The influence of task paradigm on motor imagery ability in children with Developmental Coordination Disorder

Children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) have difficulty imagining movements such that they conform to the customary temporal constraints of real performance. We examined whether this ability is influenced by the choice of task used to elicit motor imagery (MI). Performance of typically developing (TD) (n = 30) and children with DCD (n = 30) was compared on two tasks: the Visually Guided Pointing Task (VGPT) and the Computerized Virtual Radial Fitts Task (C-VRFT). Since the VGPT places higher demands on executive functions like working memory but requires less spatial planning, we reasoned that the C-VRFT would provide a purer measure of motor imagery (or simulation). Based on our earlier work, we predicted that imagery deficits in DCD would more likely manifest on the C-VRFT. Results showed high correlations between tasks in terms of executed and imagined movement time suggest that both tasks measure MI ability. However, group differences were more pronounced in the imagined condition of the radial Fitts’ task. Taken together, the more spatially complex C-VRFT appears to be a more sensitive measure of motor imagery, better discriminating between DCD and TD. Implications for theory and practice are discussed.     

Collective self-esteem, personal self-esteem, and collective efficacy in in-group and outgroup evaluations

In assessing the relationship between self-esteem and in-group/outgroup evaluations, this study examined whether self-esteem is better measured at a collective (collective self-esteem [CSE]) than a personal level (personal self-esteem [PSE]). It was expected that subjects high in CSE would engage in more in-group favoritism (measured by in-group evaluations), whereas those low in CSE would engage in more outgroup derogation (measured by outgroup evaluations). No effect for PSE was predicted. Furthermore, the study explored whether perceptions of collective efficacy may underlie this relationship. Subjects played a public goods task. The in-group's outcome was compared to the outcome of other relevant outgroups, enhancing pressures towards intergroup differentiation. Consistent with the predictions, subjects high in CSE evaluated in-group members more positively than those in low CSE (i.e., in-group favoritism), whereas subjects low in CSE evaluated outgroup members more negatively than those high in CSE (i.e., outgroup derogation). Also in line with our predictions, no effect for PSE was found. Perceptions of collective efficacy appeared to be a mediator of the effect of CSE.     

Relations of Self-Esteem Concerns,Group Identification,and Self-Stereotyping to In-Group Favoritism

Abstract

In 2 studies, the author examined the effect of collective self-esteem (CSE; J. Crocker & R. Luhtanen, 1993) on people's willingness to display in-group favoritism. To test that self-esteem hypothesis, he measured public CSE, rather than private CSE, because the former parallels a threat to social identity, a state believed to motivate in-group favoritism. Furthermore, the author explored whether group identification and self-stereotyping moderated the effect of public CSE on in-group favoritism. The participants were 92 British and Dutch university employees. As expected, participants high in public CSE displayed more in-group favoritism than did those low in public CSE. Moreover, group identification and self-stereotyping appeared to moderate the effect of CSE.     

Collective self-esteem, personal self-esteem, and collective efficacy in in-group and outgroup evaluations

In assessing the relationship between self-esteem and in-group/outgroup evaluations, this study examined whether self-esteem is better measured at a collective (collective self-esteem [CSE]) than a personal level (personal self-esteem [PSE]). It was expected that subjects high in CSE would engage in more in-group favoritism (measured by in-group evaluations), whereas those low in CSE would engage in more outgroup derogation (measured by outgroup evaluations). No effect for PSE was predicted. Furthermore, the study explored whether perceptions of collective efficacy may underlie this relationship. Subjects played a public goods task. The in-group's outcome was compared to the outcome of other relevant outgroups, enhancing pressures towards intergroup differentiation. Consistent with the predictions, subjects high in CSE evaluated in-group members more positively than those in low CSE (i.e., in-group favoritism), whereas subjects low in CSE evaluated outgroup members more negatively than those high in CSE (i.e., outgroup derogation). Also in line with our predictions, no effect for PSE was found. Perceptions of collective efficacy appeared to be a mediator of the effect of CSE.     

