Laboratoire d'étude de l'apprentissage et du développement

By exploring common themes in the lives and works of logician Kurt Gödel , artist M. C. Escher and composer Johann Sebastian Bach , GEB expounds concepts fundamental to mathematics , symmetry, and intelligence. Through illustration and analysis, the book discusses how self-reference and formal rules allow systems to acquire meaning despite being made of "meaningless" elements. It also discusses what it means to communicate, how knowledge can be represented and stored, the methods and limitations of symbolic representation, and even the fundamental notion of "meaning" itself.

Good self-control has been linked to adaptive outcomes such as better health, cohesive personal relationships, success in the workplace and at school, and less susceptibility to crime and addictions. In contrast, self-control failure is linked to maladaptive outcomes. Understanding the mechanisms by which self-control predicts behavior may assist in promoting better regulation and outcomes. A popular approach to understanding self-control is the strength or resource depletion model. Self-control is conceptualized as a limited resource that becomes depleted after a period of exertion resulting in self-control failure. The model has typically been tested using a sequential-task experimental paradigm, in which people completing an initial self-control task have reduced self-control capacity and poorer performance on a subsequent task, a state known as ego depletion Although a meta-analysis of ego-depletion experiments found a medium-sized effect, subsequent meta-analyses have questioned the size and existence of the effect and identified instances of possible bias. The analyses served as a catalyst for the current Registered Replication Report of the ego-depletion effect. Multiple laboratories (k = 23, total N = 2,141) conducted replications of a standardized ego-depletion protocol based on a sequential-task paradigm by Sripada et al. Meta-analysis of the studies revealed that the size of the ego-depletion effect was small with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) that encompassed zero (d = 0.04, 95% CI [-0.07, 0.15]. We discuss implications of the findings for the ego-depletion effect and the resource depletion model of self-control.

This article presents a new model that accounts for working memory spans in adults, the time-based resource-sharing model. The model assumes that both components (i.e., processing and maintenance) of the main working memory tasks require attention and that memory traces decay as soon as attention is switched away. Because memory retrievals are constrained by a central bottleneck and thus totally capture attention, it was predicted that the maintenance of the items to be recalled depends on both the number of memory retrievals required by the intervening treatment and the time allowed to perform them. This number of retrievals:time ratio determines the cognitive load of the processing component. The authors show in 7 experiments that working memory spans vary as a function of this cognitive load.

Children's (Grades 1 to 5) implicit learning of French orthographic regularities was investigated through nonword judgment (Experiments 1 and 2) and completion (Experiments 3a and 3b) tasks. Children were increasingly sensitive to (a) the frequency of double consonants (Experiments 1, 2, and 3a), (b) the fact that vowels can never be doubled (Experiment 2), and (c) the legal position of double consonants (Experiments 2 and 3b). The latter effect transferred to never doubled consonants but with a decrement in performance. Moreover, this decrement persisted without any trend toward fading, even after the massive amounts of experience provided by years of practice. This result runs against the idea that transfer to novel material is indicative of abstract rule-based knowledge and suggests instead the action of mechanisms sensitive to the statistical properties of the material. A connectionist model is proposed as an instantiation of such mechanisms.

The realm of auditory cognition is beginning to affirm itself as a new research orientation. Until now, no volume has existed that covers in a didactic fashion the whole range of subjects in this domain. To rectify this situation, a special tutorial workshop organized by the French Acoustical Society was held at IRCAM, the music research institute founded by Pierre Boulez. Specialists in perceptual organization, memory, attention, music psychology, neuropsychology, and developmental psychology were invited from Europe and North America. The chapters of this book present the materials from their lectures, and will be useful in the cognitive sciences as well as in auditory psychology.

