Raffaele Sperandeo, Lucia Luciana Mosca, Chiara Scognamiglio
et al.
A situational individual’s mental state contains the dynamic interaction between explicit, conscious cognitive processes and implicit automatisms that develop outside of consciousness. The influence of implicit and unaware processes, often underestimated, manifests itself in the speed with which we process information, in immediate emotional responses, and in the emergence of intentions even before they are accessible to awareness. The brain activity that precedes a decision manifests itself several milliseconds before the subject reports the conscious intention to act. This phenomenon highlights how awareness emerges after the decision-making process. The Quantum Cognition model proposes an alternative theoretical framework to classical logic to explain complex cognitive phenomena such as ambivalence, overlapping intentions, and sudden changes in perspective. The aim of this paper is to propose the QC model as a powerful formal strategy for describing the mind as a dynamic, probabilistic, and context-sensitive system.
Richel Lousberg, Kim AM Tijssen, Husam KZ Salamah
et al.
Introduction Delirium is a neuropsychiatric disorder that remains under-recognised and poorly understood in the paediatric population, especially among the very young. In premature neonates, delirium is not yet researched, even though prematurity may also be implicated as a risk factor since younger age, developmental delay and a vulnerable brain are risk factors. However, given the developmental stage of these patients, the assessment of two important Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-V (DSM-V) criteria for diagnosing delirium, disturbance in consciousness/attention and cognition, is complicated and/or even impossible. Therefore, the main aim of the study is to screen for delirium in premature infants at the neonatal intensive care unit.Methods and analysis An exploratory observational prospective cohort study will be conducted at the Maastricht University Medical Centre+ during a period of 12 months to explore the epidemiology (patient/clinical characteristics and prevalence) of delirium. All admitted infants are screened for agitation and apathy as the main delirium markers, using the neonatal pain agitation and sedation scale and the Cornell Assessment of Paediatric Delirium.Ethics and dissemination The study protocol and informed consent procedure were submitted to the Medical Ethics Committee (METC) (METC 2023–3709). The METC waived the need for approval. However, although the METC waived the need for approval, informed consent will be collected for consent for publication of the collected data.
The functional nature of cognitive systems is outlined as a general conceptual model where typical notions of cognition are analyzed apart from the physical realization (biological or artificial) of such systems. The notion of function, one of the main logical bases of mathematics, logic, linguistics, physics, and computer science, is shown to be a unifying concept in analyzing cognition components: learning, meaning, comprehension, language, knowledge, and consciousness are related to increasing levels in the functional organization of cognition.
Abstract Metacognition allows us to evaluate memories and knowledge, thus enabling us to distinguish between what we know and what we do not. Studies have shown that species other than humans may possess similar abilities. However, the number of species tested was limited. Testing ten free-ranging Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) on a task in which they had to find food hidden inside one of the four opaque tubes, we investigated whether these subjects would seek information when needed. The monkeys could look inside the tubes before selecting one. We varied three parameters: the baiting process, the cost that monkeys had to pay to look inside the tubes, and the reward at stake. We assessed whether and how these parameters would affect the monkeys’ tendency to look inside the tube before selecting one. When they were not shown which tube contained the reward, nine monkeys looked significantly more frequently in at least one condition. Half of them tended to reduce their looks when the cost was high, but only when they already knew the location of the reward. When a high-quality reward was at stake, four monkeys tended to look more inside the tubes, even though they already knew the reward’s location. Our results are consistent with those of rhesus macaques, suggesting that metacognitive-like abilities may be shared by Cercopithecidae, and that, at least some monkeys may be aware of their lack of knowledge.
The literature on face emojis raises the central question whether they should be treated as pictures or conventionalized signals. Our experiment addresses this question by investigating semantic differences in visually similar face emojis. We test a prediction following from a pictorial approach: small visual features of emojis that do not correspond to human facial features should be semantically less relevant than features that represent aspects of facial expressions. We compare emoji pairs with a visual difference that either does or does not correspond to a difference in a human facial expression according to an adaptation of the Facial Action Coding System. We created two contexts per pair, each fitted to correspond to a prominent meaning of one or the other emoji. Participants had to choose a suitable emoji for each context. The rate at which the context-matching emoji was chosen was significantly above chance for both types of emoji pairs and it did not differ significantly between them. Our results show that the small differences are meaningful in all pairs whether or not they correspond to human facial differences. This supports a lexicalist approach to emoji semantics, which treats face emojis as conventionalized signals rather than mere pictures of faces.
The article addresses how to improve the professional training of specialists in the transport industry
using information and cognitive technologies.
The article aims to study and explain the problems, opportunities, and prospects of implementing
and using information and cognitive technologies in the educational environment, as well as the specifics
of their implementation for teaching and learning in educational and professional programs for the transport specialists’ training.
