Age-differences in cognitive flexibility when overcoming a preexisting bias through feedback

Validation of the english version of the Multidimensional Mentalizing Questionnaire (MMQ)

BACKGROUND

Mentalizing refers to the ability to understand one's own and others' mental states. Mentalizing is considered a key component of social cognition and healthy personality development. A multinational assessment tools able to appraise the multidimensional and multifaceted aspects of this complex construct are needed.

OBJECTIVE

The present study had two aims: (a) validate an English version of the Multidimensional Mentalizing Questionnaire (MMQ, 33 items) which was designed to assess mentalizing based on an integrated and multilevel model of mentalizing; (b) explore the correlational relationships between the six dimensions of the MMQ and a set of sociodemographic, psycho-cognitive, mental health, and socio-functional variables.

METHODS

Overall, 1823 individuals (age: 19-76 years old [M = 45; SD = 16]; sex: male = 48.51%, female = 50.57%, non-binary = 0.9%) participated in an online survey. While the participants came from 77 different countries, most of them were residents in UK and USA (95%). Data analytics include confirmatory factorial analysis and Pearson correlations.

RESULTS

The CFA results validated the factorial structure of a 28-items MMQ-English version, with acceptable goodness of fit indices. Regarding the psychometric properties, the MMQ-English version showed good internal reliability and significant positive correlation with another scale designed to assess an analogue construct showing a fair convergent validity. The findings indicated that males, individuals with lower levels of education, lower socio-economic status, depressed, and with a higher score of loneliness are significantly more likely to report poor mentalizing compared with females, individuals with higher education level, greater SES, happier, and with lower scores of loneliness.

CONCLUSION

The present study validated the English version of the MMQ.

Cognitive flexibility's role in shaping self-perception of aging, body appreciation, and self-efficacy among community-dwelling older women

BACKGROUND

Cognitive flexibility, the capacity to adjust to new information, affects how aging is perceived. In Egyptian culture, older women's views on aging are shaped by societal gender roles and expectations. These views influence their body image and belief in their abilities, all melded by cultural standards and values.

AIM

Investigate the mediating role of cognitive flexibility in the relationship between self-aging perception, body appreciation, and self-efficacy among community-dwelling older women.

METHODS

A correlational analytical design was used on 200 women aged 60 years or older using the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, Self-Perceptions of Aging, General Self-Efficacy Scale, and Body Appreciation Scales. Structural equation modeling was used in the analysis.

RESULTS

The study found that cognitive flexibility is positively related to self-perception of aging and body appreciation and is also significantly related to general self-efficacy. However, no significant relationship was found between body appreciation and general self-efficacy. Additionally, the study found that cognitive flexibility partially mediates the relationship between self-perception of aging and body appreciation and fully mediates the relationship between body appreciation and self-efficacy.

CONCLUSION

Cognitive flexibility is vital in the relationships between self-perceptions of aging, body appreciation, and self-efficacy among older women. Therefore, nursing interventions targeting cognitive flexibility are recommended to promote positive self-aging perceptions, body appreciation, and self-efficacy in this population.

Cognition in soccer and futsal: evidence of validity of a 4-instrument protocol to assess executive functioning among women athletes

Evidence suggests that success in sports, especially soccer and futsal are linked to higher levels of executive functioning. Still, the literature does not present a homogeneous set of instruments to measure executive functions, which leads to large variability in results. In this paper, we assembled four already recognised measures to propose a valid 4-instrument protocol to assess executive functions among soccer and futsal athletes. We conducted two studies to validate the proposed protocol. We addressed known-groups validity and latent structure in Study 1 for data collected on 105 female soccer and futsal athletes from elite and lower-division clubs. Findings pointed to partial validity of the protocol - with working memory and inhibition showing the best results. For Study 2, we used performance data from 51 elite female soccer players collected throughout a season of the first division league to assess predictive validity. Our protocol was able to partially replicate previous findings and added new insights on how working memory, processing speed and higher-level executive functions might play different roles for goalscoring and assist-making skills. Specifically, study 1 did not find a significant difference between elite and lower-division athletes in higher-order executive functions as in previous studies, but it did find on visual working memory and inhibitory control which weights towards higher demands of core executive functions. On the other hand, study 2 yielded significant results for processing speed and visual working memory to predict assists among elite soccer players, but not inhibitory control as previous findings suggested. Regardless, the proposed 4-instrument protocol showed adequate criterion and structural validity in both studies.

