Post-saccadic Eye Movement Indices Under Cognitive Load: A Path Analysis to Determine Visual Performance

Purpose: The evidence on the linear relationship between cognitive load, saccade, fixation, and task performance was uncertain. We tested pathway models for degraded task performance resulting from changes in saccadic and post-saccadic fixation under cognitive load. Methods: Participants’ (n = 38) eye movements were recorded using a post-saccadic discrimination task with and without arithmetic operations to impose cognitive load, validated through recording heart rate variability and subjective measurement. Results: Results showed that cognitive load led to longer latencies of saccade and fixation; more inaccurate responses and fewer secondary saccades (P < 0.001). Longer saccade latencies influenced task performance indirectly via increases in fixation latency, therefore, longer reaction times and higher response errors were observed due to limited fixation duration on desired target. Conclusion: We suggest that latency and duration of fixation indicate efficiency of information processing and can predict the speed and accuracy of task performance under cognitive load

Role of social psychology in protecting native values in the process of globalization

AbstractThis review intends to respond to a few questions about the expected influences of globalization on changing attitudes, values, and beliefs of developing communities, especially those from the East. Considering the goal of preserving social and personal values, various themes have been explained, including changing attitudes, persuasion and propaganda from social psychology. We have addressed McGuire and Papageorgis ‘(1961) inoculation effect. Taking the assumption that globalizing of information is inevitable, we discussed the importance of inoculation methods to resist unwanted cultural alienations. We also discussed the importance of teaching critical thinking via formal and informal educational systems; instead of passively accepting or aggressively rejecting all aspects of globalization

Nonconscious Motivational Influences on Cognitive Processes in Addictive Behaviors

This chapter presents the motivational and goal theory of current concerns in relation to addiction and choice. A current concern is an individual’s motivational state from the point of becoming committed to pursuing a particular goal until the goal is reached or the pursuit is relinquished. During this time, the current concern guides the person’s cognitive processes, including attention, memory, thoughts, and dreams. What is true of goals in general is true of the goal of drinking alcohol or using another addictive substance. We hold that the decision to use a substance is voluntary; thus, the choice to use is subject to the person’s conscious control. Nevertheless, implicit processes influence the decision. One of these processes is addiction-related attentional bias. We describe (1) the research on attentional bias and (2) interventions for helping drinkers overcome the attentional and motivational influences on their addictive behavior

Free will in addictive behaviors:A matter of definition

Certain people are at risk for using alcohol or other drugs excessively and for developing problems with their use. Their susceptibility might arise from a variety of factors, including their genetic make-up, brain chemistry, family background, personality and other psychological variables, and environmental and sociocultural variables. Moreover, after substance use has become established, there are additional cognitive-motivational variables (e.g., substance-related attentional bias) that contribute to enacting behaviors consistent with the person's motivation to acquire and use the substance. People who are at such risk are likely to choose to use addictive substances even though doing so entails negative consequences. In the sense of complete freedom from being determined by causal factors, we believe that there is no such thing as free will, but defined as ability to make choices from among multiple options, even though the choices are ultimately governed by natural processes, addicted individuals are free to choose. Although they might appear unable to exercise this kind of free will in decisions about their substance use, addictive behaviors are ultimately always goal-directed and voluntary. Such goal pursuits manifest considerable flexibility. Even some severely addicted individuals can cease their use when the value of continuing the use abruptly declines or when the subjective cost of continuing the use is too great with respect to the incentives in other areas of their lives. Formal treatment strategies (e.g., contingency management, Systematic Motivational Counseling, cognitive training) can also be used to facilitate this reversal

Langerian mindfulness and language learning

In the current article, the tenets of Langerian mindfulness and the principles of the main approaches towards language learning, that is, the environmentalist, innatist, and interactionist approaches will be reviewed and discussed. Through this review, we show what commonalities exist between the two sides of the study (i.e., mindfulness theory and language learning) and how mindfulness theory can cooperate in and facilitate the language learning process

Differential effects and temporal course of attentional and motivational training on excessive drinking

Background. Two cognitive-motivational variables that help to solidify drinkers’ intentions to drink are their alcohol attentional bias and their maladaptive motivation. Objective. The Alcohol Attention Control Training Programme (AACTP) was designed to rectify the former, and the Life Enhancement and Advancement Programme (LEAP) was designed to rectify the latter. Method. The present study used a factorial design to compare the individual and combined effects of the two interventions on mean weekly drinking and atypical weekly drinking of 148 harmful drinkers (49% males, mean age = 28.8 years). A variety of other cognitivemotivational and demographic measures were also taken at baseline, and the drinking measures were reassessed at post-treatment and 3 and 6 months later. Results. In comparison to LEAP, the effects of AACTP were less enduring. Combining AACTP and LEAP had few incremental benefits. Conclusions. These results suggest that AACTP would be more effective for achieving short-term reductions in drinking, whereas LEAP would be more effective for alleviating problematic drinking

Restraint, disinhibition and food-related processing bias

This study examined associations between restraint, disinhibition and food-related processing bias (FPB, assessed by the emotional Stroop task) in males and females in the UK, Greece and Iran. Results showed high restraint was associated with higher FPB. However, high restrained current dieters showed lower FPB that high restrained non-dieters. There was no significant difference in FPB for those showing high versus low disinhibition. Results are discussed in relation to theories of incentive salience and current concerns

Therapeutic Potential of Mesenchymal Stem Cells in the Treatment of Epilepsy and Their Interaction with Antiseizure Medications

Epilepsy is a life-threatening neurological disease that affects approximately 70 million people worldwide. Although the vast majority of patients may be successfully managed with currently used antiseizure medication (ASM), the search for alternative therapies is still necessary due to pharmacoresistance in about 30% of patients with epilepsy. Here, we review the effects of ASMs on stem cell treatment when they could be, as expected, co-administered. Indeed, it has been reported that ASMs produce significant effects on the differentiation and determination of stem cell fate. In addition, we discuss more recent findings on mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) in pre-clinical and clinical investigations. In this regard, their ability to differentiate into various cell types, reach damaged tissues and produce and release biologically active molecules with immunomodulatory/antiinflammatory and regenerative properties make them a high-potential therapeutic tool to address neuroinflammation in different neurological disorders, including epilepsy. Overall, the characteristics of MSCs to be genetically engineered, in order to replace dysfunctional elements with the aim of restoring normal tissue functioning, suggested that these cells could be good candidates for the treatment of epilepsy refractory to ASMs. Further research is required to understand the potential of stem cell treatment in epileptic patients and its interaction with ASMs