Enhancing semantic congruity effects with category-contingent comparative judgments

In each of two experiments the direction of a binary comparison was contingent on the category of the stimulus pair. In one experiment, participants had to compare the size of animals from memory. On congruent trials, they had to select the smaller animal if both were small and the larger if both were large and on incongruent trials they selected the larger if both were small and the smaller if both were large. In a second experiment, participants had to compare visual extents and the direction of the comparison was contingent on whether the lines were short or long. RTs were increased and semantic congruity effects were greatly amplified with the category contingent instructions relative to the conventional non-contingent instructions, precisely as predicted by the class of evidence accrual models of decisional processing and contrary to the single sample stage models of the semantic congruity effect

The Effect of Corrective Feedback on Performance in Basic Cognitive Tasks: An Analysis of RT Components

[EN] The current work examines the effect of trial-by-trial feedback about correct and error responding on performance in two basic cognitive tasks: a classic Stroop task (n = 40) and a color-word matching task (n = 30). Standard measures of both RT and accuracy were examined in addition to measures obtained from fitting the ex-Gaussian distributional model to the correct RTs. For both tasks, RTs were faster in blocks of trials with feedback than in blocks without feedback, but this difference was not significant. On the other hand, with respect to the distributional analyses, providing feedback served to significantly reduce the size of the tails of the RT distributions. Such results suggest that, for conditions in which accuracy is fairly high, the effect of corrective feedback might either be to reduce the tendency to double-check before responding or to decrease the amount of attentional lapsing.Moret-Tatay, C.; Leth-Steensen, C.; Quarty-Irigaray, T.; Iracema De Lima-Argimon, I.; Gamermann ., D.; Abad Tortosa, D.; Oliveira, C.... (2016). The Effect of Corrective Feedback on Performance in Basic Cognitive Tasks: An Analysis of RT Components. Psychologica Belgica. 56(4):370-381. doi:10.5334/pb.240S37038156

ExGUtils: A Python Package for Statistical Analysis With the ex-Gaussian Probability Density

[EN] The study of reaction times and their underlying cognitive processes is an important field in Psychology. Reaction times are often modeled through the ex-Gaussian distribution, because it provides a good fit to multiple empirical data. The complexity of this distribution makes the use of computational tools an essential element. Therefore, there is a strong need for efficient and versatile computational tools for the research in this area. In this manuscript we discuss some mathematical details of the ex-Gaussian distribution and apply the ExGUtils package, a set of functions and numerical tools, programmed for python, developed for numerical analysis of data involving the ex-Gaussian probability density. In order to validate the package, we present an extensive analysis of fits obtained with it, discuss advantages and differences between the least squares and maximum likelihood methods and quantitatively evaluate the goodness of the obtained fits (which is usually an overlooked point in most literature in the area). The analysis done allows one to identify outliers in the empirical datasets and criteriously determine if there is a need for data trimming and at which points it should be done.This work has been financed under the Generalitat Valenciana research project GV/2016/188 (Prof. Carmen Moret-Tatay) and the Universidad Catolica de Valencia, San Vicente Martir.Moret-Tatay, C.; Gamermann, D.; Navarro Pardo, E.; Fernández De Córdoba, P. (2018). ExGUtils: A Python Package for Statistical Analysis With the ex-Gaussian Probability Density. Frontiers in Psychology. 9:612-1-612-11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00612S612-1612-119Balota, D. A., Cortese, M. J., Sergent-Marshall, S. 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Reaction Time Distribution Analysis of Neuropsychological Performance in an ADHD Sample. Child Neuropsychology, 12(2), 125-140. doi:10.1080/09297040500499081Lacouture, Y., & Cousineau, D. (2008). How to use MATLAB to fit the ex-Gaussian and other probability functions to a distribution of response times. Tutorials in Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 4(1), 35-45. doi:10.20982/tqmp.04.1.p035Leth-Steensen, C., King Elbaz, Z., & Douglas, V. I. (2000). Mean response times, variability, and skew in the responding of ADHD children: a response time distributional approach. Acta Psychologica, 104(2), 167-190. doi:10.1016/s0001-6918(00)00019-6McVay, J. C., & Kane, M. J. (2012). Drifting from slow to «d»oh!’: Working memory capacity and mind wandering predict extreme reaction times and executive control errors. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 38(3), 525-549. doi:10.1037/a0025896Navarro-Pardo, E., Navarro-Prados, A. B., Gamermann, D., & Moret-Tatay, C. (2013). Differences Between Young and Old University Students on a Lexical Decision Task: Evidence Through an Ex-Gaussian Approach. The Journal of General Psychology, 140(4), 251-268. doi:10.1080/00221309.2013.817964Ratcliff, R., Love, J., Thompson, C. A., & Opfer, J. E. (2011). Children Are Not Like Older Adults: A Diffusion Model Analysis of Developmental Changes in Speeded Responses. Child Development, 83(1), 367-381. doi:10.1111/j.1467-8624.2011.01683.xRatcliff, R., & McKoon, G. (2008). The Diffusion Decision Model: Theory and Data for Two-Choice Decision Tasks. Neural Computation, 20(4), 873-922. doi:10.1162/neco.2008.12-06-420Sternberg, S. (1966). High-Speed Scanning in Human Memory. Science, 153(3736), 652-654. doi:10.1126/science.153.3736.652Van Zandt, T. (2000). How to fit a response time distribution. Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, 7(3), 424-465. doi:10.3758/bf03214357West, R. (1999). Age Differences in Lapses of Intention in the Stroop Task. 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Learning efficacy of explicit visuomotor sequences in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and Asperger syndrome

