion regulation, particularly anger and irritability. Limited research has explored the relationship between attachment style and DMDD, despite the potential influence of attachment on physiological and behavioural regulation. This study investigated the role of attachment style, and subsequent adaptive shifts in parasympathetic regulation of the heart (indexed by vagal tone), as a potential contributing factor in the onset and maintenance of DMDD. The sample consisted of children who were diagnosed with DMDD (n=15) and a control group of typically developing peers (n =15). The avoidant attachment style was prominent in the DMDD group, compared to the control group. No differences in vagal tone were apparent at baseline or during a frustrating task. A negative correlation was found between the number of social interaction problems reported by parents in the DMDD group ...
Noise, although ubiquitous, is seldom considered as a factor that may impede learning. In South A... more Noise, although ubiquitous, is seldom considered as a factor that may impede learning. In South Africa, most learners are multilingual and learn in English, which is their second language. Most noise studies have been conducted in the Global North, where the school context differs from the Global South. In this article, using questions selected from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, we present a quantitative evaluation of the perceptions of background noise on learning of a purposive sample of 154 Grade 10 to 12 female learners attending 2 all-girls schools, who were either learning through English as their second, or as their first language. The responses of first language and second language learners were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests with Hodges-Lehman estimates. Second language learners reported greater interference and annoyance from noise, compared to their first language peers. This may be due to the additional cognitive demands required when processing comp...
Extracted from text ... 509 Title: Finding your way in qualitative research Authors: E. Henning, ... more Extracted from text ... 509 Title: Finding your way in qualitative research Authors: E. Henning, W. van Rensburg and B. Smit Year: 2004 Publisher: Van Schaik ISBN: 0-627-02545-5 (paperback, 179 pages) 'It's like trying to navigate a dangerous, and mainly uncharted raging river, full of hidden currents and submerged rocks, only no-one will give you a boat that doesn't leak.' This quote, taken from the diary of a postgraduate student attempting to conduct qualitative research for the first time, succinctly and trenchantly summarises the frustration and confusion often faced by 'novice' qualitative researchers. Whilst the use of qualitative methods in conducting research within ..
International Journal of Inclusive Education, Oct 1, 2013
ABSTRACT This study compared the working memory functioning of deaf children, children with ADHD ... more ABSTRACT This study compared the working memory functioning of deaf children, children with ADHD and typically developing children. Working memory is involved in the storage and mental manipulation of information during classroom learning activities that are crucial for the acquisition of complex skills and knowledge. Thus, it is important to determine how these groups compare in this regard as this has implications for teaching them together in an inclusive classroom. Simple and complex visuo-spatial and verbal working memory were assessed in 24 children with ADHD and 20 control children with no diagnosed ADHD, to determine whether any differences existed between these groups. A second comparison occurred between the simple and complex visuo-spatial working memory of the latter two groups, as well as 24 deaf children, all matched on age, gender and home language. The control group scored significantly higher than the deaf children and the children with ADHD on all components of simple and complex working memory. The implications of this finding are that children with ADHD and deaf children may share similar working memory profiles, making it easier to accommodate both sets of children together in the inclusive classroom. Suggestions are given for how educators could assist these children by reducing the demands on working memory.
The practice of neuropsychological assessment in South Africa is complicated by the lack of norms... more The practice of neuropsychological assessment in South Africa is complicated by the lack of norms that are representative of clients’ educational and linguistic experiences. In an attempt to address this challenge, we argue that Crawford and Howell’s Single-Case Methodology in Neuropsychology is a good option for the neuropsychological investigation of cases that are not well represented by the available norms. This research design and inferential statistical method compares the scores of one case to the performance of a carefully matched sample of modest size. In order that practitioners and researchers might use this methodology, we provide a set of norms for South Africans with specific demographic profiles on a range of well-researched and commonly used neuropsychological tests. We provide an illustrative case study to demonstrate the application of Crawford and Howell’s Single-Case Methodology, which shows how the selection of an appropriately matched norm (control) group is an effective way to reduce test biases for individuals who are not represented by the original test norms.
