To do | Instructions

Aim:

The primary aim of this assignment is to introduce you to the concept of designing and executing an

experiment, justifying your choices with evidence or logic, analyzing and using valid metrics of a

psychological construct, and effectively communicating ideas. The secondary aim is to illustrate

ways of implementing strategies that may improve your own practices in your academic or personal

lives.

In Unit 2 we have been learning about cognitive flexibility. We have also learned about ways to

measure it. This assignment will provide you with an opportunity to improve your cognitive

flexibility. You will implement a strategy over 2-3 days (or more), and then you will write a final

assessment of your strategy and its outcomes. Please read the instructions below carefully./nTask:

Identify something specific in your own life, academic or social, where you would like to improve

your cognitive flexibility. Consider how you rely on cognitive flexibility in this area of your life.

Come up with one strategy that would improve your cognitive flexibility as it relates to the situation

that you want to improve in your own life. Make sure you can explain how your plan specifically

relates to the situation you want to improve.

Apply this strategy in your own life over at least 2-3 days. Spend 20 minutes each day to reflect on

your experience in a journal (you might consider writing about it in your Writing Journals for

Expressive Clarity!). Be sure to also reflect on the experience once you are done applying the new

strategy over 2-3 days. Use these reflections to help you write up your final assessment of your

strategy. (See Submission Requirements below.)

It is important to measure your efforts to change. So be sure to do the following:

Before implementing your strategy, take a cognitive flexibility test (for instance, the Cognitive

Flexibility Scale, the Stroop test, the A-not-B test, or the multitasking test from session 9 - or

another test as appropriate to your strategy) to obtain a baseline score.

Implement your strategy for 2-3 days. Take notes about it.

Take the same cognitive flexibility test on the 4th day to see if there is any difference in your overall

cognitive flexibility.