Developmental disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Asperger syndrome (AS) are often associated with learning disabilities. This study investigated the explicit learning of visuomotor sequences in 17 ADHD children (mean age 12.1), 21 AS children (mean age 12.7), and 15 typically developing children (mean age: 12.3). The participants were required to explore a hidden sequence of button presses by trial and error and elaborate the learned sequence (2 × 10 task: Hikosaka et al. 1996). The results indicated that although ADHD and AS children had a tendency of repeating the same errors and took longer to complete a sequence, both showed a degree and pattern of improvement in accuracy and speed similar to that of typically developing children. These results suggest that the explicit learning of visuomotor sequence in ADHD and AS patients is largely unimpaired

Testing assumptions for endophenotype studies in ADHD: Reliability and validity of tasks in a general population sample

BACKGROUND: Advances in both genetic and cognitive-experimental studies on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) have opened new opportunities for cognitive endophenotype research. In such genetic designs the focus is on individual differences in characteristics, associated with ADHD, that can be measured reliably over time. Genetic studies that take a 'quantitative trait loci' approach hypothesise that multiple susceptibility genes contribute to a continuous dimension of ADHD symptoms. As an important initial step, we aimed to investigate the underlying assumptions that (1) key cognitive-experimental tasks indicate adequate test-retest reliability and (2) ADHD symptom scores in a general population sample are associated with performance on these tasks. METHODS: Forty-nine children were assessed on a go/no-go task and a reaction time task (the 'fast task') that included manipulations with event rate and incentives. The children were assessed twice, with a test-retest interval of two weeks. RESULTS: The majority of the task variables demonstrated moderate-to-good test-retest reliability. The correlations between teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms and key task variables were .4–.6: ADHD symptoms were associated with poor performance (especially high reaction time variability) in a slow baseline condition, whereas there was low or no association in conditions with a faster event rate or incentives. In contrast, no clear pattern of findings emerged based on parent ratings of ADHD symptoms. CONCLUSION: The data support the usefulness of the go/no-go and fast tasks for genetic studies, which require reliable and valid indices of individual differences. The overall pattern of associations between teacher ratings of ADHD symptoms and task variables is consistent with effects of event rate and incentives on performance, as predicted by the model of activation and arousal regulation. The lack of a clear pattern of findings with parent ratings of ADHD symptoms warrants further study

Speed, Variability, and Timing of Motor Output in ADHD: Which Measures are Useful for Endophenotypic Research?

