Investigating the validity of the Perceptual Awareness Scale – The effect of task-related difficulty on subjective rating

Summary: Rating scales are commonly used to measure the symptoms of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and conduct disorder (CD). While these scales have positive psychometric properties, the scales share a potential weakness - the use of vague or subjective rating procedures to measure symptom occurrence (e. g., never, occasionally, often, and very often). Rating procedures based on frequency counts for a specific time interval (e. g., never, once, twice, once per month, once per week, once per day, more than once per day) are less subjective and provide a conceptually better assessment procedure for these symptoms. Such a frequency count procedure was used to obtain parent ratings on the ADHD, ODD, and CD symptoms in a normative (nonclinical) sample of 3,500 children and adolescents. Although the current study does not provide a direct comparison of the two types of rating procedures, the results suggest that the frequency count procedure provides a potentially more useful way to measure these symptoms. The implications of the results are noted for the construction of rating scales to measure the ADHD, ODD, and CD symptoms.

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Delayed Perceptual Awareness in Dual-Task Performance

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e502412013-866 ◽

2012 ◽

Author(s):

Daniel Bratzke ◽

Tanja Seifried

Keyword(s):

Task Performance ◽

Dual Task ◽

Perceptual Awareness ◽

Dual Task Performance

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THE HEALTH OF “THIRD AGE” PERSONS: OBJECTIVE AND SUBJECTIVE RATING OF HEALTH AMONG THE ELDERLY

Human Ecology ◽

10.33396/1728-0869-2016-4-45-49 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 45-49

Author(s):

E. V. Belovol ◽

Z. V. Boyko ◽

I. V. Radysh ◽

B. B. Radysh ◽

E. Yu. Shurupova

Keyword(s):

The Elderly ◽

Subjective Rating ◽

Third Age

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Attention, Adumbration, and a Neglected Mark of the Mental

10.1093/oso/9780199685479.003.0009 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Mark Textor

Keyword(s):

Peculiar Feature ◽

Perceptual Awareness

Brentano never investigated whether the ‘peculiar feature’ of inner perception—that it can never become inner observation—that distinguishes our awareness of the mental from other forms of perceptual awareness could serve as the mark of the mental. However, his students Stumpf and Husserl developed marks of the mental that are inspired by this idea. The chapter clarifies Husserl’s Thesis that mental phenomena have no appearances, argues that it is superior to Brentano’s Thesis, and defends it against objections from Reinach and Husserl himself. Husserl himself threw out the baby with the bathwater when he later rejected Husserl’s Thesis. A precisified form of this idea can still unify our intuitions about the mental.

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Recovery from Different High-Intensity Interval Training Protocols: Comparing Well-Trained Women and Men

Sports ◽

10.3390/sports9030034 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 34

Author(s):

Laura Hottenrott ◽

Martin Möhle ◽

Alexander Ide ◽

Sascha Ketelhut ◽

Oliver Stoll ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sex Differences ◽

High Intensity ◽

Interval Training ◽

Fat Free Mass ◽

Subjective Rating ◽

Maximal Heart Rate ◽

High Intensity Interval Training ◽

Active Recovery ◽

Training Response ◽

High Intensity Interval

Due to physiological and anatomical sex differences, there are variations in the training response, and the recovery periods following exercise may be different. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols are well-suited to differentially investigate the course of recovery. This study was conducted to determine sex-specific differences in the recovery following HIIT intervals interspersed with recovery phases of different lengths. Methods: Well-trained cyclists and triathletes (n = 11 females, n = 11 males) participated in this study. There were no significant sex differences in maximal heart rate (HR), relative peak power to body mass and fat-free mass, training volume, and VO2max-percentiles (females: 91.8 ± 5.5 %, males: 94.6 ± 5.4 %). A 30 s Wingate test was performed four times, separated by different active recovery periods (1, 3, or 10 min). Lactate, HR, oxygen uptake, and subjective rating of exertion and recovery were determined. Results: For the recovery time of three and ten minutes, men showed significantly higher lactate concentrations (p = 0.04, p = 0.004). Contrary, HR recovery and subjective recovery were significant slower in women than in men. Conclusion: During HIIT, women may be more resistant to fatigue and have a greater ability to recover metabolically, but have a slower HR and subjective recovery.

