The role of superstition in the placebo effect on memory performance

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sieun An ◽  
Viraj Dhiren Malani ◽  
Aanchal Setia
Keyword(s):  
Human Behavior ◽  
Placebo Effect ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Placebo Condition ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
And Control

Superstitions and the placebo effect have been found to influence human behavior. The present study aimed to determine whether there is a relationship between superstition and the placebo effect, and whether it affects human cognition and behavior. We hypothesized that more superstitious people would be more prone to the placebo effect and that it would improve their performance on cognitive tasks. We employed a fully between participants design, with placebo and control conditions and superstition as a constructive measure. The results showed that, in the placebo condition, more superstitious people memorized more words than less superstitious people. However, in the control condition, less superstitious people memorized more words than more superstitious people. Overall, the findings supported our hypothesis. The findings of the study are important, as they draw a link between the placebo effect and superstition, and further show that these two elements impact human performance in cognitive ability tasks.

scholarly journals Understanding the role of linguistic distributional knowledge in cognition

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cai Wingfield ◽  
Louise Connell
Keyword(s):  
Human Performance ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Language Experience ◽  
Conceptual Processing ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
N Gram ◽  
Distributional Knowledge ◽  
Source Of Information

The distributional patterns of words in language forms the basis of linguistic distributional knowledge and contributes to conceptual processing across cognition. While corpus-based linguistic distributional models (LDMs) can capture human performance in many cognitive tasks, questions remain regarding the nature and role of linguistic distributional knowledge in cognition. We propose that LDMs can be a cognitively plausible approach to modelling linguistic distributional knowledge when assumed to represent an essential component of semantics that is grounded in a complementary sensorimotor component, when trained on appropriate corpora that are representative of human language experience, and when they capture syntagmatic, paradigmatic, and bag-of-words distributional relations that are useful to cognition. Using an extensive set of cognitive tasks that vary in their conceptual complexity and response measurements, we systematically evaluate a wide range of model families (predict vector, count vector, n-gram), corpora varying in size and quality, and parameter settings. Our findings demonstrate that there is no one-size-fits-all approach for how linguistic distributional knowledge is used across cognition, and that its use depends on the conceptual complexity of the task at hand. Conceptually simple tasks that rely on single paradigmatic relations are relatively easy to model even with poor-quality language experience, but conceptually complex tasks that involve sophisticated processing of diverse and/or abstracted relations require a diverse set of task-specific models and high-quality language experience. Linguistic distributional knowledge is a rich source of information about the world that can be accessed flexibly according to cognitive need. Online materials are available at https://osf.io/uj92m/.

Psychology as a Historical Science

2021 ◽  
Vol 72 (1) ◽  
pp. 717-749
Author(s):  
Michael Muthukrishna ◽  
Joseph Henrich ◽  
Edward Slingerland
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Cross Cultural ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Cultural Variation ◽  
Historical Science ◽  
Historical Texts ◽  
Subject Pool ◽  
Work Psychology ◽  
And Behavior

Psychology has traditionally seen itself as the science of universal human cognition, but it has only recently begun seriously grappling with cross-cultural variation. Here we argue that the roots of cross-cultural variation often lie in the past. Therefore, to understand not only how but also why psychology varies, we need to grapple with cross-temporal variation. The traces of past human cognition accessible through historical texts and artifacts can serve as a valuable, and almost completely unutilized, source of psychological data. These data from dead minds open up an untapped and highly diverse subject pool. We review examples of research that may be classified as historical psychology, introduce sources of historical data and methods for analyzing them, explain the critical role of theory, and discuss how psychologists can add historical depth and nuance to their work. Psychology needs to become a historical science if it wants to be a genuinely universal science of human cognition and behavior.

scholarly journals EFFICIENCY OF PLASTICIZER EFFECT DEPENDING ON METHOD OF THEIR INTRODUCTION INTO CONCRETE

2021 ◽  
pp. 98-104
Author(s):  
A.P. Nikolaev ◽  
◽  
E.V. Kondrashchenko ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Portland Cement ◽  
Building Materials ◽  
Decisive Role ◽  
Cone Penetration ◽  
Dry Process ◽  
Adsorption Processes ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
And Control ◽  
Additional Reduction

Abstract. The article dwells on existing methods of plasticizing additive introduction into Portland cement-based concrete mortars. A review was performed of available works studying the reasons of different effect of pasticizers depending on the method of their introduction into concrete. It was supposed that different results in effectiveness of such additives may be connected to not only adsorption processes taking place on the surface of Portland cement aluminate and sulfate phases, but also to their concentration capillary redistribution mechanism within concrete structure. This assumption was experimentally tested using dispersed building materials deprived of calcium sulfates and aluminates. Dry process clinker-based cement consumption may be positively reduced at presence of a plasticizing additive provided it was wetted before that with mixing water. Such a result confirmed authors’ assumption that not only plasticizing agent, but cement as well may be spared in case of combined additive introduction method while maintaining the values of rheological and strength parameters of obtained products. An additional reduction in cement consumption per unit mass of products leads to a decrease in the "clinker-concrete intensity" parameter. This opportunity will contribute to the reduction of the greenhouse effect by reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere when firing Portland cement clincer. We concluded that our proposed decisive role of plasticizing additive redistribution capillary mechanism in cement paste intergrain air space enables, on a par with its adsorption counterpart, a more substantiated prediction of applied plasticizer efficiency depending on their properties, as well as on condition and pjase composition of applied binders and aggregates. Efficiency of cone penetration methods was demonstrated in analysis and control of Portland cement condition and behavior.

