1. MPG Handout Pack
Cognitive Skills and Coping
Nancy Doyle MSc C. Psychol. AfBPsS

2. MPG Handout Pack
Clinical support
for condition:
medication;
movement;
physical &
emotional
symptoms
HR support
around
performance,
appraisal, job
redesign
Reasonable
Adjustments

3. MPG Handout Pack
Acquired Brain
Injury
Neurodiversity
Thyroid
conditions
Menopause
Neurological
health conditions
e.g. MS, CFS,
Parkinson’s
Stress, depression
and anxiety

4. MPG Handout Pack
Cognitive Skills, or
‘Executive Functions’
(EF)
• Working Memory
• Time & Planning
• Attention and
Concentration
• Inhibition Control

5. MPG Handout Pack
“I’m not coping”
“Ican’ttellwhichwayisup”
“I’m overwhelmed”

6. 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

7. MPG Handout Pack
Cognitive
Skills
HR
support
Clinical
support
Coping

8. MPG Handout Pack
How can we improve
cognitive skills?
see Dunning et al.
(2013).

9. MPG Handout Pack
Henri Tajfel and John C. Turner
“Social Identity Theory”

10. MPG Handout Pack

11. MPG Handout Pack
Albert Bandura
“Social Cognitive
Learning Theory”

12. MPG Handout Pack
• Knowledge
transfer
• Self Awareness
“Verbal
persuasion”
• Vicarious
Learning
• Role models
“Social
modelling” • Mastery
experiences
“Self-efficacy”

13. MPG Handout Pack
Can Cognitive
Skills be improved
via training or
coaching?

14. 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 only
Craik et al.
2007
Direct coaching / training for executive functions in MCI

15. MPG Handout Pack
Moro et al. 2012

16. MPG Handout Pack
Moro et al. 2015

17. MPG Handout Pack
Green
Red
Black
Orange
The Stroop test
Blue
Pink
Yellow
Brown

18. MPG Handout Pack
The Tower of London test

19. MPG Handout Pack
Moro et al. 2015

20. MPG Handout Pack
• 10 day intensive course
• Memory, attentional switching, mood and anxiety
Chambers
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

21. MPG Handout Pack
Jha et al. 2010

22. MPG Handout Pack
Year
Age
sample
size
WM
deficit?
SCLT
Score
MC
YorN
teaching
methods
used
Pvalueof
working
memory
Zeidan et al. 2010
working
age 63 None 3 Y facilitated meditation workshops p=.27
Craik et al. 2007 older 49
Age related
WM deficit 3 N
group training knowledge transfer with
practice and de-briefing NS
Jha et al. 2010
working
age 60 Stress 3 Y mindfulness workshops plus coaching p<.01
Moro et al. 2015 older 30
Age related
MCI 4 Y
cognitive 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 30
Age related
MCI 4 Y
cognitive 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. 2015
young
adults 92 none 4 Y
computerised n-back and IMPROVE w/
group peer coaching to learn MC p<.001
Ariës et al. 2015
young
adults 63 none 4 Y
computerised n-back and IMPROVE w/
group peer coaching to learn MC p<.001

23. MPG Handout Pack
Difference between groups and 1:1?
7.5
8
8.5
9
9.5
10
10.5
Baseline T2 T3
1:1
control
group
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

24. Are groups better?
T2 compared to baseline: groups Not Significant
T3 compared to baseline: group Not Significant
T2 compared to baseline: 1:1 Not Significant
T3 compared to baseline: 1:1 t (10) = 4.194, p = .002, d = 1.26
1
1.5
2
2.5
3
3.5
Baseline T2 T3
1:1
control
group
Between groups One
Way ANOVA @ T3
F (2,32)= 5.495, p = .009

25. MPG Handout Pack
Increased
meta-
cognition &
meta-memory
Social support
and stimulus
Reduced stress
and anxiety
How can we bring
group training
into ‘reasonable
adjustments’?