A computational model of prefrontal and striatal interactions in perceptual category learning

Work on multiple-system theories of cognition mostly focused on the systems themselves, while limited work has been devoted to understanding the interactions between systems. Generally, multiple-system theories include a model-based decision system supported by the prefrontal cortex and a model-free decision system supported by the striatum. Here we propose a neurobiological model to describe the interactions between model-based and model-free decision systems in category learning. The proposed model used spiking neurons to simulate activity of the hyperdirect pathway of the basal ganglia. The hyperdirect pathway acts as a gate for the response signal from the model-free system located in the striatum. We propose that the model-free system's response is inhibited when the model-based system is in control of the response. The new model was used to simulate published data from young adults, people with Parkinson's disease, and aged-matched older adults. The simulation results further suggest that system-switching ability may be related to individual differences in executive function. A new behavioral experiment tested this model prediction. The results show that an updating score predicts the ability to switch system in a categorization task. The article concludes with new model predictions and implications of the results for research on system interactions.

Information Avoidance in Consumer Choice: Do Avoidance Tendencies and Motives Vary by Age?

Prior research suggests that older adults seek less information in consumer choices than younger adults do. However, it remains unclear if intentional information avoidance plays a role in such effects. To test this possibility, we examined age differences in deliberate information avoidance in consumer decisions and explored a range of potential motives. Adult lifespan samples completed two pre-registered online studies, which assessed information avoidance using a slider scale (Study 1, N =195) and a forced-choice task (Study 2, N = 500). In Study 1, age differences in information avoidance were not significant, but methodological limitations could have obscured age effects. In Study 2, age was associated with higher information avoidance. Avoidance was higher among participants who reported that the information would not impact decision preferences, would elicit more negative affect, and would be useless. Although age was associated with lower perceived impact on decision preferences and lower concerns about affective responses, age differences in information avoidance remained significant when these variables were statistically controlled. In conclusion, in the context of consumer choices, deliberate information avoidance is higher among older consumers. Thus, interventions to promote the acquisition of relevant information would benefit from being tailored to the target age group.

Modelling human behaviour in cognitive tasks with latent dynamical systems

Response time data collected from cognitive tasks are a cornerstone of psychology and neuroscience research, yet existing models of these data either make strong assumptions about the data-generating process or are limited to modelling single trials. We introduce task-DyVA, a deep learning framework in which expressive dynamical systems are trained to reproduce sequences of response times observed in data from individual human subjects. Models fitted to a large task-switching dataset captured subject-specific behavioural differences with high temporal precision, including task-switching costs. Through perturbation experiments and analyses of the models' latent dynamics, we find support for a rational account of switch costs in terms of a stability-flexibility trade-off. Thus, our framework can be used to discover interpretable cognitive theories that explain how the brain dynamically gives rise to behaviour.

Cognitive Decline Associated with Aging

Cognitive decline is one of the most distinct signs of aging, and age-related cognitive decline is a heterogeneous issue varying in different cognitive domains and has significant differences among older adults. Identifying characteristics of cognitive aging is the basis of cognitive disease for early-detection and healthy aging promotion. In the current chapter, age-related decline of main cognitive domains, including sensory perception, memory, attention, executive function, language, reasoning, and space navigation ability are introduced respectively. From these aspects of cognition, we focus on the age-related effects, age-related cognitive diseases, and possible mechanisms of cognitive aging.