scholarly journals Ultradian rhythmicity of plasma cortisol is necessary for normal emotional and cognitive responses in man

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (17) ◽  
pp. E4091-E4100 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Kalafatakis ◽  
G. M. Russell ◽  
C. J. Harmer ◽  
M. R. Munafo ◽  
N. Marchant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Memory Performance ◽  
Synaptic Activity ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Responses ◽  
Hormone Pulses ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Ultradian Rhythmicity ◽  
The Brain

Glucocorticoids (GCs) are secreted in an ultradian, pulsatile pattern that emerges from delays in the feedforward-feedback interaction between the anterior pituitary and adrenal glands. Dynamic oscillations of GCs are critical for normal cognitive and metabolic function in the rat and have been shown to modulate the pattern of GC-sensitive gene expression, modify synaptic activity, and maintain stress responsiveness. In man, current cortisol replacement therapy does not reproduce physiological hormone pulses and is associated with psychopathological symptoms, especially apathy and attenuated motivation in engaging with daily activities. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that the pattern of GC dynamics in the brain is of crucial importance for regulating cognitive and behavioral processes. We provide evidence that exactly the same dose of cortisol administered in different patterns alters the neural processing underlying the response to emotional stimulation, the accuracy in recognition and attentional bias toward/away from emotional faces, the quality of sleep, and the working memory performance of healthy male volunteers. These data indicate that the pattern of the GC rhythm differentially impacts human cognition and behavior under physiological, nonstressful conditions and has major implications for the improvement of cortisol replacement therapy.

scholarly journals Behavior-dependent directional tuning in the human visual-navigation network

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthias Nau ◽  
Tobias Navarro Schröder ◽  
Markus Frey ◽  
Christian F. Doeller
Keyword(s):  
Memory Performance ◽  
Visual Navigation ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Neural Population ◽  
Population Activity ◽  
Directional Tuning ◽  
Memory Processing ◽  
Depth Analysis ◽  
High Level ◽  
And Behavior

AbstractThe brain derives cognitive maps from sensory experience that guide memory formation and behavior. Despite extensive efforts, it still remains unclear how the underlying population activity relates to active behavior and memory performance. To examine these processes, we here combined 7T-fMRI with a kernel-based encoding model of virtual navigation to map world-centered directional tuning across the human cortex. First, we present an in-depth analysis of directional tuning in visual, retrosplenial, parahippocampal and medial temporal cortices. Second, we show that tuning strength, width and topology of this directional code during memory-guided navigation depend on successful encoding of the environment. Finally, we show that participants’ locomotory state influences this tuning in sensory and mnemonic regions such as the hippocampus. We demonstrate a direct link between neural population tuning and human cognition and show that high-level memory processing interacts with network-wide environmental coding in the service of behavior.

Measuring the Impact of Advanced Technologies and Reorganization on Human Performance in a Combat Information Center

2000 ◽  
Vol 44 (37) ◽  
pp. 642-645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jared T. Freeman ◽  
Gwendolyn E. Campbell ◽  
Greg Hildebrand
Keyword(s):  
Human Behavior ◽  
Team Performance ◽  
Preliminary Data ◽  
Human Performance ◽  
Novel Technology ◽  
Advanced Technologies ◽  
Information Center ◽  
And Control ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

Systematically evaluating the impact of novel technology and organizational structure on team performance is a complex, multidimensional task. We define several of these dimensions that are of particular interest in the development of new command and control teams and technologies for the U.S. Navy. In addition, we describe an approach to stimulating and measuring human behavior on these dimensions, and an experiment in which this approach is applied. Preliminary data are presented.

The role of superstition in the placebo effect on memory performance

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sieun An ◽  
Viraj Dhiren Malani ◽  
Aanchal Setia
Keyword(s):  
Placebo Effect ◽  
Memory Performance

Real-Life Neuroscience: An Ecological Approach to Brain and Behavior Research

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 841-859 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone G. Shamay-Tsoory ◽  
Avi Mendelsohn
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Human Cognition ◽  
Memory Research ◽  
Fundamental Limitations ◽  
Brain And Behavior ◽  
And Behavior ◽  
Dependent Factor

Owing to advances in neuroimaging technology, the past couple of decades have witnessed a surge of research on brain mechanisms that underlie human cognition. Despite the immense development in cognitive neuroscience, the vast majority of neuroimaging experiments examine isolated agents carrying out artificial tasks in sensory and socially deprived environments. Thus, the understanding of the mechanisms of various domains in cognitive neuroscience, including social cognition and episodic memory, is sorely lacking. Here we focus on social and memory research as representatives of cognitive functions and propose that mainstream, lab-based experimental designs in these fields suffer from two fundamental limitations, pertaining to person-dependent and situation-dependent factors. The person-dependent factor addresses the issue of limiting the active role of the participants in lab-based paradigms that may interfere with their sense of agency and embodiment. The situation-dependent factor addresses the issue of the artificial decontextualized environment in most available paradigms. Building on recent findings showing that real-life as opposed to controlled experimental paradigms involve different mechanisms, we argue that adopting a real-life approach may radically change our understanding of brain and behavior. Therefore, we advocate in favor of a paradigm shift toward a nonreductionist approach, exploiting portable technology in semicontrolled environments, to explore behavior in real life.

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