Celeste Meijs - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Celeste Meijs

Research paper thumbnail of Sociaal leerkapitaal van de organisatie in kaart gebracht-Zicht op informele kennis

Opleiding en Ontwikkeling-Tijdschrift overHuman Resource Development, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal learning performance in children aged 5 to 16

Child neuropsychology : a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence, Jan 22, 2015

This study examines inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal lear... more This study examines inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal learning performance. Children aged 5 to 16 performed a verbal learning test within one of three presentation modalities: pictorial, auditory, or textual. The results indicated that a beneficial effect of pictures exists over auditory and textual presentation modalities and that this effect increases with age. However, this effect is only found if the information to be learned is presented once (or at most twice) and only in children above the age of 7. The results may be explained in terms of single or dual coding of information in which the phonological loop is involved. Development of the (sub)vocal rehearsal system in the phonological loop is believed to be a gradual process that begins developing around the age of 7. The developmental trajectories are similar for boys and girls. Additionally, auditory information and textual information both seemed to be processed in a similar manner, n...

Research paper thumbnail of Inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal learning performance in children aged 5 to 16

Child Neuropsychology, 2015

This study examines inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal lear... more This study examines inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal learning performance. Children aged 5 to 16 performed a verbal learning test within one of three presentation modalities: pictorial, auditory, or textual. The results indicated that a beneficial effect of pictures exists over auditory and textual presentation modalities and that this effect increases with age. However, this effect is only found if the information to be learned is presented once (or at most twice) and only in children above the age of 7. The results may be explained in terms of single or dual coding of information in which the phonological loop is involved. Development of the (sub)vocal rehearsal system in the phonological loop is believed to be a gradual process that begins developing around the age of 7. The developmental trajectories are similar for boys and girls. Additionally, auditory information and textual information both seemed to be processed in a similar manner, namely without labeling or recoding, leading to single coding. In contrast, pictures are assumed to be processed by the dual coding of both the visual information and a (verbal) labeling of the pictures.

Research paper thumbnail of Sex differences in arithmetical performance scores: Central tendency and variability

Learning and Individual Differences, 2011

The present study aimed to analyze sex differences in arithmetical performance in a large-scale s... more The present study aimed to analyze sex differences in arithmetical performance in a large-scale sample of 390 children (193 boys) frequenting grades 1-9. Past research in this field has focused primarily on average performance, implicitly assuming homogeneity of variance, for which support is scarce. This article examined sex differences in arithmetical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) in central tendency and variability. Central tendency analyses revealed a male advantage, predominantly in addition and subtraction, from grade 6 onward. Variability analyses showed that sex differences were largest among higher achievers and absent among lower achievers. Thus, central tendency and variability analyses provide complementary information on sex differences in arithmetical performance. In conclusion, sex differences in arithmetical performance exist, but depend on the studied arithmetical operation, age group and achievement level. The present study thereby offers new directions for future research by indicating the need for a broader perspective on sex differences.

Research paper thumbnail of Lateral preferences and their assessment in school-aged children

Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of On the mediating effects of pregnancy and birth stress events on the relation between lateral preferences and cognitive functioning in healthy school-aged children

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2011

If the pathological left-handedness theory is valid, left-handed people who also experienced preg... more If the pathological left-handedness theory is valid, left-handed people who also experienced pregnancy and birth stress events (PBSEs) would especially be expected to deviate from the cognitive norm (rather than left-handers in general). This hypothesis was tested in a large sample of healthy children (aged 6.6-15.9 years). Multiple cognitive abilities were assessed, including verbal fluency and working memory. Children with a left lateral preference who also experienced a PBSE did not deviate from the cognitive norm. Age was positively associated with all cognitive measures, and mean level of parental education strongly affected verbal fluency functioning.

Research paper thumbnail of Age-related improvement in complex language comprehension: Results of a cross-sectional study with 361 children aged 5 to 15

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2008

We investigated age-related improvement in speed and accuracy of complex language comprehension w... more We investigated age-related improvement in speed and accuracy of complex language comprehension with 361 children attending kindergarten and the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Language comprehension was measured using both the neuropsychological procedure proposed by and an adapted version of the Token Test. Levels of short-term memory and verbal intelligence were controlled for in the evaluation of language comprehension. The findings show that the accuracy of language comprehension continued to develop until the 6th grade, whereas the speed of language comprehension continued to improve up until the 7th grade. We thus conclude that the complex language comprehension of children is not fully developed until early adolescence. We further contend that the speed of complex language comprehension appears to be more sensitive than accuracy with respect to measuring developmental differences.

