Sensory differences are nearly universal in autism, but their genetic origins are poorly understood. Here, we tested how individuals with an autism-linked genotype, 16p.11.2 deletion ("16p"), attend to visual information in immersive, real-world photospheres. We monitored participants' (N = 44) gaze while they actively explored 360°…

During early adolescence children are increasingly using their smartphones not only throughout the day, but also before or even during the nighttime. Prior research has revealed that children's school performance might suffer because of late-night smartphone use. To gain a further understanding of the consequences of nighttime smartphone use on…

In children with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs), assessing attention is crucial to understanding their behavioral and cognitive functioning. Attention difficulties are a common challenge for children with autism, significantly impacting their learning and social interactions. Traditional assessment methods often require skilled professionals to…

Based on the tenets of Flow Theory, the study proposes that in-class activities that have the potential to induce the experience of flow--a state of deep absorption and enjoyment of tasks at hand--among students are likely to increase students' engagement. Specifically, the study examined the effects of three in-class activity factors (i.e.,…

This meta-analysis explores the impact of positive instructors on learning from instructional videos. Both the contagion theory and the cognitive-affective theory of learning with media suggest that positive instructors can facilitate learning. This review analyzed 37 studies reporting various outcomes, including positive emotion, motivation,…

As college students adapt to new workloads and freedom while facing significant stressors and time management struggles, they need tools to assist their transition. Mindfulness practices have consistently been found to be beneficial to college students' mental health. Twenty-six students took the Brown & Ryan (2003) Mindfulness Attention…

Fidget toys are recommended as "sensory" tools to improve the attention and performance of elementary students with autism. The purpose of this study was to evaluate how fidget toys affected the visual attention and skill acquisition of elementary students with autism during storybook reading. Provision of fidget toys was compared with a…

Habituation and dishabituation are the most prevalent measures of infant cognitive functioning, and they have reliably been shown to predict later cognitive outcomes. Yet, the exact mechanisms underlying infant habituation and dishabituation are still unclear. To investigate them, we tested 106 8-month-old infants on a classic habituation task and…

The transition to university is a time of great change and adjustment. The challenges of university life can lead to numerous negative consequences for the students. Despite the importance of successful transition for both the student and the university, the current body of literature comprises methodological inconsistencies and disparate…

Every student deserves a college education that provides a welcoming environment regardless of demographics. For adult students and students with autism, academic environments may not contain the needed protective support interventions for these populations to be successful. This study seeks to address the gap in literature that exists regarding…

The role of motivational processes in self-regulated learning is recognized in all the models of self-regulated learning, but differently conceptualized. Integrating the presumptions of the expectancy-value model, models of self-regulating learning, and distinction between motivational beliefs related to learning process and related to…

Sustained attention (SA) is an endogenous form of attention that emerges in infancy and reflects cognitive engagement and processing. SA is critical for learning and has been measured using different methods during screen-based and interactive contexts involving social and nonsocial stimuli. How SA differs by measurement method, context, and…

This study explores how elementary gifted learners, through the use of fidget strategies, self-regulate levels of attention to increase focus and decrease inattentiveness in the gifted support and general education classrooms. Gifted learners may often be overlooked in areas such as self-regulation and explicitly taught strategies because they…

Various factors at the individual and school levels contribute to the impairment of academic achievement. We examined whether academic class composition, measured as average class achievement and class heterogeneity (variance in achievement within class), moderates the associations of inattentiveness and hyperactivity/impulsivity with academic…

Emotion and focus of children during handwriting are essential for language learning. Handwriting for young children is challenging because it needs deep motivation and willingness to complete the task regardless of its difficulty. Recently, emerged haptic guidance systems have a good potential to offer children a better sense of engagement to…