1,720,968 research outputs found
Italian adaptation of the System Usability and Acceptance Model scale: application to MatriKS a new digital test for fluid intelligence assessment
No full textThe perceived ease of use and attitude towards new technologies are particularly
relevant for the effectiveness and implementation of new digital neuropsychological tests.
Nevertheless, to date there are no instruments specifically targeted for developmental
age that encompass both the features of usability and acceptability. The present work
aims to describe the psychometrics properties of the Usability and Attitude Scale (UAS),
an Italian adaptation of the System Usability Scale (SUS; Brooke,1995) and Technology
Acceptance Model Scale (TAM; Venkatesh & Bala, 2008; Davis, 1989). Furthermore, the
study aimed at assessing the usability and attitude of MatriKS, a new computerized test
for the evaluation of fluid intelligence. The UAS was administered to a sample of 1,239
participants aged 4 to 70 (47% males and 53% females, M=19.43, SD=16.86) of the
general population. All participants completed different versions of MatriKS according to
their age and then completed the UAS. Overall, UAS showed good content validity and
internal consistency. Moreover, the results obtained using the Curved Grading Scale
Method (CGS; Sauro & Lewis, 2012;2016), confirmed the positive reception of MatriKS,
indicating that test-takers perceived the assessment as a positive experience.
Specifically, the usability resulted “excellent” for the version tailored to the younger
population, while the usability score of the other version resulted between “sufficient” and
“good”. Concerning the acceptability perceived by participants, the results obtained with
the CGS method, confirm positive ratings like those found for usability. In conclusion, the
UAS showed good psychometric properties and feedback provided by test-takers
suggest that the MatriKS is promising and deserves further research
Italian adaptation of the System Usability and Acceptance Model scale: application to new digital tests for executive functions assessment
No full textThe perceived ease of use and attitude towards new technologies are particularly relevant for the effectiveness and implementation of new digital neuropsychological tests. The present work aims to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Usability and Attitude Scale (UAS), an Italian adaptation of the System Usability Scale (SUS) and Technology Adaptation Model Scale (TAM) for children. The study includes 361 children (age 4-8: n=177; age 9-13; n= 184). All participants completed the AdapTol - a new digital assessment tool based on Tower of London Test - and were subsequently required to fill in the UAS. Exploratory Factor Analysis was performed in two groups of age (4-8 and 9-13) separately. In both analyses, the 3 factors extracted explained the 68% of the total variance. The 3 factors included items dealing with usability (F1, 3 items), with expressing the perceived ease of use of the tool (tablet) (F2, 3 items), and concerning the usability perceived by peers (F3, 2 items). Besides good content validity, the questionnaire showed adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha =.52-.84). In conclusion, the UAS shows good psychometric properties and appears to be a valuable tool for the assessment of the usability and acceptance of new digital neuropsychological tests
Developmental trajectories of accuracy and type of errors in Fluid intelligence assessment as detected by a new digital tool: MatriKS.
No full textFluid intelligence (FI) is the ability to think logically and solve problems in new situations. It is generally assessed through nonverbal reasoning tests (e.g.,Raven’s Matrices). Studies assessing FI through standard tests highlighted that this skill improves during development. Moreover, prior research showed that the matrices’ complexity is influenced by several factors - such as the number of elements, perceptual characteristics, rules number, and complexity. Yet, to date few evidence exists on changes in different types of errors during development.
This study aims to evaluate the developmental trajectories of MatriKS, a new digital tool for the evaluation of FI. We analysed the total accuracy and the different types of errors (i.e., repetition, wrong principle, difference, incomplete correlate). MatriKS was administered to N=590 typically developing participants (males = 311, females = 279) aged 4-11 years old (M = 8.39, SD = 2.19).
Results of generalised linear model (glm) on accuracy showed that children’s performance significantly improves with age (z = -29.06, p<0.001). Results of glm on error types showed an overall decrease of errors number with age (z = -23.58, p<.001). To better investigate the relation between changes in the different types of errors and age, we divided the sample in 2 years-step age groups and performed an ANOVA. Results showed significant main effects of error type (F(5,561)=30,91, p<0.001) and age (F(4,561)=89.64, p<0.001), as well as a significant interaction (F(11,1300)=5.94, p<0.001). Specifically, the number of errors significantly decreases with age in all the distractor types, but not in “Difference”.
In conclusion, MatriKS proves to be a tool capable of detecting differences based on age, both on accuracy and error types. Information about the characteristics of errors and how they change with age is pivotal for planning targeted and individualized interventions in several clinical populations
AdapTol: un nuovo strumento computerizzato per discriminare tra sviluppo tipico e disturbi del neurosviluppo
No full textNumerosi studi dimostrano che i disturbi del neurosviluppo (DNS) sono caratterizzati da alterazioni delle funzioni esecutive (FE). Esistono, tuttavia, evidenze contrastanti, spiegate dalla forte eterogeneità e variabilità interindividuale. In questo scenario, gli strumenti digitali permetterebbero di valutare campioni ampi, rappresentando meglio tale eterogeneità.
