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Adolescents; High School Students; Sleep; Cognitive Science; Attention; Behavior; Executive Function; Psychological Patterns; Puberty; Biological Influences; Intervention; School Schedules

Abstract:
Cognitive science is an interdisciplinary field of researchers from psychology, neuroscience, linguistics, philosophy, computer science, and anthropology who seek to understand the mind. This paper considers findings from this field that are strong and clear enough to merit classroom application. Although many teachers and parents worry that high school students don't sleep enough, research shows that the impact of sleep deprivation on learning is not as dramatic as typically thought. Even so, research does show that teenagers can learn to get more shuteye, and that doing so can improve their mood and behavior. (Contains 51 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Evolution; Definitions; Textbook Content; Textbook Evaluation; Science Education History; Intellectual History; Ecology; Biological Influences; Teaching Methods; Educational Practices; Scientific Concepts; Elementary Secondary Education

Abstract:
Adaptation is one of the central concepts in evolutionary theory, which nonetheless has been given different definitions. Some scholars support a historical definition of adaptation, considering it as a trait that is the outcome of natural selection, whereas others support an ahistorical definition, considering it as a trait that contributes to the survival and reproduction of its possessors. Finally, adaptation has been defined as a process, as well. Consequently, two questions arise: the first is a philosophical one and focuses on what adaptation actually is; the second is a pedagogical one and focuses on what science teachers and educators should teach about it. In this article, the various definitions of adaptation are discussed and their uses in some textbooks are presented. It is suggested that, given elementary students' intuitions about purpose and design in nature and secondary students' teleological explanations for the origin of adaptations, any definition of adaptation as a trait should include some information about its evolutionary history. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Intelligence; Geometric Concepts; Biological Influences; Spatial Ability; Cognitive Processes; Neurology; Experiments; Brain; Epilepsy; Perception; Pattern Recognition; Eye Movements

Abstract:
An extraordinary variety of experimental (e.g., flicker, magnetic fields) and clinical (epilepsy, migraine) conditions give rise to a surprisingly common set of elementary hallucinations, including spots, geometric patterns, and jagged lines, some of which also have color, depth, motion, and texture. Many of these simple hallucinations fall into a small number of perceptual geometries--the Kluver forms--that (via a nonlinear mapping from retina to cortex) correspond to even simpler sets of oriented stripes of cortical activity (and their superpositions). Other simple hallucinations (phosphenes and fortification auras) are linked to the Kluver forms and to pattern-forming cortical mechanisms by their spatial and temporal scales. The Kluver cortical activity patterns are examples of self-organized pattern formation that arise from nonlinear dynamic interactions between excitatory and inhibitory cortical neurons; with reasonable modifications, this model accounts for a wide range of hallucinated patterns. The Kluver cortical activity patterns are a subset of autonomous spatiotemporal cortical patterns, some of which have been studied with functional imaging techniques. Understanding the interaction of these intrinsic patterns with stimulus-driven cortical activity is an important problem in neuroscience. In line with this, hallucinatory pattern formation interacts with physical stimuli, and many conditions that induce hallucinations show interesting interactions with one another. Both types of interactions are predictable from neural and psychophysical principles such as localized processing, excitatory-inhibitory neural circuits, lateral inhibition, simultaneous and sequential contrast, saccadic suppression, and perceptual opponency. Elementary hallucinations arise from familiar mechanisms stimulated in unusual ways. (Contains 13 figures, 1 table and 9 footnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Genetics; Multimedia Materials; Misconceptions; Concept Teaching; Scientific Concepts; Science Course Improvement Projects; Teaching Methods; Evolution; Biological Influences; Science Activities; Ornithology

Abstract:
Most middle school students comprehend that organisms have adaptations that enable their survival and that successful adaptations prevail in a population over time. Yet they often miss that those bird beaks, moth-wing colors, or whatever traits are the result of random, normal genetic variations that just happen to confer a negative, neutral, or positive survival advantage. Instead, many students hold on to the belief that adaptations arise in response to an environmental challenge and that this environmental pressure is what drives evolution. Fortunately, a set of multimedia slide shows developed by the Genetic Science Learning Center at the University of Utah is taking aim at these commonly held misconceptions. By examining natural selection and evolution at the DNA level, they shift the focus from "adaptations" and place it on genetic variation instead. In this context, an organism's traits are the result of normal genetic processes and not a reaction to an environmental challenge. A genetic variation becomes "successful" in a population over time not because it is superior, but simply because individuals who possess it are alive to reproduce. Adding the slide shows as supplements to the activities a teacher already uses in his or her middle school classroom can help reinforce the concept that evolution is a natural process and not a response to a changing world. (Contains 5 figures and 4 online resources.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Scientific Research; Gifted; Psychologists; Family Environment; History Instruction; Intellectual History; Nature Nurture Controversy; Developmental Psychology; Biological Influences; Environmental Influences; Educational Philosophy; Educational Psychology; Debate

Abstract:
When explaining why some are gifted and others are not, nature and nurture are invariably mentioned. Is Jason gifted because of his inherited genes, his home environment, or a combination of the two? Researchers and laypersons have debated this for decades. They have conducted research, created tests, written editorials, influenced legislation, and almost come to blows over the matter. This lengthy period is even catalogued in histories, usually written by nature or nurture proponents. Here, they inform the reader how the nature-nurture debate "really" happened. Naturally, there are large discrepancies between their historical accounts. This article will describe some of these major discrepancies, observing how psychologists have written two distinct histories. The nature-centric history stresses the themes of scientific progress early in the 20th century and personal and professional persecution later on. The nurture-centric history stresses the themes of the immorality in early 20th century research, but the eventual triumph of justice. These distinct historical accounts demonstrate how scientific research can be divisively subjective, a fact that researchers and practitioners should remember when considering the field's present state. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Evidence; Nouns; Language Processing; Biological Influences; Aging (Individuals); Brain Hemisphere Functions; Diagnostic Tests; Task Analysis; Older Adults; Memory; Inhibition; Language Fluency; Verbal Communication; Pronunciation; Physiology; Productivity; Executive Function

