Research Out Front: Experts Look Ahead to 2023 and Beyond

admin — Thu, 09 Feb 2023 03:46:02 +0000

Research Out Front: Experts Look Ahead to 2023 and Beyond admin Wed, 02/08/2023 - 22:46

What differentiates how people are able to hold their attention on a task? How do people acquire new skills? These are tough questions that Georgia Tech cognitive scientist Alex Burgoyne is trying to find good answers to.

For decades, schools, companies, and federal agencies have tried to use standardized tests to determine whether someone will be a success before they are hired or assigned. But Burgoyne says there are better ways to figure out if a candidate is likely to be a good fit.

“We’re looking at more fluid abilities like problem-solving, working memory, and how people can control their attention,” explains Alexander Burgoyne, a cognitive scientist in the School of Psychology.

Burgoyne and his fellow researchers are taking a closer look at the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery, better known as the ASVAB. With the U.S. Navy, Burgoyne and his colleagues are using modeling to determine if pilots, air traffic controllers, and flight officers are hitting the mark during their training. The ASVAB, which is highly focused on acquired math and verbal skills, may not measure more specific skills necessary for success.

“Air traffic controllers, for example, need to be able to maintain focus for long periods of time. Whether or not they can make change for a $10 bill is less important for their day-to-day jobs,” he says.

Burgoyne says his work also addresses adverse impact in employment and selection practices. Acquired knowledge tests like the ASVAB often have stratified results that make it harder for applicants from minority communities to succeed.

“The military has a duty to improve their selection procedures to reduce inequities, and they can all better predict who will do well in certain types of training,” he says.

Burgoyne is conducting testing with naval trainees at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, but Fortune 500 companies have also been in contact with him about this cognitive ability research.

Because every failed personnel search or newly assigned team member who can’t pass training costs an organization valuable time, money, and resources, says Burgoyne, “Every company that is hiring must worry about whether they have equitable selection measures in place.” He says it’s a systemic issue and currently a hot topic of conversation.

In the next year, Burgoyne and his colleagues in the Attention and Working Memory Lab at Georgia Tech will continue identifying how to measure different levels of memory capacity and mental focus, as a better determinant for successful performance in a variety of settings.

Learn more about Burgoyne and five fellow researchers in the Georgia Tech newsroom.

Summary sentence

As we kick off a new year, hear from six young, pioneering Georgia Tech researchers who are tackling some of the world’s most complicated issues and working on solutions.

Summary

As we kick off a new year, experts at Georgia Tech are working to understand how some of the world's most pressing concerns will play out over the next 12 months. Hear from six young, pioneering Georgia Tech researchers who are tackling some of the world’s most complicated issues and working on solutions — ranging from feeding an ever-growing population to controlling wheelchairs via wireless brain wave patches.

Dateline

Thu, 01/05/2023 - 12:00

jess@cos.gatech.edu

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Steven Norris
Senior Director of Social Media and Media Relations
Georgia Tech

See the full story here.
Writers: Benjamin Hodges and Steven Norris
Layout: Brice Zimmerman and Steven Norris
Design: Mark Ziemer
Editing: Brigitte Espinet

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Research

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Thu, 01/05/2023 - 14:45

Riding for Research: Graduate Student Champions Great Cycle Challenge

admin — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 21:41:12 +0000

Riding for Research: Graduate Student Champions Great Cycle Challenge admin Tue, 09/27/2022 - 17:41

This month, one Georgia Tech student is taking her personal story and turning it into a way to support research for childhood cancer.

Abigail Neuman, a graduate student in psychology, has spent September participating in the Great Cycle Challenge (GCC), an initiative that unites cyclists with the Children’s Cancer Research Fund. Neuman also participated last year, riding 300 miles and raising more than $1,000. The challenge, for Neuman, is personal.

“In January 2021, my mom was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney cancer. She encouraged me to participate in the challenge last year,” Neuman said. “My mom supported me proudly and wrangled many of her friends together to support my cause. In January 2022, my mom passed away after a courageous fight with cancer.”

This year, Neuman was asked to be a GCC Champion, acting as an ambassador for her region by organizing group rides, recruiting more riders, advertising their goal, and serving as a local spokesperson for the initiative. Her personal goal this year is to ride 400 miles and raise $3,500.

As a psychology student, Neumann’s research interests lie at the intersection of neuroendocrinology, aging, and behavioral and cognitive performance. Though her research is not directly related to childhood cancer or its effects, she finds overlap in the importance of an active lifestyle.

“Childhood cancer is typically not caused by lifestyle, but by genetic and environmental risks or random chance. However, healthy and active lifestyles may make cancer-related health deficiencies more obvious in children, thus leading to a quicker treatment response,” she said. “Healthy lifestyles are also incredibly important during and after cancer treatment in children, as this can mitigate the development of chronic diseases known as ‘late effects.’ In adults, lifestyle plays a remarkable role in cancer risk . A healthy diet and habitual exercise decrease not only the risk of cancer in adults, but also the risk of cognitive deficiencies like Alzheimer's disease and dementia.”

In addition to fundraising and supporting research, the challenge has proven positive for Neuman’s own lifestyle — giving her a goal and prompting her to develop a habit of cycling even amid a busy academic schedule.

“My hope is that continued research into the effects of a healthy lifestyle on a multitude of biological domains will be used to educate people young and old on the importance of eating healthy and being active. The reduction of cancer or age-related cognitive deficiencies is a win in my books. Hopefully my contributions to science and to GCC will help.”

Summary sentence

This month, one Georgia Tech student is taking her personal story and turning it into a way to support research for childhood cancer.

Summary

This month, one Georgia Tech student is taking her personal story and turning it into a way to support research for childhood cancer.

Dateline

Tue, 09/27/2022 - 12:00

Contact

Kristen Bailey

Institute Communications

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psychology

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health and well-being

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Research Out Front: Experts Look Ahead to 2023 and Beyond

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Riding for Research: Graduate Student Champions Great Cycle Challenge

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