Generic cognitive adaptations to task interference in task switching

The present study investigated how the activation of previous tasks interferes with the execution of future tasks as a result of temporal manipulations. Color and shape matching tasks were organized in runs of two trials each. The tasks were specified by a cue presented before a task run, cueing only the first trials of each run. Response times (RTs) and error rates were measured for task switching and task repetition conditions. Task interference was varied as a function of response-cue interval (RCI of 300 and 900 ms), that is, the interval between the task runs. Keeping the response-stimulus interval within the task runs constant at 300 ms allowed the disentangling of the direct effects of RCI manipulation on performance (first trials) from the general effects on performance (both trials in the run). The data showed similar performance improvement due to RCI increase on both trials in the task run. Furthermore, increasing RCI improved both switch and repetition performance to a similar extent. Together, our findings provide further evidence for accounts stressing generic effects of proactive task interference in task switching.     

Opposing effects of personal and collective self-esteem on interpersonal and intergroup comparisons

The relationship between self-esteem deriving from both personal and social identity and comparisons at both interpersonal and intergroup level was examined. Participants took part in individual and group brainstorming tasks which they later had the opportunity to evaluate. In the case of the individual task, participants' own solutions were judged in conjunction with solutions provided by a member of their ingroup and a member of the outgroup. For the group task, the ingroup solution was compared with an outgroup solution. Both personal and collective self-esteem were found to influence these ratings, but in different ways. In terms of intergroup comparisons, participants with high personal self-esteem (PSE) showed greatest ingroup bias. In contrast, this same effect was associated with low public collective-self esteem (CSE), that is, people who felt that their group was viewed negatively differentiated most strongly. Furthermore, this opposition of the effects of PSE and CSE also applied to the interpersonal comparisons. Participants with high PSE self-enhanced relative to participants with low PSE, while the reverse pertained for CSE scores. Participants with low private CSE rated both their own and the ingroup member's solution more positively than the outgroup solution. An analysis is presented which explains these effects in terms of threat experienced as a result of incongruency between comparative context and optimal identity enhancement strategies. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

State mood,task performance,and behavior at work: A within-persons approach

We examine the intra-individual relationships between state mood and the primary components of the individual-level criterion space (task performance, organizational citizenship behavior, and work withdrawal) as they vary within the stream of work. Using experience-sampling methods, 67 individuals in a call center responded to surveys on palmtop computers at random intervals 4–5 times each day for 3 weeks (total N = 2329). These data were matched to objective task performance obtained from organizational call records (total N = 1191). Within-persons, periods of positive mood were associated with periods of improved task performance (as evidenced by shorter call time) and engaging in work withdrawal. Trait meta-mood moderated these relationships. Specifically, individuals who attended to their moods had a stronger relationship between mood and speed of task performance (call time) and individuals able to repair their mood cognitively evidenced a weaker relationship between mood and withdrawal. Implications and the use of within-persons designs are discussed.     

Complexity effects on the children's gambling task

The children's gambling task (CGT [Kerr, A., & Zelazo, P. D. (2004). Development of “Hot” executive function: The children's gambling task. Brain and Cognition, 55, 148–157]) involves integrating information about losses and gains to maximize winnings when selecting cards from two decks. Both cognitive complexity and control (CCC) theory and relational complexity (RC) theory attribute younger children's difficulty to task complexity. In CCC theory, identification of the advantageous deck requires formulation of a higher-order rule so that gains and losses can be considered in contradistinction. According to RC theory, it entails processing the ternary relation linking three variables (deck, magnitude of gain, magnitude of loss). We designed two less complex binary-relational versions in which either loss or gain varied across decks, with the other held constant. The three closely matched versions were administered to 3–5-year-olds. Consistent with complexity explanations, children in all age groups selected cards from the advantageous deck in the binary-relational versions, but only 5-year-olds did so on the ternary-relational CGT.     

