Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · 28d

No! Steve is still going strong.

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · 29d

UC Davis is hiring! A tenure-track assistant professor of psychology, in human cognition or cognitive neuroscience #psychjobs recruit.ucdavis.edu/JPF07300

Assistant Professor of Psychology - Human Cognition or Cognitive Neuroscience

University of California, Davis is hiring. Apply now!

recruit.ucdavis.edu

3 110 170

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Akira Miyake @amiyake.bsky.social · Jun 18

I haven't actively studied EF for a while, b/c I wasn't sure what new approache(s) I can take to adequately address those concerns. It turned out that @yukomunakata.bsky.social—a good friend since grad school—also experienced similar changes in the way she views EF (see her own 🧵👇). (10/12)

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

1/ I've long wondered why executive function in childhood predicts life outcomes. Why does juggling information in mind, shifting between tasks, and controlling our impulses matter so much? I'm increasingly convinced that our early answers missed something fundamental. #PsychSciSky #DevPsychSky

1 1 6

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Akira Miyake @amiyake.bsky.social · Jun 18

Earlier, I posted a 🧵 about the articles that students liked in my graduate course on executive function (EF)👇.

In this new 🧵 (the last one based on this class, I promise!), I thought I'd share some of the thoughts I had while teaching this course. If you’re interested in EF, read on. (1/12)

Akira Miyake @amiyake.bsky.social · Jun 7

I taught a graduate course on executive function (EF) in the spring. Before I forget, I thought I'd tell you about the readings students liked the best (at the end of the semester, I asked students to vote for their favorite papers, excl. any of mine). Here are the top vote getters. 🧵 (1/6)

2 13 27

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Gabriel Scheidecker @gabrielscheidecker.bsky.social · Jun 13

Finally out! For the first time, The Lancet has published a critical paper on the science of Early Childhood Development (#ECD).

As an interdisciplinary team of authors, we call on the ECD field move beyond the widespread use of deficit-based models.

www.thelancet.com/journals/lan...

Beyond deficit models in early childhood development science

We appreciate the efforts of the Lancet Series, Early Childhood Development and the Next 1000 Days, to draw attention to the needs of young children in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs).1...

www.thelancet.com

1 8 13

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Akira Miyake @amiyake.bsky.social · Jun 7

I taught a graduate course on executive function (EF) in the spring. Before I forget, I thought I'd tell you about the readings students liked the best (at the end of the semester, I asked students to vote for their favorite papers, excl. any of mine). Here are the top vote getters. 🧵 (1/6)

3 11 67

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Hannah R Snyder @hannahrsnyder.bsky.social · May 8

In this commencement season, you may be wondering "why is that thing called a hood, and can I actually wear it like one?" You can, you should.
Here demonstrated w/ @yukomunakata.bsky.social imparting this wisdom at my own graduation.

1 15

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Hannah R Snyder @hannahrsnyder.bsky.social · Apr 6

Lifespan development of the PI. My PhD mentor @yukomunakata.bsky.social had a great presentation she would give for new lab members about all the things her former mentors would do that seemed weird at the time but made total sense once she had her own lab, and I am 100% living out that timeline.

1 1 3

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Lauren J. Myers @proflaurenmyers.bsky.social · May 3

Super interesting & well done talk by @yukomunakata.bsky.social to cap off #SRCD25. Executive function is not a static cognitive ability “in the head” of children, but rather is influenced adaptively by environment, habits, and culture.

2 2 15

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · May 6

Thank you @proflaurenmyers.bsky.social!

2

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Jesse Niebaum @niebaumjc.bsky.social · Mar 15

I wrote an OpEd arguing against funding cuts to NIH and NSF and their devastating impact for the newspaper I grew up with, the Morning Sun, in Pittsburg, Kansas.

Keep spreading the word, wherever you can.

morningsun.net/stories/maki...

Making the case for science - The Morning Sun

I am a research scientist at the Center for Mind and Brain at the University of California, Davis. Before that, I was a student in Pittsburg Community Schools: I started kindergarten at Lakeside and g...

morningsun.net

2 15 28

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Akira Miyake @amiyake.bsky.social · Dec 17

Here's a short news story about procrastination, just published in UC Davis's Letters & Science magazine. Featuring my long-time friend/colleague @yukomunakata.bsky.social, this article describes factors contributing to procrastination and gives you a few concrete tips for overcoming it.

