1301 registered reports
Are experiences that bring meaning different from experiences that bring happiness? If so, do people seek out different experiences in pursuing meaning versus happiness? In an adversarial collaboration, we conducted three preregistered experiments (total N = 879) to address these questions. We asked participants to describe an experience from the past month (Study 1) or past day (Study 2) that had provided them with either happiness, meaning, happiness without meaning, or meaning without happiness. Experiences that were happy but not meaningful differed substantially from those that were meaningful but not happy. However, experiences that provided happiness showed only small differences from those that provided meaning. In Study 3, to examine whether people seek out different experiences in pursuing happiness versus meaning, we instructed participants to choose an activity over the weekend that would provide them with happiness, meaning, happiness without meaning, or meaning without happiness. Again, experiences differed substantially when people pursued happiness without meaning or meaning without happiness, but these differences disappeared when people were simply told to pursue happiness or meaning. Our findings suggest that happiness and meaning are linked to distinct sets of thoughts, feelings and behaviors, but the differences between them are small in everyday life.
Multiple external representations (MERs) play an important role in the learning field of mathematics. Whereas the CTML and the ITPC model assume that the heterogeneous combination of symbolic and analogous representations fosters learning, the Design, Functions and Tasks framework implicates that learning benefits depend on the specific functions of MERs. The current paper will be a conceptual replication study of one of the few studies comparing single representations, heterogeneous and homogeneous MERs in the context of mathematics learning. In a balanced incomplete block design, the participants will be provided single representations (graphic, text, or formula) or a heterogeneous (e.g., text + graphic) or homogeneous (text + formula) combination of these to solve linear system of equations problems. Gaze behavior, task performance, and time on task will be recorded. On the basis of previous research, learning with MERs is expected to be superior to learning with single representations. Moreover, heterogeneous representations are expected to be superior to homogeneous ones. The relationship between MERs and performance is assumed to be (serially) mediated by cognitive load and number of transitions. Additionally, text is expected to be fixated more often and longer than formula or graphic.
Children's knowledge of arithmetic principles is a key aspect of early mathematics knowledge. Knowledge of arithmetic principles predicts how children approach solving arithmetic problems and the likelihood of their success. Prior work has begun to address how children might learn arithmetic principles in a classroom setting. Understanding of arithmetic principles involves understanding how numbers in arithmetic equations relate to another. For example, the relation to operands principle is that for subtracting natural numbers (A - B = C), the difference (C) must be smaller than the minuend (A). In the current study we evaluate if individual differences in arithmetic principle knowledge can be predicted by the learners' spontaneous focus on relations and if feedback can increase their focus on relations. We also evaluate the role of parent talk and the home environment in individual differences. Parent talk regarding number predicts variations in learner's performance on some early number tasks. We evaluate if the amount of parent's talk specifically about relations is associated with learner's spontaneous focus on relations and arithmetic principle knowledge.
Previous research has asserted that individuals hold cognitive associations between the constructs of hot temperatures and aggression. However, subsequent studies have cast doubt on whether these previously used methods reliably produce effects that support this assertion. Thus, the evidence for the existence of a cognitive heataggression association is mixed. To test for this hypothetical association using a different method, and to address shortcomings in the previously-used methods, the current studies used a modified Affect Misattribution Procedure to examine whether exposure to heatrelated words increased the accessibility of aggressive cognitions. Both a pilot study and a Registered Report showed that exposure to heat-related words increased the accessibility of aggressive cognitions. However, exposure to cold-related words also, and unexpectedly, increased the accessibility of aggressive cognitions. In addition, these results were only found for participants who reported that the primes influenced their Misattribution Task performance. Thus, although the current results found that exposure to heat-related stimuli caused theoretically predicted effects, the overall evidence is somewhat mixed as to whether this is due to a cognitive association between hot temperatures and aggression.