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) shares a genetic basis with motor coordination problems and probably motor timing problems. In line with this, comparable problems in motor timing should be observed in first degree relatives and might, therefore, form a suitable endophenotypic candidate. This hypothesis was investigated in 238 ADHD-families (545 children) and 147 control-families (271 children). A motor timing task was administered, in which children had to produce a 1,000 ms interval. In addition to this task, two basic motor tasks were administered to examine speed and variability of motor output, when no timing component was required. Results indicated that variability in motor timing is a useful endophenotypic candidate: It was clearly associated with ADHD, it was also present in non-affected siblings, and it correlated within families. Accuracy (under- versus over-production) in motor timing appeared less useful: Even though accuracy was associated with ADHD (probands and affected siblings had a tendency to under-produce the 1,000 ms interval compared to controls), non-affected siblings did not differ from controls and sibling correlations were only marginally significant. Slow and variable motor output without timing component also appears present in ADHD, but not in non-affected siblings, suggesting these deficits not to be related to a familial vulnerability for ADHD. Deficits in motor timing could not be explained by deficits already present in basic motor output without a timing component. This suggests abnormalities in motor timing were predominantly related to deficient motor timing processes and not to general deficient motor functioning. The finding that deficits in motor timing run in ADHD-families suggests this to be a fruitful domain for further exploration in relation to the genetic underpinnings of ADHD

Inhibition, Reinforcement Sensitivity and Temporal Information Processing in ADHD and ADHD+ODD: Evidence of a Separate Entity?

This study compared children with ADHD-only, ADHD+ODD and normal controls (age 8–12) on three key neurocognitive functions: response inhibition, reinforcement sensitivity, and temporal information processing. The goal was twofold: (a) to investigate neurocognitive impairments in children with ADHD-only and children with ADHD+ODD, and (b) to test whether ADHD+ODD is a more severe from of ADHD in terms of neurocognitive performance. In Experiment 1, inhibition abilities were measured using the Stop Task. In Experiment 2, reinforcement sensitivity and temporal information processing abilities were measured using a Timing Task with both a reward and penalty condition. Compared to controls, children with ADHD-only demonstrated impaired inhibitory control, showed more time underestimations, and showed performance deterioration in the face of reward and penalty. Children with ADHD+ODD performed in-between children with ADHD-only and controls in terms of inhibitory controls and the tendency to underestimate time, but were more impaired than controls and children with ADHD-only in terms of timing variability. In the face of reward and penalty children with ADHD+ODD improved their performance compared to a neutral condition, in contrast to children with ADHD-only. In the face of reward, the performance improvement in the ADHD+ODD group was disproportionally larger than that of controls. Taken together the findings suggest that, in terms of neurocognitive functioning, comorbid ADHD+ODD is a substantial different entity than ADHD-only

The self-regulation of motivation: Motivational strategies as mediator between motivational beliefs and engagement for learning

In this research we studied students´ motivational self-regulation as mediator between motivational beliefs and motivational outcomes. Dutch students in pre-vocational secondary education (N=3602, mean age 14) completed a questionnaire on five motivational strategies (Environmental Control, Interest Enhancement, Self Consequating, Performance Self-talk, Mastery Self-talk); motivational beliefs (value attached to schoolwork, competence); and motivational engagement (pleasure, effort, persistence, achievement). A validation of the self-report questionnaire on the five motivational strategies showed a good fit. Structural equation modelling indicated that strategy-use partly mediates the relation between value, and effort and pleasure. Competence showed a weak direct relation with effort an pleasure. No relations were found for achievement. Further implications of these findings for practical use and further research are discussed