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Remote monitoring technologies in Alzheimer’s disease: design of the RADAR-AD study

Alzheimer s Research & Therapy ◽

10.1186/s13195-021-00825-4 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Marijn Muurling ◽

◽

Casper de Boer ◽

Rouba Kozak ◽

Dorota Religa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alzheimer’S Disease ◽

Alzheimer's Disease ◽

Remote Monitoring ◽

Rating Scales ◽

Functional Decline ◽

Cognitive Domain ◽

Subjective Rating ◽

Functional Domain ◽

Smartphone Applications ◽

Monitoring Technologies

Abstract Background Functional decline in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is typically measured using single-time point subjective rating scales, which rely on direct observation or (caregiver) recall. Remote monitoring technologies (RMTs), such as smartphone applications, wearables, and home-based sensors, can change these periodic subjective assessments to more frequent, or even continuous, objective monitoring. The aim of the RADAR-AD study is to assess the accuracy and validity of RMTs in measuring functional decline in a real-world environment across preclinical-to-moderate stages of AD compared to standard clinical rating scales. Methods This study includes three tiers. For the main study, we will include participants (n = 220) with preclinical AD, prodromal AD, mild-to-moderate AD, and healthy controls, classified by MMSE and CDR score, from clinical sites equally distributed over 13 European countries. Participants will undergo extensive neuropsychological testing and physical examination. The RMT assessments, performed over an 8-week period, include walk tests, financial management tasks, an augmented reality game, two activity trackers, and two smartphone applications installed on the participants’ phone. In the first sub-study, fixed sensors will be installed in the homes of a representative sub-sample of 40 participants. In the second sub-study, 10 participants will stay in a smart home for 1 week. The primary outcome of this study is the difference in functional domain profiles assessed using RMTs between the four study groups. The four participant groups will be compared for each RMT outcome measure separately. Each RMT outcome will be compared to a standard clinical test which measures the same functional or cognitive domain. Finally, multivariate prediction models will be developed. Data collection and privacy are important aspects of the project, which will be managed using the RADAR-base data platform running on specifically designed biomedical research computing infrastructure. Results First results are expected to be disseminated in 2022. Conclusion Our study is well placed to evaluate the clinical utility of RMT assessments. Leveraging modern-day technology may deliver new and improved methods for accurately monitoring functional decline in all stages of AD. It is greatly anticipated that these methods could lead to objective and real-life functional endpoints with increased sensitivity to pharmacological agent signal detection.

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Perceptual awareness or phenomenal consciousness?A dilemma

Biology & Philosophy ◽

10.1007/s10539-021-09795-1 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 36 (2) ◽

Author(s):

Christopher F. Masciari ◽

Peter Carruthers

Keyword(s):

Phenomenal Consciousness ◽

Perceptual Awareness

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Absence of Face-specific Cortical Activity in the Complete Absence of Awareness: Converging Evidence from Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Event-related Potentials

Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience ◽

10.1162/jocn_a_00137 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 24 (2) ◽

pp. 396-415 ◽

Cited By ~ 23

Author(s):

Valia Rodríguez ◽

Russell Thompson ◽

Mark Stokes ◽

Matthew Brett ◽

Indira Alvarez ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Face Detection ◽

Brain Area ◽

Event Related Potentials ◽

Backward Masking ◽

Imaging Data ◽

Perceptual Awareness ◽

Related Activity ◽

Related Potentials ◽

Frontal Operculum ◽

Detailed Assessment

In this study, we explored the neural correlates of perceptual awareness during a masked face detection task. To assess awareness more precisely than in previous studies, participants employed a 4-point scale to rate subjective visibility. An event-related fMRI and a high-density ERP study were carried out. Imaging data showed that conscious face detection was linked to activation of fusiform and occipital face areas. Frontal and parietal regions, including the pre-SMA, inferior frontal sulcus, anterior insula/frontal operculum, and intraparietal sulcus, also responded strongly when faces were consciously perceived. In contrast, no brain area showed face-selective activity when participants reported no impression of a face. ERP results showed that conscious face detection was associated with enhanced N170 and also with the presence of a second negativity around 300 msec and a slow positivity around 415 msec. Again, face-related activity was absent when faces were not consciously perceived. We suggest that, under conditions of backward masking, ventral stream and fronto-parietal regions show similar, strong links of face-related activity to conscious perception and stress the importance of a detailed assessment of awareness to examine activity related to unseen stimulus events.

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653 Are Daily Variations in Sleep Quality and Quantity Related to General Stress and COVID-19-Related Anxiety?