Background: Mental health problems among workers cause enormous losses to companies in Japan. However, workers have been considered to have limited access to psychological support because of time constraints, which makes it difficult for them to engage in face-to-face psychological support interventions. Objective: This study aimed to present an intervention protocol that describes a randomized controlled trial to examine whether brief guided mindfulness meditation (MM) or self-compassion meditation (SCM) provided by a smartphone app is effective for mental health and work-related outcomes among workers. Methods: This is an open-label, 3-arm randomized controlled trial. The participants will be recruited through an open call on relevant websites with the following inclusion criteria: (1) employees who are working more than 20 hours per week, (2) between the ages of 18 and 54 years, (3) not on a leave of absence, (4) not business owners or students, and (5) not currently diagnosed with a mental disorder and have a Kessler Psychological Distress Scale-6 score below 13 points. We will include 200 participants and randomly assign them to an SCM course (n=67), an MM course (n=67), and a waitlist group (n=66). The intervention groups (SCM and MM) will be instructed to engage in daily guided self-help, self-compassion, and MMs lasting 6-12 minutes per day over 4 weeks. Primary outcomes will include psychological distress and job performance, and secondary outcomes will include somatic symptoms, cognitive flexibility, self-esteem, self-compassion, perceived stress, well-being, emotion regulation, work engagement, anger, psychological safety, and creativity. All procedures were approved by the ethics committee of the University of Tokyo (22-326). All participants will be informed of the study via the websites, and written informed consent will be collected via web-based forms. Results: The recruitment of participants began in December 2022, and the intervention began in January 2023. As of September 2023, a total of 375 participants have been enrolled. The intervention and data collection were completed in late October 2023. Conclusions: This study will contribute to the development of effective self-care intervention content that will improve mental health, work performance, and related outcomes and promote mindful and self-compassionate attitudes when faced with distress. Trial Registration: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry UMIN000049466; https://tinyurl.com/23x8m8nf
Background: With the expected increase in the number of people needing care and the increasing shortage of skilled care workers, new care concepts are required. Therefore, digital assistive technologies (DATs), especially robotics, can improve the situation of people with different needs and create opportunities for participation. For a human-technology interaction to have a high level of usability, DAT’s meaningfulness and effectiveness must be accessible to end users. Significant barriers to the use of DATs in health care are the lack of controllability and adaptivity, as well as control functions that are too complex. Objective: The objective of this paper is to develop an interaction and control platform that is understandable to a layperson and has a programming interface for DAT interactions. The innovation consists of the expansion of usage and interaction options for carers of existing DAT in a more individual manner. This is to be achieved by combining modern interactive media, a modular software architecture, and already available DAT. Methods: The project is planned as a mixed methods study with a longitudinal design, with multiple user involvements and measurement times in collaboration with 3 care facilities in Germany. When assessing technologies, the satisfaction of the basic human needs of competence, connection, and autonomy plays an important role in the actual use of the technology. These needs can be measured in the form of usability (System Usability Scale), intention to use (Technology Usage Inventory), and satisfaction with the carers’ needs (Technology-Based Experience of Need Satisfaction). In the qualitative assessment, user experience is recorded using the think-aloud method and focus groups in order to obtain information about potential improvements of the platform. Results: The EduXBot (Educational Exploration Robot Application Platform) project was initiated in January 2023 and is scheduled to conclude in December 2025, at which point the project’s final results are expected to be available. The initial results were attained in the summer of 2024 when the final concept for the platform prototype was developed. In November 2024, an initial prototype of a functional platform for the simplified interaction and control of DAT was evaluated. Conclusions: It is expected that the open DAT system architecture enables caregivers without any previous technical knowledge to assemble their individual DAT functional portfolio. The results of the project will provide low-threshold access to interaction options for existing DAT as well as expand the usage of such technologies in an individual and patient-centered way. Trial Registration: Deutsches Register Klinischer Studien DRKS00034195; https://drks.de/search/de/trial/DRKS00034195
This project is an attempt to replicate the findings of Axelrod et al. (2015) who found an increase using anodal stimulation of the DLPFC. Axelrod, V., Rees, G., Lavidor, M., & Bar, M. (2015). Increasing propensity to mind-wander with transcranial direct current stimulation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 112(11), 3314-3319.
