1,721,004 research outputs found
My movements help me remember better, what about yours?
No full textSeveral previous studies have investigated how the production of movements influences visuo-spatial working memory. Some studies showed that movement during encoding facilitates the recognition of spatial arrays in a visuo-spatial working memory task. Another set of studies examined memory for self and other-performed action phrases, and found that self-performed phrases were recalled better than experimenter-performed phrases. Given these findings, the present study was aimed at investigating the question of how self and others movements interact with visuo-spatial working memory. Participants performed a task that required the maintenance of two consecutive arrays of three or four items, one encoded by visual observation accompanied by pointing movements (performed either by the participant or by the experimenter), the other only by visual observation. We found that self-performed pointing movements facilitated array recognition (at least for three-item arrays), whereas experimenter-performed movements impaired recognition performance. The results suggest that, like in the classical enactment effect, self-performed movements can improve visuo-spatial working memory performance in specific conditions
Pointing performed by others facilitate visuo-spatial memory, but how much should I be involved?
No full textSeveral previous studies have investigated how the production of movements influences visuo-spatial working memory. Specifically, it has been shown that self-performed pointing movements facilitated the recognition of spatial arrays in a visuo-spatial working memory task. In the present experiments we examined the effects on memory of pointing movements that were either self-performed or performed by others. Participants were administered a task that required the maintenance of two consecutive arrays of three or four items, one encoded only by visual observation, the other by visual observation accompanied by pointing movements (performed either by the participant or by the experimenter). In three experiments, the percentage of trials involving self-performed pointing movements was varied from 50% (Exp. 1), to 16.66% (Exp. 2), to 0% (Expt 3). We found that experimenter-performed movements facilitated array recognition only if alternated with self-performed movements. The positive effect of pointing remained significant even when the frequency of self- performed movements was restricted to 16.66% (1/6 of the total number of trials). These results suggest that other-performed movements can improve visuo-spatial working memory performance, as long as they are alternated with self-performed movements. We propose that this benefit reflected either motor simulation or richness of encoding
You and the hand: investigating the effects of other-performed pointing movements on visuo-spatial memory
No full textPrevious studies have shown that self-performed pointing movements at encoding facilitate performance in a visuo-spatial recognition task. In the present study we investigated whether other-performed movements can produce similar effects and if the effect is limited to a human co-actor. Participants observed and were instructed to remember two consecutive arrays of three or four items, one encoded only by visual observation, the other by visual observation accompanied by pointing movements. In three experiments, pointing movements were performed either solely by the experimenter (Exp. 1), or by the participant alternating with the experimenter (Exp. 2) or with an animated hand (Exp. 3). We found that pointing movements performed by the experimenter facilitated array recognition only when they were alternated with self-performed movements. The same results hold when the human co-actor was replaced by an animated hand in Exp. 3. The results suggest that observing others performing the movement leads to active motor simulation only when it is associated to the self- execution of the same movement
Collaborative remembering reduces suggestibility: A study with the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale
No full textCollaboration during the retrieval phase can have both negative and positive effects (referred to as collaborative inhibition and error pruning, respectively) on emotional and eyewitness memory. To further elucidate these issues, the present experiment used the Gudjonsson Suggestibility Scale to investigate the question of whether collaborative remembering reduced post-event suggestibility. Collaborative and nominal pairs listened to the GSS2, provided immediate and delayed (after 30 min) free recalls, and answered a series of leading questions before or after receiving a negative feedback about their performance. We found no evidence of collaborative inhibition in the immediate and delayed free recall tasks. Importantly, however, collaborative pairs produced less confabulated elements in the free recall tasks, were considerably less prone to give in to leading questions (both before and after receiving the negative feedback), and exhibited lower levels of Total Suggestibility, compared to both nominal and individual dyads. Taken together, these results support the conclusion that collaboration can have a beneficial influence on eyewitnesses’ accuracy, by strengthening their resistance to post-event suggestibility
The psychological and cognitive predictors of adherence to social distancing behavior: data from an Italian sample
