Sad mood,emotion regulation,and response inhibition

ABSTRACT

Affect-as-information models, resource allocation models, and arousal biased competition theory predict different effects of mood on cognition. To test these theories, this study examines the effect of sad mood on response inhibition (RI) and whether emotion dysregulation impacts this potential relationship. Participants were 273 undergraduates who wrote about either a typical day or a sad event from their life. They self-reported mood and emotion regulation difficulties, and RI was a composite score of Colour-Word Stroop, Stop-Signal, and go/no-go computerised tasks. The intensity of self-reported sad mood did not affect RI as predicted, but those who wrote about sad events had worse RI. Worse emotion regulation also predicted worse RI. Cognitive loads, rumination, and mind-wandering are discussed as possible mechanisms. Findings are extended from well-established areas such as working memory to the less-established area of RI.     

返回抑制训练效应的认知神经机制——来自ERP研究的证据

返回抑制是指个体对呈现在先前(约250 ms前)线索化或注视过位置的刺激反应更慢的现象。尽管有研究表明IOR在长时训练下存在稳定的训练效应,但其相应的认知神经机制,即训练究竟是如何影响IOR的迄今为止尚不明确。本研究采用对信息加工过程高敏感的事件相关电位技术结合长时训练和线索-靶子范式来对该问题进行考察。结果发现:在行为上同前人研究结果相一致,返回抑制效应在长时训练下表现出稳定的下降趋势;更重要的是在脑电上同IOR行为效应量在训练后变小的结果相一致,标识早期知觉加工的成分如N1等在有效和无效线索条件间的差异也表现出在训练后的降低。结果表明早期的知觉加工阶段是训练影响IOR的一个重要阶段,为探明IOR训练效应的认知神经机制提供了来自电生理学的重要证据。     

The role of inhibition and speed of processing in mathematics

The current study highlights the importance of inhibitory ability in facilitating performance in mathematics. To understand the role of inhibition in mathematical knowledge, this study tested 102 college students on a series of standardized complex math exercises. Inhibition tasks varied by task and stimuli (letters, numbers, and arrows). The result showed stronger associations between math abilities and strength of inhibition with more inhibition found for the flanker task (involving inhibition of peripheral stimuli) than for the Navon task (requiring inhibition of a potential response). The results supported the view that Inhibition in general (which is not unique to numerical stimuli) is associated with math abilities. General, rather than specific inhibition was associated with math abilities and finally, speed of processing masked the relationship between math and inhibition. These results confirm the assumption that the relation between inhibition and math performance is modulated by the task that measures the inhibition, and by additional predictors such as processing speed.     

Number sense at 12 months predicts 4-year-olds’ maths skills

Preverbal infants spontaneously represent the number of objects in collections. Is this ‘sense of number’ (also referred to as Approximate Number System, ANS) part of the cognitive foundations of mathematical skills? Multiple studies reported a correlation between the ANS and mathematical achievement in children. However, some have suggested that such correlation might be mediated by general-purpose inhibitory skills. We addressed the question using a longitudinal approach: we tested the ANS of 60 12 months old infants and, when they were 4 years old (final N = 40), their symbolic math achievement as well as general intelligence and inhibitory skills. Results showed that the ANS at 12 months is a specific predictor of later maths skills independent from general intelligence or inhibitory skills. The correlation between ANS and maths persists when both abilities are measured at four years. These results confirm that the ANS has an early, specific and longstanding relation with mathematical abilities in childhood.

Research Highlights

• In the literature there is a lively debate about the correlation between the ANS and maths skills.
• We longitudinally tested a sample of 60 preverbal infants at 12 months and rested them at 4 years (final sample of 40 infants).
• The ANS tested at 12 months predicted later symbolic mathematical skills at 4 years, even when controlling for inhibition, general intelligence and perceptual skills.
• The ANS tested at 4 years remained linked with symbolic maths skills, confirming this early and longstanding relation in childhood.

     

Reducing Proactive Interference in Motor Tasks

Abstract

Changing automatized movement patterns often leads to initial performance decrements caused by proactive interference. In this study, we scrutinized whether proactive interference could be reduced by inhibiting the to-be-changed movement pattern by means of a physical movement constraint and verbal inhibition instructions, and whether any of the two interventions may be superior. Skilled typists typed short texts as fast and accurately as possible on a regular QWERTZ keyboard. After baseline measures, a new rule prohibiting the use of the left index finger was introduced. Subsequently, participants took part in either a verbal instruction or an additional motor restriction intervention phase. Results revealed that the original rule change was successful in inducing proactive interference in skilled typists. Most importantly, the two interventions similarly reduced proactive interference both immediately following the rule change and after ten practice sessions. We conclude that reducing proactive interference by means of physical motor restrictions and verbal instructions may be equally effective.     

Exploring inhibitory deficits in female premutation carriers of fragile X syndrome: Through eye movements

There is evidence which demonstrates that a subset of males with a premutation CGG repeat expansion (between 55 and 200 repeats) of the fragile X mental retardation 1 gene exhibit subtle deficits of executive function that progressively deteriorate with increasing age and CGG repeat length. However, it remains unclear whether similar deficits, which may indicate the onset of more severe degeneration, are evident in female PM-carriers. In the present study we explore whether female PM-carriers exhibit deficits of executive function which parallel those of male PM-carriers. Fourteen female fragile X premutation carriers without fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome and fourteen age, sex, and IQ matched controls underwent ocular motor and neuropsychological tests of select executive processes, specifically of response inhibition and working memory. Group comparisons revealed poorer inhibitory control for female premutation carriers on ocular motor tasks, in addition to demonstrating some difficulties in behaviour self-regulation, when compared to controls. A negative correlation between CGG repeat length and antisaccade error rates for premutation carriers was also found. Our preliminary findings indicate that impaired inhibitory control may represent a phenotype characteristic which may be a sensitive risk biomarker within this female fragile X premutation population.