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Grießbach E, Raßbach P, Herbort O, Cañal-Bruland R. Dual-tasking modulates movement speed but not value-based choices during walking. Sci Rep 2024; 14:6342. [PMID: 38491146 PMCID: PMC10943095 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-56937-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Value-based decision-making often occurs in multitasking scenarios relying on both cognitive and motor processes. Yet, laboratory experiments often isolate these processes, thereby neglecting potential interactions. This isolated approach reveals a dichotomy: the cognitive process by which reward influences decision-making is capacity-limited, whereas the influence of motor cost is free of such constraints. If true, dual-tasking should predominantly impair reward processing but not affect the impact of motor costs. To test this hypothesis, we designed a decision-making task in which participants made choices to walk toward targets for rewards while navigating past an obstacle. The motor cost to reach these rewards varied in real-time. Participants either solely performed the decision-making task, or additionally performed a secondary pitch-recall task. Results revealed that while both reward and motor costs influenced decision-making, the secondary task did not affect these factors. Instead, dual-tasking slowed down participants' walking, thereby reducing the overall reward rate. Hence, contrary to the prediction that the added cognitive demand would affect the weighing of reward or motor cost differentially, these processes seem to be maintained at the expense of slowing down the motor system. This slowdown may be indicative of interference at the locomotor level, thereby underpinning motor-cognitive interactions during decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric Grießbach
- Department for Neurology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA.
- Department for the Psychology of Human Movement and Sport, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
| | - Philipp Raßbach
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Oliver Herbort
- Department of Psychology, Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Rouwen Cañal-Bruland
- Department for the Psychology of Human Movement and Sport, Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, Germany.
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2
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Tricoche L, Meunier M, Hassen S, Prado J, Pélisson D. Developmental Trajectory of Anticipation: Insights from Sequential Comparative Judgments. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:646. [PMID: 37622787 PMCID: PMC10451546 DOI: 10.3390/bs13080646] [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: 04/24/2023] [Revised: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/01/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Reaction time (RT) is a critical measure of performance, and studying its distribution at the group or individual level provides useful information on the cognitive processes or strategies used to perform a task. In a previous study measuring RT in children and adults asked to compare two successive stimuli (quantities or words), we discovered that the group RT distribution was bimodal, with some subjects responding with a mean RT of around 1100 ms and others with a mean RT of around 500 ms. This bimodal distribution suggested two distinct response strategies, one reactive, the other anticipatory. In the present study, we tested whether subjects' segregation into fast and slow responders (1) extended to other sequential comparative judgments (2) evolved from age 8 to adulthood, (3) could be linked to anticipation as assessed using computer modeling (4) stemmed from individual-specific strategies amenable to instruction. To test the first three predictions, we conducted a distributional and theoretical analysis of the RT of 158 subjects tested earlier using four different sequential comparative judgment tasks (numerosity, phonological, multiplication, subtraction). Group RT distributions were bimodal in all tasks, with the two strategies differing in speed and sometimes accuracy too. The fast strategy, which was rare or absent in 8- to 9-year-olds, steadily increased through childhood. Its frequency in adolescence remained, however, lower than in adulthood. A mixture model confirmed this developmental evolution, while a diffusion model corroborated the idea that the difference between the two strategies concerns anticipatory processes preceding decision processes. To test the fourth prediction, we conducted an online experiment where 236 participants made numerosity comparisons before and after an instruction favoring either reactive or anticipatory responses. The results provide out-of-the-lab evidence of the bimodal RT distribution associated with sequential comparisons and demonstrated that the proportions of fast vs. slow responders can be modulated simply by asking subjects to anticipate or not the future result of the comparison. Although anticipation of the future is as important for cognition as memory of the past, its evolution after the first year of life is much more poorly known. The present study is a step toward meeting this challenge. It also illustrates how analyzing individual RT distributions in addition to group RT distributions and using computational models can improve the assessment of decision making cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leslie Tricoche
- IMPACT Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon, UCBL, UJM, INSERM, CNRS, U1028, UMR5292, F-69000 Lyon, France; (M.M.); (S.H.); (D.P.)