No full textSocial distancing is a widely recommended policy for limiting the COVID-19 pandemic. An internet-based survey was used to investigate the role of several psychological variables in predicting social distancing compliance in Italy. Data from 373 participants, between March and August 2021, revealed that complying with social distancing and prioritizing the benefits to society over personal costs correlated positively with emotional intelligence, extroversion, and higher risk perception of COVID-19, and negatively with age. No relationship was found between working memory capacity and social distancing compliance. The mediation analysis suggests that as the costs of social distancing are perceived to be greater than the benefits, the effect of anxiety on social distancing diminishes. Further studies are needed to better understand the characteristics of individuals who choose to practice social distancing, as this is critical for developing public service campaigns to promote these behaviors during possible future pandemics
Emotional Valence and Working Memory Performance: Effect of Concurrent Interference in a Spatial Object-Location Task
No full textThe mechanisms through which emotional stimuli are processed in working memory (WM)
are still poorly understood. In a previous study we found that when emotional and neutral
stimuli are presented within the same trial, visuo-spatial WM performance (evaluated in an
object-relocation task) is affected by the valence dimension, but not by the arousal
dimension (Costanzi et al., 2019). According to Baddeley and Hitch’s model, working
memory (1974, 1986) consists of a central executive (CE) and at least two additional
subsystems, specifically the “phonological loop” (PL) and the “visuo-spatial sketchpad”
(VSSP). The aim of the present research was to investigate the role of the CE and the VSSP
in shaping the advantage for emotionally-valenced stimuli in visuo-spatial WM. Three
groups of participants watched eight black rectangles appear simultaneously on a computer
screen; this was immediately followed by the sequential presentation of eight pictures
selected from the International Affective Picture System superimposed onto each
rectangle. Pictures differed in valence (negative vs neutral), but not in arousal levels. During
encoding, one group of participants (n=30) was submitted to a concurrent task interfering
with the CE; the second group (n=26) performed a concurrent tapping task known to affect
the VSSP; the third one (n=26) was a control group with no concurrent tasks. Immediately
after encoding, all participants had to relocate each rectangle to its original position. Results
showed that rectangles that had been associated with negative pictures were better relocated
than those associated with neutral ones and that interfering with the CE impaired spatial
WM performance. The concurrent tapping task, on the other hand, had no statistically
significant effect, although its tendency to moderate the effect of valence deserves further
investigation. Taken together, results suggest that emotional valence might affect spatial
working memory performance through both automatic and executive processes
COVID-19: parental vaccine hesitancy and misinformation in Italy
No full textAccording to the Strategic Advisory Group of Experts on Immunization (SAGE), vaccine hesitancy can be defined as the “delayed acceptance or refusal of vaccination despite the availability of vaccination services” (MacDonald, 2015) and it is one of the top 10 global health threats (WHO, 2019). From January 2021, the Italian Government implemented a vaccination program aiming at vaccinating most of the population (Bloom et al., 2020). It is important to point out that, following a general decrease in adherence to vaccination programs in Italy, in July 2017 the Parliament issued an ad-hoc decree law (n.119/2017), introducing compulsory vaccinations for infants and recommending their exclusion from nursery schools if not vaccinated. A controversy ensued, as a no-vax movement emerged to oppose to the new law and dispute its compliance with the Italian Constitution. The movement continued to develop during the COVID-19 pandemic, and anti-vax groups proliferated, particularly in the northern regions of the country (Moscardino et al., 2022). A crucial factor influencing vaccine hesitancy is the dissemination of false, misleading information, such as the proliferation of anti-Vax groups on social media (Johnson et al., 2020). A recent study found that belief in misinformation was associated with lower intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 across 40 countries (Singh et al., Santirocchi et al., 2022). The present study investigates the factors influencing parents' hesitation to vaccinate their children against COVID-19. It aims to: 1) examine whether there are differences in the willingness to vaccinate children of different ages; 2) assess the role of exposure to fake news as a variable that could reduce the willingness to vaccinate one's children and receive the fourth dose. Method: A questionnaire assessing disinformation and vaccine availability towards children was prepared using Google Forms and disseminated to parents through different social media. All data were collected between 5th February and 5th June 2022 and is from an empirical study. We collected 100 participants. Results: We performed a one-way ANOVA with “child age” (18-15, 14-12, 11-5) as the independent variable and “availability” as the dependent variable. The results showed a significant difference between the three groups [F(2,97)=15.38, p<0.01]. Post hoc analysis revealed that the parents of the 15-18 group showed significantly lower availability compared to parents of the 12-14 group and of the 5-11 group. A negative correlation [r(98)=-0.35, p<0.001] emerged between belief of misinformation and availability to vaccinate children, showing that higher levels of misinformation are associated to higher hesitancy. Conclusions: High rates of parental hesitancy towards adolescents could be driven by a combination of low perception of infection susceptibility and higher protective behaviours aiming at exerting control (Musa et al., 2021). Furthermore, the results of our study highlight the danger of the “infodemic” the population is experiencing. In a historical period characterized by the fight against COVID-19, it is evident how fake news can undermine the population's choices on vaccines. We therefore consider it useful that strategies are developed to counteract misinformation and provide the appropriate means for the population to recognize them
