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van Steenbergen H, Wilderjans TF, Band GPH, Nieuwenhuis ST. Boosting arousal and cognitive performance through alternating posture: Insights from a multi-method laboratory study. Psychophysiology 2024:e14634. [PMID: 38943231 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.14634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
This study investigated the role of arousal and effort costs in the cognitive benefits of alternating between sitting and standing postures using a sit-stand desk, while measuring executive functions, self-reports, physiology, and neural activity in a 2-h laboratory session aimed to induce mental fatigue. Two sessions were conducted with a one-week gap, during which participants alternated between sitting and standing postures each 20-min block in one session and remained seated in the other. In each block, inhibition, switching, and updating were assessed. We examined effects of time-on-task, acute (local) effects of standing versus sitting posture, and cumulative (global) effects of a standing posture that generalize to the subsequent block in which participants sit. Results (N = 43) confirmed that time-on-task increased mental fatigue and decreased arousal. Standing (versus sitting) led to acute increases in arousal levels, including self-reports, alpha oscillations, and cardiac responses. Standing also decreased physiological and perceived effort costs. Standing enhanced processing speed in the flanker task, attributable to shortened nondecision time and speeded evidence accumulation processes. No significant effects were observed on higher-level executive functions. Alternating postures also increased heart rate variability cumulatively over time. Exploratory mediation analyses indicated that the positive impact of acute posture on enhanced drift rate was mediated by self-reported arousal, whereas decreased nondecision time was mediated by reductions in alpha power. In conclusion, alternating between sitting and standing postures can enhance arousal, decrease effort costs, and improve specific cognitive and physiological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henk van Steenbergen
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tom F Wilderjans
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Methodology and Statistics Unit, Institute of Psychology, Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Research Group of Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Guido P H Band
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Sander T Nieuwenhuis
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute for Brain and Cognition, Leiden, The Netherlands
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2
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Blasche G, Khanaqa TAK, Wagner-Menghin M. Mentally Demanding Work and Strain: Effects of Study Duration on Fatigue, Vigor, and Distress in Undergraduate Medical Students. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 11:1674. [PMID: 37372792 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11121674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023] Open
Abstract
AIMS The impact of the extent of mentally demanding work on the next-day's strain is largely unknown, as existing studies generally investigate consequences of extended versus normal workdays. The present study sought to fill this gap by investigating how short work periods of mentally demanding academic work impact strain reactions in medical students preparing for an exam, using days of no work as reference category. METHOD The observational design involved students repeatedly self-reporting fatigue, vigor, distress, and the preceding day's study duration. Hours of nocturnal sleep, attending paid work and compulsory classes, gender, and proximity to the exam were controls in the linear model (generalized estimating equations). Forty-nine students provided 411 self-reports (M = 8.6, SD = 7.0 self-reports/student). RESULTS Engaging in mentally demanding work was associated with increased distress and work periods > 4 h with increased fatigue. Distress, vigor loss, and fatigue increased in proximity to the exam. CONCLUSION Despite students' high control of their schedule, even short periods of mentally highly demanding work may impair next-day's well-being when task motivation is high. Freelancers and students might require health-promoting scheduling of work and leisure to avoid an accumulation of strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Blasche
- Center for Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Tav A K Khanaqa
- Center for Public Health, Department of Environmental Health, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Michaela Wagner-Menghin
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Clinical Division for Social Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
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3