The relationship between cognitive flexibility and happiness among nurses

PURPOSE

To determine the relationship between nurses' cognitive flexibility and happiness and the factors affecting them.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A Nurse Information Form prepared by the researchers, a Cognitive Flexibility Inventory, and the Oxford Happiness Questionnaire Short Form were administered to 722 nurses working at the Istanbul Medical Faculty Hospital. This was a descriptive and cross-sectional study.

RESULTS

Nurses' cognitive flexibilities had a positive and significant relationship with happiness (p < 0.05). The power of explaining happiness was R²  = 28.6% for cognitive flexibility.

CONCLUSION

Regarded as a significant factor for people's happiness, the impact of cognitive flexibility on nurses' happiness was examined in this study.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

It is recommended to develop educational programs that improve the cognitive flexibility of nurses.

A pilot meta-analysis on self-reported efficacy of neurofeedback for adolescents and adults with ADHD

Self-reported effectiveness of electroencephalogram-based neurofeedback (EEG-NF) against the core symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in adolescents/adults remains unclear. We searched PubMed, Embase, ClinicalKey, Cochrane CENTRAL, ScienceDirect, Web of Science, and ClinicalTrials.gov from inception to August 2021 for randomized clinical trials (RCTs) of EEG-NF with self-reported ADHD symptom ratings. Comparators included participants on waitlist/treatment as usual (TAU) or receiving other interventions. Of the 279 participants (mean age = 23.48; range: 6-60) in five eligible RCTs, 183 received EEG-NF treatment. Forest plot demonstrated no difference in inattention (SMD = -0.11, 95% CI -0.39-0.18, p = 0.46), total score (SMD = -0.08, 95% CI -0.36-0.2, p = 0.56), and hyperactivity/impulsivity (SMD = 0.01, 95% CI -0.23-0.25, p = 0.91) between EEG-NF and comparison groups. Nevertheless, compared with waitlist/TAU, EEG-NF showed better improvement in inattention (SMD = -0.48, 95% CI -0.9--0.06, p = 0.03) but not hyperactivity/impulsivity (SMD = -0.03, 95% CI -0.45-0.38, p = 0.87). Follow-up 6-12 months demonstrated no difference in inattention (SMD = -0.01, 95% CI -0.41-0.38, p = 0.94), total score (SMD = 0.22, 95% CI -0.08-0.52, p = 0.15), and hyperactivity/impulsivity (SMD = -0.01, 95% CI -0.27-0.26, p = 0.96) between the two groups. Dropout rate also showed no difference (RR = 1.05, 95% CI 0.82-1.33, p = 0.72). Our results support EEG-NF for improving inattention in adolescents/young adults, although its effectiveness against hyperactivity/impulsivity remains inconclusive.

Effects of a Job Crafting Intervention Program on Work Performance Among Japanese Employees: An Analysis of Secondary Outcomes of a Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

This study reports a randomized controlled trial of the effect of a job crafting intervention program on work performance and job crafting (as secondary outcomes) among Japanese employees.

METHODS

Participants who satisfied the inclusion criteria were randomly allocated to an intervention (n = 138) or a control group (n = 143). Outcomes were measured at baseline and at 3-month and 6-month follow-up in both groups.

RESULTS

For the whole sample, the job crafting intervention program showed a nonsignificant effect on work performance and job crafting. However, the program showed a significant effect on these outcomes among younger participants (under 36years old).

CONCLUSIONS

The job crafting intervention program may not be sufficiently effective to improve work performance and job crafting for the whole sample of participants. However, it may be efficacious for younger workers.

Weaker connectivity in resting state networks is associated with disinhibited eating in older adults

Background/objectives

Obesity affects more than forty percent of adults over the age of sixty. Aberrant eating styles such as disinhibition have been associated with the engagement of brain networks underlying executive functioning, attentional control, and interoception. However, these effects have been exclusively studied in young samples overlooking those most at risk of obesity related harm.

Methods

Here we assessed associations between resting-state functional connectivity and disinhibited eating (using the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire) in twenty-one younger (aged 19–34 years, BMI range: 18–31) and twenty older (aged 60–73 years, BMI range: 19–32) adults matched for BMI. The Alternative Healthy Eating Index was used to quantify diet quality.