In this registered report, we propose an evaluation of how sleep is related to school functioning. Vulnerable populations including children with disabilities, children of color, and children experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage are more likely to both experience learning difficulties (e.g., in achievement, classroom behavior, and executive function) and to experience suboptimal sleep health. Understanding which aspects of sleep have the strongest relations with school functioning is important to better direct resources to policies and programs that promote healthy sleep during childhood. Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, we propose a series of structural equation models evaluating whether sleep at age 5 has a direct or indirect nonlinear effect on academic achievement, executive function, and classroom behavior at age 9, and whether this relation is moderated by race or ethnicity, poverty, maternal education, or disability. Our project will provide insight into whether interventions for suboptimal sleep health are especially likely to benefit vulnerable populations including children with disabilities, those who are non-white, and those from economically disadvantaged homes.
Infants are able to use the contexts in which familiar words appear to guide their inferences about the syntactic category of novel words (e.g., “This is a” + “dax”; dax = object). The current study examined whether 18-month-old infants can rapidly adapt these expectations by tracking the distribution of syntactic structures in their input. In French, la petite can be followed by both nouns (la petite balle, “the little ball”) and verbs (la petite mange, “the little one is eating”). Infants were habituated to a novel word, as well as to familiar nouns or verbs (depending on the experimental group), all appearing after la petite. The familiar words served to create an expectation that la petite would be followed by either nouns or verbs. If infants can utilize their knowledge of a few frequent words to adjust their expectations, then they could use this information to infer the syntactic category of a novel word – and be surprised when the novel word is used in a context that is incongruent with their expectations. However, infants in both groups did not show a difference between noun and verb test trials. Thus, no evidence for adaptation-based learning was found. We proposed that it is necessary that infants have strong expectations about syntactic contexts before they can adapt these expectations based on recent input.
Background: The Knee OsteoArthritis, Linking Activity and Pain (KOALAP) study is the first to test the feasibility of using consumer-grade cellular smartwatches for health care research. Objective: The overall aim was to investigate the feasibility of using consumer-grade cellular smartwatches as a novel tool to capture data on pain (multiple times a day) and physical activity (continuously) in patients with knee osteoarthritis. Additionally, KOALAP aimed to investigate smartwatch sensor data quality and assess whether engagement, acceptability, and user experience are sufficient for future large-scale observational and interventional studies. Methods: A total of 26 participants with self-diagnosed knee osteoarthritis were recruited in September 2017. All participants were aged 50 years or over and either lived in or were willing to travel to the Greater Manchester area. Participants received a smartwatch (Huawei Watch 2) with a bespoke app that collected patient-reported outcomes via questionnaires and continuous watch sensor data. All data were collected daily for 90 days. Additional data were collected through interviews (at baseline and follow-up) and baseline and end-of-study questionnaires. This study underwent full review by the University of Manchester Research Ethics Committee (#0165) and University Information Governance (#IGRR000060). For qualitative data analysis, a system-level security policy was developed in collaboration with the University Information Governance Office. Additionally, the project underwent an internal review process at Google, including separate reviews of accessibility, product engineering, privacy, security, legal, and protection regulation compliance. Results: Participants were recruited in September 2017. Data collection via the watches was completed in January 2018. Collection of qualitative data through patient interviews is still ongoing. Data analysis will commence when all data are collected; results are expected in 2019. Conclusions: KOALAP is the first health study to use consumer cellular smartwatches to collect self-reported symptoms alongside sensor data for musculoskeletal disorders. The results of this study will be used to inform the design of future mobile health studies. Results for feasibility and participant motivations will inform future researchers whether or under which conditions cellular smartwatches are a useful tool to collect patient-reported outcomes alongside passively measured patient behavior. The exploration of associations between self-reported symptoms at different moments will contribute to our understanding of whether it may be valuable to collect symptom data more frequently. Sensor data–quality measurements will indicate whether cellular smartwatch usage is feasible for obtaining sensor data. Methods for data-quality assessment and data-processing methods may be reusable, although generalizability to other clinical areas should be further investigated. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID): DERR1-10.2196/10238
The motivated reasoning paradigm states that ideological beliefs and goals bias individuals’ information processing particularly regarding socio-political information. However, most individuals are unaware of the potential that ideological biases shape their perception and judgement making them easy targets for political polarization and disinformation. This leads to the strong need to identify pivotal junctures to address and mitigate this bias. Utilizing an ideological bias task that assesses the degree of expressing one’s ideological bias in the estimation of evidence-based socio-political facts, we test the effects of two of feedback conditions on the reduction of ideological bias. For this purpose, a 3 between-factor (feedback-only vs. feedback + social norm nudge vs. no feedback control) design is used to test a representative German sample at two time points (Nt1 = 1229 , Nt2 = 1001). Participants who received feedback on the extent of their ideological bias displayed a significant bias reduction between t1 and t2 compared to the control group. An additional social norm nudge emphasizing the value of unbiased decision-making for society, did not result in a stronger reduction of ideological bias. Moreover, general bias awareness did not moderate the effect of feedback on bias reduction. Our findings contribute to a growing understanding about the suggestibility of ideological bias and point to the (limited) potential of bias awareness in mitigating biased information processing.