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Mlynski C, Reza A, Whitted M, Cox C, Garsea A, Wright RA. Fatigue influence on inhibitory control: Cardiovascular and performance findings elucidate the role of restraint intensity. Psychophysiology 2021; 58:e13881. [PMID: 34124778 DOI: 10.1111/psyp.13881] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 04/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Various papers have detailed an analysis of behavioral restraint that provides suggestions regarding fatigue influence on inhibitory control. A well-known limited resource model by Baumeister suggests that fatigue should directly impair it. By contrast, the behavioral restraint analysis suggests-first-that fatigue might affect control indirectly by impacting the intensity of restraint. Second, fatigue should impair control consistently only when it leads people to withhold restraint effort. We evaluated these suggestions in an experiment that presented participants a task designed to induce low- or high- mental fatigue and then challenged them to maintain a neutral facial expression while watching a more- or less emotionally evocative film clip. As expected, cardiovascular assessments during the facial restraint period revealed interactional response patterns indicative of opposing fatigue influence on restraint intensity under low- as compared to high-evocativeness conditions. Also as expected, fatigue combined with evocativeness to produce a three versus one pattern of inhibitory control operationalized in terms of the duration of non-neutral facial displays. Control failure increased with evocativeness only when fatigue was high and increased with fatigue only when evocativeness was high. Findings support the restraint analysis suggestions, extend results from previous research, and bear out the promise of the restraint analysis for advancing understanding of inhibitory control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Mlynski
- Department of Psychology, Technical University of Dresden, Dresden, Germany.,Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Wien, Austria
| | - Ariel Reza
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Melissa Whitted
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Caytlin Cox
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Anne Garsea
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
| | - Rex A Wright
- Department of Psychology, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, USA
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Englert C, Dziuba A, Schweizer G. Testing the Effects of a Preceding Self-Control Task on Decision-Making in Soccer Refereeing. Front Neurosci 2021; 15:638652. [PMID: 33796008 PMCID: PMC8008104 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2021.638652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study tested the assumption that the momentary level of self-control strength affects the accuracy rates in a sports-related judgment and decision-making task. A total of N = 27 participants rated the veracity of 28 video-taped statements of soccer players who were interviewed by a non-visible referee after a critical game-related situation. In half of the videos, the players were lying, and in the other half, they were telling the truth. Participants were tested twice: once with temporarily depleted self-control strength and once with temporarily available self-control strength (order counterbalanced; measurements separated by exactly 7 days). Self-control strength was experimentally manipulated with the Stroop task. In line with two-process models of information processing, we hypothesized that under ego depletion, information is processed in a rather heuristic manner, leading to lower accuracy rates. Contrary to our expectations, the level of temporarily available self-control strength did not have an effect on accuracy rates. Limitations and implications for future research endeavors are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris Englert
- Institute of Education, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Anna Dziuba
- Institute of Sports and Sports Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Karlsruhe, Germany
| | - Geoffrey Schweizer
- Institute of Sports Sciences, Department of Sports Psychology, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
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5
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Pilipiec P. The role of time in the relation between perceived job insecurity and perceived job performance. Work 2021; 66:3-15. [PMID: 32417808 PMCID: PMC7369069 DOI: 10.3233/wor-203145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Insufficient evidence exists that can explain two conflicting views (i.e. positive and negative relationship) regarding the effect of job insecurity on job performance. OBJECTIVE To investigate the importance of time in explaining these ambiguous views. A positive association was expected cross-sectionally and a negative relationship longitudinally. I hypothesized that available coping resources may delay the negative effect on job performance until being exhausted. METHODS Longitudinal self-reported data of 928 participants were used. Job performance was operationalized as core task performance and productivity loss. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations were analyzed using linear and logistic regressions. Duration analyses were performed using the two-year duration of job insecurity. RESULTS Short-term and long-term, job insecurity was only related with increased productivity loss. No evidence was found for core task performance. The duration of job insecurity, and chronic job insecurity in particular, did not predict core task performance or productivity loss two years later. CONCLUSIONS The factor time, operationalized as the time of follow-up and the duration of exposure to job insecurity, did not clarify the conflicting views. Managers should be more aware of the adverse effects of using job insecurity as a motivational strategy to increase job performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick Pilipiec
- Maastricht University, School of Business and Economics, Tongersestraat 53, 6211 LM Maastricht, The Netherlands. E-mail:
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Francis AL, Love J. Listening effort: Are we measuring cognition or affect, or both? WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2019; 11:e1514. [PMID: 31381275 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Revised: 07/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/10/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Listening effort is increasingly recognized as a factor in communication, particularly for and with nonnative speakers, for the elderly, for individuals with hearing impairment and/or for those working in noise. However, as highlighted by McGarrigle et al., International Journal of Audiology, 2014, 53, 433-445, the term "listening effort" encompasses a wide variety of concepts, including the engagement and control of multiple possibly distinct neural systems for information processing, and the affective response to the expenditure of those resources in a given context. Thus, experimental or clinical methods intended to objectively quantify listening effort may ultimately reflect a complex interaction between the operations of one or more of those information processing systems, and/or the affective and motivational response to the demand on those systems. Here we examine theoretical, behavioral, and psychophysiological factors related to resolving the question of what we are measuring, and why, when we measure "listening effort." This article is categorized under: Linguistics > Language in Mind and Brain Psychology > Theory and Methods Psychology > Attention Psychology > Emotion and Motivation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander L Francis
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
| | - Jordan Love
- Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana
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Circadian mismatch and cardiovascular response to a performance challenge: Larks in morning and evening work sessions. Int J Psychophysiol 2019; 143:96-104. [PMID: 31279864 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Revised: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
We presented morning chronotype ("Lark") university undergraduate volunteers a more or less difficult Sternberg-type recognition memory task either in the morning (8-11 am) or in the evening (5-8 pm) with instructions that they could win a prize if they were 85% successful. We established morning chronotype using the Composite Scale for Morningness (Smith et al., 1989), employing a tertile split on a pool of scale scores that ranged from 13 (extreme eveningness) to 55 (extreme morningness). Participants had scores above 37, with most participants identifying as White/Caucasian, Hispanic/Latino, or Black/African-American. Among women (final sample n = 81), systolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure responses assessed during work formed a crossover pattern, being positively correspondent to difficulty in the morning but negatively correspondent to difficulty in the evening. Heart rate and heart pre-ejection period responses ran parallel in the morning but not the evening. Among men (final sample n = 41), cardiovascular responses differed neither with difficulty nor with time. Findings for women support the extension of a recent analysis of fatigue influence on effort and associated cardiovascular responses to the phenomenon of circadian mismatch. Findings for men do not support the extension but should be interpreted guardedly in light of prohibitively low cell ns and unexpected findings on key subjective measures.
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Blasche G, Szabo B, Wagner‐Menghin M, Ekmekcioglu C, Gollner E. Comparison of rest‐break interventions during a mentally demanding task. Stress Health 2018; 34:629-638. [PMID: 30113771 PMCID: PMC6585675 DOI: 10.1002/smi.2830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2017] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 07/04/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Research is scarce on ways to enhance the effect of rest breaks during mentally demanding tasks. The present study investigated the effectiveness of two rest-break interventions on well-being during an academic lecture. Sixty-six students (53 females, mean age 22.5 years) enrolled in two different university classes of 4-hr duration participated in the study. Two measures of well-being (fatigue and vigor) were assessed immediately before, after, and 20 minutes after the break. A control condition without a break as well as an unstructured break was compared with breaks either encompassing physical activity or a relaxation exercise. Compared with the nonbreak condition, the unstructured rest break led to an increase in vigor, the exercise break as well as the relaxation break both to an increase in vigor and a decrease in fatigue at 20-min post break. Compared with the unstructured break, exercise led to an (additional) increase in vigor and relaxation to an (additional) decrease in fatigue at 20-min post break. Thus, the effects of rest breaks during mentally demanding tasks can be enhanced by engaging in physical activity or relaxation exercises, with effects lasting at least as long as 20 min into the continuation of the task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Blasche
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public HealthMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Barbara Szabo
- Department of HealthUniversity of Applied Sciences BurgenlandEisenstadtAustria
| | | | - Cem Ekmekcioglu
- Department of Environmental Health, Center for Public HealthMedical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Erwin Gollner
- Department of HealthUniversity of Applied Sciences BurgenlandEisenstadtAustria
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9
