scholarly journals Cognitive Test Scores Vary Based on Choice of Personal Digital Device

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eliza Passell ◽  
Lauren Rutter ◽  
Heesu Kim ◽  
Luke S. Scheuer ◽  
Paolo Martini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Research Participation ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Cognitive Assessments ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Study Results

Mobile- and web-based psychological research are a valuable addition to the set of tools available for scientific study, reducing logistical barriers for research participation and allowing the recruitment of larger and more diverse participant groups. However, this comes at the cost of reduced control over the technology used by participants, which can introduce new sources of variability into study results. In this study, we examined differences in measured performance on timed and untimed cognitive tests between users of common digital devices in 59,587 (Study 1) and 3,818 (Study 2) visitors to TestMyBrain.org, a web-based cognitive testing platform. Controlling for age, sex, and cognitive performance on an untimed vocabulary test, users of mobile devices, particularly Android smartphones, showed significantly slower performance on tests of reaction time than users of laptop and desktop computers, suggesting that differences in device latency effect measured reaction times. Users of devices that differ in user interface (e.g. screen size, mouse vs. touchscreen) also show significant differences (p < 0.001) in measured performance on tests requiring fast reactions or fine motor movements. By quantifying the contribution of device differences to measured cognitive performance in an online setting, we hope to improve the accuracy of mobile- and web-based cognitive assessments, allowing the strengths of these methods to be effectively used.

scholarly journals A New Remote Guided Method for Supervised Web-Based Cognitive Testing to Ensure High Quality Data

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Leong ◽  
Kausar Raheel ◽  
Sim Jia Yi ◽  
Kriti Kacker ◽  
Vasilis M. Karlaftis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Quality ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Test Environment ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Cognitive Data

Background. The global COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a fundamental reexamination of how human psychological research can be conducted both safely and robustly in a new era of digital working and physical distancing. Online web-based testing has risen to the fore as a promising solution for rapid mass collection of cognitive data without requiring human contact. However, a long-standing debate exists over the data quality and validity of web-based studies. Here, we examine the opportunities and challenges afforded by the societal shift toward web-based testing, highlight an urgent need to establish a standard data quality assurance framework for online studies, and develop and validate a new supervised online testing methodology, remote guided testing (RGT). Methods. A total of 85 healthy young adults were tested on 10 cognitive tasks assessing executive functioning (flexibility, memory and inhibition) and learning. Tasks were administered either face-to-face in the laboratory (N=41) or online using remote guided testing (N=44), delivered using identical web-based platforms (CANTAB, Inquisit and i-ABC). Data quality was assessed using detailed trial-level measures (missed trials, outlying and excluded responses, response times), as well as overall task performance measures. Results. The results indicated that, across all measures of data quality and performance, RGT data was statistically-equivalent to data collected in person in the lab. Moreover, RGT participants out-performed the lab group on measured verbal intelligence, which could reflect test environment differences, including possible effects of mask-wearing on communication. Conclusions. These data suggest that the RGT methodology could help to ameliorate concerns regarding online data quality and - particularly for studies involving high-risk or rare cohorts - offer an alternative for collecting high-quality human cognitive data without requiring in-person physical attendance.

scholarly journals The effects of gamelike features and test location on cognitive test performance and participant enjoyment

PeerJ ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. e2184 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jim Lumsden ◽  
Andy Skinner ◽  
Andy T. Woods ◽  
Natalia S. Lawrence ◽  
Marcus Munafò
Keyword(s):  
Test Performance ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Error Rates ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Test Location ◽  
Gamelike Features ◽  
Time Accuracy

Computerised cognitive assessments are a vital tool in the behavioural sciences, but participants often view them as effortful and unengaging. One potential solution is to add gamelike elements to these tasks in order to make them more intrinsically enjoyable, and some researchers have posited that a more engaging task might produce higher quality data. This assumption, however, remains largely untested. We investigated the effects of gamelike features and test location on the data and enjoyment ratings from a simple cognitive task. We tested three gamified variants of the Go-No-Go task, delivered both in the laboratory and online. In the first version of the task participants were rewarded with points for performing optimally. The second version of the task was framed as a cowboy shootout. The third version was a standard Go-No-Go task, used as a control condition. We compared reaction time, accuracy and subjective measures of enjoyment and engagement between task variants and study location. We found points to be a highly suitable game mechanic for gamified cognitive testing because they did not disrupt the validity of the data collected but increased participant enjoyment. However, we found no evidence that gamelike features could increase engagement to the point where participant performance improved. We also found that while participants enjoyed the cowboy themed task, the difficulty of categorising the gamelike stimuli adversely affected participant performance, increasing No-Go error rates by 28% compared to the non-game control. Responses collected online vs. in the laboratory had slightly longer reaction times but were otherwise very similar, supporting other findings that online crowdsourcing is an acceptable method of data collection for this type of research.

