Impulse control
Winning and Losing: Effects on Impulsive Action
Frederick Verbruggen et al.
Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, forthcoming
Abstract:
In the present study, we examined the effect of wins and losses on impulsive action in gambling (Experiments 1-3) and nongambling tasks (Experiments 4-5). In each experiment, subjects performed a simple task in which they had to win points. On each trial, they had to choose between a gamble and a nongamble. The gamble was always associated with a higher amount but a lower probability of winning than the nongamble. After subjects indicated their choice (i.e., gamble or not), feedback was presented. They had to press a key to start the next trial. Experiments 1-3 showed that, compared to the nongambling baseline, subjects were faster to initiate the next trial after a gambled loss, indicating that losses can induce impulsive actions. In Experiments 4 and 5, subjects alternated between the gambling task and a neutral decision-making task in which they could not win or lose points. Subjects were faster in the neutral decision-making task if they had just lost in the gambling task, suggesting that losses have a general effect on action. Our results challenge the dominant idea that humans become more cautious after suboptimal outcomes. Instead, they indicate that losses in the context of potential rewards are emotional events that increase impulsivity.
---------------------
Adaptive Adolescent Flexibility: Neurodevelopment of Decision-making and Learning in a Risky Context
Ethan McCormick & Eva Telzer
Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, forthcoming
Abstract:
Research on adolescence has largely focused on the particular biological and neural changes that place teens at risk for negative outcomes linked to increases in sensation-seeking and risky behavior. However, there is a growing interest in the adaptive function of adolescence, with work highlighting the dual nature of adolescence as a period of potential risk and opportunity. We examined how behavioral and neural sensitivity to risk and reward varies as a function of age using the Balloon Analog Risk Task. Seventy-seven children and adolescents (ages 8-17 years) completed the Balloon Analog Risk Task during an fMRI session. Results indicate that adolescents show greater learning throughout the task. Furthermore, older participants showed increased neural responses to reward in the OFC and ventral striatum, increased activation to risk in the mid-cingulate cortex, as well as increased functional OFC-medial PFC coupling in both risk and reward contexts. Age-related changes in regional activity and interregional connectivity explain the link between age and increases in flexible learning. These results support the idea that adolescents' sensitivity to risk and reward supports adaptive learning and behavioral approaches for reward acquisition.
---------------------
Julia Cohen-Gilbert et al.
Journal of Early Adolescence, forthcoming
Abstract:
This study investigated whether brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) genotype moderated inhibitory control during an emotionally valenced task in a sample of internationally adopted adolescents (N = 109, ages 12-13 years) who spent their early years in institutional care. Participants were genotyped for the Val66Met polymorphism of the BDNF gene. Inhibitory control in different emotional contexts was assessed via a Go-NoGo task where letters appeared at the center of positive, negative, neutral, or scrambled images. Carriers of one or more methionine (Met) alleles demonstrated a significant association between poorer performance and increased adversity, indexed by age at adoption, while valine/valine (Val/Val) carriers did not. Thus, Val/Val genotype was associated with resilience to increased impulsivity with more prolonged deprivation. These results do not converge with research suggesting differential susceptibility effects for this polymorphism, but more closely reflect a diathesis-stress model for the impact of BDNF genotype on a behavioral measure of impulsivity during emotional distraction.
---------------------
Influences of Fertility Status on Risky Driving Behaviour
Federica Biassoni et al.
Applied Cognitive Psychology, forthcoming
Abstract:
The effects of hormones on human behaviour have been extensively studied, but little attention has been paid to the influence of ovarian hormones on risky driving. Twenty-five normally cycling women took part in three sessions, including an ovulatory phase estimation session and two experimental sessions: high vs low fertile phases. These two phases were monitored through a urine-based luteinizing hormone predictor test. In the two experimental sessions, participants were administered the Driving Behaviour Questionnaire and the Vienna Risk-Taking Test. Results showed that women are more risk-averse in their driving behaviour during their high-fertile phase. The influence of hormonal fluctuations on self-perception of risk attitude when driving was non-significant. Findings are discussed from an evolutionary perspective.
---------------------
Authentic and Hubristic Pride: Differential Effects on Delay of Gratification
Shi-Yun Ho, Eddie Tong & Lile Jia
Emotion, forthcoming
Abstract:
Research demonstrates that there are 2 distinct facets of pride: the prosocial, achievement-oriented form of pride known as authentic pride, and the self-aggrandizing, egotistical form of pride known as hubristic pride. This research examined whether authentic pride and hubristic pride have divergent effects on delay of gratification. Support was found for the prediction that authentic pride would facilitate the ability to delay gratification, whereas hubristic pride would undermine it. Also, self-transcendent value affirmation was demonstrated to moderate the effects of pride on delayed gratification. Specifically, when people feeling hubristic pride had an opportunity to affirm a self-transcendent value that was important to them, their tendency to seek immediate gratification was attenuated. Theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.
---------------------
Nicholas Kelley & Brandon Schmeichel
Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, forthcoming
Abstract:
Self-control involves the inhibition of dominant response tendencies. Most research on self-control has examined the inhibition of appetitive tendencies, and recent evidence suggests that stimulation to increase right frontal cortical activity helps to inhibit approach-motivated responses. The current experiment paired an approach-avoidance joystick task with transcranial DC stimulation to test the effects of brain stimulation on the inhibition of both approach and avoidance response tendencies. Anodal stimulation over the right/cathodal stimulation over the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (compared to the opposite pattern of stimulation or sham stimulation) caused participants to initiate motive-incongruent movements more quickly, thereby suggesting a shared neural mechanism for the self-control of both approach- and avoidance-motivated impulses.
---------------------
Episodic social media impact on users
Samuel Doss, Deborah Carstens & Stephen Kies
International Journal of Social Media and Interactive Learning Environments, Summer 2016, Pages 273-286
Abstract:
With the abundance of technological devices, an increasing number of users of all ages rely on social media. There is a growing concern of the impact that technology has on the user community. This research study was conducted to explore these concerns and specifically whether individuals' characteristics are impacted from the use of social media. A total of 209 respondents from a private university in the southeast participated in the study. Self-administered questionnaires were implemented with the survey instrument developed by the researchers. Five hypotheses were tested on the relationships of social media technologies with attention span, time pressure, long-term orientation, polychromic attitude index, and sociability. The research findings suggest that there is no difference in attention spans or sociability in frequent or infrequent users of social media. Furthermore, the research findings suggest that episodic social media usage is not positively correlated to the long-term orientation, time pressure scale, and polychromic attitude index. Future areas of research are also discussed.