Search

En los últimos años ha surgido la interrogante de si es posible entrenar las funciones ejecutivas y si se considera que la música, por su alto nivel de complejidad, genera un efecto en estos procesos. Pese a que se ha encontrado una relación entre un entrenamiento musical y las funciones ejecutivas, estos resultados son contradictorios y no existe una estimación cuantitativa de la fuerza de esta posible asociación, ni tampoco estudios que integren los resultados de investigaciones similares para esclarecer la problemática planteada. El objetivo del presente estudio fue estimar meta-analíticamente el efecto del entrenamiento musical sobre el procesamiento ejecutivo, así como identificar potenciales variables moderadoras. Se encontró un tamaño de efecto moderado ( d=0,51) el cual indica que las personas que recibieron un entrenamiento musical presentaron un mejor desempeño en las tareas de funciones ejecutivas e n comparación a los participantes que no estuvieron expuestos a un entrenamiento de esta naturaleza.

In this chapter, Mauricio Molina-Delgado and Bértold Salas-Murillo propose that several Black Mirror episodes deal with one of the most problematic themes when studying the philosophy of the mind and cognitive sciences: qualia, i.e., the subjective qualities of experiences, experimented on through technology. The authors argue that most episodes occur in potential worlds wherein natural laws are compatible with the main thesis of functionalism. This viewpoint in philosophy of mind interprets mental states not as physical or non-physical functions, but rather as internal operations that mediate between the inputs and outputs of a system. Many of the arguments and counterarguments of functionalism have been proposed through thought experiments. Due to their fictional yet plausible nature, Black Mirror episodes play a similar role to these experiments: they propose imaginary situations in which the truthfulness of a specific thesis is verified or put into perspective. Episodes such as “White Christmas,” “Playtest,” “San Junipero,” “USS Callister,” “Crocodile,” “Black Museum,” and “Striking Vipers” contemplate the role of digital technology in reflections about qualia or problematizations of the relationship between mind and body, consciousness and brain. The authors assert that, in the Black Mirror universe, the self can be considered a disembodied concept. Some episodes take a position concerning this neuroscientific problem, while others imagine possibilities which defy contemporary science. In several episodes, the digitalization of sensations, feelings, or consciousness is enabled by a series of devices corresponding to interfaces that allow the input and output of information, as proposed by functionalism. Finally, the way the authors conceive of ethical issues in organic and non-organic beings face a contemporaneous problematic since qualia can be artificially generated.

Of all the countries in Central America, Costa Rica is generally regarded as having the most stable and democratic government. In 1949, the Costa Rican Constitution abolished the army, gave women the right to vote, and provided several social, economic, and educational guarantees for all its citizens. The country has one of the highest literacy rates in the region and a relatively established educational system from the primary and secondary grades through university (Pérez, 2004), as well as one of the most effectively universalized healthcare systems in Latin America (Saenz, Bermudez & Acosta, 2010). Because of this, Costa Rica characterizes itself as a country of immigration, with close to 15% of its population born abroad, mostly coming from Nicaragua (INEC & CCP, 2013). Costa Rica is also an important destination for refugees and asylum seekers. Currently, the country has 12,749 refugees, coming mostly from Colombia. In this way, Costa Rica hosts the second-largest concentration of Colombian refugees in Latin America, after Ecuador (ACNUR, 2016). In this context, the current chapter examines Costa Rican attitudes towards immigrants and immigration. Specifically, we focus on participants’ expectations of how immigrants should acculturate. Informed by Berry´s (2008) acculturation model and theories from intergroup-relations literature, this chapter describes a series of studies among Costa Rican adolescents (N = 150, 53% females), university students (N = 337, 49% females) and adult community members (N = 278, 51% females), in which attitudes towards immigrants´ acculturation are linked with psychosocial variables such as subtle and blatant prejudice (Pettigrew & Mertens, 1995), intergroup contact (Allport, 1951, Pettigrew, 1986), intergroup anxiety (Stephan, Díaz-Loving & Duran, 2000) and intergroup emotions (Mackie, Smith & Ray, 2008). First, we describe the development of an emic measure of acculturation attitudes (Escala de Expectativas de Aculturacion) to capture three different acculturation expectations: integration, assimilation and separation. Second, we test the relative contribution of the aforementioned psychosocial variables to the prediction of each type of acculturation expectation. Finally, we test the moderating role the type of immigrant group (Nicaraguans vs. Colombians) has on the relationship between intergroup variables and acculturation attitudes. In line with previous studies, our results show that the receiving-society members’ expectations of how immigrants should acculturate are deeply shaped by intergroup phenomena such as subtle and blatant prejudice, intergroup anxiety, negative emotions and lack of intergroup contact, determining the extent to which migrants are received favorably or unfavorably (Schwartz, Unger, Zamboanga, & Szapocznik, 2010). On the other hand, data showed that assimilation and separation expectations share several predictors, suggesting novel meanings of the assimilation construct (Zick, Wagner, Van Dick, & Petzel, 2001). Finally, our data is consistent with previous research showing that the receiving-society members have different reactions towards immigration depending on the specific groups they have in mind when considering how to live together in society (Berry, 2006; Rohman, Piontkowski, & van Randenborgh, 2008). Universidad de Costa Rica/[]/UCR/Costa Rica UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Sociales::Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas (IIP)