Presently, the kinematic disc prosthesis model (SB Charité) is the best disc replacement compromise, and is the basis of the evolution of the prosthetic concept at the dawning of the year 2000. Clinical results of a homogeneous series of 105 cases with a mean followup of 51 months show 79% of the patients had an excellent result and 87% returned to work, radiologically, these results correlated with restoration of a well balanced lordosis and with segmental mobility. Factors leading to failure are posterior facet arthritis, osteoporosis, structural deformities, and secondary facet pain. Two- and 3-dimensional numeric modeling enables one to study the total facet joint loading and the maximal local loading on the facet. Dissociation of the stiffness in pure rotation and stiffness in translation of the disc are the bases of the technologic improvement.

OBJECTIVE: This study is a multicenter, retrospective review of the initial clinical results of an artificial disc replacement, the LINK SB Charité intervertebral prosthesis. METHODS: Independent analysis by chart review included patient demographics, surgical data, and a comparison of presurgical to follow-up data. Data were analyzed from 93 patients (average age = 43.0 +/- 7.3) in whom a total of 139 Model III prostheses (Waldemar Link GmbH & Co, Hamburg, Germany) were implanted. RESULTS: The predominant diagnostic indication for the disc was degenerative disc disease (52.4%). The L4-L5 and L5-S1 levels comprised 87.1% of all levels implanted. The average follow-up was 11.5 +/- 8.4 months. After disc implantation, a significant proportion of the patient sample experienced pain relief (P < 0.05). Improvements were also noted in pain intensity, walking distance, lumbar mobility, and the percentage of patients showing a positive SLR or neurological weakness. No difference in work status after disc implantation could be detected. Device failure, migration, or dislocation occurred in 6 of 93 (6.5%) patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study represents the largest multicenter case series of any functional artificial disc implantation. Carefully controlled, prospective studies that compare disc implantation and fusion are warranted.

The phenomenon commonly known as subjective accenting refers to the fact that identical sound events within purely isochronous sequences are perceived as unequal. Although subjective accenting has been extensively explored using behavioral methods, no physiological evidence has ever been provided for it. In the present study, we tested the notion that these perceived irregularities are related to the dynamic deployment of attention. We disrupted listeners' expectancies in different positions of auditory equitone sequences and measured their responses through brain event-related potentials (ERPs). Significant differences in a late parietal (P3-like) ERP component were found between the responses elicited on odd-numbered versus even-numbered positions, suggesting that a default binary metric structure was perceived. Our findings indicate that this phenomenon has a rather cognitive, attention-dependent origin, partly affected by musical expertise.

Hoyeraal-Hreidarsson syndrome (HHS), a severe variant of dyskeratosis congenita (DC), is characterized by early onset bone marrow failure, immunodeficiency and developmental defects. Several factors involved in telomere length maintenance and/or protection are defective in HHS/DC, underlining the relationship between telomere dysfunction and these diseases. By combining whole-genome linkage analysis and exome sequencing, we identified compound heterozygous RTEL1 (regulator of telomere elongation helicase 1) mutations in three patients with HHS from two unrelated families. RTEL1 is a DNA helicase that participates in DNA replication, DNA repair and telomere integrity. We show that, in addition to short telomeres, RTEL1-deficient cells from patients exhibit hallmarks of genome instability, including spontaneous DNA damage, anaphase bridges and telomeric aberrations. Collectively, these results identify RTEL1 as a novel HHS-causing gene and highlight its role as a genomic caretaker in humans.

The perirhinal cortex (PRh) is widely accepted as having an important role in object recognition memory in humans and animals. Contrary to claims that PRh mediates declarative memory exclusively, previous evidence suggests that PRh has a role in the perceptual processing of complex objects. In the present study, we conducted an examination of the possible role of PRh in perceptual function in rats. We examined whether bilateral excitotoxic lesions of PRh or PPRh (perirhinal plus postrhinal cortices) in the rat would cause deficits in a zero-delay object-recognition task and a simultaneous oddity discrimination task. Both of these tasks measured spontaneous (untrained, unrewarded) behavior, and the stimuli in these experiments were manipulated to produce varying levels of perceptual difficulty. As predicted by simulations using a computational model, rats with PPRh lesions were impaired in object recognition when the stimuli to be discriminated were manipulated to share many features in common. Furthermore, rats with PPRh and PRh lesions were impaired in a simultaneous oddity discrimination task when the stimuli to be discriminated were manipulated explicitly to be more perceptually similar. These findings provide support for the idea that PRh in the rat is important for the perceptual processing of complex objects, in addition to its well established role in memory.