The following methods of semantic and comparative analysis, classification, generalization, and systematization, as well as competency-based, technological, and creative development approaches were
used in the research.
It has been found that cognitive technologies in the context of teaching and learning involve the use
of methods and tools, which are based on understanding and activating cognitive processes such as thinking, memory, and attention. In cognitive learning, the educational process focuses not on absorbing information but on understanding the internal connections of the studied subjects, which encourages students
to engage in dialogical, exploratory thinking, and increases mental activity concentration. By complementing information technologies with cognitive ones, which take into account the individual and general cognitive students’ abilities, it is possible not only to encourage professional training but also to enhance the
overall cognitive efficiency of future specialists. For educators, these technologies facilitate the use of ICT
as cognitive tools for transitioning from traditional teacher-centred methods to constructivist student-centred approaches.
It has been established that information-cognitive technologies combine methods and algorithms based
on insights into the cognition processes, learning, communication, and information processing, grounded in
the achievements of neuroscience, digital and information technologies, and the mathematical modelling of
consciousness. In the educational process, they are designed to support students in setting and solving creative tasks that are difficult to formalize, as well as to reveal and effectively operate their cognitive potential.
In the professional training of students, certain information-cognitive technologies can be applied both
with and without the use of computer systems. These include technologies for developing critical thinking,
creatively developmental technologies, project technologies, foresight methodologies, problem-based learning technologies, mastery learning technologies, mental activity activation technologies, case studies, gaming
technologies, visualization and data representation technologies, and learning through practice.
Additionally, the use of multimedia technologies, scribing, virtual and augmented reality, project
technologies based on networking, gamification, interactive technologies, primarily group work technologies, open, distance, and blended learning technologies, and also the Internet of Things, Blockchain, Big
Data, expert systems, SMART technologies, and artificial intelligence significantly enhances the quality of
training students in proficiency transport area.
It has been concluded that information and cognitive technologies provide interactive, personalized,
and practically oriented learning, contribute to the development of student’s critical thinking, and for future transport specialists can optimize logistics processes, automate diagnostics, repair, and operation of
vehicles, in addition, increase the specialist’s adaptability to the complex conditions of the modern and future professional environment.
This paper is written at a tipping point in the development of generative AI and related technologies and services, which heralds a new battleground between humans and computers in the shaping of reality. Large language models (LLMs) scrape vast amounts of data from the so called ‘publicly available' internet, enabling new ways for the past to be represented and reimagined at scale, for individuals and societies. Moreover, generative AI changes what memory is and what memory does, pushing it beyond the realm of individual, human influence, and control, yet at the same time offering new modes of expression, conversation, creativity, and ways of overcoming forgetting. I argue here for a ‘third way of memory’, to recognise how the entanglements between humans and machines both enable and endanger human agency in the making and the remixing of individual and collective memory. This includes the growth of AI agents, with increasing autonomy and infinite potential to make, remake, and repurpose individual and collective pasts, beyond human consent and control. This paper outlines two key developments of generative AI-driven services: firstly, they untether the human past from the present, producing a past that was never actually remembered in the first place, and, secondly, they usher in a new ‘conversational’ past through the dialogical construction of memory in the present. Ultimately, developments in generative AI are making it more difficult for us to recognise the human influence on, and pathways from, the past, and that human agency over remembering and forgetting is increasingly challenged.
Communication. Mass media, Consciousness. Cognition
Emily N. Line, Sara Jaramillo, Micah Goldwater
et al.
Abstract People are inundated with popular press reports about medical research concerning what is healthy, get advice from doctors, and hear personal anecdotes. How do people integrate conflicting anecdotal and statistical information when making medical decisions? In four experiments (N = 4126), we tested how people use conflicting information to judge the efficacy of artificial and real medical treatments. Participants read an anecdote from someone in a clinical trial, or who had undergone a medical treatment previously, for whom the medical treatment was ineffective. We found that reading anecdotes for either artificial or real medical treatments shifted participants’ beliefs about the efficacy of a medical treatment. We observed this result even when the anecdote was uninformative, was paired with an icon array, or when participants were provided with thorough medical decision aids about reproductive health procedures. Our findings highlight the pervasive effect of anecdotes on medical decision making.
