Keith Lyle - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Keith Lyle

Research paper thumbnail of Research to Practice to Research: Intrinsic requirements of implementing and studying spaced retrieval practice in STEM courses

2020 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)

This Full-Length, Research-to-Practice paper discusses intrinsic requirements that may challenge ... more This Full-Length, Research-to-Practice paper discusses intrinsic requirements that may challenge instructors if they attempt to implement spaced retrieval practice in their courses. During the first year of National Science Foundation (NSF) grant #1912253, project leaders led nine Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) instructors through a series of five interactive workshops to develop learning objectives and quiz questions. Most of the STEM instructors had to redefine their existing, multifaceted learning objectives into more specific objectives with an appropriately fine grain-size for the practice. They also worked to develop multiple questions that test the same objective with (1) comparable difficulty and (2) similar cognitive processes. Project leaders noticed that a withinsubjects, counterbalanced study design presents additional challenges to implementation. Instructors were able to work around difficulties during break-out sessions in workshops and in one-on-one sessions, especially when given examples from their own discipline in one-on-one feedback. In this paper, we first describe the current state of spaced retrieval practice research and the purpose and plan of our active NSF grant. We then detail the implementation requirements we have discovered. Lastly, we summarize our findings with bulletpoint, STEM-practitioner-centered statements about implementing spaced retrieval practice in the classroom. Identifying potential challenges of implementation and solutions to these challenges is an important step in getting the powerful memory tool of spaced retrieval practice into the STEM classroom.

Research paper thumbnail of HowTheAmountAndSpacingOfRetrievalPracticeAffectTheShortAndLongTermRetentionOfMathematicsKnowledge

Research paper thumbnail of Influence

Long-term memory for the terrorist attack of September 11:

Research paper thumbnail of Retrieval practice and spacing in an engineering mathematics classroom: Do the effects add up?

2017 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), 2017

Mathematics learning is critical in STEM degrees. In engineering specifically, advanced courses d... more Mathematics learning is critical in STEM degrees. In engineering specifically, advanced courses depend on the derivation and application of higher-order equations, and long-term retention of early mathematical concepts is mandatory. Cognitive science research has shown that learning and memory can be improved with simple manipulations of material retrieval. One major finding has been that increasing retrieval practice improves material retention more than restudying the material (the retrieval-practice effect). Independently, spacing retrieval over time is known to improve material retention (the spacing effect). To date, no research has studied these two effects in conjunction. This NSF-funded study investigated retrieval practice and spacing in an engineering mathematics classroom. Separately, increasing retrieval practice and increasing spacing both improved final exam performance. In combination, they produced the greatest learning gains.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of active engagement and spaced retrieval practice on knowledge and application of a self‐assessment rubric

Journal of Dental Education, 2021

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES This study examined effects of active engagement (ENG) and spaced retrieval pr... more PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES This study examined effects of active engagement (ENG) and spaced retrieval practice (SRP) on D1 dental students' self-assessment knowledge acquisition. METHODS D1 dental students (N = 120) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (ENG or no ENG) X 2 (SRP or no SRP) design. Students were tested on their knowledge of a self-assessment grading rubric (on a 30-item multiple-choice exam) and their ability to apply the rubric (on a simulated dentoform assessment). RESULTS There were significant main effects of both ENG and SRP on both outcome measures. Both ENG and SRP increased students' knowledge of, and ability to apply, the self-assessment rubric. Effects of ENG were larger than those of SRP. There was also a significant ENG X SRP interaction on the knowledge measure. The effect of SRP was larger in the no-ENG conditions than the ENG conditions, which may reflect a ceiling effect in the ENG conditions. CONCLUSIONS ENG and SRP have the potential to substantially enhance D1 dental students' learning outcomes. These results should motivate dental educators to reject outdated instructional techniques and thereby unleash students' full learning potential. Additional research is needed with a wider range of dental students and learner topics.

Research paper thumbnail of Making remembering more memorable

Memory, 2018

ABSTRACT Memory retrieval is a cognitive operation that itself can be remembered or forgotten, wi... more ABSTRACT Memory retrieval is a cognitive operation that itself can be remembered or forgotten, with potentially important consequences. To study memory for prior remembering, we had participants first study target words (e.g., bark) alongside semantically related cue words (e.g., dog). Then, on Test 1, participants retrieved targets in response to either the study cue or a changed cue that was semantically related to a homograph of the target (e.g., birch). Finally, on Test 2, participants retrieved all targets in response to the original study cues, and participants judged whether targets were previously retrieved on Test 1. As in previous research, cue change on Test 1 rendered target retrievals less memorable, suggesting context changes harm memory for prior remembering. We hypothesised that the negative effect of context change could be ameliorated by reminding participants of the original study cues during Test 1. We had participants either retrieve (Experiments 1 and 3, Ns = 46 and 62) or view (Experiment 2, N = 118) the study cue following each target retrieval. Reminding significantly reduced the negative effect of cue change, with self-generation being especially potent. This indicates that reminding can make remembering more memorable in the face of context change.

