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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Identifying Cognitive Profiles In Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using Online Cognitive Testing, Abagail Hennessy Jun 2023

Identifying Cognitive Profiles In Children With Neurodevelopmental Disorders Using Online Cognitive Testing, Abagail Hennessy

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are characterized by diverse cognitive deficits. Early identification of cognitive deficits is fundamental to improving academic and emotional/behavioural outcomes in children. Creyos has pioneered online cognitive testing which assesses working memory, attention, reasoning and verbal abilities. We developed audiovisual instructions for the task battery and implemented them in an online sample of children ages 4-16 with ADHD (n = 83), ASD (n = 37), and typically developing children (TD) (n = 86), to determine whether unique cognitive profiles would emerge. Four tasks reflective of working memory, …


Early Adversity And Positive Parenting: Predicting Executive Functioning In Children With Asd, Elizabeth A. Kuenzel Apr 2021

Early Adversity And Positive Parenting: Predicting Executive Functioning In Children With Asd, Elizabeth A. Kuenzel

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are statistically more likely to experience early adversity; however, little is known about which types of adversity are most prevalent, the role of parenting as a protective factor, and how this early life stress impacts cognitive outcomes. We assessed adversity and parenting styles in 238 children (ASD=82) aged 6–16 years using parent report. Intellectual abilities were assessed using the WISC-V. Children with ASD had increased incidence of familial stressors compared to Typically Developing (TD) children. Positive parenting was associated with significant decreases in familial adversity for all children. Environmental stressors were associated with cognitive …


Adversity, Neurodevelopment, And Cognition In Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Alissa Papadopoulos Apr 2021

Adversity, Neurodevelopment, And Cognition In Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Alissa Papadopoulos

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Problem behaviours associated with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) symptomatology put children at increased risk of experiencing peer victimization, which has been associated with altered brain development and cognitive ability. A large sample of typically developing (TD), ADHD combined type (ADHD-C), and ADHD inattentive type (ADHD-I) children underwent behavioural assessment, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive testing. We examined how problem behaviours and peer victimization differed among the groups, how problem behaviours and peer victimization related to hippocampal volume, and how hippocampal volume related to working memory (WM). The ADHD-C group displayed the highest levels of peer victimization and problem …


Individual Differences In Lifestyle Factors And The Effects Of Acute Exercise On Executive Functioning In Children And Youth With Adhd, Jasmyn Skinner Feb 2021

Individual Differences In Lifestyle Factors And The Effects Of Acute Exercise On Executive Functioning In Children And Youth With Adhd, Jasmyn Skinner

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Acute exercise interventions can improve executive functioning among children and youth with ADHD, however not all individuals experience the same benefit. We focused on three lifestyle factors (medication use, physical fitness, and physical activity behaviours) and their impact on the relationship between acute exercise and executive functioning. Participants completed a battery of executive functioning measures, followed by a 10-minute bout of moderate-intensity stationary biking (experimental condition), or silent reading (control condition). The same battery of assessments was re-administered immediately after the intervention and after a 10-minute delay. Overall, regardless of medication status, physical fitness level, or physical activity behaviours, an …


Understanding The Effects Of Physical Activity On Executive Functioning And Psycho-Emotional Well-Being In Children With Adhd, Hannah B. Bigelow Jun 2020

Understanding The Effects Of Physical Activity On Executive Functioning And Psycho-Emotional Well-Being In Children With Adhd, Hannah B. Bigelow

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

A short bout of physical activity has been shown to improve executive functioning in children. However, the implications for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been understudied. We examined the impact of a 10min bout of physical activity on executive functioning and psycho-emotional well-being in children with ADHD. Participants engaged in two lab-based sessions separated by 1-week: a physical activity session and a control session. The physical activity session included a 10min bout of moderate-intensity biking, with a pre-post battery of cognitive and psycho-emotional assessments. The control session consisted of 10mins of silent reading. We used functional imaging …


Exploring The Relationships Among Executive Functioning, Behaviour, And Adaptive Skills In Young Children, Melissa Read May 2019

Exploring The Relationships Among Executive Functioning, Behaviour, And Adaptive Skills In Young Children, Melissa Read

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

This study aimed to investigate the relationships among executive functions (EFs), adaptive skills, and behaviour problems in young children. Participants were divided into four behaviour groups: high internalizing (INT), high externalizing (EXT), combined high internalizing and externalizing (COMB), and within the normal range (NORM). The predictive ability of inhibition, shift, working memory, adaptive skills, age, and gender on group membership was explored using regression analyses. A person-oriented perspective was also explored using cluster analysis. Fifty-five kindergarten and Grade one educators in Ontario, Canada completed the Behaviour Rating Inventory for Executive Functioning (second or preschool edition) and the Behaviour Assessment System …


Social Media And Cognition, Ana C. Ruiz Pardo Aug 2017

Social Media And Cognition, Ana C. Ruiz Pardo

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Social media is an inescapable platform for sharing media and connecting with others. This thesis investigated how social media impacts cognition; specifically, attention. Study 1 investigated typical social media usage patterns and helped gauge which SM platform was most popular. Study 1 revealed three main platforms people used most often: Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat. Facebook was reported as the most popular social media platform. Study 2 investigated how a social media post impacts cognition. It was hypothesized that participants who posted, with the intention of provoking a reaction from their followers, on their social media prior to performing a cognitive …


Executive Dysfunction: A Contributor To Subtypes Of Violence Or General Criminality?, Megan B. Hancock Jan 2014

Executive Dysfunction: A Contributor To Subtypes Of Violence Or General Criminality?, Megan B. Hancock

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Purpose: The adverse consequences of violence on society are tremendous. Several factors have been identified as potential contributors to violent crime, including deficits in executive functioning. Executive functioning is a term used to a describe number of higher-order cognitive abilities (e.g., working memory, inhibition) that are thought to be essential for appropriate, socially desirable behavior. The extent to which executive functions influence the occurrence of general criminality versus specific subtypes of crime is largely unknown. Of particular interest is the ability of executive functioning to distinguish between reactive and instrumental subtypes of violence. Whereas reactive violence is committed with the …