Assessing inattention and impulsivity in children during the Go/NoGo task

Behavioural performance in the Go/NoGo task was compared with caregiver and teacher reports of inattention and hyperactivity‐impulsivity in 1,151 children (N=557 boys; N=594 girls) age 9–10 years old. Errors of commission (NoGo errors) were significantly correlated with symptom counts of hyperactivity‐impulsivity, while errors of omission (Go errors) were significantly correlated with symptom counts for inattention in both caregiver and teacher reports. Cross‐correlations were also evident, however, such that errors of commission were related to inattention symptoms, and errors of omission were related to hyperactivity‐impulsivity. Moreover, hyperactivity‐impulsivity and inattention symptoms were highly intercorrelated in both caregiver (r=.52) and teacher reports (r=.70), while errors of commission and omission were virtually uncorrelated in the Go/NoGo task (r=.06). The results highlight the difficulty in disentangling hyperactivity‐impulsivity and inattention in questionnaires, and suggest that these constructs may be more clearly distinguished in laboratory measures such as the Go/NoGo task.     

Context-effect bias in capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.): exploring decoy influences in a value-based food choice task

Animal Cognition - Decision making is known to be liable to several context effects. In particular, adding a seemingly irrelevant alternative (decoy) to a set of options can modify preferences:...     

Healthy Lifestyle,Well-being,Physical Activity,Sport, and Scholastic/academic Performance: Interactions and Connections

The physical activity and sport are key elements for a healthy lifestyle. However, a little-investigated element is the presence of a possible relationship between school or academic performance and the participation in physical activity and sport in groups of preadolescents and adolescents. In order to clarify the complex relationship between mind and body in preadolescence and adolescence, the present discussion investigates the causal and direct relationship between sport activity and performance; and describes how this relationship can be mediated by the sense of self-esteem and self-efficacy; and investigates the relationship between group sports practice and school or academic performance.