A New Remote Guided Method for Supervised Web-Based Cognitive Testing to Ensure High Quality Data (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria Leong ◽  
Kausar Raheel ◽  
Jia Yi Sim ◽  
Kriti Kacker ◽  
Vasilis M Karlaftis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Data Quality ◽  
Response Times ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Quality Data ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Online Data ◽  
Test Environment ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Cognitive Data

BACKGROUND The global COVID-19 pandemic has triggered a fundamental reexamination of how human psychological research can be conducted both safely and robustly in a new era of digital working and physical distancing. Online web-based testing has risen to the fore as a promising solution for rapid mass collection of cognitive data without requiring human contact. However, a long-standing debate exists over the data quality and validity of web-based studies. OBJECTIVE Here, we examine the opportunities and challenges afforded by the societal shift toward web-based testing, highlight an urgent need to establish a standard data quality assurance framework for online studies, and develop and validate a new supervised online testing methodology, remote guided testing (RGT). METHODS A total of 85 healthy young adults were tested on 10 cognitive tasks assessing executive functioning (flexibility, memory and inhibition) and learning. Tasks were administered either face-to-face in the laboratory (N=41) or online using remote guided testing (N=44), delivered using identical web-based platforms (CANTAB, Inquisit and i-ABC). Data quality was assessed using detailed trial-level measures (missed trials, outlying and excluded responses, response times), as well as overall task performance measures. RESULTS The results indicated that, across all measures of data quality and performance, RGT data was statistically-equivalent to data collected in person in the lab. Moreover, RGT participants out-performed the lab group on measured verbal intelligence, which could reflect test environment differences, including possible effects of mask-wearing on communication. CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that the RGT methodology could help to ameliorate concerns regarding online data quality and - particularly for studies involving high-risk or rare cohorts - offer an alternative for collecting high-quality human cognitive data without requiring in-person physical attendance. CLINICALTRIAL N.A.

scholarly journals The Acute Effects of Yoga on Executive Function

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 488-495 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neha Gothe ◽  
Matthew B. Pontifex ◽  
Charles Hillman ◽  
Edward McAuley
Keyword(s):  
Aerobic Exercise ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Exercise Bout ◽  
Exercise Session ◽  
Acute Effects ◽  
Cognitive Assessments ◽  
Repeated Measures Design ◽  
The Relationship

Background:Despite an increase in the prevalence of yoga exercise, research focusing on the relationship between yoga exercise and cognition is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of an acute yoga exercise session, relative to aerobic exercise, on cognitive performance.Methods:A repeated measures design was employed where 30 female college-aged participants (Mean age = 20.07, SD = 1.95) completed 3 counterbalanced testing sessions: a yoga exercise session, an aerobic exercise session, and a baseline assessment. The flanker and n-back tasks were used to measure cognitive performance.Results:Results showed that cognitive performance after the yoga exercise bout was significantly superior (ie, shorter reaction times, increased accuracy) as compared with the aerobic and baseline conditions for both inhibition and working memory tasks. The aerobic and baseline performance was not significantly different, contradicting some of the previous findings in the acute aerobic exercise and cognition literature.Conclusion:These findings are discussed relative to the need to explore the effects of other nontraditional modes of exercise such as yoga on cognition and the importance of time elapsed between the cessation of the exercise bout and the initiation of cognitive assessments in improving task performance.