AdapTol è un nuovo strumento per valutare le FE in modalità computerizzata. Questo studio preliminare indaga la capacità di AdapTol di discriminare tra popolazioni con DNS e a sviluppo tipico (TD). Sono stati valutati 719 bambini tra 4 e 14 anni (374 femmine) mediante AdapTol, di cui 61 con DNS. L’accuratezza ed il numero di violazioni sono state analizzate mediante analisi della varianza multivariata, con diagnosi di DNS come fattore tra i soggetti ed età come covariata. I risultati mostrano che il gruppo DSN ha prestazioni significativamente inferiori per l’accuratezza (F=8.4; p=.004) ma non per il numero di violazioni (F=1.5; p=.22) rispetto ai TD; l’età ha un effetto marginalmente significativo soltanto per l’accuratezza, mostrando un miglioramento con l’aumentare dell’età (F=7.1; p=0.08).
Complessivamente, i bambini con DNS riescono a completare le prove, suggerendo una buona usabilità di AdapTol. Inoltre, nonostante la variabilità di prestazione nella popolazione clinica, AdapTol sembra un efficace strumento per discriminare tra popolazione clinica e TD
Uno studio preliminare di validazione di Attento alle parole!
No full textÈ recente l’interesse per i trattamenti riabilitativi per la dislessia evolutiva basati sulle funzioni esecutive e proposti in modalità computerizzata. Il presente studio fa parte di un progetto più ampio sull’efficacia di strumenti riabilitativi computerizzati per studenti con disturbi specifici di apprendimento. Nel presente studio si vogliono valutare gli effetti del trattamento Attento alle parole! sulle abilità di lettura e sulle funzioni esecutive. Otto bambini (sei maschi) con dislessia evolutiva hanno partecipato alla ricerca. Il training consiste di 182 giochi digitali utilizzabili in autonomia da effettuare in 16 sessioni quotidiane di 20 minuti ciascuna, della durata complessiva di un mese. Prima e dopo il trattamento sono state valutate le abilità di lettura di liste di parole e non parole e brano e le funzioni esecutive tramite test standardizzati (DDE-2, MT e NEPSY). Dai risultati complessivi emerge un miglioramento nella lettura di liste di non parole e nei compiti di ricerca visiva, inibizione, switching e categorizzazione nella maggior parte dei soggetti coinvolti. I risultati ottenuti sono promettenti e sottolineano l’importanza di effettuare ulteriori ricerche con un campione più ampio e includendo un gruppo di controllo per confermare l’efficacia di Attento alle parole! valutando le potenzialità aggiuntive di un protocollo di intervento da effettuare in due mesi.There is a recent interest in rehabilitation treatments for developmental dyslexia based on executive functions and proposed in computerized mode. This study is part of a larger project aimed at studying the effectiveness of a computerized rehabilitation tools for students with learning difficulties. In the present study we want to evaluate the effects of the Attento alle parole! treatment protocol on reading skills and executive functions. Eight children (two girls and six boys) with developmental dyslexia participated in the research. The training consists of 182 digital games, which can be used independently, lasting 20 minutes each, divided in 16 sessions, lasting globally one month. Before and after the treatment, the ability to read words, non-words lists and text, as well as the executive functions were evaluated by standardized tests (DDE-2, MT and NEPSY-II). The overall results show a significant improvement in non-word lists reading and in the tasks of visual search, inhibition, switching and categorization in most of the subjects involved. The results obtained are promising and underline the importance of carrying out further research with a larger sample and including a control group to confirm the effectiveness of Attento alle parole! evaluating the additional potential of an intervention protocol of two months
Eye-Riders un applied game per il potenziamento delle funzioni esecutive: Risultati preliminari dell'efficacia clinica.
No full textNella pratica clinica è sempre più diffuso l’utilizzo di training cognitivi basati su tecniche di gamification e accessibili online, soprattutto per popolazioni con disturbi del neurosviluppo, come Disturbo di Attenzione e Iperattività (ADHD), Disturbo dello spettro Autistico o Disturbi specifici dell’Apprendimento (DSA). Questo studio ha lo scopo di presentare i risultati preliminari dell’efficacia di Eye-Riders, un applied game per il potenziamento delle funzioni esecutive. Un gruppo di 41 bambini (range di età 7-9 anni) ha partecipato allo studio: 13 con DSA e 28 a sviluppo tipico. Il training cognitivo proposto consisteva nel giocare a Eye-Riders in 9 sessioni da 20 minuti ciascuna, con una frequenza di 3 volte a settimana per 3 settimane. L’efficacia del training è stata valutata mediante le scale delle funzioni esecutive e attentive della batteria Nepsy-II, somministrate prima e dopo il training. I risultati mostrano un miglioramento significativo nelle abilità di Attenzione Uditiva, Attenzione Visiva, Inibizione e Switching in entrambi i gruppi. Inoltre, i risultati rivelano che nei bambini con DSA, il miglioramento ottenuto nelle abilità di attenzione visiva è riconducibile al miglioramento nelle prestazioni ottenute nel gioco. In conclusione, Eye-Riders si configura come un utile strumento di potenziamento delle funzioni esecutive e attentive sia in bambini con DSA che a sviluppo tipico
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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