The present article aims at testing –via linear logistic test model (LLTM)– a set of cognitive operations (i.e., rules) influencing the item difficulty of a fluid intelligence test on different samples of students. In Study 1, high school students (n = 1751) were randomly assigned to study and validation samples. The former sample served to test a proposed set of rules as variables affecting item difficulty and the latter aided to bring evidences of validity of these rules. In Study 2, university students (n = 162) were recruited to determine whether the influence of these rules on the level of difficulty of the items could be generalized to this new group. Study 1 brings evidence of the viability of a set of cognitive operations underlying the process of solving the items while Study 2 suggests individual differences in respondents’ solution strategies. The same strategy of analysis could be applied to the construction of other tests and may help educators, researchers and decision-makers to improve their pursue of relying on the most refined instruments El presente artículo tiene como objetivo poner a prueba —a través del uso de un modelo logístico lineal (LLTM, por sus siglas en inglés)— un conjunto de operaciones cognitivas (reglas), que influencian la dificultad de los ítems de un test de inteligencia fluida en diferentes muestras de estudiantes. En el Estudio 1, estudiantes de colegios (n = 1751) fueron asignados al azar a una muestra “estudio” o a una muestra “validación”. La primera sirvió para poner a prueba el conjunto de reglas propuestas como variables, que podrían afectar la dificultad de los ítems, y la segunda permitió recolectar evidencias de validez de dichas reglas. En el Estudio 2, se reclutaron estudiantes de universidad (n = 162), esto para determinar si la influencia de las reglas sobre el nivel de dificultad de los ítems podía generalizarse a este nuevo grupo. El Estudio 1 aporta evidencias acerca de la validez del conjunto de operaciones cognitivas que subyacen al proceso de resolución de los ítems, mientras que el Estudio 2 sugiere diferencias individuales en las estrategias de resolución de las personas examinadas. La misma estrategia de análisis podría ser aplicada a la construcción de otros tests. Asimismo, podría ayudar a personas educadoras, investigadoras y tomadoras de decisiones en su búsqueda de disponer de instrumentos cada vez más depurados.

En el siguiente artículo se analiza el tiempo requerido para graduarse como bachiller universitario, así como su relación con predictores socio demográficos y de aptitud académica. Se realizó un seguimiento hasta el año 2010 para la población estudiantil que ingresó entre los años 2000 y 2003 a la Universidad de Costa Rica. Al realizar comparaciones entre las curvas de sobrevivencia, mediante el estimador Kaplan-Meier, se encontró una probabilidad mayor de graduarse tempranamente en las mujeres y en aquellos(as) estudiantes que cursaron sus estudios fuera de la capital del país. Adicionalmente se construyeron modelos de regresión de Cox, encontrándose asociaciones entre el tiempo de graduación y el tipo de colegio de procedencia, la puntuación de una prueba de aptitud académica y la tenencia de beca socioeconómica. Los resultados apuntan a que altos niveles de aptitud académica están relacionados con menores tiempos de duración de la carrera. Por otra parte, el nivel socioeconómico no parece ser determinante en los tiempos de graduación, lo cual se explica porque probablemente la tenencia de beca mitiga el efecto de dicho factor The paper analyzes the time frame required for bachelor degree attainment, as well as its relation with socio-demographic variables and academic aptitude. A follow-up study of students entering the University of Costa Rica between 2000 and 2003 was conducted up until 2010. The data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival curves. A higher probability of early graduation was found in women and students enrolled in branch campuses. Moreover, Cox regression models were estimated, showing a negative correlation between the time frame required for obtaining the bachelor degree, on one hand, and the score obtained in an academic aptitude test, the type of high school (public/private), and whether the student had received financial aid from the university, on the other. The results show a trend in students with higher academic aptitude of successfully finishing their studies earlier. Furthermore, socioeconomic condition does not have a significant effect. The authors claim that this pattern is due to the role of the financial aid system of the university

