Insights into cognitive mechanics from education, developmental psychology and cognitive science
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Empowering music education with technology: a bibliometric perspective
As technology becomes an integral part of educational content and methodology, its research significance continues to grow, particularly in the relationship between music and technology. The primary aim of this study is to quantify and analyze academic research outcomes concerning the use of technology in music education. The selected sample is drawn from the WoS core database, encompassing academic achievements from 1991 to 2024. Various bibliometric software tools and three major laws were employed for the analysis, examining publication distribution, relevant journals and authors, research countries, keywords, and current and future research themes. Presently, research is mainly focused on four themes: technology integration and interaction, adaptive learning and creative teaching methods, educational frameworks and performance, and the diverse inclusion of children and adolescents. Looking ahead, the two frontier hot topics in this field are remote and online education, and innovation in higher education and educational models. This study aims to contribute to the comprehensive bibliometric analysis literature on the use of technology in music education.
Trust in scientists and their role in society across 68 countries
Science is crucial for evidence-based decision-making. Public trust in scientists can help decision makers act on the basis of the best available evidence, especially during crises. However, in recent years the epistemic authority of science has been challenged, causing concerns about low public trust in scientists. We interrogated these concerns with a preregistered 68-country survey of 71,922 respondents and found that in most countries, most people trust scientists and agree that scientists should engage more in society and policymaking. We found variations between and within countries, which we explain with individual- and country-level variables, including political orientation. While there is no widespread lack of trust in scientists, we cannot discount the concern that lack of trust in scientists by even a small minority may affect considerations of scientific evidence in policymaking. These findings have implications for scientists and policymakers seeking to maintain and increase trust in scientists.
Cognitive reserve is associated with education, social determinants, and cognitive outcomes among older American Indians in the Strong Heart Study
Cognitive reserve, a component of resilience, may be conceptualized as the ability to overcome accumulating neuropathology and maintain healthy aging and function. However, research measuring and evaluating it in American Indians is needed. We recruited American Indians from 3 regional centers for longitudinal examinations (2010-13, n = 818; 2017-19, n = 403) including MRI, cognitive, clinical, and questionnaire data. We defined cognitive reserve by measuring the residual from individual regressions of cognitive tests over imaged brain volumes, adjusted for age and sex. Analyses examined three different metrics of cognitive reserve against sociodemographic, clinical, and longitudinal cognitive data in causal mediation models. Better cognitive reserve was significantly associated with more education, higher income, lower prevalence of depression, lower prevalence of diabetes, and lower prevalence of kidney disease, but we found no statistically significant evidence for an association with plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, APOE e4 carrier status, alcohol use, body mass, or hypertension. Better cognitive reserve was associated with better cognitive function over mean 6.7 years follow-up (range 4-9 years); and the association for education with cognition over time was mediated in part (15-24%) by cognitive reserve. Cognitive reserve, although challenging to measure, appears important for understanding the range of cognitive aging in American Indians.
Smartwatch- and smartphone-based remote assessment of brain health and detection of mild cognitive impairment
Consumer-grade mobile devices are used by billions worldwide. Their ubiquity provides opportunities to robustly capture everyday cognition. ‘Intuition’ was a remote observational study that enrolled 23,004 US adults, collecting 24 months of longitudinal multimodal data via their iPhones and Apple Watches using a custom research application that captured routine device use, self-reported health information and cognitive assessments. The study objectives were to classify mild cognitive impairment (MCI), characterize cognitive trajectories and develop tools to detect and track cognitive health at scale. The study addresses sources of bias in current cognitive health research, including limited representativeness (for example, racial/ethnic, geographic) and accuracy of cognitive measurement tools. We describe study design and provide baseline cohort characteristics. Next, we present foundational proof-of-concept MCI classification modeling results using interactive cognitive assessment data. Initial findings support the reliability and validity of remote MCI detection and the usefulness of such data in describing at-risk cognitive health trajectories in demographically diverse aging populations. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05058950.
Investigating the role of psychological elements in advancing IT skills among accounting students: insights from Saudi Arabia
Psychological factors are among the multiple influences on people’s daily behavior. The outcomes of various daily activities, ranging from success to failure, are often determined by these psychological aspects. The purpose of this research is to determine how psychological factors influence the skill of accounting students in Saudi Arabia with regard to information technology (IT). In order to achieve the research objectives, a descriptive and explanatory research design incorporating a quantitative approach is utilized. The study’s target population comprises accounting students from government universities in Saudi Arabia. Data collection employed a combination of convenient and snowball sampling strategies, ensuring broader applicability of the findings. A total of 306 accounting students from these universities participated in an online survey. Data analysis is conducted using partial least squares-structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), and the significance of path coefficients is assessed through bootstrapping tests. Results indicated that motor skills, visual processing, fatigue, and stress positively influence IT skill development in these students. Conversely, ergonomics and cognitive abilities appeared to have no significant effect. The model accounted for approximately 65% of the variance in IT skill development among university students. These insights can guide educational institutions in formulating strategic plans for IT skill development, ensuring students acquire the necessary competencies on campus. Additionally, the findings offer valuable information for government bodies developing standards to foster IT skill growth.
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