| | - Martine Meunier
- IMPACT Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon, UCBL, UJM, INSERM, CNRS, U1028, UMR5292, F-69000 Lyon, France; (M.M.); (S.H.); (D.P.)
| | - Sirine Hassen
- IMPACT Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon, UCBL, UJM, INSERM, CNRS, U1028, UMR5292, F-69000 Lyon, France; (M.M.); (S.H.); (D.P.)
| | - Jérôme Prado
- EDUWELL Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon, UCBL, UJM, INSERM, CNRS, U1028, UMR5292, F-69000 Lyon, France;
| | - Denis Pélisson
- IMPACT Team, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon, UCBL, UJM, INSERM, CNRS, U1028, UMR5292, F-69000 Lyon, France; (M.M.); (S.H.); (D.P.)
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Kostrna J. Effects of Time Constraints and Goal Setting on Basketball Shooting. Front Psychol 2022; 13:923061. [PMID: 35846670 PMCID: PMC9277478 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.923061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
In sport, numerous high-pressure situations require athletes to perform motor tasks under temporally constrained circumstances. The present study investigated the effects of time constraints on anxiety, attention, performance, and mechanics of basketball free-throw shooting. Additionally, the potential benefits of goal setting were examined in relation to performance in time-constrained situations. Forty undergraduates (n = 10 elite basketball players, n = 15 experienced, n = 15 inexperienced) attempted free throws in timed, untimed, and goal-oriented conditions. In the timed condition, participants attempted to make as many field goals as possible in 30 s. In the untimed condition, participants attempted the same number of field goals as they did in the timed trial but without a time constraint. In the goal-oriented condition, participants attempted to surpass their highest number of successful field goals while once again under a 30-s time constraint. Participants in the timed condition had the worst field goal percentage (M = 45.20%, SD = 21.96%), while the untimed (M = 55.76%, SD = 21.12%, p < 0.05, d = 0.49) and goal-oriented conditions (M = 55.79%, SD = 22.92%, p < 0.05, d = 0.47) had similar field goal percentages. In addition, joint consistency in the elbow and knee increased during the untimed condition compared to both timed and goal-oriented conditions. Results indicate that a goal-oriented focus may prevent performance declines present in time-constrained situations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason Kostrna
- *Correspondence: Jason Kostrna, ; orcid.org/0000-0002-4838-7094
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Wong AL, Green AL, Isaacs MW. Motor Plans under Uncertainty Reflect a Trade-Off between Maximizing Reward and Success. eNeuro 2022; 9:ENEURO.0503-21.2022. [PMID: 35346958 PMCID: PMC9007409 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0503-21.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
When faced with multiple potential movement options, individuals either reach directly to one of the options, or initiate a reach intermediate between the options. It remains unclear why people generate these two types of behaviors. Using the go-before-you-know task (commonly used to study behavior under choice uncertainty) in humans, we examined two key questions. First, do these two types of responses actually reflect distinct movement strategies? If so, the relative desirability (i.e., weighing the success likelihood vs the attainable reward) of the two target options would not need to be computed identically for direct and intermediate reaches. We showed that indeed, when reward and success likelihood differed between the two options, reach direction was preferentially biased toward different directions for direct versus intermediate reaches. Importantly, this suggests that the computation of subjective values depends on the choice of movement strategy. Second, what drives individual differences in how people respond under uncertainty? We found that risk/reward-seeking individuals tended to generate more intermediate reaches and were more responsive to changes in reward, suggesting these movements may reflect a strategy to maximize reward versus success. Together, these findings suggest that when faced with choice uncertainty, individuals adopt movement strategies consistent with their risk/reward attitude, preferentially biasing behavior toward exogenous rewards or endogenous success and consequently modulating the relative desirability of the available options.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron L Wong
- Moss Rehabilitation Research Institute, Elkins Park, PA 19027
| | - Audrey L Green
- Department of Neuroscience, Holy Family University, Philadelphia, PA 19114
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Modulation of initial movement for double potential targets with specific time constraints. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22492. [PMID: 34795339 PMCID: PMC8602633 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01777-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Accepted: 11/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
In goal-directed behavior, individuals are often required to plan and execute a movement with multiple competing reach targets simultaneously. The time constraint assigned to the target is an important factor that affect the initial movement planning, but the adjustments made to the starting behavior considering the time constraints specific to each target have not yet been clarified. The current study examined how humans adjusted their motor planning for double potential targets with independent time constraints under a go-before-you-know situation. The results revealed that the initial movements were modulated depending on the time constraints for potential targets. However, under tight time constraints, the performance in the double-target condition was lower than the single-target condition, which was a control condition implemented to estimate performance when one target is ignored. These results indicate that the initial movement for multiple potential targets with independent time constraints can be modified, but the planning is suboptimal.