Abstract:
Healthy aging is characterized by a number of changes on brain structure and function. Several neuroimaging studies have shown an age-related reduction in hemispheric asymmetry on various cognitive tasks, a phenomenon captured by Cabeza (2002) in the Hemispheric Asymmetry Reduction in Older Adults (HAROLD) model. Although this phenomenon is supported by a range of neuroimaging data on memory and inhibitory processes, there is little evidence concerning changes in hemispheric asymmetry for language processing, and particularly word retrieval, which is assessed with verbal fluency task (VFT). This study aimed to investigate the age-related changes in cerebral oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex for both letter and category VFT, varying the complexity of the criteria (i.e., degree of productivity) and using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Sixteen younger and 16 older adults participated in this study. For both VF conditions, participants were instructed to pronounce as many nouns as possible as a function of high-productivity (e.g., "animals" or "L") or low-productivity (e.g., "flowers" or "V") criteria. Behavioral data (i.e., accuracy responses) showed comparable performance in younger and older adults for both VF conditions. However, NIRS data showed more reduced activation (i.e., significantly reduced increase in [O[subscript 2]Hb] and reduced decrease in [HHb]) in older than younger adults for both VFT. In addition, a bilateral effect was found for both groups, suggesting that VFT requires both executive and language functions. The results are discussed in the context of the current theories of aging. (Contains 8 figures.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Injuries; Phenomenology; Self Destructive Behavior; Behavior Disorders; Neurology; Biological Influences; Literature Reviews; Symptoms (Individual Disorders); Cognitive Restructuring; Behavior Modification

Abstract:
Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) has many behavioral and cognitive features that would make it appear to be closely tied to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Obsessive-compulsive-related disorders (OCRDs) have been described in the literature as conditions that share a common phenomenology, neurobiology, and treatment response. The authors reviewed the literature describing the degree that NSSI is similar to, and distinct from, OCRDs based on these hypothesized common areas. They conclude with recommendations for conceptualization that draws partly from the OCRD literature and from cognitive-behavioral models of rumination. Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Grade 9; Science Education; Role of Education; Evidence; Scientific Literacy; Science and Society; Scientific Attitudes; Mixed Methods Research; Writing Assignments; Biological Influences; Public Health; Communicable Diseases; Statistical Analysis; Technical Writing; Story Telling; Peer Evaluation; Foreign Countries

Abstract:
The development of scientifically literate citizens remains an important priority of science education; however, growing evidence of students' disenchantment with school science continues to challenge the realization of this aim. This triangulation mixed methods study investigated the learning experiences of 152 9th grade students as they participated in an online science-writing project on the socioscientific issue of biosecurity. Students wrote a series of hybridized scientific narratives, or BioStories, that integrate scientific information about biosecurity with narrative storylines. The students completed an online Likert-style questionnaire, the BioQuiz, which examined selected aspects of their attitudes toward science and science learning, prior to their participation in the project, and upon completion of the writing tasks. Statistical analyses of these results and interview data obtained from participating students suggest that hybridized writing about a socioscientific issue developed more positive attitudes toward science and science learning, particularly in terms of the students' interest and enjoyment. Implications for research and teaching are also discussed. (Contains 5 tables and 2 notes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Sleep; Adolescents; Hygiene; Adolescent Attitudes; Performance Factors; Literature Reviews; Best Practices; Mental Health; Biological Influences; Neuropsychology; Screening Tests; Disability Identification; School Nurses; Health Behavior; Health Promotion

Abstract:
Cognition, memory, safety, mental health, and weight are all affected by inadequate sleep. Biological studies indicate significant changes in sleep architecture during adolescence, such as changes in melatonin secretion, and a need for greater total sleep time. Yet, social contexts and cultural values impinge on these changing biological sleep needs making adolescents vulnerable to the dangers of insufficient sleep. Sleep hygiene practices are purported as potential mediating factors between biological sleep needs and the sociocultural context of sleep. The purpose of this literature review is to highlight biological and social factors contributing to insufficient sleep in adolescents, to explore the evidence of several recommended sleep hygiene practices, and to stimulate further research about how adolescents negotiate their shifting biological sleep needs amid increasing social demands. (Contains 1 table.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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Descriptors:
Individual Differences; Neuropsychology; Nature Nurture Controversy; Developmental Psychology; Child Psychology; Learning Readiness; School Readiness; Biological Influences; Environmental Influences; Developmental Stages; Cognitive Development; Brain; Early Childhood Education; Genetics

Abstract:
Whereas some four year olds could draw a person with five fingers on each hand and a full set of facial features, others could barely hold a pencil. Some sat quietly in a small group, intently listening to and understanding a story, while others wiggled, fidgeted, and couldn't focus their attention. In those days, before the explosion of developmental neuroscience, the author's professors explained individual differences in readiness with the term "neural ripening," a catchphrase for the notion that individuals' developmental timetables differed biologically--and that there wasn't much one could do about it. For decades researchers tried to pin down what percentage of I.Q. is attributable to genes and what percentage to the child's environment. Nature and nurture are so intertwined from the moment of conception that it is impossible to separate them. It's a waste of time to try and determine an exact percentage of influence on any behavioral trait (such as intelligence or academic readiness). The issue is no longer Nature "vs." Nurture, but rather Nature "plus" Nurture. (Contains 8 endnotes.) Note:The following two links are not-applicable for text-based browsers or screen-reading software. Show Hide Full Abstract

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