Cross-modal conflict increases with time-on-task in a temporal discrimination task

The modality appropriateness hypothesis argues that the auditory modality is preferred over the visual modality in tasks demanding temporal operations; hence, we predicted that responses to visual stimuli would be more sensitive to the detrimental effect of Time-on-Task. We used a bimodal temporal discrimination task. The factors were durational congruency between the modalities and the direction of modality-transmission. Participants needed to decide the duration of the cued stimulus (visual or auditory). The first five blocks of the task lasted about 1.5 h without rest [Time-on-Task (ToT) period]. The participants then had a 12-min break followed by an additional block of trials. Subjective fatigue, reaction time, error rates, and electrocardiographic data were recorded. In the visual modality, we found an enhanced congruency effect as a function of ToT. The cost of attentional shifting was higher in the auditory modality, but remained constant, suggesting that processing of auditory stimuli is robust against the effects of fatigue. Performance did not improve after the break, indicating that the effects of fatigue could not be overcome by taking a brief break. The heart rate variability (HRV) data showed that vagal inhibition increased with ToT, but this increase was not associated with the changes in performance

Impact of cyberloafing and physical exercise on performance: an experimental research

JEL Classification System: J24 – “Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labour Productivity” M54 – “Labour Management”All organizations want to be successful and part of their success is directly connected with their employees’ performance. Many factors influence employees’ performance thus it is important for an organization to identify them. This study aims to analyze the effect that cyberloafing and physical exercise have on individual’s performance. Built upon an innovative perspective, a laboratory experimental research was developed where a total of 124 participants perform two different tasks, a cognitive task and a motor task, and their performance was evaluated after a break doing cyberloafing activities and physical exercise. Results revealed that cyberloafing has a negative effect in both cognitive and motor performance while physical exercise has a positive effect in both cognitive and motor performance. Conscientiousness and engagement were also found to be moderators of these relationships with regard to cognitive performance, showing a huge positive effect along with physical exercise. Theoretical and practical implications as well as limitations of the study and areas for future research were also explored.Todas as empresas ambicionam ser bem sucedidas, e parte desse sucesso está directamente relacionado com a performance dos seus colaboradores. Existem muitos factores que influenciam a performance dos indivíduos sendo por isso importante para as organizações a identificação dos mesmos. O presente estudo tem como objectivo analisar qual o impacto do cyberloafing e do exercício físico na performance dos indivíduos. Construído sob uma perspectiva inovadora, um estudo experimental foi desenvolvido onde 124 participantes realizaram dois tipos de tarefas diferentes, uma tarefa cognitiva e uma tarefa motora, e a sua performance foi avaliada após pausas onde os participantes realizaram actividades de cyberloafing e exercício físico. Os resultados demonstraram que o cyberloafing tem um efeito negativo tanto na performance cognitiva como na performance motora enquanto que o exercício fisico tem um efeito positivo tanto na performance cognitiva como na performance motora. A conscienciosidade e o engagement demonstraram ser factores moderadores destas relações no que respeita à performance cognitiva, mostrando um efeito positivo considerável juntamente com o exercício físico. Implicações teóricas e praticas bem como limitações e áreas para investigação futura foram também exploradas neste estudo

Move Your body, Change Your Mind: Physical Activity in the Morning and its Implications for Work

Drawing upon the broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions (Fredrickson, 2001), this study examines the links between morning physical activity, subsequent positive emotions, broadened thinking, and psychological resource accumulation at work. Fifty-two participants who worked full-time completed a daily diary for 10 workdays that included measures of their emotions and physical activity each morning and measures of broadened thinking each afternoon. Psychological resources were assessed at the beginning and end of the 10-day period. Data were analyzed using multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) with Mplus. Results did not support the mediating role of positive emotions and broadened thinking between morning physical activity and psychological resources, as would be predicted by the broaden-and-build theory. However, results did indicate that participants experienced more positive emotions on the days they engaged in morning physical activity. Additionally, participants who more frequently engaged in morning physical activity experienced positive emotions more often during the study period. There was also evidence to suggest that positive emotions promoted planning and active coping in response to workplace problems. In sum, these findings indicate morning physical activity may boost employees\u27 emotional states and experiences of positive emotions may result in the use of broad-minded coping strategies at work. Implications for research and practice are discussed

The remediation of oculomotor and attentional deficits of children with ADHD: identifying and training control mechanisms based on ocular data

This project set out to develop a cognitive training intervention for individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The thesis builds on research suggesting that reinforcement deficits in the ADHD population give rise to the underdevelopment of a number of cognitive abilities, in particular inhibitory control skills. Arguing that this skill is explicitly trainable and that training inhibitory gaze control is a means of training inhibitory control, this thesis set out to utilise eye-tracking technology to assess inhibitory gaze control performance in ADHD and to develop an engaging intervention in the form of a computer game capable of training the inhibitory gaze control system. Drawing on literature on inhibitory control in ADHD, the saccadic system, game development, and cognitive load theory a training intervention and battery of assessment tasks were developed iteratively across a number of pilot studies. The development process and resultant cognitive training interventions are described. The final proof-of-concept study was trialled for eight one-hour training sessions with an ADHD population (N = 8). Comparisons of pre- and post-training assessments produced strong effects for measures of gaze control, inhibitory control, timing, and attention. The results are interpreted and a number of limitations noted. The potential benefits of such interventions to aid clinicians to diagnose, to monitor, and to treat ADHD are considered. The relevance of cognitive interventions in contributing to research attempting to identify endophenotypes of ADHD is also discussed

The remediation of oculomotor and attentional deficits of children with ADHD: identifying and training control mechanisms based on ocular data

This project set out to develop a cognitive training intervention for individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The thesis builds on research suggesting that reinforcement deficits in the ADHD population give rise to the underdevelopment of a number of cognitive abilities, in particular inhibitory control skills. Arguing that this skill is explicitly trainable and that training inhibitory gaze control is a means of training inhibitory control, this thesis set out to utilise eye-tracking technology to assess inhibitory gaze control performance in ADHD and to develop an engaging intervention in the form of a computer game capable of training the inhibitory gaze control system. Drawing on literature on inhibitory control in ADHD, the saccadic system, game development, and cognitive load theory a training intervention and battery of assessment tasks were developed iteratively across a number of pilot studies. The development process and resultant cognitive training interventions are described. The final proof-of-concept study was trialled for eight one-hour training sessions with an ADHD population (N = 8). Comparisons of pre- and post-training assessments produced strong effects for measures of gaze control, inhibitory control, timing, and attention. The results are interpreted and a number of limitations noted. The potential benefits of such interventions to aid clinicians to diagnose, to monitor, and to treat ADHD are considered. The relevance of cognitive interventions in contributing to research attempting to identify endophenotypes of ADHD is also discussed

Controlling for non-inhibitory processes in response inhibition research

Central to human adaptive behaviour is the ability to update one’s motor actions in the face of environmental changes, for which a key component is the ability to inhibit ongoing actions that are no longer appropriate. A substantial body of previous research has implicated the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and the pre-supplementary motor area (pre-SMA) as plausible sources of inhibitory control, but it remains unclear whether these regions host a specialised inhibitory control mechanism or instead support a more general system of action updating. This uncertainty stems from the limited number of studies that have controlled for non-inhibitory processes in response inhibition research. The overarching aim of this thesis was to resolve this ambiguity by studying behaviour, neurophysiology and neurochemistry during action updating in the presence and absence of inhibition. For the key experiments, detailed methods and hypotheses were pre-registered prior to data collection to minimise research bias and ensure transparent discrimination of confirmatory and exploratory inferences