Research paper thumbnail of On the association between lateral preferences and pregnancy/birth stress events in a nonclinical sample of school-aged children

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Animal Verbal Fluency and Design Fluency in school-aged children: Effects of age, sex, and mean level of parental education, and regression-based normative data

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Differential Development of Learning Strategies on a Pictorial Verbal Learning Test (PVLT) in Primary-School Children

Child Neuropsychology, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Serial and subjective clustering on a verbal learning test (VLT) in children aged 5–15: The nature of subjective clustering

Child Neuropsychology, 2013

This study investigated which strategies children aged 5-15 years (N = 408) employ while performi... more This study investigated which strategies children aged 5-15 years (N = 408) employ while performing amultitrialfreerecalltestofsemanticallyunrelatedwords.Serialclustering(i.e.,arelativelypassive strategy) is an index of the sequential consistency of recall order. Subjective clustering (i.e., a more active strategy) is based on similar word groupings in successive trials. Previously, found that the level of (serial and subjective) clustering increases with age. At all ages, the level of serial clustering correlates positively with the ability to recall information on VLT trials. However, subjective clustering is more predictive of VLT performance than serial clustering after ≥ 3trials,but only in children aged 8+.Knowledgeonhowchildrenorganizewords(basedon,forexample,sound or meaning) and how this relates to developmental stage is still lacking. This study revealed that the level of subjective clustering is primarily determined by the position of words in a VLT list. More specifically, primacy (i.e., recall of words 1-3 of the VLT list -whether recalled in the same order or reversed) and recency (i.e., recall of words 14-15) effects primarily determine level subjective organization over successive trials. Thus, older children still organize words based on the serial position of the VLT list and are much less likely to organize them based on any other feature of the words, for example, sound or meaning. This indicates that the most important information to be learned needs to be presented first or last, even in older children and even with repeated presentations.

Research paper thumbnail of Developmental Changes in Semantic Verbal Fluency: Analyses of Word Productivity as a Function of Time, Clustering, and Switching

Child Neuropsychology, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of The Predictive Value of Memory Strategies for Alzheimer's Disease in Subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 2010

Subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) show impaired learning strategies. Whether impaired learni... more Subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) show impaired learning strategies. Whether impaired learning strategies are already present in subjects with prodromal AD remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the predictive accuracy of learning strategies for AD in subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Subjects with MCI (n ¼ 202) were selected from the Maastricht Memory Clinic. Subjects were reassessed over a period of 10 years. Fifty-five of the 202 subjects converted to AD. Learning strategies investigated were subjective organization and serial clustering. Lower scores of subjective organization were associated with a higher risk for AD (OR ¼ 2.1, p ¼ .002). Serial clustering did not predict AD. Prodromal AD is characterized by a decreased use of effortful learning strategies. This finding may have implications for the early detection of AD in MCI subjects and for the development of cognitive training programs.

Research paper thumbnail of Sociaal leerkapitaal van de organisatie in kaart gebracht-Zicht op informele kennis

Opleiding en Ontwikkeling-Tijdschrift overHuman Resource Development, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal learning performance in children aged 5 to 16

Child neuropsychology : a journal on normal and abnormal development in childhood and adolescence, Jan 22, 2015

This study examines inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal lear... more This study examines inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal learning performance. Children aged 5 to 16 performed a verbal learning test within one of three presentation modalities: pictorial, auditory, or textual. The results indicated that a beneficial effect of pictures exists over auditory and textual presentation modalities and that this effect increases with age. However, this effect is only found if the information to be learned is presented once (or at most twice) and only in children above the age of 7. The results may be explained in terms of single or dual coding of information in which the phonological loop is involved. Development of the (sub)vocal rehearsal system in the phonological loop is believed to be a gradual process that begins developing around the age of 7. The developmental trajectories are similar for boys and girls. Additionally, auditory information and textual information both seemed to be processed in a similar manner, n...

Research paper thumbnail of Inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal learning performance in children aged 5 to 16

Child Neuropsychology, 2015

This study examines inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal lear... more This study examines inter-individual differences in how presentation modality affects verbal learning performance. Children aged 5 to 16 performed a verbal learning test within one of three presentation modalities: pictorial, auditory, or textual. The results indicated that a beneficial effect of pictures exists over auditory and textual presentation modalities and that this effect increases with age. However, this effect is only found if the information to be learned is presented once (or at most twice) and only in children above the age of 7. The results may be explained in terms of single or dual coding of information in which the phonological loop is involved. Development of the (sub)vocal rehearsal system in the phonological loop is believed to be a gradual process that begins developing around the age of 7. The developmental trajectories are similar for boys and girls. Additionally, auditory information and textual information both seemed to be processed in a similar manner, namely without labeling or recoding, leading to single coding. In contrast, pictures are assumed to be processed by the dual coding of both the visual information and a (verbal) labeling of the pictures.

Research paper thumbnail of Sex differences in arithmetical performance scores: Central tendency and variability

Learning and Individual Differences, 2011

The present study aimed to analyze sex differences in arithmetical performance in a large-scale s... more The present study aimed to analyze sex differences in arithmetical performance in a large-scale sample of 390 children (193 boys) frequenting grades 1-9. Past research in this field has focused primarily on average performance, implicitly assuming homogeneity of variance, for which support is scarce. This article examined sex differences in arithmetical operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication and division) in central tendency and variability. Central tendency analyses revealed a male advantage, predominantly in addition and subtraction, from grade 6 onward. Variability analyses showed that sex differences were largest among higher achievers and absent among lower achievers. Thus, central tendency and variability analyses provide complementary information on sex differences in arithmetical performance. In conclusion, sex differences in arithmetical performance exist, but depend on the studied arithmetical operation, age group and achievement level. The present study thereby offers new directions for future research by indicating the need for a broader perspective on sex differences.