Jacques Lacan is a famous French psychoanalyst, but his influence has long gone beyond the scope of psychoanalysis and has affected almost all fields of “human science.” Film and psychoanalysis coincided almost simultaneously and influenced each other. But with the development of film, researchers found that film studies in the period of classic film and film semiotics have come to an end. It has certain theoretical value to explore the construction of the subject and the mental model of the erotic film based on Lacan’s desire theory. Method. The body in the film and video described in this paper includes both the material body as an aesthetic object and the spiritual body with aesthetic consciousness. The so-called artistic presentation of the body element means that the beauty of the body form displayed by the actor’s body in the film video is perceived by the audience, and the desire to stare is captured by the audience, thereby completing the audience’s entire body composed of eyes, body, and mind. The body is not only an aesthetic object but also an aesthetic subject, and the human cognitive system is not just a closed brain. Because the nervous system, body, and environment are constantly changing and interacting, true cognition is a unified system of all three. The main part of this paper uses Lacan’s psychoanalytic theory to deeply analyze the relationship between the characters shown in the film. From the cognitive impairment of the self to the failure of communication between characters, the language of uncertainty entangled by desire is removed, and the behavior and facial expressions of the movie characters are used as the analysis basis to fully interpret the inner world of the characters. This includes love, hatred, pain, struggle, and many other contradictory emotions. In addition, this paper also analyzes the metaphor of the relationship between the characters from the perspective of semiotics and discusses the description of the relationship between the characters from the lens language from the perspective of cinematography. The special meaning conveyed by the recurring elements in the film is emphasized, and the correlation between the pictures is explained from the less mentioned photographic aspect of the film. Results/Discussion. Looking at Lacan’s theory, the subject, the other, and desire are linked by the subject spirit, which is the core of the connection between the three, and only through the resistance and struggle of the subject spirit can the illusion of the subject be broken. Bewilderment and the suppression of the other and desire finally become the self. And the embodiment of this true self is particularly prominent in film art. Lacan’s purpose is not merely to dissolve the subject but to seek a stand in the midst of destruction, pursuing the ultimate transcendence of man’s desire for the external other and internal desire.
Olesya Blazhenkova, Kivilcim Dogerlioglu-Demir, Robert W. Booth
Abstract Previous research has shown that face masks impair the ability to perceive social information and the readability of emotions. These studies mostly explored the effect of standard medical, often white, masks on emotion recognition. However, in reality, many individuals prefer masks with different styles. We investigated whether the appearance of the mask (pattern: angular vs. curvy and color: black vs. white) affected the recognition of emotional states. Participants were asked to identify the emotions on faces covered by masks with different designs. The presence of masks resulted in decreasing accuracy and confidence and increasing reaction times, indicating that masks impair emotion recognition. There were no significant effects of angularity versus curvature or color on emotion recognition, which suggests that mask design may not impair the recognition beyond the effect of mere mask wearing. Besides, we found relationships between individual difference variables such as mask wearing attitudes, mask design preferences, individual traits and emotion recognition. The majority of participants demonstrated positive attitudes toward mask wearing and preferred non-patterned black and white masks. Preferences for white masks were associated with better emotion recognition of masked faces. In contrast, those with negative attitudes toward masks showed marginally poorer performance in emotion recognition for masked faces, and preferred patterned more than plain masks, perhaps viewing masks as a fashion item rather than a necessity. Moreover, preferences to wear patterned masks were negatively related to actual wearing of masks indoors and perceived risks of COVID.
Alberto Labra, Montserrat Roldan-Navarro, Reyes Haro-Valencia
et al.
Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is a common condition that has been associated to a number of metabolic, cardiovascular and cognitive consequences. Its diagnosis relies on a polysomnographic or polygraphic study, but clinical findings remain as an important part of the diagnostic process. Nocturia is a common symptom that may indicate severe OSAS, but it is often forgotten in the initial evaluation of these kind of patients. Positive airway pressure (CPAP) is known to reduce nocturia, but the roll of surgery is not clear about it.
Material and Methods: A case series is presented. We compare 2 groups of male adults with severe OSAS, the first group treated with CPAP for 3 months, while group 2 underwent a multilevel surgical management. Apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) and the nocturia events number (NEN) were assessed before and after the treatment. Frequencies, descriptive statistics and a related sample Student’s t-test were performed for statistical analysis.
Results: 97 male patients were included, age ranged from 29 to 71 years old. In group 1, treated with CPAP, AHI mean was 54.59 and nocturia mean 4.53 before treatment. With CPAP, the AHI mean was 6.63 and NEN mean 0.51. In group 2, AHI mean before surgery was 40.02, NEN mean 3.78, and after the surgical management AHI mean was 7.74 and NEN mean 0.7. Student’s t-test in groups 1 and 2 showed a p=0.000.
Conclusions: AHI and NEN were clearly related in both groups, and the improvement of NEN and AHI were consistent in both groups, the CPAP and the surgical treatment. The presence of a NEN value of 4-5 may be an indicator of severe OSAS and should always be clinically evaluated.