These are the supporting documents for the pre-registered report titled "Romantic Relationship Distress, Gender, Socioeconomic Status, and Inflammation: A Pre-Registered Report" in Personal Relationships.
As recent work suggests that global, dispositional forms of optimism may be more adaptive for relationship functioning than more focused, relationship-specific forms of optimism, the current study utilized observational and daily diary data collected from newlywed couples (N = 171) to determine whether global and specific optimistic expectations would differentially predict recovery following marital conflict. We predicted that spouses higher in global optimism would exhibit greater recovery, whereas spouses higher in relationship-specific optimism would exhibit reduced recovery. A series of multilevel models provided some evidence indicating that individuals higher in global optimism showed increased recovery, but this effect was inconsistent. Moreover, relationship-specific optimism failed to moderate responses to marital conflict, suggesting that this form of optimism may not always be detrimental.
This page contains the materials, data, analysis code, and preregistration for the Language Learning paper titled above.
Identifying the prevalence and heterogeneity of reading comprehension difficulties in the ALSPAC sample
The widespread decline of insect pollinators poses a conservation concern and threatens both the pollination of wild plants and crops. Primary drivers of pollinator decline are habitat loss, degradation and fragmentation, which to a large extent result from agricultural intensification. Numerous tools have been developed to aid decision-making relating to insect pollinators and pollination in agricultural landscapes. These tools provide valuable information for understanding the drivers of insect population changes in agricultural areas and projecting future population trends in response to various actions. However, there is currently no comprehensive list of available tools, and their usability (ease of use and acceptability for conducting tasks) for decision-making purposes. Therefore, there is an urgent need to understand what tools have been designed, their commonalities and their suitability for different decision context, to ensure the effectiveness of pollinator-friendly management and conservation actions. In this study, we present a systematic map methodology that will collate and catalogue relevant tools relating to insect pollinators and/or pollination in agricultural landscapes. We will conduct searches in bibliographic databases such as ‘Web of Science Core Collection’ and ‘Scopus’ using a tested search string. Additionally, we will manually search grey literature using web-based engines (Google Scholar and ProQuest) and websites. After removing duplicates, the search results will be screened sequentially based on predetermined eligibility criteria, including title, abstract, and full text. The extracted data will provide metadata for mapping the usability of the tools, utilising descriptive tables, statistics and figures. Usability will be assessed across three categories: the tool itself, the user and the user-context. The results from this mapping exercise can support researchers in synthesising progress in terms of pollinator-related tools, and direct research and development efforts to bridge the identified gaps and shortcomings. It will also have significant implications for managers, stakeholders and policymakers, by providing guidance on existing tools and supporting informed tool choices.
Objective: Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious psychiatric condition often associated with poor outcomes. Biologically informed treatments for AN, such as brain stimulation, are lacking, in part due to the unclear nature of the neurobiological contributions to the illness. However, recent research has suggested a specific neurobiological target for the treatment of AN, namely stimulation of the inferior parietal lobe (IPL). The aim of this study was to stimulate—noninvasively—the left IPL in individuals with AN using high‐definition transcranial direct current stimulation (HD‐tDCS). Method: Twenty participants will be randomized to receive 10 daily sessions of HD‐tDCS or sham HD‐tDCS (placebo). Assessments will be carried out at baseline and end point, as well as 4‐ and 12‐week follow‐ups. Discussion: This pilot investigation will primarily determine the feasibility and acceptability of this intervention.