Research paper thumbnail of Board 121: Retrieval Practice and Spacing: Effects on Long-Term Learning among Engineering Precalculus Students

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

She received her B.S., MEng, and PhD degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Louis... more She received her B.S., MEng, and PhD degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Louisville. Dr. Ralston teaches undergraduate engineering mathematics and is currently involved in educational research on the effective use of technology in engineering education, the incorporation of critical thinking in undergraduate engineering education, and retention of engineering students. She leads a research group whose goal is to foster active interdisciplinary research which investigates learning and motivation and whose findings will inform the development of evidence-based interventions to promote retention and student success in engineering. Her fields of technical expertise include process modeling, simulation, and process control.

Research paper thumbnail of Why are consistently-handed individuals more authoritarian? The role of need for cognitive closure

Laterality, 2020

Recent studies indicate that individuals with consistent hand preference are more authoritarian t... more Recent studies indicate that individuals with consistent hand preference are more authoritarian than individuals whose preference is relatively inconsistent. We explored the role of epistemic needs in the handednessauthoritarianism relationship. Based on findings that consistent individuals are less cognitively flexible than inconsistent individuals, we hypothesized that consistent-handers would report greater need for definite knowledge. To measure this, we administered the revised Need for Cognitive Closure scale to a sample of undergraduates (N = 235), along with measures of handedness consistency and authoritarian submission. Consistent individuals scored significantly higher on authoritarian submission and need for closure. Need for closure fully mediated the relationship between consistency and submission. Consistent individuals also expressed greater prejudice against authoritarian out-groups such as immigrants and liberals. This effect was partially mediated by authoritarian submission. We theorize that consistenthanders' cognitive inflexibility leads them to covet definite knowledge. These individuals turn to authoritarianism because it promises to stifle dissent and protect existing (conventional) knowledge.

Research paper thumbnail of How the Amount and Spacing of Retrieval Practice Affect the Short- and Long-Term Retention of Mathematics Knowledge

Educational Psychology Review, 2019

Retrieving information from memory increases the likelihood the information will be remembered la... more Retrieving information from memory increases the likelihood the information will be remembered later. The strategic use of retrieval to enhance memory is known as retrieval practice. Teachers can exert considerable control over students' retrieval practice, dictating when and how much students practice. Laboratory research has shown that retention benefits from increasing the amount of practice (i.e., the number of times information is retrieved) and from spacing practice out over time. Although retrieval practice is a prominent part of the learning experience in certain educational domains, such as mathematics, relatively little research has examined how retention of actual classroom content is affected by increasing the amount and spacing of retrieval practice. Here, we implemented a complete within-subjects crossing of practice amount (baseline versus increased) and practice spacing (baseline versus increased) in a precalculus course for engineering students. Practice consisted of answering quiz questions. We assessed retention of precalculus knowledge at two educationally relevant time points: the end of the precalculus course (within-semester) and the beginning of a calculus course 4 weeks later (across-semester). Within-semester retention benefited significantly from practicing more and from spacing out practice, although some evidence suggested that the effect of amount of practice was less robust than the effect of spacing. Across-semester retention benefited exclusively from increasing spacing. Given that retaining precalculus knowledge across semesters is crucial for success in higher-level mathematics, these findings support increasing spacing in real-world mathematics education. We discuss how our findings fit within the larger literature on the memory-enhancing effects of retrieval practice.

Research paper thumbnail of Is self-report a valid measure of unimanual object-based task performance?

Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 2018

Hand preference is commonly measured via self-report using instruments known as handedness invent... more Hand preference is commonly measured via self-report using instruments known as handedness inventories. These instruments query which hand subjects use to perform unimanual object-based tasks and also the consistency of usage. Scores reveal which hand people report using most (i.e., which hand is preferred). Some people report highly consistent usage of their preferred hand while others report relatively inconsistent usage. These reports are often assumed to be accurate descriptions of people's actual behavior, but empirical evidence concerning their validity is surprisingly scant. In the present research, subjects completed a handedness inventory on which higher scores indicated more consistent usage of the preferred hand. After a brief filled interval, subjects performed tasks listed on the inventory, spontaneously choosing which hand to use for each task. Subjects who scored higher on the inventory used the preferred hand more often. Subjects were then timed while performing the tasks as fast as they could with each hand. Subjects were faster when using their preferred hand and the magnitude of the preferred hand advantage was positively correlated with self-reported consistency. These results support the validity of inventory scores by showing that they are related to spontaneous hand choice and manual fluency when performing inventory tasks.