Abstract We report the results of a preregistered study that tested the effectiveness of inoculating participants against Islamophobic and radical-Islamist disinformation. Participants in the experimental (inoculation) condition watched a video that explained common rhetorical markers of radical-Islamist and Islamophobic disinformation that had been identified in an analysis of YouTube content. The information was presented in a neutral context not involving Islam and focused on analysis of the misleading argumentation. The control group watched a video about an unrelated topic. Participants were then exposed to target videos with “gateway” content that constituted an entry point to potential Islamist or Islamophobic radicalization. Both videos contained numerous items of disinformation. Participants then answered a variety of questions such as how likely they were to share the video, their level of agreement, and their perceived accuracy of the video. Participants who had received the inoculation displayed less agreement with the video content, perceived the video as less reliable, and were less likely to share it in comparison with participants in the control group. The study provides support for the use of argument-based inoculation in combatting extremist messages.
Tiziana Jäggi, Sayaka Sato, Christelle Gillioz
et al.
Considering how fundamental and ubiquitous temporal information is in discourse (e.g., Zwaan & Radvansky, 1998), it seems rather surprising that the impact of the grammaticalization of the future on the way we perceive the future has only been scarcely studied. We argue that this may be due to its rather abstract nature and how it has been previously operationalized. In this review, we lay the foundation for studying the impact of the grammaticalization of the future on mental representations of the future by taking an interdisciplinary perspective, connecting cognitive sciences, linguistics, psycholinguistics, economics, and health psychology. More specifically, we argue that experimental psycholinguistics, combined with more applied domains, constitute a promising research avenue.
Camila Hirotsu, Cristina Frange, Patricia H Hirata
et al.
Objectives: Musculoskeletal (MSK) pain and hypersomnolence (HPS) are very disabling conditions
that may share some pathophysiological factors. This study aimed to evaluate the interaction
between MSK pain and HPS and its association with mood symptoms, fatigue, quality of life,
and both objective and subjective sleep quality. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: General
population based sample. Participants: 510 individuals from EPISONO cohort, São Paulo (Brazil).
Measurements: All participants completed questionnaires, had clinical assessment and underwent
a full-night polysomnography. HPS was defined according to Epworth Sleepiness Scale while the
presence of MSK pain was defined by structured questionnaire. The sample was allocated into 4
groups: control (CTRL, n=281), HPS (n=141), MSK (n=50), and both conditions (HPS+MSK,
n=38). Results: MSK pain and HPS by themselves were associated with worse mood symptoms
and quality of life. However, individuals with both associated conditions (HPS+MSK) presented
higher frequencies of moderate to severe depression (44.1%) and anxiety symptoms (45.7%), as well
as an additional decrease in quality of life compared to the other groups. There were no differences
between HPS+MSK and MSK groups in objective sleep pattern. With regard to subjective sleep,
HPS+MSK presented a higher prevalence of sleep attacks and cataplexy compared to all other
groups. Conclusions: The combination of MSK pain and HPS was associated with worse mood
symptoms, quality of life and HPS-related features. This study suggests that sleepiness may be an
important symptom to be investigated and treated in MSK pain-related conditions for a better
quality of life.
Juan Facundo Nogueira, Guido Simonelli, Vanina Giovini
et al.
Introduction: The most effective treatment for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)
is continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) but adherence may be a limiting factor. Most compliance
studies often only include patients under CPAP treatment, neglecting the importance of access
to treatment. The aim of this study was to evaluate CPAP access and compliance in OSA patients,
after CPAP indication and titration. Methods: We included moderate to severe OSA patients, diagnosed
by in-lab polysomnography (PSG), with CPAP indication and effective pressure titration.
Between 12 to 18 months after treatment was indicated a telephone questionnaire was administered
including questions about access to CPAP, reasons of no access, reported adherence and symptoms
improvement. Results: A total of 213 patients responded to the survey (171 males, mean age
53.4±13.5 and BMI 34.02±8.8 kg/m2). Almost a third of the patients (28.2%) did not initiate CPAP
treatment. Out of 213, 153 patients (71.8%) started treatment with CPAP and 120 (56.3%) reported
still being under treatment a year after indication, additionally, 85.8% reported that they were using
it =4hs/night. Those who accessed to CPAP were on average, older age, had full coverage of
treatment by their medical insurance, required lower effective pressure and experienced more severe
sleepiness compared to those individuals who did not accessed to CPAP. Discussion: A significant
proportion of OSA patients with CPAP indication did not initiate and/or eventually abandoned
CPAP. Approximately only 50% of the patients were still under treatment, with acceptable selfreported
adherence rate and clinical response, one year after the initial treatment indication. Additional
measures are necessary to increase access to CPAP and improve long-term compliance.