Background: Academic procrastination is a widespread problem among college students. It is linked to poor academic performance and increased college dropout intentions, as well as several mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Guided web-based interventions can help reduce procrastination. However, guidance by professional clinicians draws upon valuable and limited societal resources, and a more efficient, scalable form of guidance is needed. Guidance by trained clinical psychology students has not yet been examined. Objective: The aim of this open trial is to examine the feasibility and acceptability of a web-based procrastination intervention for college students under the guidance of student digital coaches (e-coaches). Methods: We developed a single-arm trial of a guided web-based intervention targeting procrastination for the Dutch student population. Guidance is delivered by trained clinical psychology students asynchronously in the form of textual feedback on intervention progress, with the aim of supporting and motivating the participant. Participants are recruited at 7 Dutch universities. Primary outcomes are intervention satisfaction, usability, and adherence, which are assessed by the Client Satisfaction Scale (CSQ-8), System Usability Scale (SUS-10), and number of completed modules, respectively. The primary outcomes will be examined by calculating descriptive statistics. Secondary outcomes are e-coach satisfaction and changes to procrastination, depression, stress, and quality of life from pre- to posttest and follow-up. Results: The project was funded in 2019, and recruitment began in January 2021. As of May 2023, a total of 985 participants were enrolled, of which 372 had completed the posttest and 192 had completed the follow-up. The expected date of analysis and publication of the results is 2024. Conclusions: The results are expected to contribute to the body of literature regarding eHealth in 3 ways. First, we will examine whether students who procrastinate adhere to and are satisfied with an eHealth intervention targeting this problem. Second, we will explore whether an intervention targeting procrastination can also decrease depression and stress. Lastly, we will investigate whether trained psychology students can effectively guide their peers in web-based interventions. Given the shortage of licensed psychologists, exploring alternative sources of guidance is much needed in order to provide students with the mental health support they need.
Background Smartphone applications and wearable devices are promising mobile health interventions for hypertension self‐management. However, most mobile health interventions fail to use contextual data, potentially diminishing their impact. The myBPmyLife Study is a just‐in‐time adaptive intervention designed to promote personalized self‐management for patients with hypertension. Methods and Results The study is a 6‐month prospective, randomized‐controlled, remotely administered trial. Participants were recruited from the University of Michigan Health in Ann Arbor, Michigan or the Hamilton Community Health Network, a federally qualified health center network in Flint, Michigan. Participants were randomized to a mobile application with a just‐in‐time adaptive intervention promoting physical activity and lower‐sodium food choices as well as weekly goal setting or usual care. The mobile study application encourages goal attainment through a central visualization displaying participants' progress toward their goals for physical activity and lower‐sodium food choices. Participants in both groups are followed for up for 6 months with a primary end point of change in systolic blood pressure. Exploratory analyses will examine the impact of notifications on step count and self‐reported lower‐sodium food choices. The study launched on December 9, 2021, with 484 participants enrolled as of March 31, 2023. Enrollment of participants was completed on July 3, 2023. After 6 months of follow‐up, it is expected that results will be available in the spring of 2024. Conclusions The myBPmyLife study is an innovative mobile health trial designed to evaluate the effects of a just‐in‐time adaptive intervention focused on improving physical activity and dietary sodium intake on blood pressure in diverse patients with hypertension. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT05154929.