Research paper thumbnail of Lateral preferences and their assessment in school-aged children

Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of On the mediating effects of pregnancy and birth stress events on the relation between lateral preferences and cognitive functioning in healthy school-aged children

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2011

If the pathological left-handedness theory is valid, left-handed people who also experienced preg... more If the pathological left-handedness theory is valid, left-handed people who also experienced pregnancy and birth stress events (PBSEs) would especially be expected to deviate from the cognitive norm (rather than left-handers in general). This hypothesis was tested in a large sample of healthy children (aged 6.6-15.9 years). Multiple cognitive abilities were assessed, including verbal fluency and working memory. Children with a left lateral preference who also experienced a PBSE did not deviate from the cognitive norm. Age was positively associated with all cognitive measures, and mean level of parental education strongly affected verbal fluency functioning.

Research paper thumbnail of Age-related improvement in complex language comprehension: Results of a cross-sectional study with 361 children aged 5 to 15

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2008

We investigated age-related improvement in speed and accuracy of complex language comprehension w... more We investigated age-related improvement in speed and accuracy of complex language comprehension with 361 children attending kindergarten and the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Language comprehension was measured using both the neuropsychological procedure proposed by and an adapted version of the Token Test. Levels of short-term memory and verbal intelligence were controlled for in the evaluation of language comprehension. The findings show that the accuracy of language comprehension continued to develop until the 6th grade, whereas the speed of language comprehension continued to improve up until the 7th grade. We thus conclude that the complex language comprehension of children is not fully developed until early adolescence. We further contend that the speed of complex language comprehension appears to be more sensitive than accuracy with respect to measuring developmental differences.

Research paper thumbnail of On the association between lateral preferences and pregnancy/birth stress events in a nonclinical sample of school-aged children

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Animal Verbal Fluency and Design Fluency in school-aged children: Effects of age, sex, and mean level of parental education, and regression-based normative data

Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 2011

Research paper thumbnail of Differential Development of Learning Strategies on a Pictorial Verbal Learning Test (PVLT) in Primary-School Children

Child Neuropsychology, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Serial and subjective clustering on a verbal learning test (VLT) in children aged 5–15: The nature of subjective clustering

Child Neuropsychology, 2013

This study investigated which strategies children aged 5-15 years (N = 408) employ while performi... more This study investigated which strategies children aged 5-15 years (N = 408) employ while performing amultitrialfreerecalltestofsemanticallyunrelatedwords.Serialclustering(i.e.,arelativelypassive strategy) is an index of the sequential consistency of recall order. Subjective clustering (i.e., a more active strategy) is based on similar word groupings in successive trials. Previously, found that the level of (serial and subjective) clustering increases with age. At all ages, the level of serial clustering correlates positively with the ability to recall information on VLT trials. However, subjective clustering is more predictive of VLT performance than serial clustering after ≥ 3trials,but only in children aged 8+.Knowledgeonhowchildrenorganizewords(basedon,forexample,sound or meaning) and how this relates to developmental stage is still lacking. This study revealed that the level of subjective clustering is primarily determined by the position of words in a VLT list. More specifically, primacy (i.e., recall of words 1-3 of the VLT list -whether recalled in the same order or reversed) and recency (i.e., recall of words 14-15) effects primarily determine level subjective organization over successive trials. Thus, older children still organize words based on the serial position of the VLT list and are much less likely to organize them based on any other feature of the words, for example, sound or meaning. This indicates that the most important information to be learned needs to be presented first or last, even in older children and even with repeated presentations.

Research paper thumbnail of Developmental Changes in Semantic Verbal Fluency: Analyses of Word Productivity as a Function of Time, Clustering, and Switching

Child Neuropsychology, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of The Predictive Value of Memory Strategies for Alzheimer's Disease in Subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 2010

Subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) show impaired learning strategies. Whether impaired learni... more Subjects with Alzheimer's disease (AD) show impaired learning strategies. Whether impaired learning strategies are already present in subjects with prodromal AD remains unknown. The aim of the present study was to investigate the predictive accuracy of learning strategies for AD in subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Subjects with MCI (n ¼ 202) were selected from the Maastricht Memory Clinic. Subjects were reassessed over a period of 10 years. Fifty-five of the 202 subjects converted to AD. Learning strategies investigated were subjective organization and serial clustering. Lower scores of subjective organization were associated with a higher risk for AD (OR ¼ 2.1, p ¼ .002). Serial clustering did not predict AD. Prodromal AD is characterized by a decreased use of effortful learning strategies. This finding may have implications for the early detection of AD in MCI subjects and for the development of cognitive training programs.