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Naturally-occurring fatigue and cardiovascular response to a simple memory challenge. Int J Psychophysiol 2017; 119:73-78. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2017.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2017] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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10
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Work-related self-assessed fatigue and recovery among nurses. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 2016; 90:197-205. [DOI: 10.1007/s00420-016-1187-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2016] [Accepted: 11/08/2016] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Difficulty, effort and cardiovascular response to a working memory challenge: Older adults with and without mild cognitive impairment. Int J Psychophysiol 2016; 104:53-61. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.04.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2016] [Revised: 04/17/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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12
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Agtarap SD, Wright RA, Mlynski C, Hammad R, Blackledge S. Success importance and urge magnitude as determinants of cardiovascular response to a behavioral restraint challenge. Int J Psychophysiol 2016; 102:18-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2016.03.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2016] [Revised: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2016] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Blasche G, Zilic J, Frischenschlager O. Task‐related increases in fatigue predict recovery time after academic stress. J Occup Health 2016; 58:89-95. [DOI: 10.1539/joh.15-0157-oa] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gerhard Blasche
- Department of Environmental HealthCenter for Public Health, Medical University of ViennaAustria
| | - Jelena Zilic
- Department of Environmental HealthCenter for Public Health, Medical University of ViennaAustria
| | - Oskar Frischenschlager
- Department of Medical PsychologyCenter for Public Health, Medical University of ViennaAustria
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Wang L, Tao T, Fan C, Gao W, Wei C. The Influence of Chronic Ego Depletion on Goal Adherence: An Experience Sampling Study. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0142220. [PMID: 26562839 PMCID: PMC4642976 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0142220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 10/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Although ego depletion effects have been widely observed in experiments in which participants perform consecutive self-control tasks, the process of ego depletion remains poorly understood. Using the strength model of self-control, we hypothesized that chronic ego depletion adversely affects goal adherence and that mental effort and motivation are involved in the process of ego depletion. In this study, 203 students reported their daily performance, mental effort, and motivation with respect to goal directed behavior across a 3-week time period. People with high levels of chronic ego depletion were less successful in goal adherence than those with less chronic ego depletion. Although daily effort devoted to goal adherence increased with chronic ego depletion, motivation to adhere to goals was not affected. Participants with high levels of chronic ego depletion showed a stronger positive association between mental effort and performance, but chronic ego depletion did not play a regulatory role in the effect of motivation on performance. Chronic ego depletion increased the likelihood of behavior regulation failure, suggesting that it is difficult for people in an ego-depletion state to adhere to goals. We integrate our results with the findings of previous studies and discuss possible theoretical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ligang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Tao
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chunlei Fan
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenbin Gao
- Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- * E-mail:
| | - Chuguang Wei
- The Core Facilies of Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Abstract
Research on cognitive control and executive function has long recognized the relevance of motivational factors. Recently, however, the topic has come increasingly to center stage, with a surge of new studies examining the interface of motivation and cognitive control. In the present article we survey research situated at this interface, considering work from cognitive and social psychology and behavioral economics, but with a particular focus on neuroscience research. We organize existing findings into three core areas, considering them in the light of currently vying theoretical perspectives. Based on the accumulated evidence, we advocate for a view of control function that treats it as a domain of reward-based decision making. More broadly, we argue that neuroscientific evidence plays a critical role in understanding the mechanisms by which motivation and cognitive control interact. Opportunities for further cross-fertilization between behavioral and neuroscientific research are highlighted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Botvinick
- Princeton Neuroscience Institute and Department of Psychology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540;
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Wright RA. Presidential address 2013: Fatigue influence on effort—considering implications for self-regulatory restraint. MOTIVATION AND EMOTION 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s11031-014-9406-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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