Aim To develop a working definition of the concept of “clinical credibility” in nursing science. Background In both academic and clinical settings, the phrase “clinical credibility” is used when discussing the education of health professionals. No clear definition for the concept is evident in the academic literature. To date, there has not been a study undertaken to develop a working definition of clinical credibility in nursing science. Methods This protocol is stage 1 of a registered report. We will use concept mapping to compare and organise views of three stakeholder groups: nursing students (n = 20) from years 2 or 3 of a three-year Bachelor of Nursing Programme, nurses and other health professionals (n = 20) still practising within a clinical setting, and people who have recently been inpatients in hospital (n = 20). First, participants will take part in separate stakeholder focus groups to generate statements about “What is clinical credibility?”. Second, the same participants will complete two tasks: (1) rank the importance of each statement (prioritising) and (2) put the statements that appear to go together into groups (clustering). The data will then be analysed using a specialised software program called Ariadne. A visual “concept map” will be produced showing the importance and relationship of each statement as viewed by the participants. The projected timeline for the study is one year. The paper complies with the SPIRIT 2013 guidelines for study protocols adapted for mixed methods research. Conclusion The findings of this study will provide a working definition of the concept of “clinical credibility” in nursing science. Relevance to clinical practice The findings can be used to develop a measure of clinical credibility to predict student satisfaction and patient safety outcomes.
Background: The use of naloxone, an opioid antagonist, is a critical component of the US response to fatal opioid-involved overdoses. The importance and utility of naloxone in preventing fatal overdoses have been widely declaimed by medical associations and government officials and are supported by strong research evidence. Still, there are gaps in the current US national strategy because many opioid-involved overdose fatalities have no evidence of naloxone administration. Improving the likelihood that naloxone will be used to prevent fatal overdoses is predicated on facilitating an environment wherein naloxone is available near each overdose and can be accessed by someone who is willing and able to use it. How to accomplish this on a national scale has been unclear. However, there exists a national network of >1 million cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) layperson responders and 4800 emergency responder agencies linked through a mobile phone app called PulsePoint Respond. PulsePoint responders certify that they are trained to administer CPR and are willing to respond to possible cardiac events in public. When such an event occurs near their mobile phone’s location, they receive an alert to respond. These motivated citizens are ideally positioned to carry naloxone and reverse overdoses that occur in public. Objective: This randomized controlled trial will examine the feasibility of recruiting first responder agencies and layperson CPR responders who already use PulsePoint to obtain overdose education and carry naloxone. Methods: This will be a 3-arm parallel-group randomized controlled trial. We will randomly select 180 first responder agencies from the population of agencies contracting with the PulsePoint Foundation. The 3 study arms will include a standard recruitment arm, a misperception-correction recruitment arm, and a control arm (1:1:1 allocation, with random allocation stratified by zip code designation [rural or nonrural]). We will study agency recruitment and, among the agencies we successfully recruit, responder certification of receiving overdose and naloxone education, carrying naloxone, or both. Hypothesis 1 contrasts agency recruitment success between arms 1 and 2, and hypothesis 2 contrasts the ratios of layperson certification across all 3 arms. The primary analyses will be a logistic regression comparing the recruitment rates among the arms, adjusting for rural or nonrural zip code designation. Results: This study was reviewed by the Indiana University Institutional Review Board (20218 and 20219). This project was funded beginning September 14, 2023, by the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Conclusions: The hypotheses in this study will test whether a specific type of messaging is particularly effective in recruiting agencies and layperson responders. Although we hypothesize that arm 2 will outperform the other arms, our intention is to use the best-performing approach in the next phase of this study if any of our approaches demonstrates feasibility. Trial Registration: OSF Registries osf.io/egn3z; https://osf.io/egn3z
Considerable evidence attests to a relationship between executive function and falls. Notable among cognitive elements related to fall risk is the ability to suppress a highly automatic but unwanted action—that is, response inhibition. Although the ability to stop may seem like an unlikely foundation for maintaining balance, there are many situations in daily life where the ability to adapt planned action is critical to reducing instability. Most of what we know about the role of inhibition in balance control is based on correlations between cognitive test performance and self-reported falls, leaving a sizable gap in understanding mechanisms linking inhibition and balance control. Here, we expand from traditional balance assessments that accentuate reflexive action and instead impose a need to suppress a prepotent balance recovery step. We leveraged techniques developed in cognitive neuroscience to expose neuromuscular events leading to successful inhibition. Specifically, we used high-density electroencephalography to measure neural markers previously shown to predict successful inhibition in seated voluntary reaction tasks using hand responses (ß-bursts) and applied this to a balance recovery step task. Contrary to our hypothesis, higher ß-burst volume after a stop cue was associated with failed step suppression. Other ß oscillation characteristics revealed slightly earlier ß-burst onsets in successful suppression trials and higher average ß power prior to the stop signal for successful versus failed stop trials. The current study offers insight into potential key markers underlying suppression of a recovery step, and we highlight unique challenges associated with studying cognitive processes during rapid, whole-body balance recovery.