ABSTRACTCreativity involves generating novel and valuable ideas. While the importance of creative... more ABSTRACTCreativity involves generating novel and valuable ideas. While the importance of creative thinking is widely acknowledged, its cognitive basis is poorly understood, particularly in older adults. This study aimed to develop and test an explanatory model of creative thinking to elucidate its underlying cognitive functions in an elderly sample. The role of demographic variables, including age, multilingualism, socioeconomic status (SES), level of education, and gender in creative thinking was also investigated. One hundred and twenty‐five participants aged 65 years and above‐completed measures of divergent, convergent and associative thinking, as well as task‐switching, inhibition and fluid intelligence. Structural equation modeling (SEM) analyzed the relationships between these cognitive functions, and group differences assessed whether there were significant differences in the cognitive measures based on the demographic variables. Creative thinking appeared to entail the coop...
Extracted from text ... 160 Title: International handbook of intelligence Editor: R. J. Sternberg... more Extracted from text ... 160 Title: International handbook of intelligence Editor: R. J. Sternberg Date: 2004 Publisher: Cambridge University Press ISBN: 0521004020 (paperback, 496 pages) Given the interest in, and accessibility to, the topic, it is hardly surprising that volumes have been written about intelligence in the past few decades. Yet, after more than a century, any single definition of intelligence still yields much debate. These debates are reflected in this handbook and its contents also show the significant progress that has been made in the study of intelligence over the last century. For example, one of the most important advances made recently is the acknowledgment that intelligence ..
The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine whether or not children with learning disa... more The purpose of this exploratory study was to determine whether or not children with learning disabilities, specifically children with dyslexia, were more creative than non-learning disabled children of the same age. Torrance's Tests of Creative Thinking (TTCT) were administered to a group of 36 children with dyslexia in Grades four to seven, all attending the same remedial school. The scores obtained on the TTCT from the children with dyslexia were then compared to those of the normative sample for the TTCT. Results indicated that the children with dyslexia in all Grades were significantly better than the norm group at generating a large quantity of ideas. The children with dyslexia in Grade six also produced significantly more original responses than the non-learning disabled sample. It was concluded that the children with dyslexia within the current study may have higher than average ability on certain dimensions of creativity, and that these abilities could be drawn on when educating such children.
Objective : Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience workin... more Objective : Children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often experience working memory difficulties. However, research findings are inconsistent, making it difficult to compare results across studies. There are several reasons for this inconsistency. Firstly, most studies make no distinction between ADHD subtypes, despite evidence that predominantly inattentive ADHD (ADHD/I) represents a different neurocognitive profile to the hyperactive-impulsive subtype (ADHD/HI). Secondly, documented studies use different tests of working memory which may be measuring different skills. Some assess only the verbal components of working memory and others the visuo-spatial; few of the tests assess both. Further, some tests employ a recognition methodology and others use recall, which require different brain regions and cognitive processes. To clarify these inconsistencies, the verbal and visuo-spatial working memory of children with ADHD/I, ADHD/HI and a control group with no ADHD symptoms were compared. Method : The Automated Working Memory Assessment and Ravens Coloured Progressive Matrices were administered to 72 children (ADHD/I n = 27; ADHD/HI n = 25; control n = 20). Results : The ADHD groups performed similarly, but were significantly poorer than the control group in all aspects of working memory. Storage abilities were stronger than processing abilities, while verbal and visuo-spatial abilities were equally developed for all groups. Conclusion : ADHD-related deficits were apparent across working memory components, even when IQ was controlled for, suggesting a generalised impairment. Journal of Child and Adolescent Mental Health 2011, 23(2): 107–118
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a childhood mood disorder characterized by sever... more Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a childhood mood disorder characterized by severe difficulty in emotion regulation, particularly anger and irritability. Limited research has explored the relationship between attachment style and DMDD, despite the potential influence of attachment on physiological and behavioural regulation. This study investigated the role of attachment style, and subsequent adaptive shifts in parasympathetic regulation of the heart (indexed by vagal tone), as a potential contributing factor in the onset and maintenance of DMDD. The sample consisted of children who were diagnosed with DMDD (n=15) and a control group of typically developing peers (n =15). The avoidant attachment style was prominent in the DMDD group, compared to the control group. No differences in vagal tone were apparent at baseline or during a frustrating task. A negative correlation was found between the number of social interaction problems reported by parents in the DMDD group ...
Noise, although ubiquitous, is seldom considered as a factor that may impede learning. In South A... more Noise, although ubiquitous, is seldom considered as a factor that may impede learning. In South Africa, most learners are multilingual and learn in English, which is their second language. Most noise studies have been conducted in the Global North, where the school context differs from the Global South. In this article, using questions selected from the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, we present a quantitative evaluation of the perceptions of background noise on learning of a purposive sample of 154 Grade 10 to 12 female learners attending 2 all-girls schools, who were either learning through English as their second, or as their first language. The responses of first language and second language learners were compared using Mann-Whitney U tests with Hodges-Lehman estimates. Second language learners reported greater interference and annoyance from noise, compared to their first language peers. This may be due to the additional cognitive demands required when processing comp...
