The sensorimotor Dimension of the Networked Flow: an Exploratory Study Using an Interactive Collaborative Platform

The ability to cooperate with another individual in order to achieve a shared goal is crucial for human survival and it is called joint action. It is noted that this process can originate when actors are synchronized at a sensorimotor level. However, experiential correlates of sensorimotor synchronization are nearly unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the experience of flow and social presence in a sensorimotor collaborative task. 12 female couples (mean age = 22.33; S.D. = .815) and 12 male couples (mean age = 22.88; S.D. = .789) were involved in a tower-building task across 10 consecutive trials using the COLLEGO platform. Couple members alternated their leader/follower role. Platform recorded time stamp (ms) and position of each selected object when it was picked/released, providing a measure of performance. Thereafter, participants’ level of flow (Flow State Scale) and social presence (Networked Minds Social Presence Inventory) were assessed. Flow and Social presence correlated positively at a global level. Having clear goals and perceiving a balance between challenges and skills were associated with a higher performance. The autotelic dimension of flow was negatively related with global performance. At the same time, task duration correlated negatively with cognitive and behavioral dimensions of social presence, but positively with emotional dimensions. Results are discussed in light of the Networked Flow model that assumes a strong positive link between social presence and flow at the base of the highest levels of collaborative performance

COLLEGO: An interactive platform for studying joint action during an ecological collaboration task

We describe the implementation and preliminary validation of an interactive platform – COLLEGO – to investigate joint action in a goal-oriented collaborative task. The platform records the interaction sequence of two partners alternating their leader/follower role. Two sensitized wooden surfaces are placed in front of each participant, who can use 6 cubes to build the tower. Any time a cube is picked/released, time stamp (ms) and position of selected objects are recorded. A case study showing how data are collected and analyzed to study dyad performance during the task is described. Finally, potential applications of the proposed solution are discussed

COLLEGO: An interactive platform for studying joint action during an ecological collaboration task

We describe the implementation and preliminary validation of an interactive platform – COLLEGO – to investigate joint action in a goal-oriented collaborative task. The platform records the interaction sequence of two partners alternating their leader/follower role. Two sensitized wooden surfaces are placed in front of each participant, who can use 6 cubes to build the tower. Any time a cube is picked/released, time stamp (ms) and position of selected objects are recorded. A case study showing how data are collected and analyzed to study dyad performance during the task is described. Finally, potential applications of the proposed solution are discussed

Are Dietary Patterns Related to Cognitive Performance in 7-Year-Old Children? Evidence from a Birth Cohort in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy

Research from different sources supports a link between nutrition and neurodevelopment, but evidence is still sparse regarding the relationship between a posteriori dietary patterns (DPs) and cognitive performance in school-aged children. Within the Northern Adriatic Cohort II, Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy, 379 7-year-old children were cross-sectionally evaluated. Dietary patterns were identified through a principal component factor analysis based on 37 nutrients from children’s 3-day dietary records. The Wechsler Intelligence Scale of Children (WISC-IV) test provided measures of cognitive performance, including the full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and single index scores. Each DP was related to FSIQ or single index scores through multiple robust linear regression models. We identified five DPs named “Dairy Products”, “Plant-based Foods”, “Fats”, “Meat and Potatoes”, and “Seafood” (63% of variance explained). After adjustment, no significant relationship was observed with the FSIQ score; positive associations were found between the “Seafood” DP and Verbal Comprehension Index or Perceptual Reasoning Index. The “Meat and Potatoes” and “Dairy Products” DPs were inversely associated with the Verbal Comprehension Index and Processing Speed Index scores, respectively. In the absence of a relation with the overall FSIQ score, single DPs might influence specific cognitive functions, including verbal and reasoning abilities, as targeted by single indexes, in the expected direction

COLLEGO: An interactive platform for studying joint action during an ecological collaboration task

We describe the implementation and preliminary validation of an interactive platform – COLLEGO – to investigate joint action in a goal-oriented collaborative task. The platform records the interaction sequence of two partners alternating their leader/follower role. Two sensitized wooden surfaces are placed in front of each participant, who can use 6 cubes to build the tower. Any time a cube is picked/released, time stamp (ms) and position of selected objects are recorded. A case study showing how data are collected and analyzed to study dyad performance during the task is described. Finally, potential applications of the proposed solution are discussed