Emotional labor in hospitality: Positive affective displays in service encounters

2016 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 242-253 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing Li ◽  
Bonnie F Canziani ◽  
Carla Barbieri
Keyword(s):  
Facial Expressions ◽  
Emotional Labor ◽  
Eye Gaze ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Cultural Groups ◽  
Cultural Backgrounds ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Study Results ◽  
Positive Subject

The study used web-based simulated hospitality scenarios to examine cultural differences in emotional cognition of facial expressions among Chinese and American subjects in an exploratory study. Results indicate that the two cultural groups interpreted smiling and direct eye-gaze similarly. Although a smiling face elicited positive emotional affective responses from both cultural groups, smiling alone was not sufficient to stimulate more positive subject reactions: Smiling needs to be accompanied by direct eye-gaze to fully elicit positive reactions from subjects. Study results suggest that global hospitality standards should reflect findings of psychological research on emotional labor and also that business normative guidelines should encourage the display of smiling faces along with direct eye-gaze to motivate a positive customer experience. No support was found for tailoring facial expressions related training to customers’ cultural backgrounds.

scholarly journals Impact of Hearing Impairment on Missingness of Cognitive Test Scores in the ARIC Study

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 821-822
Author(s):  
Jennifer Deal ◽  
Alden Gross ◽  
Alison Abraham ◽  
A Richey Sharrett ◽  
Nicholas Reed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Hearing Impairment ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Prevalence Ratio ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Test Material ◽  
Trail Making ◽  
Access Test ◽  
Aric Study ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Despite its high prevalence, the impact of hearing impairment on completion of cognitive tests, many of which rely on auditory input to access test material, has not been described. We investigated if hearing impairment is associated with missing scores in 3602 adults (72-94 years, 23% black, 60% female). Cognition was measured using 10 neurocognitive tests. Pure tone better-ear hearing thresholds (0.5-4 kHz) were averaged and categorized. ≥Moderate hearing impairment (versus none) was associated with greater missingness on two auditory tests: Logical Memory (prevalence ratio [PR]:1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI]:1.01,1.70) and Digits Backwards (PR:1.35, 95% CI:1.00,1.82); and the non-auditory Trail Making Test Part B (PR:1.48, 95% CI:1.24,1.77). Compared to models using complete cognitive data, models that imputed missing scores showed stronger associations of hearing impairment with poor cognitive performance. Older adults with HI are less likely to complete cognitive testing, resulting in biased estimates of the hearing impairment-cognitive performance relationship.

scholarly journals Cortical Thickness and Cognitive Performance After Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (4) ◽  
pp. 296-306 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marte C. Ørbo ◽  
Per M. Aslaksen ◽  
Audny Anke ◽  
Pål M. Tande ◽  
Torgil R. Vangberg
Keyword(s):  
Cardiac Arrest ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Cortical Thickness ◽  
Motor Coordination ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Fine Motor ◽  
Clinical Variables ◽  
Fine Motor Coordination ◽  
Hospital Cardiac Arrest

Background. Cognitive impairment is common in long-term survivors of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) but corresponding neuroimaging data are lacking. Objectives. This study explored the relationship among the cortical brain structure, cognitive performance, and clinical variables after OHCA. Methods. Three months after resuscitation, 13 OHCA survivors who had recovered from a coma to living independently and 19 healthy controls were assessed by cerebral magnetic resonance imaging and neuropsychological tests quantifying memory, fine-motor coordination, and attention/executive functions. Cortical thickness (Cth) and surface area (SA) were compared between groups and analyzed for relationships with cognitive performance as well as the clinical variables of coma duration and the time to return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC). All analyses were controlled for age and sex. Results. Analyses of SA revealed no significant differences. Compared with controls, survivors had significantly reduced memory and fine-motor coordination and significantly thinner cortex in large clusters in the frontal, parietal, and inferior temporal cortices, with additional regions in the left occipital lobe and the left temporal lobe. Widespread thinner cortical regions were significantly associated with decreased memory performance in survivors when compared with those in controls and were significantly associated with an increased time to ROSC and increased coma duration in the OHCA group. Increased coma duration, but not increased time to ROSC, was significantly correlated with cognitive test performance. Conclusions. The results suggest that widespread Cth reductions correspond to the cognitive impairments observed after OHCA. Neuroimaging studies of long-term OHCA survivors are warranted to guide the development of diagnostics and treatment options.

scholarly journals Exercise Intensity Influences Prefrontal Cortex Oxygenation during Cognitive Testing