Extracted from text ... 509 Title: Finding your way in qualitative research Authors: E. Henning, ... more Extracted from text ... 509 Title: Finding your way in qualitative research Authors: E. Henning, W. van Rensburg and B. Smit Year: 2004 Publisher: Van Schaik ISBN: 0-627-02545-5 (paperback, 179 pages) 'It's like trying to navigate a dangerous, and mainly uncharted raging river, full of hidden currents and submerged rocks, only no-one will give you a boat that doesn't leak.' This quote, taken from the diary of a postgraduate student attempting to conduct qualitative research for the first time, succinctly and trenchantly summarises the frustration and confusion often faced by 'novice' qualitative researchers. Whilst the use of qualitative methods in conducting research within ..
International Journal of Inclusive Education, Oct 1, 2013
ABSTRACT This study compared the working memory functioning of deaf children, children with ADHD ... more ABSTRACT This study compared the working memory functioning of deaf children, children with ADHD and typically developing children. Working memory is involved in the storage and mental manipulation of information during classroom learning activities that are crucial for the acquisition of complex skills and knowledge. Thus, it is important to determine how these groups compare in this regard as this has implications for teaching them together in an inclusive classroom. Simple and complex visuo-spatial and verbal working memory were assessed in 24 children with ADHD and 20 control children with no diagnosed ADHD, to determine whether any differences existed between these groups. A second comparison occurred between the simple and complex visuo-spatial working memory of the latter two groups, as well as 24 deaf children, all matched on age, gender and home language. The control group scored significantly higher than the deaf children and the children with ADHD on all components of simple and complex working memory. The implications of this finding are that children with ADHD and deaf children may share similar working memory profiles, making it easier to accommodate both sets of children together in the inclusive classroom. Suggestions are given for how educators could assist these children by reducing the demands on working memory.
The practice of neuropsychological assessment in South Africa is complicated by the lack of norms... more The practice of neuropsychological assessment in South Africa is complicated by the lack of norms that are representative of clients’ educational and linguistic experiences. In an attempt to address this challenge, we argue that Crawford and Howell’s Single-Case Methodology in Neuropsychology is a good option for the neuropsychological investigation of cases that are not well represented by the available norms. This research design and inferential statistical method compares the scores of one case to the performance of a carefully matched sample of modest size. In order that practitioners and researchers might use this methodology, we provide a set of norms for South Africans with specific demographic profiles on a range of well-researched and commonly used neuropsychological tests. We provide an illustrative case study to demonstrate the application of Crawford and Howell’s Single-Case Methodology, which shows how the selection of an appropriately matched norm (control) group is an effective way to reduce test biases for individuals who are not represented by the original test norms.
Alcohol-consumption related deficits on complex executive functions and short-term memory have be... more Alcohol-consumption related deficits on complex executive functions and short-term memory have been reported in the literature, usually based on group comparisons. The present research rather used a repeated measures design, assessing 21 to 35 year old male participants on the Automated Working Memory Assessment’s twelve short-term and working memory subtests in the verbal and visuo-spatial domains. During the experimental assessment, a low dose of alcohol (13.6 grams) was administered, breath alcohol concentration (BAC) was measured and subjective feelings of stimulation were assessed on the Brief Biphasic Alcohol Effects Scale (B-BAES). Repeated measures analysis of (co)variance models indicated that performance improved on the working memory processing tasks, particularly in the verbal domain. This may have been related to changes in attention functions, stimulus evaluation task demands and tacit recall. On the other hand, two of the short-term memory tasks deteriorated significantly under the experimental condition, perhaps due to alcohol-related changes in stimulus representations. Partial correlation coefficients suggested that BAC was related to deficits in performance, but only if participant age was controlled for. The structure of the B-BAES was consistent with the literature, but subjective feelings of stimulation were not associated with performance changes. Shorter test-retest delays were slightly associated with improved performance, but the research data did not fully support practice effects or a mitigating influence of alcohol consumption. Based on the present findings, the specific influence of alcohol consumption on working memory could depend on methodological design, task types, memory domain and other sources of variance.
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