Research paper thumbnail of Handedness and the neurocognitive foundations of public attitudes about international laws and norms

Politics and the life sciences : the journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences, 2018

Whether Geneva Conventions (GC) rights should apply to terrorists is a contentious question that ... more Whether Geneva Conventions (GC) rights should apply to terrorists is a contentious question that has received little attention in public opinion research. Both personality and contextual factors may be important. We queried participants' support for applying the GC to alleged terrorists, but first we measured participants' authoritarianism and presented them with a scenario concerning an alleged terrorist. We manipulated whether (1) the scenario contained examples of GC rights and (2) the alleged terrorist's religious affiliation was Muslim or non-Muslim. Support for applying the GC to alleged terrorists was high and unaffected by providing examples of GC provisions, but it was negatively related to authoritarianism. Support was reduced by priming with a Muslim terrorist, but only among participants exhibiting a behavioral marker for limited interhemispheric interaction - consistent-handedness. Consistent-handers in our sample expressed greater authoritarianism, suggesti...

Research paper thumbnail of Bimanual coordination positively predicts episodic memory: A combined behavioral and MRI investigation

Brain and cognition, Nov 8, 2017

Some people remember events more completely and accurately than other people, but the origins of ... more Some people remember events more completely and accurately than other people, but the origins of individual differences in episodic memory are poorly understood. One way to advance understanding is by identifying characteristics of individuals that reliably covary with memory performance. Recent research suggests motor behavior is related to memory performance, with individuals who consistently use a single preferred hand for unimanual actions performing worse than individuals who make greater use of both hands. This research has relied on self-reports of behavior. It is unknown whether objective measures of motor behavior also predict memory performance. Here, we tested the predictive power of bimanual coordination, an important form of manual dexterity. Bimanual coordination, as measured objectively on the Purdue Pegboard Test, was positively related to correct recall on the California Verbal Learning Test-II and negatively related to false recall. Furthermore, MRI data revealed t...

Research paper thumbnail of Salivary Cytokine Response in the Aftermath of Stress: An Emotion Regulation Perspective

Emotion (Washington, D.C.), Sep 13, 2017

Elevated inflammation in the context of stress has been implicated in mental and physical health.... more Elevated inflammation in the context of stress has been implicated in mental and physical health. Approaching this from an emotion regulation perspective, we tested whether the salivary cytokine response to stress is dampened by using distraction to minimize opportunity for poststressor rumination. Healthy young adults were randomized to an acute stressor: modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST, Study 1) or angry memory retrieval (Study 2). Within each study, participants were randomized to poststressor condition-rest or distraction-at a 3:1 ratio. Saliva, collected before and 40 min after the end of each stressor, was assayed for proinflammatory cytokines (PICs): interleukin-1β (IL-1β), TNF-α, and IL-6. Both stressors increased all PICs, and both provoked negative emotion. At 40 min post-TSST, salivary PIC increases did not differ between distraction and rest, but correlated positively with emotional reactivity to stress. At 40 min after memory retrieval, IL-1β increases and intru...

Research paper thumbnail of Acute Stress Induces Increases in Salivary IL-10 Levels

Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Sep 29, 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress-reactivity of the anti-inflammatory cytok... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress-reactivity of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, in saliva and to determine how salivary IL-10 levels change in relation to those of IL-1β, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, following stress. Healthy young adults were randomly assigned to retrieve a negative emotional memory (n = 46) or complete a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (n = 45). Saliva samples were taken 10 minutes before (baseline) and 50 minutes after (post-stressor) onset of a 10-minute stressor, and were assayed using a high sensitivity multiplex assay for cytokines. Measurable IL-10 levels (above the minimum detectable concentration) were found in 96% of the baseline samples, and 98% of the post-stressor samples. Flow rate-adjusted salivary IL-10 levels as well as IL-1β/IL-10 ratios showed moderate but statistically significant increases in response to stress. Measurement of salivary IL-10, and pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios, may be useful...