Achievement goal theory and disordered eating: Relationships of disordered eating with goal orientations and motivational climate in female gymnasts and dancers

ObjectivesTo examine the relationships between disordered eating in female gymnasts and dancers and their perspective towards achievement in sport and dance, respectively. With an emphasis on outperforming others (ego involvement), more disordered eating was expected than when personal progress (task involvement) was emphasized.MethodsNinety-four aesthetic performers from gymnastics (n = 59) and dance (n = 35) completed questionnaires measuring ego and task involvement (individual orientation and motivational climate), dieting, self-esteem, perfectionism and weight-related peer and coach pressure.ResultsPartial correlations indicated that a stronger ego orientation was related to more dieting, greater perfectionism, more weight-related peer pressure, and lower self-esteem. Similar relationships were found for performance climate. Mastery climate on the other hand was negatively related to dieting, and coach and peer pressure, suggesting that when performers perceived the motivational climate as mastery, less frequent dieting was reported and less weight-related coach and peer pressure was perceived. No relationships were found between task orientation and disordered eating. Most importantly, regression analysis showed that after controlling for BMI, both ego orientation and mastery climate made a unique significant contribution to explaining dieting variance.ConclusionsGoal achievement theory is an important framework for explaining disordered eating in female aesthetic performers. Both ego orientation and mastery climate play a role in dieting of gymnasts and dancers. Aesthetic performers who are strongly ego-oriented tend to display more disordered eating correlates. Furthermore, it seems that to protect against disordered eating, coaches and teachers should create a mastery climate and target self-improvement and self-referenced comparisons over interpersonal competitiveness.     

Attention focus during physical effort: The mediating role of task intensity

ObjectivesTenenbaum's (2001) [A social-cognitive perspective of perceived exertion and exertion tolerance. In R. N. Singer, H. Hausenblas, & C. Janelle (Eds.), Handbook of sport psychology (pp. 810–820). New York, NY:Wiley] exercise intensity-attention linkage model was used to design and carry out two studies to examine individuals’ attentional strategies during engagement in two physically demanding tasks, and the mediating effect of task intensity on attention focus.DesignAn experimental design was employed where thought classifications (associative vs. dissociative) during three stages of a handgrip task (study 1) and during 50%, 70%, and 90% VO₂ max effort in a cycling task (study 2) were subjected to non-parametric Chi-square analysis.MethodsMale and female participants were exposed to the increasing sensation of physical effort via two fatiguing tasks: an isometric handgrip task (n=35), and a stationary cycling task (n=13). During each task participants were instructed to vocally express their current thoughts—in sentences, phrases or words—continuously throughout the testing procedure. Participant's self-reported thoughts were recorded during the tasks, and later classified to reveal patterns of associative and dissociative attention focus.ResultsAttention focus was predominantly associative when task intensity was high. These findings are consistent with Tenenbaum's (2001) [A social-cognitive perspective of perceived exertion and exertion tolerance. In R. N. Singer, H. Hausenblas, & C. Janelle (Eds.), Handbook of sport psychology (pp. 810–820). New York, NY:Wiley] model postulating the relationship between exercise intensity and attention allocation, which maintains that above a given effort threshold physiological cues dominate attention focus.ConclusionsDuring conditions of high workload and prolonged duration, attention is focused on overwhelming physiological sensations, which dominate focal awareness. At this point an associative attention focus is almost unavoidable.     

Developmental differences in motor task integration: A test of Pascual-Leone's Theory of Constructive Operators

This study assessed the ability of Pascual-Leone's Theory of Constructive Operators to predict the minimum age or maturational level at which integration of a motor task could be achieved. Children 5–12 years of age (n=114) performed a discrete motor task requiring a constrained circular movement to be integrated with an unconstrained linear movement to a target. The Theory of Constructive Operators and the principles of constructive cognition were used to generate a model of task performance. Based on the model and in accordance with the theory, it was predicted that 5- to 6-year-old subjects would lack the cognitive capacity (M-capacity) to efficiently integrate this task. An analysis of covariance for age was performed on task parameters reflecting integration (and highest M-demand) with movement speed as the covariate. Scheffé contrasts supported the prediction as 5- to 6-year-old subjects were inferior to each of the other age groups (p < .05). Furthermore, no significant differences were found to exist between any of the older age groups.     

