Cognitive Skills and Coping

MPG Handout Pack

Cognitive Skills and Coping

Nancy Doyle MSc C. Psychol. AfBPsS

MPG Handout Pack

Clinical support for condition:

medication; movement; physical & emotional symptoms

HR support around performance, appraisal, job

redesignReas

onab

le

Adju

stm

ents

MPG Handout Pack

Acquired Brain Injury

Neurodiversity

Thyroid conditions

Menopause

Neurological health conditions

e.g. MS, CFS, Parkinson’s

Stress, depression and anxiety

MPG Handout Pack

Cognitive Skills, or ‘Executive Functions’ (EF)• Working Memory• Time & Planning• Attention and

Concentration• Inhibition Control

MPG Handout Pack

“I’m not coping” “I can’t tell w

hich w

ay is up”“I’m overwhelmed”

“I can’t think straight”

MPG Handout Pack

Cognitive Skills support: working

memory; concentration;

organisation and time

HR support around performance, appraisal, job

redesign

Clinical support for condition:

medication; movement; physical

symptoms

MPG Handout Pack

Cognitive

Skills

HR support

Clinical support

Coping

MPG Handout Pack

How can we improve cognitive skills?

see Dunning et al. (2013).

MPG Handout Pack

Henri Tajfel and John C. Turner“Social Identity Theory”

MPG Handout Pack

MPG Handout Pack

Albert Bandura

“Social Cognitive Learning Theory”

MPG Handout Pack

• Knowledge transfer

• Self Awareness

“Verbal persuasion”

• Vicarious Learning

• Role models

“Social modelling” • Mastery

experiences

“Self-efficacy”

MPG Handout Pack

Can Cognitive Skills be improved

via training or coaching?

MPG Handout Pack

• 6 months including family members• Crossover design• Improvements across a wide range of memory tests

Moro et al. 2012

• 6 months including family members• Crossover design• Improvements across a wide range of EF tests

Moro et al. 2015

• 4 training sessions, no practice or mastery opportunities

• Some success in early intervention group onlyCraik et al.

2007

Direct coaching / training for executive functions in MCI

MPG Handout Pack

Moro et al. 2012

MPG Handout Pack

Moro et al. 2015

MPG Handout Pack

Green

Red

Black

Orange

The Stroop test

Blue

Pink

Yellow

Brown

MPG Handout Pack

The Tower of London test

MPG Handout Pack

Moro et al. 2015

MPG Handout Pack

• 10 day intensive course• Memory, attentional switching, mood and anxietyChambers

et al. 2008

• 8 weeks 24 hrs total time• Working memory and PANAS• Big difference between high and low practice

Jha et al. 2010

• 4 “sessions” meditation training (book reading control)• Not significant on working memory• Significant changes in anxiety , fatigue and other memory

Zeidan et al. 2010

Using meditation / mindfulness to improve cognitive skills and affect

MPG Handout Pack

Jha et al. 2010

MPG Handout Pack

Year Age sample size

WM deficit?

SCLT Score

MC Y or N teaching methods used

P value of working memory

Zeidan et al. 2010working

age 63 None 3 Y facilitated meditation workshops p=.27

Craik et al. 2007 older 49Age related WM deficit 3 N

group training knowledge transfer with practice and de-briefing NS

Jha et al. 2010working

age 60 Stress 3 Y mindfulness workshops plus coaching p<.01

Moro et al. 2015 older 30Age related

MCI 4 Ycognitive training with personalised follow up to coach strategies p= .027

Chambers et al. 2007

working age 20 None 3 Y mindfulness workshops p<.01

Moro et al. 2012 older 30Age related

MCI 4 Ycognitive training with personalised follow up to coach strategies p=.04

Alloway & Warner 2008 children 20 100% DCD 4 n/k

physical coaching to perform fine and gross motor tasks p=.02

Ariës et al. 2015young adults 92 none 4 Y

computerised n-back and IMPROVE w/ group peer coaching to learn MC p<.001

Ariës et al. 2015young adults 63 none 4 Y

computerised n-back and IMPROVE w/ group peer coaching to learn MC p<.001

MPG Handout Pack

Difference between groups and 1:1?

Baseline T2 T37.5

8

8.5

9

9.5

10

10.5

1:1controlgroup

ANCOVA at T3 controlling for Baseline differences

F (2,39)= 5.275, p = .027

Partial η2 = .12

Both 1:1 and group different from control, however group more significant

Are groups better?

T2 compared to baseline: groups Not SignificantT3 compared to baseline: group Not SignificantT2 compared to baseline: 1:1 Not SignificantT3 compared to baseline: 1:1 t (10) = 4.194, p = .002, d = 1.26

Baseline T2 T31

1.5

2

2.5

3

3.5

1:1controlgroup

Between groups One Way ANOVA @ T3F (2,32)= 5.495, p = .009

MPG Handout Pack

Increased meta-

cognition & meta-memorySocial support and stimulus

Reduced stress and anxiety

How can we bring group training

into ‘reasonable adjustments’?