Research paper thumbnail of Spaced Retrieval Practice Increases College Students’ Short- and Long-Term Retention of Mathematics Knowledge

Educational Psychology Review, 2015

A major challenge college students face is retaining the knowledge they acquire in their classes,... more A major challenge college students face is retaining the knowledge they acquire in their classes, especially in cumulative disciplines such as engineering, where ultimate success depends on long-term retention of foundational content. Cognitive psychologists have recently recommended various techniques educators might use to increase retention. One technique (spaced retrieval practice) involves extending opportunities to retrieve course content beyond a customarily short temporal window following initial learning. Confirming the technique’s utility requires demonstrating that it increases retention in real classroom settings, with commonly encountered educational content, and that gains endure into subsequent semesters. We manipulated spaced versus massed retrieval practice in a precalculus course for engineering students and followed a subset of students who proceeded into a calculus class the following semester. Spacing versus massing was manipulated within- and between-subjects. Within-subjects, students retained spaced content better than massed content in the precalculus course. Between-subjects, students for whom some retrieval practice was spaced, compared to those for whom all practice was massed, performed better on the final exam in the precalculus class and on exams in the calculus class. These findings suggest that spaced retrieval practice can have a meaningful, long-lasting impact on educational outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of BRIEF REPORTS Eye movements enhance memory for individuals who are strongly right-handed and harm it for individuals who are not

Psychonomic Bull Rev, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Can the Spacing Effect Improve the Effectiveness of a Math Intervention Course for Engineering Students?

2015 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Proceedings

in 1992 with degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy. After ten years working in industry, he ... more in 1992 with degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy. After ten years working in industry, he returned to school, completing his Ph.D. in Computer Science Engineering at the University of Louisville's Speed School of Engineering in 2008. Since completing his degree, he has been teaching engineering mathematics courses and continuing his dissertation research in cyber security for industrial control systems. In his teaching, Dr. Hieb focuses on innovative and effective use of tablets, digital ink, and other technology and is currently investigating the use of the flipped classroom model and collaborative learning. His research in cyber security for industrial control systems is focused on high assurance field devices using microkernel architectures.

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting performance in a first engineering calculus course: implications for interventions

International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 2014

ABSTRACT At the University of Louisville, a large, urban institution in the south-east United Sta... more ABSTRACT At the University of Louisville, a large, urban institution in the south-east United States, undergraduate engineering students take their mathematics courses from the school of engineering. In the fall of their freshman year, engineering students take Engineering Analysis I, a calculus-based engineering analysis course. After the first two weeks of the semester, many students end up leaving Engineering Analysis I and moving to a mathematics intervention course. In an effort to retain more students in Engineering Analysis I, the department collaborated with university academic support services to create a summer intervention programme. Students were targeted for the summer programme based on their score on an algebra readiness exam (ARE). In a previous study, the ARE scores were found to be a significant predictor of retention and performance in Engineering Analysis I. This study continues that work, analysing data from students who entered the engineering school in the fall of 2012. The predictive validity of the ARE was verified, and a hierarchical linear regression model was created using math American College Testing (ACT) scores, ARE scores, summer intervention participation, and several metacognitive and motivational factors as measured by subscales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. In the regression model, ARE score explained an additional 5.1% of the variation in exam performance in Engineering Analysis I beyond math ACT score. Students took the ARE before and after the summer interventions and scores were significantly higher following the intervention. However, intervention participants nonetheless had lower exam scores in Engineering Analysis I. The following factors related to motivation and learning strategies were found to significantly predict exam scores in Engineering Analysis I: time and study environment management, internal goal orientation, and test anxiety. The adjusted R 2 for the full model was 0.42, meaning that the model could explain 42% of the variation in Engineering Analysis I exam scores.

Research paper thumbnail of A Ten-Year Follow-Up of a Study of Memory for the Attack of September 11, 2001: Flashbulb Memories and Memories for Flashbulb Events

Journal of experimental psychology. General, Jan 9, 2015

Within a week of the attack of September 11, 2001, a consortium of researchers from across the Un... more Within a week of the attack of September 11, 2001, a consortium of researchers from across the United States distributed a survey asking about the circumstances in which respondents learned of the attack (their flashbulb memories) and the facts about the attack itself (their event memories). Follow-up surveys were distributed 11, 25, and 119 months after the attack. The study, therefore, examines retention of flashbulb memories and event memories at a substantially longer retention interval than any previous study using a test-retest methodology, allowing for the study of such memories over the long term. There was rapid forgetting of both flashbulb and event memories within the first year, but the forgetting curves leveled off after that, not significantly changing even after a 10-year delay. Despite the initial rapid forgetting, confidence remained high throughout the 10-year period. Five putative factors affecting flashbulb memory consistency and event memory accuracy were examin...