The N2pc is widely employed as an electrophysiological marker of an attention allocation. This interpretation was largely driven by the observation of an N2pc elicited by an isolated relevant target object, which was reported as Experiment 2 in Eimer (1996). All subsequent refined interpretations of the N2pc had to take this crucial finding into account. Despite its central role for neurocognitive attention research, there have been no direct replications and only few conceptual replications of this seminal work. Within the context of #EEGManyLabs, an international community-driven effort to replicate the most influential EEG studies ever published, the present study was selected due to its strong impact on the study of selective attention. We revisit the idea of the N2pc being an indicator of attentional selectivity by delivering a high powered direct replication of Eimer's work through analysis of 779 datasets acquired from 22 labs across 14 countries. Our results robustly replicate the N2pc to form stimuli, but a direct replication of the more influential N2pc to color stimuli technically failed. We believe that this pattern not only sheds further light on the functional significance of the N2pc as an electrophysiological marker of attentional selectivity, but also highlights a methodological problem with selecting analysis windows a priori. By contrast, the consistency of observed ERP patterns across labs and analysis pipelines is stunning and this consistency is preserved even in datasets that were rejected for (ocular) artifacts, attesting the robustness of the ERP technique and the feasibility of large-scale EEG replication studies.
Background: Integrating algorithm-based clinical decision support (CDS) systems poses significant challenges in evaluating their actual clinical value. Such CDS systems are traditionally assessed via controlled but resource-intensive clinical trials. Objective: This paper presents a review protocol for preimplementation in silico evaluation methods to enable broadened impact analysis under simulated environments before clinical trials. Methods: We propose a scoping review protocol that follows an enhanced Arksey and O’Malley framework and PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Extension for Scoping Reviews) guidelines to investigate the scope and research gaps in the in silico evaluation of algorithm-based CDS models—specifically CDS decision-making end points and objectives, evaluation metrics used, and simulation paradigms used to assess potential impacts. The databases searched are PubMed, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Cochrane, IEEEXplore, Web of Science, and arXiv. A 2-stage screening process identified pertinent articles. The information extracted from articles was iteratively refined. The review will use thematic, trend, and descriptive analyses to meet scoping aims. Results: We conducted an automated search of the databases above in May 2023, with most title and abstract screenings completed by November 2023 and full-text screening extended from December 2023 to May 2024. Concurrent charting and full-text analysis were carried out, with the final analysis and manuscript preparation set for completion in July 2024. Publication of the review results is targeted from July 2024 to February 2025. As of April 2024, a total of 21 articles have been selected following a 2-stage screening process; these will proceed to data extraction and analysis. Conclusions: We refined our data extraction strategy through a collaborative, multidisciplinary approach, planning to analyze results using thematic analyses to identify approaches to in silico evaluation. Anticipated findings aim to contribute to developing a unified in silico evaluation framework adaptable to various clinical workflows, detailing clinical decision-making characteristics, impact measures, and reusability of methods. The study’s findings will be published and presented in forums combining artificial intelligence and machine learning, clinical decision-making, and health technology impact analysis. Ultimately, we aim to bridge the development-deployment gap through in silico evaluation-based potential impact assessments.
PsychArchives is a disciplinary repository for psychological science and neighboring disciplines.
