Speed of processing and personality : The influence of personality and extrinsic feedback on performance of cognitive tasks

Abstract Study Objectives Gains in cognitive test performance that occur during adolescence are associated with brain maturation. Cortical thinning and reduced sleep slow wave activity (SWA) are markers of such developmental changes. Here we investigate whether they mediate age-related improvements in cognition. Methods 109 adolescents aged 15-19y (49 males) underwent magnetic resonance imaging, polysomnography (PSG) and a battery of cognitive tasks within a 2-month time window. Cognitive tasks assessed non-verbal intelligence, sustained attention, speed of processing and working memory and executive function. To minimize the effect of sleep history on SWA and cognitive performance, PSG and test batteries were administered only after at least 8 nights of 9-h time-in-bed (TIB) sleep opportunity. Results Age-related improvements in speed of processing (r = 0.33, p = 0.001) and non-verbal intelligence (r = 0.24, p = 0.01) domains were observed. These cognitive changes were associated with reduced cortical thickness, particularly in bilateral temporoparietal regions (rs = -0.21 to -0.45, ps < 0.05), as well as SWA (r = -0.35, p < 0.001). Serial mediation models found that ROIs in the middle/superior temporal cortices, together with SWA mediated the age-related improvement observed on cognition. Conclusions During adolescence, age-related improvements in cognition are mediated by reductions in cortical thickness and sleep slow wave activity.

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Speed of Processing in Cognitive Tasks with Increasing Difficulty: Analysis Based on Latent Growth Modeling

PsycEXTRA Dataset ◽

10.1037/e676392012-148 ◽

2011 ◽

Author(s):

Y. S. Dodonov ◽

Y. A. Dodonova

Keyword(s):

Growth Modeling ◽

Latent Growth Modeling ◽

Cognitive Tasks ◽

Speed Of Processing ◽

Latent Growth

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The Effect of Retest Practice on the Speed-Ability Relationship

European Psychologist ◽

10.1027/1016-9040.9.1.24 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 24-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Sybille Rockstroh ◽

Karl Schweizer

Keyword(s):

Reaction Time ◽

Skill Acquisition ◽

Reaction Times ◽

Cognitive Tasks ◽

General Intelligence ◽

Attention Switching ◽

Letter Comparison ◽

Sternberg Paradigm ◽

The Relationship ◽

Elementary Cognitive Tasks

Effects of four retest-practice sessions separated by 2 h intervals on the relationship between general intelligence and four reaction time tasks (two memory tests: Sternberg's memory scanning, Posner's letter comparison; and two attention tests: continuous attention, attention switching) were examined in a sample of 83 male participants. Reaction times on all tasks were shortened significantly. The effects were most pronounced with respect to the Posner paradigm and smallest with respect to the Sternberg paradigm. The relationship to general intelligence changed after practice for two reaction time tasks. It increased to significance for continuous attention and decreased for the Posner paradigm. These results indicate that the relationship between psychometric intelligence and elementary cognitive tasks depends on the ability of skill acquisition. In the search for the cognitive roots of intelligence the concept of learning seems to be of importance.

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Effects of Fatigue on Cognitive Performance in Long-Duration Simulated Flight Missions

Aviation Psychology and Applied Human Factors ◽

10.1027/2192-0923/a000191 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (2) ◽

pp. 82-93

Author(s):

Eduardo Rosa ◽

Ola Eiken ◽

Mikael Grönkvist ◽

Roger Kölegård ◽

Nicklas Dahlström ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Executive Functions ◽

Task Performance ◽

Cognitive Performance ◽

Cognitive Tasks ◽

Fatigue Index ◽

Fighter Aircraft ◽

Long Duration ◽

Metacognitive Accuracy

Abstract. Fighter pilots may be exposed to extended flight missions. Consequently, there is increasing concern about fatigue. We investigated the effects of fatigue and cognitive performance in a simulated 11-hr mission in the 39 Gripen fighter aircraft. Five cognitive tasks were used to assess cognitive performance. Fatigue was measured with the Samn–Perelli Fatigue Index. Results showed that performance in the non-executive task degraded after approximately 7 hr. Fatigue ratings showed a matching trend to the performance in this task. Performance in tasks taxing executive functions did not decline. We interpreted that fatigue can be overridden by increased attentional effort for executive tasks but not for non-executive components of cognition. Participants underestimated their performance and metacognitive accuracy was not influenced by fatigue.

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Impact of Context Information on Metaphor Elaboration

Experimental Psychology (formerly Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie) ◽

10.1027/1618-3169/a000422 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 65 (6) ◽

pp. 370-384 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Veronika Lerche ◽

Ursula Christmann ◽

Andreas Voss

Keyword(s):

Diffusion Model ◽

Processing Speed ◽

A Priori ◽

Model Fit ◽

Verbal Task ◽

Context Information ◽

Speed Of Processing ◽

Good Account ◽

Dependent Variables ◽

Decision Settings

Abstract. In experiments by Gibbs, Kushner, and Mills (1991) , sentences were supposedly either authored by poets or by a computer. Gibbs et al. (1991) concluded from their results that the assumed source of the text influences speed of processing, with a higher speed for metaphorical sentences in the Poet condition. However, the dependent variables used (e.g., mean RTs) do not allow clear conclusions regarding processing speed. It is also possible that participants had prior biases before the presentation of the stimuli. We conducted a conceptual replication and applied the diffusion model ( Ratcliff, 1978 ) to disentangle a possible effect on processing speed from a prior bias. Our results are in accordance with the interpretation by Gibbs et al. (1991) : The context information affected processing speed, not a priori decision settings. Additionally, analyses of model fit revealed that the diffusion model provided a good account of the data of this complex verbal task.

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