Research paper thumbnail of Preference for Prime-Related Words in Short-Term Priming: The Effects of Target Duration and Prime Similarity

PsycEXTRA Dataset

ABSTRACT

Research paper thumbnail of Research to Practice to Research: Intrinsic requirements of implementing and studying spaced retrieval practice in STEM courses

2020 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE)

This Full-Length, Research-to-Practice paper discusses intrinsic requirements that may challenge ... more This Full-Length, Research-to-Practice paper discusses intrinsic requirements that may challenge instructors if they attempt to implement spaced retrieval practice in their courses. During the first year of National Science Foundation (NSF) grant #1912253, project leaders led nine Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) instructors through a series of five interactive workshops to develop learning objectives and quiz questions. Most of the STEM instructors had to redefine their existing, multifaceted learning objectives into more specific objectives with an appropriately fine grain-size for the practice. They also worked to develop multiple questions that test the same objective with (1) comparable difficulty and (2) similar cognitive processes. Project leaders noticed that a withinsubjects, counterbalanced study design presents additional challenges to implementation. Instructors were able to work around difficulties during break-out sessions in workshops and in one-on-one sessions, especially when given examples from their own discipline in one-on-one feedback. In this paper, we first describe the current state of spaced retrieval practice research and the purpose and plan of our active NSF grant. We then detail the implementation requirements we have discovered. Lastly, we summarize our findings with bulletpoint, STEM-practitioner-centered statements about implementing spaced retrieval practice in the classroom. Identifying potential challenges of implementation and solutions to these challenges is an important step in getting the powerful memory tool of spaced retrieval practice into the STEM classroom.

Research paper thumbnail of HowTheAmountAndSpacingOfRetrievalPracticeAffectTheShortAndLongTermRetentionOfMathematicsKnowledge

Research paper thumbnail of Influence

Long-term memory for the terrorist attack of September 11:

Research paper thumbnail of Retrieval practice and spacing in an engineering mathematics classroom: Do the effects add up?

2017 IEEE Frontiers in Education Conference (FIE), 2017

Mathematics learning is critical in STEM degrees. In engineering specifically, advanced courses d... more Mathematics learning is critical in STEM degrees. In engineering specifically, advanced courses depend on the derivation and application of higher-order equations, and long-term retention of early mathematical concepts is mandatory. Cognitive science research has shown that learning and memory can be improved with simple manipulations of material retrieval. One major finding has been that increasing retrieval practice improves material retention more than restudying the material (the retrieval-practice effect). Independently, spacing retrieval over time is known to improve material retention (the spacing effect). To date, no research has studied these two effects in conjunction. This NSF-funded study investigated retrieval practice and spacing in an engineering mathematics classroom. Separately, increasing retrieval practice and increasing spacing both improved final exam performance. In combination, they produced the greatest learning gains.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of active engagement and spaced retrieval practice on knowledge and application of a self‐assessment rubric

Journal of Dental Education, 2021

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES This study examined effects of active engagement (ENG) and spaced retrieval pr... more PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES This study examined effects of active engagement (ENG) and spaced retrieval practice (SRP) on D1 dental students' self-assessment knowledge acquisition. METHODS D1 dental students (N = 120) were randomly assigned to one of four conditions in a 2 (ENG or no ENG) X 2 (SRP or no SRP) design. Students were tested on their knowledge of a self-assessment grading rubric (on a 30-item multiple-choice exam) and their ability to apply the rubric (on a simulated dentoform assessment). RESULTS There were significant main effects of both ENG and SRP on both outcome measures. Both ENG and SRP increased students' knowledge of, and ability to apply, the self-assessment rubric. Effects of ENG were larger than those of SRP. There was also a significant ENG X SRP interaction on the knowledge measure. The effect of SRP was larger in the no-ENG conditions than the ENG conditions, which may reflect a ceiling effect in the ENG conditions. CONCLUSIONS ENG and SRP have the potential to substantially enhance D1 dental students' learning outcomes. These results should motivate dental educators to reject outdated instructional techniques and thereby unleash students' full learning potential. Additional research is needed with a wider range of dental students and learner topics.

Research paper thumbnail of Making remembering more memorable

Memory, 2018

ABSTRACT Memory retrieval is a cognitive operation that itself can be remembered or forgotten, wi... more ABSTRACT Memory retrieval is a cognitive operation that itself can be remembered or forgotten, with potentially important consequences. To study memory for prior remembering, we had participants first study target words (e.g., bark) alongside semantically related cue words (e.g., dog). Then, on Test 1, participants retrieved targets in response to either the study cue or a changed cue that was semantically related to a homograph of the target (e.g., birch). Finally, on Test 2, participants retrieved all targets in response to the original study cues, and participants judged whether targets were previously retrieved on Test 1. As in previous research, cue change on Test 1 rendered target retrievals less memorable, suggesting context changes harm memory for prior remembering. We hypothesised that the negative effect of context change could be ameliorated by reminding participants of the original study cues during Test 1. We had participants either retrieve (Experiments 1 and 3, Ns = 46 and 62) or view (Experiment 2, N = 118) the study cue following each target retrieval. Reminding significantly reduced the negative effect of cue change, with self-generation being especially potent. This indicates that reminding can make remembering more memorable in the face of context change.

