Now showing 1 - 10 of 117
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Evaluation of the skills of the prefrontal cortex: The EFECO II-VC and II-VR [Evaluación de las habilidades de la Corteza prefrontal: La Escala EFECo II-VC y II-VR]

2018 , Villegas C. , Ortiz D. , García A. , Bolaños M. , Acosta P. , Lepe N. , Valle M.D. , Ramos V. , Ramos Galarza, Carlos

The pre-frontal cortex is the basis of the most complex mental abilities of human development. In its evaluation process, the EFECO scale provides an important contribution to assess its status. In previous investigations this scale has been studied with its configuration of 67 items, narrative focused on the deficit and evaluation of 8 executive functions. This research presents a new version of the scale, centered on its narrative in executive ability, proposed items to assess executive verification function and a summarized version of 42 items. The study included 118 healthy adults between 18 and 25 years of age (Mage = 20.72, SD = 1.65). In the results it was found that the EFECO II-VC scale (modified and complete version) obtained as internal consistency α = .96 and its sub-scales internal consistency between α = .64 and .81. The EFECO II-VR scale (modified and summarized version) obtained α = .94 and its sub-scales between α = .68 and .79. The internal consistency of the factors in which the executive functions are included were adequate: the supervisory system of cognition II-VC α = .93 and II-VR α = .70, while the supervisor system of behavior II- VC α = .93 and II-VR α = .81. The correlations between the executive functions assessed with both scales were between medium and large r = .36 and .94. The work is closed discussing the clinical and scientific contribution of the modification of the EFECO scale. © 2018 Fundacion para la difusion neurologica en Ecuador - FUNDINE. All Rights Reserved.

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Impact of Technology on Eating Disorders

2023 , Ramos Galarza, Carlos , López-Cárdenas M.J. , Cruz Cárdenas, Jorge

Eating disorders are a wide range of abnormal behaviors related to food and the vision of the body, and they are diseases that can cause permanent damage to the human being until death. It has been seen that there is a close relationship in the impact of social networks and the use of various technologies that have led new generations to shape their perspective of the body and their food in a different and complicated way. Technology becomes the link that people use to relate to the world and allows them to create and transform themselves around body stereotypes that lead them to modify the quantity and quality of their food. On the other hand, technology also provides the human being with an addictive and possibly sedentary part, which makes the person stop being active, having as a consequence anomalies in their diet such as weight gain. This article aims to consider the role of technology in eating disorders. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

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Development and Validation of A Brief Scale to Assess Attachment in Adults: Psychometric Analysis in Latin America [Desarrollo y Validación de Una Escala Breve Para Valorar el Apego en Adultos: Análisis Psicométrico en América Latina]

2020 , Ortiz-Granja D. , Acosta-Rodas P. , Lepe-Martínez N. , Valle M.D. , Ramos V. , Pasquel M.B. , Ramos Galarza, Carlos

Assessment of the adult attachment in the Latin American context as a research line is not yet solved. This study has the aim to present the results of the development and validation of a scale to assess the adult attachment. The sample was composed of 1563 participants aged between 17 and 33 years from Chile and Ecuador. This scale was formed by 14 items, which allowed the assessment of secure attachment, avoidant attachment, and ambivalent attachment. Results are as following: (a) the scale presented an adequate internal consistency for secure attachment α=.73 and ω=.82, avoidant α=.58 and ω=.70, and ambivalent α=.69 and ω=.73; (b) adequate convergent validity with sense of coherence (r=.34 and .43, p=< .001); (c) the exploratory factor analysis kept up the items’ organization developed KMO=.77, x2=4133.91, p=<.001; and, (d) the confirmatory factor analysis presented a good fit with three items for each attachment type x2(24)=136.28, p=<.001, CFI=.95, RMSEA=.05(.04–.06), SRMR=.03. Findings of psychometric properties are discussed, highlighting the contribution of this scale in the Latin American context and its relationship with previous research. © 2020 Fundacion para la difusion neurologica en Ecuador - FUNDINE. All rights reserved.

