Research

Our team’s work focuses on 5 general aims that address our goal:

Understand neuropsychological functioning We study healthy persons to understand how neuropsychological functioning supports complex activities and learning. We are particularly interested in how we use several neuropsychological functions simultaneously to produce complex behavior and learn in formal and informal settings. For example, our team works on identifying the neuropsychological functions that are particularly important for goal-oriented behavior, academic success, learning to design research studies, learning computational skills, and learning inferential thinking.

Understand the effect of mental and physical illness on neuropsychological functioning We study how specific mental (e.g., ADHD) and physical (e.g., diabetes) illnesses impact neuropsychological functioning. We are particularly interested in the neuropsychological mechanisms through which specific mental and physical illnesses impact behavioral, academic, and health outcomes. Our team asks questions like do people with ADHD have greater odds of developing diabetes because they have difficulties with goal-oriented behavior?

Improve neuropsychological measurement and assessment We study how appropriate are currently available instruments for measuring neuropsychological functioning and how can they be improved. We also develop new instruments to address gaps in research and applied settings, particularly by implementing technology and data driven approaches to improve the way neuropsychological functioning is measured and assessed. For example, most procedures for measuring simple verbal working memory spans only calculate the maximum length span using digit spans. Could collecting (e.g., reaction times, spontaneous self-correction) or calculating other types of data (e.g., mean span) help improve our understanding of verbal working memory and improve differential diagnoses?

Improve neuropsychological interventions We study how to improve the cost-effectiveness of neuropsychological interventions that can improve behavioral and health outcomes. We also develop new interventions to address gaps in applied settings, particularly interventions that are flexible, easy to implement, and data driven. Our team addresses questions like will the intervention remain its effectiveness if we implement fewer sessions or shorter sessions? Could we develop a simplified version of the intervention that can be implemented at home? Should we vary the intervention’s difficulty level or types of stimuli?

Develop tools to improve research We develop software tools that improve the way scientists study neuropsychological functioning. By developing these tools we aim to advance research in two main ways: (a) by facilitating research procedures and (b) developing innovative ways to address hard questions in science. For example, we develop software tools that facilitate the process of building stimuli pools. We share these tools as open-source software projects so be sure to visit the software section for more information.

Here is a selective list of our lab’s projects:

DeMo: Feasibility of the computerized intervention Letter Ordering for improving successive processing and spelling skills

The aim of this project is to test the feasibility of the computerized intervention Letter Ordering for improving Spelling skills of Spanish-speaking children with low reading achievement. The study implemented a Single-Subject Design with 4 third graders to explore its impact on spelling skills
Investigator(s): Mario E. Bermonti-Pérez, Giselle Cordero-Arroyo, Mary Annette Moreno Torres

EPCON: Cognitive planning strategies used by Puerto Rican children in the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS2:SP)

The general objective of this study is to examine the cognitive planning strategies used by Puerto Rican children in the Cognitive Assessment System (CAS2:SP). An observational cross-sectional/transversal design will be implemented to examine the strategies used by Puerto Rican children ages 8 to 11, as well as to measure whether precision and time correlate with the performance/outcome on the subtest of the CAS2:SP Planning Scale.
Investigator(s): Giselle Cordero-Arroyo, José A. Ramos Carrasquillo, Imalay M. Cruz Figueroa, Mario E. Bermonti-Pérez, Loggina Báez Ávila, Manuel González-González

Systematized review: technology-based interventions for improving reading skills

Describe the methodological and analytical tendencies of studies that test the efficacy or effectiveness of technology-based interventions for improving reading skills
Investigator(s): Mario E. Bermonti-Pérez, Giselle Cordero-Arroyo

TEST 2.0: Technology effects on the measurement of spelling skills of Spanish-speaking university students: A pilot study

The main study will address the following research questions: a) What types of spelling mistakes do people make when completing measures of spelling with paper and pencil and on the computer? b) Are there differences in the types of spelling mistakes that people make when completing measures of spelling with paper-and-pencil in comparison to the computer?, c) What are the differences in overall spelling performance (total score) between paper-and-pencil and computer measures of spelling, after adjusting for academic level?, and d) What are the differences in spelling accuracy at the “word-level” between paper-and-pencil and computer measures of spelling, after adjusting for academic level?
Investigator(s): Mario E. Bermonti-Pérez, Giselle Cordero-Arroyo, Yamil Ortiz Ortiz

Relationship between phonological loop and spelling skills in school-age children

The general objective of this study is to determine the relationship between phonological loop functioning and spelling skills in elementary school-age children. The objectives of this study are: 1) Examine the relationship between phonological loop and spelling skills; 2) Examine the relationship between phonological loop and spelling skills, after controlling for the school-grade of the participant.
Investigator(s): Vicmarie Vargas Álvarez, Mario E. Bermonti-Pérez, Giselle Cordero-Arroyo

Differences in the phonological loop of working memory between university students with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

The main study will address the following research questions: a) Are there differences in phonological loop span between university students with and without ADHD in the measure Digit Span Forward? b) Are there differences in phonological loop span between university students with and without ADHD in the measure Digit Span Backwards?
Investigator(s): José E. Alicea-La Santa, Mario E. Bermonti-Pérez, Celimar Zayas-Burgos, Giselle Cordero-Arroyo

Comparison of Visual Sustained Attention in Puerto Rican Children with and without Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

This study has two specific aim: 1) Explore whether there is a difference in visual sustained attention between children with and without attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD); (2) Explore whether there is a difference in working memory between children with and without ADHD.
Investigator(s): Ashializ Y. Ocasio-Rivera, Giselle Cordero-Arroyo, Mario E. Bermonti-Pérez

EPCA: Psychometric Properties for the Cognitive Assessment System 2: Español (CAS2:ES) in Children from 6 to 9 Years Old

The general aim of this study is to establish psychometric properties for the Cognitive Assessment System 2: Español (CAS2:ES) in children from 6 to 9 years old. This is an exploratory study.
Investigator(s): Mary A. Moreno-Torres, Mario E. Bermonti-Pérez, Giselle Cordero-Arroyo