Abstract This study assessed the influence of individual and contextual factors on adolescent girls’ interest in school physical education (PE). Specifically, girls (N = 700) were assessed on: (a), perceptions of their PE class climate, using the Perceived Motivational Climate Scale (PMCS, Cury et al., 1994; (b) dispositional achievement goal orientations, using the French version of the Perception of Success Questionnaire (POSQ, Durand et alM in press; and (c) the interest and competence subscales from the French version of the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory (IMI, Cury et al., 1994a). Structural equation modelling analysis, using LISREL VII, showed an excellent fit with the hypothesised model. Specifically, situational class climate was found to be more important than individual goals in influencing pupil interest in PE. However, perceived competence also influenced interest, as did a mastery goal orientation. Results are discussed in the context of theoretical propositions of goal perspectives theory and practical issues of enhancing adolescent girls’ interest in physical education.

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This study investigated the strength of sensory and cognitive components involved in musical priming. In Experiment 1, the harmonic function of the target chord and the number of pitch classes shared by the prime sequence and the target chord were manipulated. In Experiment 2, the temporal course of sensory and cognitive priming was investigated. For both musician and nonmusician listeners, cognitive priming systematically overruled sensory priming even at fast and very fast tempi (300 ms and 150 ms per chord). Cognitive priming continued to challenge sensory priming processes at extremely fast tempo (75 ms per chord) but only for participants who began the experimental session with slower tempi. This outcome suggests that the cognitive component is a fast-acting component that competes with sensory priming.

Food literacy has emerged as a key individual trait to promote the transformation of food systems toward healthy and sustainable diets. Childhood and adolescence are key periods for establishing the foundations of eating habits. Different food literacy competencies are acquired as children develop different cognitive abilities, skills, and experiences, contributing to the development of critical tools that allow them to navigate a complex food system. Thus, the design and implementation of programs to support the development of food literacy from early childhood can contribute to healthier and more sustainable eating habits. In this context, the aim of the present narrative review is to provide an in-depth description of how different food literacy competencies are developed in childhood and adolescence, integrating the extensive body of evidence on cognitive, social, and food-related development. Implications for the development of multisectoral strategies to target the multidimensional nature of food literacy and promote the development of the 3 types of competencies (relational, functional, and critical) are discussed.

Listening to music engages the whole brain, thus stimulating cognitive performance in a range of non-purely musical activities such as language and memory tasks. This article addresses an ongoing debate on the link between music and memory for words. While evidence on healthy and clinical populations suggests that music listening can improve verbal memory in a variety of situations, it is still unclear what specific memory process is affected and how. This study was designed to explore the hypothesis that music specifically benefits the encoding part of verbal memory tasks, by providing a richer context for encoding and therefore less demand on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Twenty-two healthy young adults were subjected to functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) imaging of their bilateral DLPFC while encoding words in the presence of either a music or a silent background. Behavioral data confirmed the facilitating effect of music background during encoding on subsequent item recognition. fNIRS results revealed significantly greater activation of the left hemisphere during encoding (in line with the HERA model of memory lateralization) and a sustained, bilateral decrease of activity in the DLPFC in the music condition compared to silence. These findings suggest that music modulates the role played by the DLPFC during verbal encoding, and open perspectives for applications to clinical populations with prefrontal impairments, such as elderly adults or Alzheimer's patients.

