A. Esfahani, A. S. Asgarnejad, H. Ahadi, A. M. Mousavi,
Volume 1, Issue 2 (3-2014)
Abstract
This research has studied the effect ofmeta-cognitive trainings in the reading functions of the third grade male dyslexia Students of the Elementary Schools. Research design of the study was experimental and its type was pre-post test with the control group. Population of this research included all the third grade male dyslexia students of the elementary schools in Abik city in the academic year 2012-2013. Sample of the study included 30 dyslexia students who were selected on the random basis. These subjects were put in two groups of 15: an experimental group and a control group. The tools applied in this study were dyslexia and reading (NAMA) test and children`s Wechsler Intelligence test. The experimental group received the meta-cognitive trainings for 8 sessions of 60 minutes while there was no interfering in the control group. Following the interference, the dyslexia and reading test was executed for the both groups. The data then was analyzed by the covariance analysis. Results of the study showed that the meta-cognitive trainings were effective in the reading functions of the dyslexia students.
Mahdiyar Mokhlespour Esfahani, Alireza Moradi, Mehrdad Dadgostar, Nooshin Pourbaghi, Mostafa Khanzadi,
Volume 13, Issue 1 (Volume 13, Issue 1, Spring 2025 2025)
Abstract
Adhering to ethical principles in construction projects is one of the most fundamental elements for achieving project goals. This research aimed to assess civil engineers' moral development level using Kohlberg's moral dilemmas while simultaneously recording brain data. Thirty right-handed male engineers with at least three years of practical experience participated in the study. Their hemodynamic brain activity was monitored using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (VMPFC), the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (VLPFC), and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) during three phases: reading the stories, answering questions, and prioritizing. The results were analyzed using a non-parametric Mann-Whitney statistical test, revealing a significant difference in the levels of HbO2 in the right DLPFC and the left VLPFC while reading the stories, between engineers with better and poorer moral judgment (p = 0.047 and p = 0.026, respectively). This activity in the mentioned regions was greater for engineers with better scores. Also, it was found that in the prioritization phase, the level of Hb in the right VLPFC was significantly higher in the group with low-ethics scores (p = 0.015). The findings indicate the key role of the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in processing conflicts and moral judgments, which aligns with previous research. Despite the numerous advantages of NIRS, this method has limitations in measuring the depth of brain activity. It is suggested that future research include female engineers, left-handed individuals, and additional brain regions. Therefore, this study represents a novel step in predicting the moral level of engineers using hemodynamic brain data, providing biological evidence consistent with the results of the moral dilemma questionnaires and enabling the prediction of the moral development level of civil engineers using artificial intelligence.