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Sensorimotor strategy selection under time constraints in the presence of two motor targets with different values. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22207. [PMID: 34782649 PMCID: PMC8593016 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-01584-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Goal-directed movements often require choosing an option from multiple potential goals under time constraints. However, there are limited studies on how humans change their time spent on decision-making and movement patterns according to time constraints. Here, we examined how sensorimotor strategies are selected under time constraints when the target values are uncertain. In the double-target condition, the values were uncertain until the movement onset and presented immediately afterwards. The behavior in this condition was compared to the single-target condition, in relation to time constraints and target-separation-angles. The results showed that the participants frequently used the choice-reaction even under tight time constraints, and their performance was consistently lower than that in the single-target condition. Additionally, in the double-target condition, differences in the movement trajectory depending on the time constraint and target-separation angle were confirmed. Specifically, the longer the time constraint, the higher the frequency of the intermediate behavior (to initiate movement toward the intermediate direction of two targets) or the change-of-mind behavior (to change the aiming target during movement). Furthermore, the smaller the target-separation angle, the higher the frequency of intermediate behavior, but the frequency of change-of-mind was not affected by the target-separation angle. These results suggest that the participants initiated the movement at an incomplete value judgment stage in some trials. Furthermore, they seemed to select a strategy to utilize the information obtained during the movement, taking into account the time constraints and target-separation angle. Our results show a consistent cognitive bias in choosing a higher value when multiple alternatives have different values. Additionally, we also suggest flexibility and adaptability in the movement patterns in response to time constraints.
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Peer Presence Effect on Numerosity and Phonological Comparisons in 4th Graders: When Working with a SchoolMate Makes Children More Adult-like. BIOLOGY 2021; 10:biology10090902. [PMID: 34571779 PMCID: PMC8470134 DOI: 10.3390/biology10090902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 09/05/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary The presence of others helps us when we are good or an expert at something and hinders us when we are bad or novice. Such social facilitation or inhibition is well-documented in adults, but much less in children despite the omnipresence of peers throughout education. To explore potential peer presence effects on children’s academic performance, fourth-graders performed basic numerical and language skills (typically mastered at their age) either alone or with a schoolmate. For comparison, the same was performed in adults. We found that a schoolmate’s presence enabled children to perform more like adults, with a better response strategy and faster and less variable response times than children tested alone. This provides research-based evidence supporting pedagogical methods promoting collective practice of individually acquired knowledge. Future studies pursuing this hitherto neglected developmental exploration of peer presence effects on academic achievements might have the potential to help educators tailor their pedagogical choices to maximize peer presence when beneficial and minimize it when harmful. The present study also paves the way towards a neuroimaging investigation of how peer presence changes the way the child brain processes cognitive tasks relevant to education. Abstract Little is known about how peers’ mere presence may, in itself, affect academic learning and achievement. The present study addresses this issue by exploring whether and how the presence of a familiar peer affects performance in a task assessing basic numeracy and literacy skills: numerosity and phonological comparisons. We tested 99 fourth-graders either alone or with a classmate. Ninety-seven college-aged young adults were also tested on the same task, either alone or with a familiar peer. Peer presence yielded a reaction time (RT) speedup in children, and this social facilitation was at least as important as that seen in adults. RT distribution analyses indicated that the presence of a familiar peer promotes the emergence of adult-like features in children. This included shorter and less variable reaction times (confirmed by an ex-Gaussian analysis), increased use of an optimal response strategy, and, based on Ratcliff’s diffusion model, speeded up nondecision (memory and/or motor) processes. Peer presence thus allowed children to at least narrow (for demanding phonological comparisons), and at best, virtually fill in (for unchallenging numerosity comparisons) the developmental gap separating them from adult levels of performance. These findings confirm the influence of peer presence on skills relevant to education and lay the groundwork for exploring how the brain mechanisms mediating this fundamental social influence evolve during development.