Results

Older, compared to younger, individuals reported lower levels of disinhibited eating, consumed a healthier diet, and had weaker connectivity in the frontoparietal (FPN) and default mode (DMN) networks. In addition, associations between functional connectivity and eating behaviour differed between the two age groups. In older adults, disinhibited eating was associated with weaker connectivity in the FPN and DMN––effects that were absent in the younger sample. Importantly, these effects could not be explained by differences in habitual diet.

Conclusions

These findings point to a change in interoceptive signalling as part of the ageing process, which may contribute to behavioural changes in energy intake, and highlight the importance of studying this under researched population.

Foreign Language Learning as Cognitive Training to Prevent Old Age Disorders? Protocol of a Randomized Controlled Trial of Language Training vs. Musical Training and Social Interaction in Elderly With Subjective Cognitive Decline

Introduction: With aging comes a reduction of cognitive flexibility, which has been related to the development of late-life depression and progression of general cognitive decline. Several factors have been linked to attenuating such decline in cognitive flexibility, such as education, physical exercise and stimulating leisure activities. Speaking two or more languages has recently received abundant attention as another factor that may build up cognitive reserve, thereby limiting the functional implications of compromised cognition that accompany old age. With the number of older adults reaching record levels, it is important to attenuate the development of old-age disorders. Learning to speak a foreign language might offer a powerful tool in promoting healthy aging, but up to date effect studies are sparse. Here, the protocol that forms the foundation of the current study is presented. The present study aims to: (1) examine the effects of a foreign language training on cognitive flexibility and its neural underpinnings, and on mental health; and (2) assess the unique role of foreign language training vs. other cognitive or social programs. Method: One-hundred and ninety-eight Dutch elderly participants reporting subjective cognitive decline are included and randomized to either a language intervention, a music intervention, or a social control intervention. During 3 to 6 months, the language group learns English, the music group learns to play the guitar and the social group participates in social meetings where art workshops are offered. At baseline, at a 3-month follow-up, and at 6 months after termination of the training program, clinical, cognitive and brain activity measurements (combined EEG and fNIRS methods) are taken to assess cognitive flexibility and mental health. Discussion: This is the first trial addressing combined effects of language learning in elderly on cognition, language proficiency, socio-affective measures, and brain activity in the context of a randomized controlled trial. If successful, this study can provide insights into how foreign language training can contribute to more cognitively and mentally healthy years in older adulthood. Clinical Trial Registration: The trial is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register, July 2, 2018, trial number NL7137. https://www.trialregister.nl/trial/7137.

Trait anxiety impairs cognitive flexibility when overcoming a task acquired response and a preexisting bias

Individuals with high trait anxiety tend to be worse at flexibly adapting goal-directed behavior to meet changing demands relative to those with low trait anxiety. Past research on anxiety and cognitive flexibility has used tasks that involve overcoming a recently acquired rule, strategy, or response pattern after an abrupt change in task requirements (e.g., choice X led to positive outcomes but now leads to negative outcomes). An important limitation of this research is that many decision making situations require overcoming a preexisting bias (e.g., deciding whether to withdraw a historically winning investment that has experienced recent losses). In the present study we examined whether anxiety differences in the ability to overcome an acquired response extend to the ability to overcome a preexisting bias, when the bias produces objectively disadvantageous decisions. High anxiety (n = 78) and low anxiety participants (n = 76) completed a commonly used measure of cognitive flexibility, reversal learning, and a novel Framed Gambling Task that assessed the extent to which they could make advantageous decisions when the normatively correct choice was inconsistent with a preexisting framing bias. High anxiety participants showed the expected diminished reversal learning performance and also had poorer ability to make advantageous choices that were inconsistent with the framing bias. Worse performance in the Framed Gambling Task was not driven by poor knowledge of risk contingencies, because high anxiety participants reported the same explicit knowledge as low anxiety participants. Instead, the results suggest high anxiety is associated with general deficits in resolving interference from prepotent responses.