This article introduces a simulation model of rat behavior in the elevated plus-maze, designed through a Decision trees approach using Classification and Regression algorithms. Starting from the analysis of the behavior performed by a sample of 18 Sprague-Dawley male rats, probabilistic rules describing behavioral patterns of the animals were extracted, and were used as the basis of the model computations. The model adequacy was tested by contrasting a simulated sample against an independent sample of real animals. Statistical tests showed that the simulated sample exhibits similar behaviors to those displayed by the real animals, both in terms of the number of entries to open and close arms as well as in terms of the time spent by the animals in those arms. However, the performance of the model in parameters related to the behavioral patterns was partially satisfactory. Given that previous attempts in the literature have neither include this kind of patterns nor the time as a crucial model parameter, the present model offers a suitable alternative for the computational simulation of this paradigm. Compared with antecedent models, the present simulation produced similar or better results in all the considered parameters. Beyond the goal of establish an appropriate simulational model, extracted rules also reveal important regularities associated to the rat behavior previously ignored by other models, i.e. that specific rat behaviors in the elevated plus-maze are time dependent. These and other important considerations to improve the model performance are discussed. UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias de la Salud::Centro de Investigación en Neurociencias (CIN) UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Sociales::Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas (IIP)

En este artículo se presenta un programa para la definición del género gramatical de los sustantivos. Los datos de entrada son los sustantivos y a la salida se obtiene la definición del género de cada uno de ellos. De hecho, se programa el modelo algebraico linguistico del género gramatical aplicado a la lengua española, así como fue elaborado en Cosmas, 1992.

En los últimos años, el reconocimiento del matrimonio y la unión civil entre personas del mismo sexo ha sido objeto de debates en diversos países del mundo, particularmente en América Latina. El presente estudio explora el impacto relativo de la religiosidad, el autoritarismo, la homofobia y el contacto con personas homosexuales en el rechazo o apoyo a esta iniciativa en Costa Rica. Participaron en el estu- dio 100 estudiantes universitarios costarricenses heterosexuales quienes contestaron un cuestionario autoaplicado que contenía mediciones de estos constructos. Los resultados del análisis de regresión logística muestran que una combinación particular de alta ortodoxia religiosa, alto autoritarismo homofóbico y poco contacto con personas homosexuales disminuyen las probabilidades de apoyar el matrimonio y la unión civil. For the last years, the recognition of same-sex civil unions and marriages has been subject of intense debates in several countries in the world, particularly in Latin America. In this study, we explore de relative impact of religiosity, authoritarianism, homophobia, and contact with homosexual persons in the rejection or approval of these initiatives. Participants in the study were 100 Costa Rican university students. Logistic regression analyses showed that a particular combination of high levels of orthodoxy, high levels of homophobic authoritarianism and low levels of contact with homosexuals decrease the likelihood of support of same sex marriage and civil unions. Universidad de Costa Rica/[723-A8-311]/UCR/Costa Rica UCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Sociales::Instituto de Investigaciones Psicológicas (IIP)

Se ha sugerido que la práctica profesional de un instrumento musical esta relacionada con mejores puntajes en tareas de funciones ejecutivas. Con el fin de examinar sistemáticamente esta hipótesis se realizó un metaanálisis para identificar el efecto de la interpretación de un instrumento en las funciones ejecutivas, así como las variables que podrían moderar dicho efecto. El metaanálisis incluyó estudios empíricos que: (1) compararon los puntajes en medidas de funciones ejecutivas entre músicos y no músicos; (2) reportaron las medias y desviaciones estándar; (3) el grupo de comparación no recibió entrenamiento musical; y (4) los participantes no presentaron discapacidad motora o cognitiva. Se identificó que los músicos, en comparación con los no músicos, muestran mejores puntajes en tareas de funciones ejecutivas (d = .712). Los resultados apoyan la hipótesis de que la práctica de un instrumento musical está relacionada con mejores puntuaciones en tareas de funciones ejecutivas.