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Telemedicine in Mental Health: Systematic Review of Online Psychological Therapy

2024 , Ramos Galarza, Carlos , Patricia García-Cruz , Brenda Guerrero , Mónica Bolaños-Pasquel

This process emerged strongly in the coronavirus pandemic that humanity recently experienced and has now established itself as a valid tool for diagnostic and treatment processes in psychology. In this article we present a systematic review of research that has developed technology in favor of psychological care through telemedicine. We found 710 studies and after processing them with inclusion and exclusion criteria we ended up with a sample of 12 papers that were analyzed. In the results it was found that North America (33%) is the context where most research on telemedicine in psychology is carried out. Most of the remote technology is used in treatment processes (91.67%). Psychological treatments for psychopathological disorders (33.33%) are the main objects of intervention in telemedicine for psychology. As for the psychological approach applied in research, cognitive behavioral therapy (41.67%) is the most used. In the discussion we talked about the benefits and limitations of telemedicine and the challenges of its implementation in psychological care processes

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Interactive Model of Executive Functions to Understand Error Correction

2022 , Ramos Galarza, Carlos , Cruz Cárdenas, Jorge , Ramos V.

This article reports an investigation aimed at analyzing an interactive model of executive functions, which seeks to explain the process followed by human beings to correct their mistakes. The method followed was an analysis based on structural equations, considering the maximum likelihood process around a model that considered six executive functions. We worked with a randomized sample of 771 subjects (mean age = 39.86, SD = 15.47; 50.5%, women, 50.50%). The findings suggest that error correction is a complex executive function as it is the product of the internal language capacity that regulates behavior and cognition, adequate regulation of the limbic system, adequate decision-making, and control of automatic impulses, determining how to act and verify the thoughts and behavior of the subject. The contribution of the proposed theoretical model lies in understanding the process by which human beings manage to correct errors. In addition, how this explanatory model could help neuropsychological intervention processes to work on this cognitive ability in individuals with difficulties in correcting errors. © 2022 by the authors. Licensee ESJ, Italy.

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Enhancing mathematics learning with 3D augmented reality escape room

2024 , Zapata, Mireya , Ramos Galarza, Carlos , Valencia-Aragón, Kevin , Lidia Guachi

Learning mathematics is a challenge for many students, especially because of the traditionalist method with which its contents are taught. To a large extent, mathematics classes generate little motivation in students, so in this research, a novel technological method based on augmented reality is applied to improve the mathematics learning process, particularly the techniques of solving systems of linear equations. The research design used was a two-phase mixed sequential confirmatory type. The research worked with a sample of 65 students (Mage=17.72, SD=0.65; 58.5% female and 41.5% male). In the first phase, a quasi-experimental study was designed with an experimental group (M=32) and a control group (M=33). The experimental group received a mathematics teaching and learning intervention based on augmented reality vs. the control group, which received a traditional educational process. The experimental group showed improvements in acquired knowledge and motivation compared to the control group students. In the qualitative phase, two focus groups were conducted with students from their respective groups. In the experimental group, the following categories were identified: interesting, fun, innovative, and entertaining. The control group identified the following categories: little attention, low interest in learning, tired knowledge, and lack of motivation. The results are discussed in relation to the need to generate educational processes that benefit mathematics learning

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Talented soccer players, the big secret is in the brain: The great tragedy of the star player and the fate of magicians with a preserved nervous systems

2017 , Ramos Galarza, Carlos , Peña-García S. , Pérez-Salas C. , Cadena-Almeida I. , Jadán Guerrero, Janio , Bolaños-Pasquel M.