Two Ways to Avoid the Procrastination Loop and Get Started on Anything

New research in psychology describes some of the factors that contribute to procrastination in both children and adults. Learn some tips on how we can build the motivation to get started on that last-...

lettersandsciencemag.ucdavis.edu

4 12 24

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Hannah R Snyder @hannahrsnyder.bsky.social · Dec 13

Waiting for the same delayed flight back from one of my last PhD interviews with their visiting colloquium speaker, who quizzed me on my other offers and convinced me I shouldn't go there but instead to CU Boulder to work with @yukomunakata.bsky.social about which he was absolutely right.

Dan Quintana @dsquintana.bsky.social · Dec 12

What's the moment of luck that's had the biggest impact for your academic career? For me, it was how I wouldn't have gotten a PhD fellowship if it wasn't for the 1st-ranked person declining, which meant that I was awarded the fellowship as 2nd-ranked applicant. That was my last shot at a PhD.

2 1 9

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Dec 17

I'll be forever grateful to that colloquium speaker!

1 2

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 20

Thanks for creating this list! Could you add me?

1

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Dr. Cat Hicks @grimalkina.bsky.social · Oct 12

I have been really really really fascinated by this because something I think academics don't always see is that very small effects about "executive functions" sometimes have a massive mythology life out here in industry. Sometimes it feels like we're drowning in extreme claims about it

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

1/ I've long wondered why executive function in childhood predicts life outcomes. Why does juggling information in mind, shifting between tasks, and controlling our impulses matter so much? I'm increasingly convinced that our early answers missed something fundamental. #PsychSciSky #DevPsychSky

1 4 10

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Thomas J. Tobin @thomasjtobin.bsky.social · Oct 12

This entire thread is a splendid way for us in #HigherEd to re-frame how we design for and approach our learners, who come to us not just w/varying *levels* of executive function skills, but varying *kinds.*

This is research that would have been useful in the #UDL 3.0 guidelines! Have a read.

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

1/ I've long wondered why executive function in childhood predicts life outcomes. Why does juggling information in mind, shifting between tasks, and controlling our impulses matter so much? I'm increasingly convinced that our early answers missed something fundamental. #PsychSciSky #DevPsychSky

1 2

Reposted by Yuko Munakata

Michelle Ellefson @michellefson.bsky.social · Oct 12

Really great thread. I agree. The HOW and WHY executive functions impact life outcomes is the next important step in understanding their influence. Our measures are key to that puzzle.

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

1/ I've long wondered why executive function in childhood predicts life outcomes. Why does juggling information in mind, shifting between tasks, and controlling our impulses matter so much? I'm increasingly convinced that our early answers missed something fundamental. #PsychSciSky #DevPsychSky

1 4

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

15/ To me, this means we need to EXPAND our answer to why kids' behaviors predict life outcomes, not ABANDON the question (and paradigms) altogether. Trust and habits may influence whether people engage executive functions on assessments and in daily life:
authors.elsevier.com/a/1jrb1,rU%7...

authors.elsevier.com

2 3 10

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

14/ I think the idea that traditional tests have been "debunked" isn't quite right. Yes, we've found that whether kids wait to eat a marshmallow depends on many things, like whether they trust an adult to follow through on promises and how much their culture practices waiting.

1 4

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

13/ If we find a correlation between children’s stress and sleep, and it becomes insignificant after controlling for parental stress, we wouldn’t conclude that the link between children’s stress and sleep was meaningless.

1 4

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

12/ Some researchers advocate controlling for many variables in an attempt to “purify” measures of executive function, and dismiss correlations with life outcomes if they weaken w/such controls, but they may be throwing the baby out with the bathwater:
www.annualreviews.org/content/jour...

1 1 6

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

11/ The controversies' reflect (in part) how you interpret what happens to the links after you add in covariates spanning cognitive and behavioral skills, family environment, and more, as Laura Michaelson @sabinedoebel.bsky.social and I discuss.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1...

Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Subscription and open access journals from Sage, the world's leading independent academic publisher.

journals.sagepub.com

1 6

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

10/ These discussions highlight the need to rethink *why* children's behaviors predict life outcomes, not *whether* they do. I think there's good evidence THAT they do. For example: osf.io/preprints/ps...

OSF

osf.io

1 1 12

Yuko Munakata @yukomunakata.bsky.social · Oct 11

9/ The Global Executive Function Initiative is working to develop more culturally relevant approaches to assessment and support. I'm thrilled to have joined this thoughtful, innovative, collaborative group.
gefi.stanford.edu

Global Executive Function Initiative

gefi.stanford.edu

1 2 16