How to reverse the vicious cycle of low self-esteem: The importance of attentional focus

Recent research suggests that the cognitive processes of low self-esteem people (low SEs) perpetuate low self-esteem and its undesirable emotional and behavioral correlates. For instance, it has been suggested that low SEs are more “self-conscious” than high self-esteem people (high SEs) and that self-consciousness can impair task performance. It was reasoned that if low SEs were led to focus their attention away from themselves and onto the task, performance would improve relative to high SEs. In a 2 × 3 between-subjects factorial design, subjects high and low in chronic self-esteem performed a concept formation task under three conditions: (1) in the presence of an audience, where self-focused attention is presumably high; (2) in a control group, in which attention was not manipulated; and (3) with instructions to concentrate on the task diligently. A significant interaction effect was obtained, indicating that low SEs performed worse than high SEs in the audience condition (p < .025), no differently in the control, and better than high SEs (p < .01) when instructed to concentrate on the task. Although the latter results are unusual in the context of self-esteem research, they are strikingly parallel to recent findings in the study of test anxiety.     

Responses on a lateralized lexical decision task relate to both reading times and comprehension

Research over the last few years has shown that the dominance of the left hemisphere in language processing is less complete than previously thought [Beeman, M. (1993). Semantic processing in the right hemisphere may contribute to drawing inferences from discourse. Brain and Language, 44, 80–120; Faust, M., & Chiarello, C. (1998). Sentence context and lexical ambiguity resolution by the two hemispheres. Neuropsychologia, 36(9), 827–835; Weems, S. A., & Zaidel, E. (2004). The relationship between reading ability and lateralized lexical decision. Brain and Cognition, 55(3), 507–515]. Engaging the right brain in language processing is required for processing speaker/writer intention, particularly in those subtle interpretive processes that help in deciphering humor, irony, and emotional inference. In two experiments employing a divided field or lateralized lexical decision task (LLDT), accuracy and reaction times (RTs) were related to reading times and comprehension on sentence reading. Differences seen in RTs and error rates by visual fields were found to relate to performance. Smaller differences in performance between fields tended to be related to better performance on the LLDT in both experiments and, in Experiment 1, to reading measures. Readers who can exploit both hemispheres for language processing equally appear to be at an advantage in lexical access and possibly also in reading performance.     

Correlation between performance and quantity/variability of leg exploration in a contingency learning task during infancy

Quantity and quality of motor exploration are proposed to be fundamental for infant motor development. However, it is still not clear what types of motor exploration contribute to learning. To determine whether changes in quantity of leg movement and/or variability of leg acceleration are related to performance in a contingency learning task, twenty 6–8-month-old infants with typical development participated in a contingency learning task. During this task, a robot provided reinforcement when the infant’s right leg peak acceleration was above an individualized threshold. The correlation coefficient between the infant’s performance and the change in quantity of right leg movement, linear variability, and nonlinear variability of right leg movement acceleration from baseline were calculated. Simple linear regression and multiple linear regression were calculated to explain the contribution of each variable to the performance individually and collectively. We found significant correlation between the performance and the change in quantity of right leg movement (r = 0.86, p < 0.001), linear variability (r = 0.71, p < 0.001), and nonlinear variability (r = 0.62, p = 0.004) of right leg movement acceleration, respectively. However, multiple linear regression showed that only quantity and linear variability of leg movements were significant predicting factors for the performance ratio (p < 0.001, adjusted R² = 0.94). These results indicated that the quantity of exploration and variable exploratory strategies could be critical for the motor learning process during infancy.     

