Demis Basso

Knowledge of memory and learning processes may inform teachers’ educational decisions. However, to our knowledge, no psychometrically validated instrument specifically assesses teachers’ procedural knowledge of these processes through realistic classroom scenarios.This Stage 1 Registered Report aims to develop and validate a scenario-based measure of Italian teachers’ procedural knowledge of memory and learning processes.Approximately 600 Italian teachers, from preschool to upper-secondary education, will be recruited through proportional stratified quota sampling based on sex, geographical area, and school level.Following two pilot studies and iterative revisions, 30 original items were retained and paired with conceptually matched items to create two intended parallel forms. All participants will complete the 60 multiple-choice items online. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses will be conducted separately for each form in independent subsamples. Measurement invariance across forms will be examined if corresponding factor structures are supported. Internal consistency will be estimated using Cronbach’s alpha. Mixed-effects logistic regression will examine associations between item-level accuracy and teaching experience, educational attainment, and, among teachers with tertiary qualifications, academic field.We expect interpretable, replicable factor structures and adequate internal consistency, with measurement invariance providing additional evidence of comparability across forms. Higher accuracy is tentatively expected with higher educational attainment, psycho-pedagogical qualifications, and fewer years of teaching experience.The study will provide initial evidence on the psychometric properties of the proposed measure. If the findings support its validity and reliability, the instrument could subsequently be used to identify teachers’ knowledge gaps and inform teacher education initiatives.

Approximate Bayesian inference and Monte Carlo validation for small-N repeated-measures designs with two time points and two raters. The package is intended for applications in which sample size is limited and the observed outcome may be affected by rater-specific bias. User-supplied data are standardised into a common long-format structure. Pre-post effects are analysed using difference scores in a linear model with a rater indicator as covariate. Posterior summaries for the regression coefficients are obtained from a large-sample normal approximation centred at the least-squares estimate with plug-in covariance under a flat improper prior. Evidence for a non-zero pre-post effect, adjusted for rater differences, is summarised using a BIC-based approximation to the Bayes factor for comparison between models with and without the pre-post effect. Monte Carlo validation uses design quantities estimated from the observed data, including sample size, mean pre-post change, and second-rater additive discrepancy, and summarises inferential performance in terms of bias, root mean squared error, credible interval coverage, posterior tail probabilities, and mean Bayes factor values. For background on the BIC approximation and Bayes factors, see Schwarz (1978) and Kass and Raftery (1995) .

Since its introduction, the construct of executive functions (EFs) has been associated with a set of tests to assess these functions and a brain network centered in the associative frontal brain regions. While the majority of perspectives have endorsed these associations, some studies have started casting doubts on them. In this article, the association between the construct of EFs, the tests used to assess them, and the involvement of frontal regions is examined. A sample of 28 patients with brain injuries was divided into three subgroups according to the region of the injury (anterior, posterior, antero-posterior). Patients were assessed with a battery of tests, including 25 measures of EFs and 6 control measures. A series of regression models revealed no significant differences in performance across the three groups. Findings indicate that the EF tests are not specific enough to differentiate EFs and brain injuries. The alleged reference of EFs to the frontal areas of the brain should attribute a higher role to other associative areas. The present study provides recommendations about how the EFs concept could be improved through methodological refinements and/or its dissemination.

Arithmetic competence is crucial for navigating modern society and maintaining independence. It relies on domain-general and domain-specific cognitive skills, as well as subjective factors. Given its importance, understanding how these factors shape adult arithmetic proficiency is essential. This study investigated demographic, cognitive, and subjective influences on various arithmetic skills throughout adulthood, including both younger and older individuals. In total, 134 adults aged 20–68 completed computerized tasks assessing simple calculations, exact and approximate complex calculations, and arithmetic principles, alongside neuropsychological testing and self-ratings on math anxiety, math self-concept, attitudes toward mathematics, and the frequency of engagement with numbers. The results indicate that accuracy varied by task, with approximate calculations being the most challenging. Self-ratings showed low math anxiety but moderate-to-high math self-concept, positive attitudes, and moderate engagement with numbers. Age correlated only with arithmetic principles; however, interference inhibition and engagement with numbers, not age, best predicted performance. Executive functions correlated solely with approximate calculations and arithmetic principles, while subjective measures were related to all arithmetic tasks. The regression analyses indicate strong interrelationships, particularly among calculation tasks. The findings highlight the multifaceted nature of arithmetic competence and suggest it remains stable in adulthood, with age-related declines only evident in arithmetic principles, likely due to declining executive functions.

Background: Laboratory‐based studies have shown that children's ability to remember intentions (i.e., prospective memory; PM) can be improved by asking them to imagine performing the PM task beforehand (i.e., episodic future thinking; EFT) or to predict their PM performance. Moreover, combining the two strategies resulted in an additional improvement in children's PM performance. However, the effectiveness of these encoding strategies on real‐life PM tasks is still unknown. Aims: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of EFT instructions, performance predictions, and of their combination on children's PM in a natural setting, namely in the classroom. Sample: Twelve classes composed by a total of 121 children (53% females) aged between seven and 9 years participated to the study. Methods: As a PM task, children were asked by their teachers to deliver a letter to their parents and to bring it back to school the next day. Children were divided into four groups: control, prediction, EFT, and the EFT + prediction group. Parent reports on children's everyday prospective and retrospective memory failures were also collected. Results: Results showed that encoding strategies were effective in enhancing children's PM performance. However, differences compared to previous laboratory‐based findings emerged since predicting PM performance resulted to be most effective in enhancing real‐life PM performance. Moreover, parent reports were related to children's PM performance. Conclusions: These novel findings highlight the importance of studying PM interventions in natural settings in order to increase their ecological validity and inform educational practices.