Research paper thumbnail of Board 121: Retrieval Practice and Spacing: Effects on Long-Term Learning among Engineering Precalculus Students

2018 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition Proceedings

She received her B.S., MEng, and PhD degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Louis... more She received her B.S., MEng, and PhD degrees in chemical engineering from the University of Louisville. Dr. Ralston teaches undergraduate engineering mathematics and is currently involved in educational research on the effective use of technology in engineering education, the incorporation of critical thinking in undergraduate engineering education, and retention of engineering students. She leads a research group whose goal is to foster active interdisciplinary research which investigates learning and motivation and whose findings will inform the development of evidence-based interventions to promote retention and student success in engineering. Her fields of technical expertise include process modeling, simulation, and process control.

Research paper thumbnail of Why are consistently-handed individuals more authoritarian? The role of need for cognitive closure

Laterality, 2020

Recent studies indicate that individuals with consistent hand preference are more authoritarian t... more Recent studies indicate that individuals with consistent hand preference are more authoritarian than individuals whose preference is relatively inconsistent. We explored the role of epistemic needs in the handednessauthoritarianism relationship. Based on findings that consistent individuals are less cognitively flexible than inconsistent individuals, we hypothesized that consistent-handers would report greater need for definite knowledge. To measure this, we administered the revised Need for Cognitive Closure scale to a sample of undergraduates (N = 235), along with measures of handedness consistency and authoritarian submission. Consistent individuals scored significantly higher on authoritarian submission and need for closure. Need for closure fully mediated the relationship between consistency and submission. Consistent individuals also expressed greater prejudice against authoritarian out-groups such as immigrants and liberals. This effect was partially mediated by authoritarian submission. We theorize that consistenthanders' cognitive inflexibility leads them to covet definite knowledge. These individuals turn to authoritarianism because it promises to stifle dissent and protect existing (conventional) knowledge.

Research paper thumbnail of How the Amount and Spacing of Retrieval Practice Affect the Short- and Long-Term Retention of Mathematics Knowledge

Educational Psychology Review, 2019

Retrieving information from memory increases the likelihood the information will be remembered la... more Retrieving information from memory increases the likelihood the information will be remembered later. The strategic use of retrieval to enhance memory is known as retrieval practice. Teachers can exert considerable control over students' retrieval practice, dictating when and how much students practice. Laboratory research has shown that retention benefits from increasing the amount of practice (i.e., the number of times information is retrieved) and from spacing practice out over time. Although retrieval practice is a prominent part of the learning experience in certain educational domains, such as mathematics, relatively little research has examined how retention of actual classroom content is affected by increasing the amount and spacing of retrieval practice. Here, we implemented a complete within-subjects crossing of practice amount (baseline versus increased) and practice spacing (baseline versus increased) in a precalculus course for engineering students. Practice consisted of answering quiz questions. We assessed retention of precalculus knowledge at two educationally relevant time points: the end of the precalculus course (within-semester) and the beginning of a calculus course 4 weeks later (across-semester). Within-semester retention benefited significantly from practicing more and from spacing out practice, although some evidence suggested that the effect of amount of practice was less robust than the effect of spacing. Across-semester retention benefited exclusively from increasing spacing. Given that retaining precalculus knowledge across semesters is crucial for success in higher-level mathematics, these findings support increasing spacing in real-world mathematics education. We discuss how our findings fit within the larger literature on the memory-enhancing effects of retrieval practice.

Research paper thumbnail of Is self-report a valid measure of unimanual object-based task performance?

Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain and Cognition, 2018

Hand preference is commonly measured via self-report using instruments known as handedness invent... more Hand preference is commonly measured via self-report using instruments known as handedness inventories. These instruments query which hand subjects use to perform unimanual object-based tasks and also the consistency of usage. Scores reveal which hand people report using most (i.e., which hand is preferred). Some people report highly consistent usage of their preferred hand while others report relatively inconsistent usage. These reports are often assumed to be accurate descriptions of people's actual behavior, but empirical evidence concerning their validity is surprisingly scant. In the present research, subjects completed a handedness inventory on which higher scores indicated more consistent usage of the preferred hand. After a brief filled interval, subjects performed tasks listed on the inventory, spontaneously choosing which hand to use for each task. Subjects who scored higher on the inventory used the preferred hand more often. Subjects were then timed while performing the tasks as fast as they could with each hand. Subjects were faster when using their preferred hand and the magnitude of the preferred hand advantage was positively correlated with self-reported consistency. These results support the validity of inventory scores by showing that they are related to spontaneous hand choice and manual fluency when performing inventory tasks.