In previous work, we have presented case studies from fascinating films for the eye of the neuropsychologist;1,2,3 continuing with this line of research, we describe here for your consideration a critical analysis of the role of brain functions in one of the most fascinating sports, soccer. In this analysis, we will look more closely at the brain damage suffered by the great footballer Salvador Cabañas and the role of the highly complex brain functions that allow the magical players to stand out in this sport. In the next pages, we present the case of Salvador Cabañas, both before and after his cerebral accident, and later we analyze the cerebral functions that are activated in brilliant players like Messi or Ronaldinho. We conclude this article by reflecting on the role of the brain in our normal human activities, and how catastrophic it becomes on a daily basis when our brain tissue is damaged so that as a result of this condition we can lose everything. © 2017 Fundacion para la difusion neurologica en Ecuador - FUNDINE. All Rights Reserved.

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A review of consumer-to-consumer digital information and knowledge sharing

2025 , Cruz Cárdenas, Jorge , Ramos Galarza, Carlos , Mónica Giménez-Baldazo , Palacio Fierro, Andrés

This study undertook a systematic literature review of consumers’ information and knowledge sharing (I&KS) in digital scenarios, as it is an expanding thematic area that differs from other consumer behavior and has been underexplored.Design/methodology/approachFollowing the PRISMA philosophy, we identified I&KS-related studies in the Scopus database based on a search term chain determined through an exploratory study. Additional inclusion and exclusion criteria were applied, and studies were manually filtered. An input–process–output type model was used to manually review and systematize the literature. Then, a second content analysis was conducted using artificial intelligence (AI) tools.FindingsBased on 51 relevant articles, this study characterized the I&KS research field as multidisciplinary through quantitative methods. Based on an input–process–output consumer behavior model and content analysis, this study systematized existing knowledge and revealed that most knowledge encompassed the influence of personal and psychological consumer characteristics. Additionally, based on AI tools applied to the full texts of the relevant articles, five thematic clusters emerged, largely coinciding with the input–process–output model used. Finally, future research avenues and recommendations for business and organizational practices were identified. This study fills the gap in consumer studies by systematically reviewing I&KS, a developing field, as no prior research has addressed this topic systematically.

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Neuropsychological evaluation of inhibitory control and interference control: Validation of experimental tasks in the ecuadorian context

2017 , Ramos Galarza, Carlos , Jadán Guerrero, Janio , Ramos D. , Bolaños M. , Ramos V. , Fiallo-Karolys M.X.

This article reports a study in which three experimental tasks (SIMON, Go / No-Go and Stroop Victoria) were adapted and validated to evaluate the inhibitory control and interference control in a sample of Ecuadorian students. The sample consisted of 100 students between 6 and 15 years old (M = 10.13 years, SD = 2.48) belonging to the public education system of Ecuador. The process followed in the adaptation and validation was through the linguistic translation of the experiments, followed by an expert judgment and a pilot study. In the results it was found that there are no statistically significant differences in the measures that assess the inhibitory control and the interference considering the sociodemographic variables of the participants as comparison factors. In the correlation analysis we found a statistically significant association between the measurements of the experiments. We conclude by analyzing the associations found and underlining the need to continue providing evidence in the research line of adaptation and validation of test for using in neuropsychological evaluation.

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Virtual Tours of Museums to Promote Tourism

2024 , Cóndor-Herrera, Omar , Ramos Galarza, Carlos , Bolaños-Pasquel, Mónica

Museums represent a collection of ancient and modern knowledge which must be protected, disseminated, and transmitted in the best viable way. Digital development and technology in recent years have made it possible to transform the way of interacting with museums through virtual tours (Palmieri et al in Springer Series in Design and Innovation, pp 71–82, 2023 [1]), which gained strength in times of pandemic, the products generated for virtual tours range from physical reproductions/faithful virtual images of historical artifacts to digital libraries that can be used by experts and others, in addition to 360º technology which allows a 360° viewing angle to be covered in two axes. That is, we can see everything around the point where it was made the photo or video. In this article, the virtual tours offered by some museums are analyzed, as well as the use of these tours as a tourism marketing strategy, giving the user the opportunity to interact with the place they plan to visit in a new way (Cóndor-Herrera and Ramos-Galarza in Marketing and smart technologies. Smart innovation, systems and technologies, pp 443–449, 2022 [2]). © 2024, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.