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Tanae M, Ota K, Takiyama K. Competition Rather Than Observation and Cooperation Facilitates Optimal Motor Planning. Front Sports Act Living 2021; 3:637225. [PMID: 33733236 PMCID: PMC7959757 DOI: 10.3389/fspor.2021.637225] [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: 12/03/2020] [Accepted: 01/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans tend to select motor planning with a high reward and low success compared with motor planning, which has a small reward and high success rate. Previous studies have shown such a risk-seeking property in motor decision tasks. However, it is unclear how to facilitate a shift from risk-seeking to optimal motor planning that maximizes the expected reward. Here, we investigate the effect of interacting with virtual partners/opponents on motor plans since interpersonal interaction has a powerful influence on human perception, action, and cognition. This study compared three types of interactions (competition, cooperation, and observation) and two types of virtual partners/opponents (those engaged in optimal motor planning and those engaged in risk-averse motor planning). As reported in previous studies, the participants took a risky aim point when they performed a motor decision task alone. However, we found that the participant's aim point was significantly modulated when they performed the same task while competing with a risk-averse opponent (p = 0.018) and that there was no significant difference from the optimal aim point (p = 0.63). No significant modulation in the aim points was observed during the cooperation and observation tasks. These results highlight the importance of competition for modulating suboptimal decision-making and optimizing motor performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mamoru Tanae
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Keiji Ota
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan.,Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY, United States.,Center for Neural Science, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Ken Takiyama
- Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo, Japan
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Rojas-Ferrer I, Morand-Ferron J. The impact of learning opportunities on the development of learning and decision-making: an experiment with passerine birds. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190496. [PMID: 32475329 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Developmental context has been shown to influence learning abilities later in life, namely through experiments with nutritional and/or environmental constraints (i.e. lack of enrichment). However, little is known about the extent to which opportunities for learning affect the development of animal cognition, even though such opportunities are known to influence human cognitive development. We exposed young zebra finches (Taenopygia guttata) (n = 26) to one of three experimental conditions, i.e. an environment where (i) colour cues reliably predicted the presence of food (associative learning), (ii) a combination of two-colour cues reliably predicted the presence of food (conditional learning), or (iii) colour cues were non-informative (control). After conducting two different discrimination tasks, our results showed that experience with predictive cues can cause increased choice accuracy and decision-making speed. Our first learning task showed that individuals in the associative learning treatment outperformed the control treatment, while task 2 showed that individuals in the conditional learning treatment had shorter latencies when making choices compared with the control treatment. We found no support for a speed-accuracy trade-off. This dataset provides a rare longitudinal and experimental examination of the effect of predictive versus non-predictive cues during development on the cognition of adult animals. This article is part of the theme issue 'Life history and learning: how childhood, caregiving and old age shape cognition and culture in humans and other animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Rojas-Ferrer
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
| | - Julie Morand-Ferron
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, 30 Marie Curie Private, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1N 6N5
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