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 83 ◽  
Author(s):  
Terence Moriarty ◽  
Kelsey Bourbeau ◽  
Bryanne Bellovary ◽  
Micah N. Zuhl
Keyword(s):  
Prefrontal Cortex ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
High Intensity ◽  
Acute Exercise ◽  
Cognitive Task ◽  
Negative Relationship ◽  
Cognitive Testing ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Activation changes in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) regions have been linked to acute exercise-induced improvements in cognitive performance. The type of exercise performed may influence PFC activation, and further impact cognitive function. The present study aimed to compare PFC activation during cognitive testing after moderate-intensity, high intensity, and yoga exercises, and to determine if PFC activation is linked to cognitive performance. Eight subjects (four male and four female), aged 35 ± 5 completed a control, high intensity, moderate intensity, and yoga exercises followed by administration of a cognitive task (NIH Toolbox Fluid Cognition). Left and right PFC activation (LPFC and RPFC, respectively) were evaluated by measuring hemoglobin difference (Hbdiff) changes during post-exercise cognitive assessment using functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Activation during the cognitive test was higher in the LPFC after moderate intensity exercise compared to control, high intensity, and yoga (5.30 ± 6.65 vs. 2.26 ± 2.40, 2.50 ± 1.48, 2.41 ± 2.36 μM, p < 0.05, respectively). A negative relationship was detected between LPFC and processing speed after exercise. PFC activation did not align with cognitive performance. However, acute exercise, regardless of type, appeared to alter neural processing. Specifically, less PFC activation was required for a given neural output after exercise.

The Relation Between Aerobic Fitness and Cognitive Performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 102-113 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chun-Hao Wang ◽  
Chun-Ming Shih ◽  
Chia-Liang Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Aerobic Fitness ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Mediation Model ◽  
Brain Potentials ◽  
Fitness Level ◽  
Eeg Data ◽  
Attention Performance ◽  
P3 Amplitude ◽  
The Relationship

Abstract. This study aimed to assess whether brain potentials have significant influences on the relationship between aerobic fitness and cognition. Behavioral and electroencephalographic (EEG) data was collected from 48 young adults when performing a Posner task. Higher aerobic fitness is related to faster reaction times (RTs) along with greater P3 amplitude and shorter P3 latency in the valid trials, after controlling for age and body mass index. Moreover, RTs were selectively related to P3 amplitude rather than P3 latency. Specifically, the bootstrap-based mediation model indicates that P3 amplitude mediates the relationship between fitness level and attention performance. Possible explanations regarding the relationships among aerobic fitness, cognitive performance, and brain potentials are discussed.

scholarly journals Cognitive Function in Adults with Enduring Anorexia Nervosa

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 859
Author(s):  
Maria Seidel ◽  
Helen Brooker ◽  
Kamilla Lauenborg ◽  
Keith Wesnes ◽  
Magnus Sjögren
Keyword(s):  
Anorexia Nervosa ◽  
Cognitive Function ◽  
Episodic Memory ◽  
Reaction Times ◽  
Assessment System ◽  
Cognitive Test ◽  
Attention Tasks ◽  
Inclusion Study ◽  
Prospective Longitudinal

Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is a severe and often enduring disorder characterized by restriction of food intake, low body weight, fear of weight gain, and distorted body image. Investigations on cognition performance in AN patients have yielded conflicting results. Using an established and sensitive computerized cognitive test battery, we aimed to assess core aspects of cognitive function, including attention span, information processing, reasoning, working and episodic memory, in AN patients and controls. Patients were recruited from the Danish Prospective Longitudinal all-comer inclusion study in Eating Disorders (PROLED). Included were 26 individuals with AN and 36 healthy volunteers (HV). All were tested with CogTrack (an online cognitive assessment system) at baseline, and AN patients were tested again at a follow-up time point after weight increase (n = 13). At baseline, AN patients showed faster reaction times in the attention tasks, as well as increased accuracy in grammatical reasoning compared to HV. There were no differences in cognitive function between AN patients and HV in the other cognitive domains measured (sustained attention, working and episodic memory, speed of retrieval, and speed of grammatical reasoning). No differences were visible in the AN sample between baseline and follow-up. Performance did not correlate with any clinical variables in the AN sample. These findings supplement results from other studies suggesting increased concentration and reasoning accuracy in patients suffering from AN, who showed increased performance in cognitive tasks despite their illness.

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