SLEEP ◽

10.1093/sleep/zsab072.651 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (Supplement_2) ◽

pp. A255-A256

Author(s):

Veronica Hire ◽

Casey Thurmon ◽

Hope Snyder ◽

Ryan Harra ◽

Jamie Walker ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Sleep Quality ◽

Sleep Duration ◽

Fixed Effects ◽

Daily Basis ◽

Subjective Rating ◽

Coping With Stress ◽

Sleep Diaries ◽

Daily Variations ◽

General Stress ◽

Stress Levels

Abstract Introduction Sleep modulates a number of psychological and cognitive processes, such as emotion regulation, executive control, and coping with stress. It is therefore not surprising that insufficient sleep quality or quantity are associated with greater self-reported stress levels. The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a particularly stressful and unprecedented time in history. While stress has been undoubtedly high during the past year, it’s less clear to what extent sleep has affected people’s perceived stress on a daily basis. The aim of this research was to estimate whether daily variations in sleep quality and duration were associated with general stress and/or stress related to COVID-19. Methods The study used a nationally representative sample to assess daily variations in sleep and stress for a period of two weeks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Morning assessments were conducted using online sleep diaries. These diaries were used to estimate sleep duration (in minutes) and sleep quality (subjective rating on a 5-point Likert scale). Evening assessments were also completed online and prompted participants to rate (0 to 100) their current “general” stress level, as well as their current anxiety in relation to COVID-19. Separate mixed effects models were conducted with days (Level 1) nested within participants (Level 2). Stress variables were lagged by a day to estimate the association between sleep (AM assessment) and stress (PM assessment). TST and SQ were entered as fixed effects and intercepts were allowed to vary randomly. Results 4,048 participants (Mage = 46.3 years; 78% women) were included as part of the analyses. The results supported that lower self-reported sleep quality predicted greater general stress levels (b = -1.43, p < 0.001). Lower self-reported sleep quality also predicted greater COVID-19 related anxiety (b = -0.543, p < 0.001). In contrast, sleep duration was not significantly related to general stress or COVID-19 anxiety after controlling for sleep quality. Conclusion The present data supports that daily variations in sleep quality are related to a person’s overall stress levels and COVID-19 anxiety. These findings may have implications for the role of good sleep in mitigating the increases in stress that have resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. Support (if any) Vargas: K23HL141581

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The Impact of a Single Educational Lecture on the Vaccine Confidence among Pregnant Women and Young Mothers

Vaccines ◽

10.3390/vaccines9030290 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (3) ◽

pp. 290

Author(s):

Katarzyna Tkaczyszyn ◽

Ernest Kuchar ◽

Ewa Augustynowicz ◽

Leszek Szenborn

Keyword(s):

Subjective Rating ◽

Adult Women ◽

Young Adult Women ◽

Perceived Need ◽

Comprehensive Knowledge ◽

Before And After ◽

Preventive Method ◽

Vaccine Confidence ◽

The Impact ◽

Analogue Scales

Background: We investigated the impact of a single unstructured educational lecture about vaccinations on the vaccine confidence in volunteer participants. Methods: We conducted a survey-based study during a series of open meetings related to pregnancy and parenting. Before and after the pediatrician’s lecture related to vaccinations, listeners completed the visual analogue scales (VAS, 0–15 cm), evaluating (1) self-declared knowledge on vaccinations and (2) how they perceive the safety and efficacy of this preventive method. Results: In total, 484 women aged 30 ± 4 years participated in the lecture (pregnant = 68%; ≥1 children = 56%). Participants declared to have more comprehensive knowledge on preventive vaccinations and perceived vaccines to be safer and more useful (the role for the immunity) after vs. before the lecture (median VAS: 10.4 vs. 7.2, 10.8 vs. 8.7, and 11.0 vs. 10.4 cm, all p < 0.001). Importantly, the prevalence of vaccine-related adverse events was also assessed as being higher after the lecture (median VAS: 9.9 vs. 8.0 cm, p < 0.001). The increase in self-declared knowledge on vaccinations and perceived need for vaccinations (delta VAS—VAS after minus before the lecture, expressed as % of baseline) was lower among participants who rated the lecture less vs. more useful. Importantly, both participants who liked vs. did not like the lecture comparably rated vaccines safer after vs. before the lecture (delta VAS (median, interquartile range): 16% (0–39%) vs. 18% (2–42%), p = 0.39). Conclusions: An educational lecture on vaccinations positively impacts vaccine confidence in young adult women. Irrespective of the subjective rating of the lecture, all listeners perceived vaccinations to be safer after vs. before the speech.

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