Research paper thumbnail of Handedness and the neurocognitive foundations of public attitudes about international laws and norms

Politics and the life sciences : the journal of the Association for Politics and the Life Sciences, 2018

Whether Geneva Conventions (GC) rights should apply to terrorists is a contentious question that ... more Whether Geneva Conventions (GC) rights should apply to terrorists is a contentious question that has received little attention in public opinion research. Both personality and contextual factors may be important. We queried participants' support for applying the GC to alleged terrorists, but first we measured participants' authoritarianism and presented them with a scenario concerning an alleged terrorist. We manipulated whether (1) the scenario contained examples of GC rights and (2) the alleged terrorist's religious affiliation was Muslim or non-Muslim. Support for applying the GC to alleged terrorists was high and unaffected by providing examples of GC provisions, but it was negatively related to authoritarianism. Support was reduced by priming with a Muslim terrorist, but only among participants exhibiting a behavioral marker for limited interhemispheric interaction - consistent-handedness. Consistent-handers in our sample expressed greater authoritarianism, suggesti...

Research paper thumbnail of Bimanual coordination positively predicts episodic memory: A combined behavioral and MRI investigation

Brain and cognition, Nov 8, 2017

Some people remember events more completely and accurately than other people, but the origins of ... more Some people remember events more completely and accurately than other people, but the origins of individual differences in episodic memory are poorly understood. One way to advance understanding is by identifying characteristics of individuals that reliably covary with memory performance. Recent research suggests motor behavior is related to memory performance, with individuals who consistently use a single preferred hand for unimanual actions performing worse than individuals who make greater use of both hands. This research has relied on self-reports of behavior. It is unknown whether objective measures of motor behavior also predict memory performance. Here, we tested the predictive power of bimanual coordination, an important form of manual dexterity. Bimanual coordination, as measured objectively on the Purdue Pegboard Test, was positively related to correct recall on the California Verbal Learning Test-II and negatively related to false recall. Furthermore, MRI data revealed t...

Research paper thumbnail of Salivary Cytokine Response in the Aftermath of Stress: An Emotion Regulation Perspective

Emotion (Washington, D.C.), Sep 13, 2017

Elevated inflammation in the context of stress has been implicated in mental and physical health.... more Elevated inflammation in the context of stress has been implicated in mental and physical health. Approaching this from an emotion regulation perspective, we tested whether the salivary cytokine response to stress is dampened by using distraction to minimize opportunity for poststressor rumination. Healthy young adults were randomized to an acute stressor: modified Trier Social Stress Test (TSST, Study 1) or angry memory retrieval (Study 2). Within each study, participants were randomized to poststressor condition-rest or distraction-at a 3:1 ratio. Saliva, collected before and 40 min after the end of each stressor, was assayed for proinflammatory cytokines (PICs): interleukin-1β (IL-1β), TNF-α, and IL-6. Both stressors increased all PICs, and both provoked negative emotion. At 40 min post-TSST, salivary PIC increases did not differ between distraction and rest, but correlated positively with emotional reactivity to stress. At 40 min after memory retrieval, IL-1β increases and intru...

Research paper thumbnail of Acute Stress Induces Increases in Salivary IL-10 Levels

Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Sep 29, 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress-reactivity of the anti-inflammatory cytok... more The purpose of this study was to investigate the stress-reactivity of the anti-inflammatory cytokine, IL-10, in saliva and to determine how salivary IL-10 levels change in relation to those of IL-1β, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, following stress. Healthy young adults were randomly assigned to retrieve a negative emotional memory (n = 46) or complete a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test (n = 45). Saliva samples were taken 10 minutes before (baseline) and 50 minutes after (post-stressor) onset of a 10-minute stressor, and were assayed using a high sensitivity multiplex assay for cytokines. Measurable IL-10 levels (above the minimum detectable concentration) were found in 96% of the baseline samples, and 98% of the post-stressor samples. Flow rate-adjusted salivary IL-10 levels as well as IL-1β/IL-10 ratios showed moderate but statistically significant increases in response to stress. Measurement of salivary IL-10, and pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokine ratios, may be useful...