Dual-task decrements in driving performance: The impact of task type,working memory,and the frequency of task performance

Driving while carrying out another (secondary) task interferes with performance, though the degree of interference may vary between tasks and individual drivers. In this study, we focused on two potentially interrelated individual difference variables that may play a role in determining dual-task interference: working memory capacity and the driver’s experience with the relevant secondary task. We used a driving simulator to measure interference, comparing single-task performance (driving alone) with driving performance during three secondary tasks: conversing on a handsfree cellphone, texting, and selecting a song on a touchscreen Mp3 player. Drivers also rated the difficulty of driving while carrying out each secondary task. For the individual difference variables, working memory was measured using the Operation Span test (OSPAN), and experience was assessed in terms of self-reported daily driving exposure and exposure to the relevant secondary tasks (frequency, duration). Overall, we found evidence of dual-task interference, though interference varied between tasks; the texting and Mp3 tasks produced significantly more interference than handsfree cellphone conversation. For the texting and Mp3 song selection tasks, interference was apparent in terms of increased steering variability, but for the Mp3 task there was also compensatory slowing, with drivers slowing down while carrying out the task. OSPAN performance and daily driving exposure were both covariates in predicting the amount of dual-task interference. However, our results suggest that in all but two cases, both involving the texting task, the effects of the OSPAN and the driving and secondary task exposure variables were independent rather than interrelated.     

Relations of self-esteem concerns, group identification, and self-stereotyping to in-group favoritism

In 2 studies, the author examined the effect of collective self-esteem (CSE; J. Crocker & R. Luhtanen, 1993) on people's willingness to display in-group favoritism. To test that self-esteem hypothesis, he measured public CSE, rather than private CSE, because the former parallels a threat to social identity, a state believed to motivate in-group favoritism. Furthermore, the author explored whether group identification and self-stereotyping moderated the effect of public CSE on in-group favoritism. The participants were 92 British and Dutch university employees. As expected, participants high in public CSE displayed more in-group favoritism than did those low in public CSE. Moreover, group identification and self-stereotyping appeared to moderate the effect of CSE.     

Peers,parents, and coaches,oh my! The relation of the motivational climate to boys' intention to continue in sport

ObjectivesMotivational climates (Ames, 1992) and goal orientations (Nicholls, 1989) are essential in understanding children's experiences with sport. We examined the perceived task-involving motivational climates created by parents, peers, and coaches and their task goal orientation in relation to male adolescent athletes' sport competence, self-esteem and enjoyment, and ultimately, their intention to continue participating.DesignWe used a cross-sectional design with a large convenience sample of male adolescent athletes from the U.S. (N = 405, ages 12–15 years).MethodBoys anonymously completed survey questionnaires during their physical education classes at school.ResultsTask goal orientation was explained by task-involving parent, peer, and coach initiated motivational climates, although parent and peer climates were most influential. Boys with higher task goal orientations reported greater sport competence, self-esteem, and more enjoyment in sport. Intention to continue playing sport primarily was predicted by the boys' enjoyment, and secondarily, by their self-esteem.ConclusionsConsistent with past research, task motivational climates from parents, peers, and coaches play a key role in boys' enjoyment of their sport, which is essential for continued participation.     

Responses on a lateralized lexical decision task relate to both reading times and comprehension

Research over the last few years has shown that the dominance of the left hemisphere in language processing is less complete than previously thought [Beeman, M. (1993). Semantic processing in the right hemisphere may contribute to drawing inferences from discourse. Brain and Language, 44, 80–120; Faust, M., & Chiarello, C. (1998). Sentence context and lexical ambiguity resolution by the two hemispheres. Neuropsychologia, 36(9), 827–835; Weems, S. A., & Zaidel, E. (2004). The relationship between reading ability and lateralized lexical decision. Brain and Cognition, 55(3), 507–515]. Engaging the right brain in language processing is required for processing speaker/writer intention, particularly in those subtle interpretive processes that help in deciphering humor, irony, and emotional inference. In two experiments employing a divided field or lateralized lexical decision task (LLDT), accuracy and reaction times (RTs) were related to reading times and comprehension on sentence reading. Differences seen in RTs and error rates by visual fields were found to relate to performance. Smaller differences in performance between fields tended to be related to better performance on the LLDT in both experiments and, in Experiment 1, to reading measures. Readers who can exploit both hemispheres for language processing equally appear to be at an advantage in lexical access and possibly also in reading performance.