Quantifying the Motivational Effects of Cognitive Fatigue Through Effort-Based Decision Making

10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00843FRONTIERS IN PSYCHOLOGY9MA

Expectancy biases underneath the Dark Triad traits : associations with optimism, pessimism, and hopelessness

Personality traits play a key role in understanding optimism, but few studies have examined how “darker” aspects of personality relate to individual differences in trait-level optimism. We examined whether the Dark Triad traits (i.e., narcissism, psychopathy, and Machiavellianism) were associated with individual differences in optimism in three convenience samples from America, Brazil, and Hungary (N = 937) using three measures of individual differences optimism (i.e., Life Orientation Test; Lerner Optimism Scale; Beck Hopelessness Scale). Our results were rather compelling in that across measures and countries sampled, narcissism was associated with more optimism whereas psychopathy and Machiavellianism were associated with less. Results are discussed in terms of how such outlooks or expectancies are likely to color the social interactions that people characterized by the Dark Triad traits engage in and the social consequences they may experience

Seeing the world in black or white : the Dark Triad traits and dichotomous thinking

In contrast to work examining motivational and affective biases, we examined potential cognitive biases, in the shape of dichotomous thinking (i.e., a tendency to see the world as black or white), linked to the Dark Triad traits. In Study 1 (N = 712), Japanese participants revealed that the latent variance—the ostensible “adaptive” competent of the Dark Triad traits—was linked to a tendency to see the world as black or white. In Study 2 (N = 1489), we replicated effects from Study 1 using a multinational sample and structural equation modeling and revealed some moderation by participants’ sex and country in the relationship between the Dark Triad traits and dichotomous thinking. We discuss our results in terms of life history theory, contending black and white thinking might be part of the cognitive adaptations that make the Dark Triad traits function

Coffee consumption may influence the hippocampal volume in young women

Caffeine is the most often used psychoactive substance. Caffeine may influence neuroplasticity in ani- mals. We investigated the relationship between caffeine intake (coffee consumption) and brain morphology. Forty- five healthy, non-smoking women aged 19 – 30 were included in the present study. We used semi-automatic user-independent MR volumetry and voxel-based mor- phometry. We investigated the relationship between caffeine intake (coffee consumption) and the volumes of the cortical brain structures where caffeine is supposed to act. We found that high-level and low-level caffeine intake was associated with a larger hippocampus compared to moderate-level caffeine intake. The other brain structures showed no association with coffee consumption or caffeine intake. The U-shape association between caffeine concentration and its effect has already been described in some experimental studies. To our knowledge this is one of the very first studies, which tries to find an association between brain morphology and coffee consumption or caffeine intake in humans using MR imaging

Effects of Moderate Aerobic Exercise Training on Hemorheological and Laboratory Parameters in Ischemic Heart Disease Patients

<div><p>Background and Design</p><p>In this study we set out to determine the effects of long-term physical training on hemorheological, laboratory parameters, exercise tolerability, psychological factors in cardiac patients participating in an ambulatory rehabilitation program.</p><p>Methods</p><p>Before physical training, patients were examined by echocardiography, tested on treadmill by the Bruce protocol, and blood was drawn for laboratory tests. The enrolled 79 ischemic heart disease patients joined a 24-week cardiac rehabilitation training program. Blood was drawn to measure hematocrit (Hct), plasma and whole blood viscosity (PV, WBV), red blood cell (RBC) aggregation and deformability. Hemorheological, clinical chemistry and psychological measurements were repeated 12 and 24 weeks later, and a treadmill test was performed at the end of the program.</p><p>Results</p><p>After 12 weeks Hct, PV, WBV and RBC aggregation were significantly decreased, RBC deformability exhibited a significant increase (p<0.05). Laboratory parameters (triglyceride, uric acid, hsCRP and fibrinogen) were significantly decreased (p<0.05). After 24 weeks the significant results were still observed. By the end of the study, IL-6 and TNF-α levels displayed decreasing trends (p<0.06). There was a significant improvement in MET (p<0.001), and the BMI decrease was also significant (p<0.05). The vital exhaustion parameters measured on the fatigue impact scale indicated a significant improvement in two areas of the daily activities (p<0.05).</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Regular physical training improved the exercise tolerability of patients with ischemic heart disease. Previous publications have demonstrated that decreases in Hct and PV may reduce cardiovascular risk, while a decrease in RBC aggregation and an increase in deformability improve the capillary flow. Positive changes in laboratory parameters and body weight may indicate better oxidative and inflammatory circumstances and an improved metabolic state. The psychological findings point to an improvement in the quality of life.</p></div

Medication during the 24 week long physical training.

<p>Medication during the 24 week long physical training.</p

Results of the multivariate linear regression analyses after the 24-week ambulatory exercise training of ischemic heart disease patients; N = 79.

<p>Results of the multivariate linear regression analyses after the 24-week ambulatory exercise training of ischemic heart disease patients; N = 79.</p

Changes in erythrocyte deformability parameters EI_max and SS_1/2 calculated by the Lineweaver-Burke nonlinear equation after the 12- and 24-week ambulatory exercise training of ischemic heart disease patients.

<p>Changes in erythrocyte deformability parameters EI_max and SS_1/2 calculated by the Lineweaver-Burke nonlinear equation after the 12- and 24-week ambulatory exercise training of ischemic heart disease patients.</p