Research paper thumbnail of Spaced Retrieval Practice Increases College Students’ Short- and Long-Term Retention of Mathematics Knowledge

Educational Psychology Review, 2015

A major challenge college students face is retaining the knowledge they acquire in their classes,... more A major challenge college students face is retaining the knowledge they acquire in their classes, especially in cumulative disciplines such as engineering, where ultimate success depends on long-term retention of foundational content. Cognitive psychologists have recently recommended various techniques educators might use to increase retention. One technique (spaced retrieval practice) involves extending opportunities to retrieve course content beyond a customarily short temporal window following initial learning. Confirming the technique’s utility requires demonstrating that it increases retention in real classroom settings, with commonly encountered educational content, and that gains endure into subsequent semesters. We manipulated spaced versus massed retrieval practice in a precalculus course for engineering students and followed a subset of students who proceeded into a calculus class the following semester. Spacing versus massing was manipulated within- and between-subjects. Within-subjects, students retained spaced content better than massed content in the precalculus course. Between-subjects, students for whom some retrieval practice was spaced, compared to those for whom all practice was massed, performed better on the final exam in the precalculus class and on exams in the calculus class. These findings suggest that spaced retrieval practice can have a meaningful, long-lasting impact on educational outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of BRIEF REPORTS Eye movements enhance memory for individuals who are strongly right-handed and harm it for individuals who are not

Psychonomic Bull Rev, 2008

Research paper thumbnail of Can the Spacing Effect Improve the Effectiveness of a Math Intervention Course for Engineering Students?

2015 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition Proceedings

in 1992 with degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy. After ten years working in industry, he ... more in 1992 with degrees in Computer Science and Philosophy. After ten years working in industry, he returned to school, completing his Ph.D. in Computer Science Engineering at the University of Louisville's Speed School of Engineering in 2008. Since completing his degree, he has been teaching engineering mathematics courses and continuing his dissertation research in cyber security for industrial control systems. In his teaching, Dr. Hieb focuses on innovative and effective use of tablets, digital ink, and other technology and is currently investigating the use of the flipped classroom model and collaborative learning. His research in cyber security for industrial control systems is focused on high assurance field devices using microkernel architectures.

Research paper thumbnail of Predicting performance in a first engineering calculus course: implications for interventions

International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology, 2014

ABSTRACT At the University of Louisville, a large, urban institution in the south-east United Sta... more ABSTRACT At the University of Louisville, a large, urban institution in the south-east United States, undergraduate engineering students take their mathematics courses from the school of engineering. In the fall of their freshman year, engineering students take Engineering Analysis I, a calculus-based engineering analysis course. After the first two weeks of the semester, many students end up leaving Engineering Analysis I and moving to a mathematics intervention course. In an effort to retain more students in Engineering Analysis I, the department collaborated with university academic support services to create a summer intervention programme. Students were targeted for the summer programme based on their score on an algebra readiness exam (ARE). In a previous study, the ARE scores were found to be a significant predictor of retention and performance in Engineering Analysis I. This study continues that work, analysing data from students who entered the engineering school in the fall of 2012. The predictive validity of the ARE was verified, and a hierarchical linear regression model was created using math American College Testing (ACT) scores, ARE scores, summer intervention participation, and several metacognitive and motivational factors as measured by subscales of the Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire. In the regression model, ARE score explained an additional 5.1% of the variation in exam performance in Engineering Analysis I beyond math ACT score. Students took the ARE before and after the summer interventions and scores were significantly higher following the intervention. However, intervention participants nonetheless had lower exam scores in Engineering Analysis I. The following factors related to motivation and learning strategies were found to significantly predict exam scores in Engineering Analysis I: time and study environment management, internal goal orientation, and test anxiety. The adjusted R 2 for the full model was 0.42, meaning that the model could explain 42% of the variation in Engineering Analysis I exam scores.

Research paper thumbnail of A Ten-Year Follow-Up of a Study of Memory for the Attack of September 11, 2001: Flashbulb Memories and Memories for Flashbulb Events

Journal of experimental psychology. General, Jan 9, 2015

Within a week of the attack of September 11, 2001, a consortium of researchers from across the Un... more Within a week of the attack of September 11, 2001, a consortium of researchers from across the United States distributed a survey asking about the circumstances in which respondents learned of the attack (their flashbulb memories) and the facts about the attack itself (their event memories). Follow-up surveys were distributed 11, 25, and 119 months after the attack. The study, therefore, examines retention of flashbulb memories and event memories at a substantially longer retention interval than any previous study using a test-retest methodology, allowing for the study of such memories over the long term. There was rapid forgetting of both flashbulb and event memories within the first year, but the forgetting curves leveled off after that, not significantly changing even after a 10-year delay. Despite the initial rapid forgetting, confidence remained high throughout the 10-year period. Five putative factors affecting flashbulb memory consistency and event memory accuracy were examin...

Research paper thumbnail of Preference for Prime-Related Words in Short-Term Priming: The Effects of Target Duration and Prime Similarity

PsycEXTRA Dataset

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