Predictors of the intention to be vaccinated against COVID-19 in a sample of Italian respondents at the start of the immunization campaign
Full text linkCOVID-19 vaccines are the most promising means of limiting the pandemic. The present study aims at determining the roles of several psychological variables in predicting vaccination intention in Italy. An online questionnaire was disseminated between 9 March and 9 May 2021. The sample included 971 participants. Results showed that most of the participants were willing to vaccinate. Acceptance rates were correlated with age, marital status, and area of residence. Intention to be vaccinated was positively correlated with perceived risk, pro-sociality, fear of COVID-19, use of preventive behaviors, and trust in government, in science, and in medical professionals. Intention to be vaccinated was negatively associated with belief in misinformation. The degree of acceptance is likely to be a result of the campaign tailored to address people’s negative attitudes towards vaccines. Trust in government and trust in science were among the strongest psychological predictors of vaccination intention. Fear of COVID-19, but not perceived risk, was associated with increased vaccine uptake, suggesting that the affective component of risk perception was more important than the cognitive component in predicting participants’ behaviors. Belief in misinformation was associated with reduced vaccination intention. Future studies will take into consideration these variables, to better understand the multifaceted process underlying vaccination intention
Pointing movements and visuo-spatial working memory in a joint setting: the role of motor inhibition
No full textPrevious studies have shown that, under specific conditions, arrays that have been pointed at encoding are recognized better than passively viewed ones. According to one interpretation, the superior recognition of pointed-to arrays can be explained by the motor inhibition of passively viewed arrays. The present study sought to determine whether a similar motor inhibition can be induced also when the participants observed a co-actor perform the pointing movements. Participants were presented with two spatial arrays, one of which was encoded via observation only (the no-move array), while the other was encoded with pointing movements (the move array); movements were performed either by the participant or by the experimenter. Experiment 1 replicated the advantage of self-pointed arrays over passively viewed arrays. Experiment 2 showed that, when participants passively observed the pointing movements performed by the experimenter, move arrays were recognized no better than no-move arrays. Finally, Experiment 3 demonstrated that, in a joint-action condition in which participants alternated with the experimenter in making pointing movements, the advantage of experimenter-pointed arrays over passively viewed arrays was significant and similar in size to the advantage produced by self-performed movements. Importantly, a series of cross-experiment comparisons indicated that the higher recognition of both self- and experimenter-pointed arrays in Experiment 3 could be explained by the motor inhibition of no-move arrays. We propose that, in a joint condition, the pointing movements performed by the experimenter were represented in the same functional way as self-performed movements and that this produced the motor inhibition of passively viewed arrays
The effects of brain concussions on memory in combat and contact sports
No full textIt is estimated that as many as 3.8 million concussions occur in the USA per year during competitive sports. Sport-related concussions are known to cause short- and long-term cognitive impairments. However, the mechanism underlying these persistent cognitive changes and long-term neurodegeneration is not fully understood. The literature has extensively focused on contact sports vulnerable to concussions, such as football, hockey, rugby, and basketball. Athletes that practice combat sports - boxing, Muay Thai, mixed martial arts (MMA) – are also subject to brain trauma. Fighters are not only subject to severe concussions, comparable to those experienced by contact sports athletes, but also to sustained mild traumatic brain injuries, which cause physical, cognitive, and behavioral symptoms. Although these symptoms often resolve within one month, in some individuals they can persist for years following injury and may even be permanent and cause disability. To our knowledge, studies have scarcely focused on the cognitive consequences of mild traumatic brain injuries on cognitive abilities in combat sports athletes. The aim of this study is to assess the effect of brain injuries on mnestic abilities in contact and combat sports. We tested 3 groups: rugby athletes, combat sports fighters, and controls. Participants performed two mnestic tests: pattern separation (MST), a measure of episodic memory, and N_Back2-3, a measure of working memory. The results showed that fighters (boxers, muay thai, and MMA) performed worse in both tasks compared to rugby players and controls. These results suggest that athletes subjected to mild repeated brain injuries might present impairments in the encoding and storage of similar stimuli into distinct, non-overlapping representations and in working memory capacity. Further studies are required to better understand which types of concussions are the most detrimental to cognition in combat sports, in order to develop strategies to assess and monitor fighters’ neuropsychological health
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