The time-based resource-sharing model of working memory assumes that memory traces suffer from a time-related decay when attention is occupied by concurrent activities. Using complex continuous span tasks in which temporal parameters are carefully controlled, P. Barrouillet, S. Bernardin, S. Portrat, E. Vergauwe, & V. Camos (2007) recently provided evidence that any increase in time of the processing component of these tasks results in lower recall performance. However, K. Oberauer and R. Kliegl (2006) pointed out that, in this paradigm, increased processing times are accompanied by a corollary decrease of the remaining time during which attention is available to refresh memory traces. As a consequence, the main determinant of recall performance in complex span tasks would not be the duration of attentional capture inducing time-related decay, as Barrouillet et al. (2007) claimed, but the time available to repair memory traces, and thus would be compatible with an interference account of forgetting. The authors demonstrate here that even when the time available to refresh memory traces is kept constant, increasing the processing time still results in poorer recall, confirming that time-related decay is the source of forgetting within working memory.

Individuals of all ages extract structure from the sequences of patterns they encounter in their environment, an ability that is at the very heart of cognition. Exactly what underlies this ability has been the subject of much debate over the years. A novel mechanism, implicit chunk recognition (ICR), is proposed for sequence segmentation and chunk extraction. The mechanism relies on the recognition of previously encountered subsequences (chunks) in the input rather than on the prediction of upcoming items in the input sequence. A connectionist autoassociator model of ICR, truncated recursive autoassociative chunk extractor (TRACX), is presented in which chunks are extracted by means of truncated recursion. The performance and robustness of the model is demonstrated in a series of 9 simulations of empirical data, covering a wide range of phenomena from the infant statistical learning and adult implicit learning literatures, as well as 2 simulations demonstrating the model's ability to generalize to new input and to develop internal representations whose structure reflects that of the items in the input sequence. TRACX outperforms PARSER (Perruchet & Vintner, 1998) and the simple recurrent network (SRN, Cleeremans & McClelland, 1991) in matching human sequence segmentation on existing data. A new study is presented exploring 8-month-olds' use of backward transitional probabilities to segment auditory sequences.

BACKGROUND: The actual management of intermittent allergic rhinitis is still little known about, despite the disease being very prevalent. We used a cross-sectional survey to address this issue in everyday general medical practice in France. METHODS: A total of 1321 general practitioners enrolled 3026 patients consulting for a spring exacerbation of allergic rhinitis. Both doctors and patients filled out a specific questionnaire on allergic rhinitis. RESULTS: These patients consulted their doctor two-and-a-half weeks, on average, after the onset of their symptoms. They were bothered for an average of six days per week (5.9 +/- 1.7 days) and for two months per year (8.7 +/- 7.7 weeks) by symptoms which largely exceed the ENT (ear, nose and throat) field, with ocular symptoms (51.7%), pharyngeal irritation (39.0%), cough (30.8%), or respiratory discomfort (17.9%). Of these patients 79.2% had some impairment of their professional life and 91.8% of their daily life. Fifty percent of patients knew to what allergens they were allergic; only 11.1% had additional laboratory tests and 10.3% had subsequent specialist consultation (for most this was with an allergologist). Prescribed drugs were oral antihistamines (92.4%) and nasal glucocorticosteroids (45.2%). Prescriptions were written for a duration of six weeks on average. Seventy-nine percent of patients considered that the information they had received was adequate and easy to understand, but 58.2% of patients would have liked more advice. Furthermore, only 54.7% followed their doctor's prescription scrupulously, and 44% used frequent self-medication. CONCLUSIONS: Intermittent allergic rhinitis is a real health problem because of its increasing prevalence, the induction of impaired quality of life and loss of performance, especially at work. General practitioners play a major role in this disorder; they make the diagnosis, start the treatment, give the relevant information, and monitor most of the patients.

Three experiments are reported on implicit learning in 432 children between the ages of 4 and 10 years, using a new paradigm ("the neutral parameter procedure") based on drawing behavior. The first two experiments demonstrated that children modified their drawing behavior following specially devised practice in such a way that these modifications could not be viewed as the result of deliberate adaptive strategies. The third experiment showed that these behavioral modifications lasted for at least 1 hr after the training phase. No age-related differences appeared in the experiments. A comparison of children's data with similar adults' data also failed to reveal any age differences. These results provide compelling evidence that implicit learning processes are age independent. Some implications of these results for developmental issues are discussed, notably the hypothesis of the formation of implicit knowledge in the course of learning.