1,721,032 research outputs found
Phase Transitions in a Neural Model of Problem Solving
No full textThis contribution introduces a new generalization of the Harmony Theory neural network model. It is used to simulate the problem solving behavior in arithmetic tasks. The simulations show how this kind of models cannot, in most cases, account for the cognitive phase transitions associated to problem solving in human subject
Psychological markers of longevity in Sardinian centenarians: the impact of developmental factors and social desirability
No full textA body of research documented that the study of mental health of the oldest individuals may contribute to understand the psychological characteristics of longevity. This study had two related aims. First, to fully characterize the psychological health of Sardinian elders in the very late adult span. Second, to determine the psychological health of long-lived individuals (i.e., centenarians) from this population. Three gender-matched age groups (octogenarian, nonagenarian, centenarian) of cognitively healthy, community dwelling adults were recruited in Sardinia, an Italian island characterized by higher levels of longevity. Comparisons of total and sub-scale levels of psychological well-being and depressive symptomatology were made while controlling for social desirability. There were few differences in any index of psychological health between the groups; only a decrease in the coping strategies sub-scale of psychological well-being was observed between the centenarians and the octogenarians. Social desirability was differentially associated with specific dimensions of depressive symptoms and psychological well-being. These findings highlight that there is minimal age-related decline in the psychological health of a longevous population, even among its very oldest members. The present outcomes suggest that older Sardinians represent an advantageous population for the investigation of the psychological markers of longevity, since they demonstrate positive adaptation to the challenges (e.g., changes related to their social network) of very late adulthood
SODA: a new questionnaire for the assessment of life satisfaction in late life span
No full textBackground: Established measures of well-being rarely examine active lifestyle or religious behaviors. Though these could be assessed using individual measures, in older populations, the availability of a brief composite instrument with adequate psychometric properties would be desirable. Aims: Two studies were conducted to assess the psychometric properties (i.e., item adequacy, factorial structure, reliability and validity) of a new tool that was developed to self-rate personal satisfaction among Italian elders, the SODdisfazione dell’Anziano (SODA) Questionnaire. Methods: 135 young adults (mean age = 29.5 years, SD = 7.4) took part in Study 1, whereas Study 2 was carried out with 474 cognitively healthy 60–98-year-old people, that were asked to complete a battery of well-known well-being measures including the SODA one. Results: Study 1 showed that the SODA questionnaire is a reliable and valid self-report tool defined by three factors, assessing satisfaction about physical and cognitive health, religious well-being, and satisfaction about time spent for leisure activities, respectively. Study 2 replicated the outcomes of Study 1, highlighting the factor structure of the SODA inventory. Moreover, a series of stepwise linear regression analyses pointed out what factors (i.e., education, physical health, social desirability, participation to outdoor leisure activities, gender, and age) predicted the variance relative to the SODA indexes. Discussion: Current findings show the solid psychometric properties of SODA. Conclusions: SODA represents a brief, but reliable and valid, instrument for the assessment of satisfaction (focused on the state level) in late adult span
I modelli microscopici della dinamica cellulare e il loro ruolo nella spiegazione delle psicopatologie
No full textAge Trends in Well-Being and Depressive Symptoms: the Role of Social Desirability
No full textThis study was conducted to determine whether age-related variance in social desirability mediates age trends in psychological health. Self-report measures assessing depressive symptoms, well-being and social desirability were administered to wide age range sample (158 participants aged 20–101 years) from Sardinia, an Italian region located in the Mediterranean Sea being characterized by high level of longevity. Binary correlations showed that ageing was significantly correlated with fewer depressive symptoms and greater well-being; social desirability was significantly correlated with fewer depressive symptoms and higher well-being; age and social desirability were positively correlated. Mediation analyses indicated that social desirability explained a significant proportion (7–33%) of age-related variance in perceived well-being and depressive symptomatology. In conclusion, age differences in self-reported depressive symptoms and well-being partially reflect age differences in social desirability. The age-related increase in social desirability may reflect development of an advantageous coping style that contributes to psychological health
Manuale di Scienza Cognitiva: Intelligenza Artificiale classica e Psicologia Cognitiva
No full textIl libro descrive gli sviluppi fondamentali della Scienza Cognitiva, sia sul piano filosofico, che della Psicologia Cognitiva e dell'Intelligenza Artificiale tradizionale. Sono descritti in dettaglio modelli formalizzati di apprendimento, memoria, attenzione, percezione, formazione e uso dei concetti, soluzione dei problem
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