In laboratory faking research, participants are often instructed to respond honestly (generic instructions [GIs], control condition) or to fake (personnel-selection scenario [PSS], faking condition). Considering the research on instruction-level contextualization, a PSS might not only motivate participants to fake but might also promote the adoption of a work frame of reference (FOR). Thus, differences in responses between faking and control conditions could partly result from FOR effects. (Full) item-level contextualization can also be used to promote the adoption of a work FOR, and the adoption through this route is stronger than through instruction manipulation. We combined the two approaches to disentangle FOR and faking, conducted a 4-wave longitudinal study with a 2 (instructions: GIs vs. PSS) x 2 (full item-level work contextualization absent vs. present) repeated-measures design (N = 309), and compared the effects of these conditions on three HEXACO-PI-R scales (Conscientiousness, Emotionality, Honesty-Humility). Irrespective of the investigated personality trait, the ANOVAs revealed significant main effects. As expected, compared with GIs, the PSS increased the adoption of a work FOR, and the effects were smaller than the effects of full item-level work contextualization present (vs. absent). Also, as expected, the PSS (vs. GIs) and full item-level work contextualization present (vs. absent) changed participants’ scale mean scores. However, importantly, there were no interaction effects. Exploratory mediation analyses indicated direct rather than indirect (mediator: adoption of a work FOR) effects of instructions on participants’ scale mean scores. In conclusion, the internal validity of faking research is not threatened by confounding FOR effects.
Preregistered Replication Attempt of the study by Kay et al. (2008) in which the authors showed that experimentally threatened personal control increased levels of belief in a controlling God compared to affirmed personal control.
Spontaneous alternation behaviour (SAB) is the tendency to systematically alternate directional choices in successive maze arms. Originally discovered in rats, SAB has been extensively investigated in a broad range of species. In humans however, SAB has been mostly ignored, possibly due to the difficulties arising from the use of life-size mazes. We here propose to close this gap by advancing the study of human SAB by use of virtual reality (VR). Alternation rates in humans will be examined in three experiments, each deploying a specific type of virtual maze. The three virtual mazes will test 1) the effect of a concurrent cognitive task on baseline alternation rates,2) the differential influence of locomotor and visual factors on alternation behaviour, and 3) direction alternation in an unrestricted open space.Together, the experimental series will elucidate thepresenceandcharacteristics ofSABin humansand pave the way for the systematic study of its neurocognitive basis
We will conduct an experimental study to observe the influence of ostracism on the opinion extremization in a subsequent group discussion.
This registered report study examines whether informing partisans about the party cue effect reduces partisan bias in policy judgments. It employs an experimental design in which subjects are informed that party cues induce people who identify with a party to take policy positions because the party does and that there are potential drawbacks of relying on party cues instead of reflecting on the policy content. The hypothesis is that those who are aware of the party cue effect will be less likely to rely on party cues when making policy judgments compared to those who are not informed.
This study is a Registered Report which was submitted to Cortex. The Stage 1 manuscript was granted In Principle Acceptance on September 8th 2017.
Consolidated memories may return to labile/unstable states after their reactivation, thus requiring a restabilization process that is known as reconsolidation. During this time-limited reconsolidation window, reactivated existing memories can be strengthened, weakened or updated with new information. Previous studies have shown that noninvasive stimulation of the lateral prefrontal cortex after memory reactivation strengthened existing verbal episodic memories through reconsolidation, an effect documented by enhanced delayed memory recall (24h post-reactivation). However, it remains unknown whether the left posterior parietal cortex (PPC), a region involved during reactivation of existing episodic memories, contributes to reconsolidation. To address this question, in this double-blind experiment healthy participants (n=27) will receive transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) with the anode over the left PPC after reactivation of previously learned verbal episodic memories. Memory recall will be tested 24h later. To rule out unspecific effects of memory reactivation or tDCS alone, we will include two control groups: one that receives tDCS with the anode over the left PPC without reactivation (n=27) and another one that receives tDCS with the anode over a control site (primary visual cortex) after reactivation (n=27). We hypothesize that tDCS with the anode over the left PPC after memory reactivation will enhance delayed recall through reconsolidation relative to the two control groups. Knowledge about the critical nodes of the episodic memory reconsolidation network may help develop effective interventions to modulate existing memories in patients with memory disorders.
Neural networks for the processing of appetitive and aversive information, in isolation, have been well characterized. However, how the brain integrates competing signals associated with simultaneous appetitive and aversive information is less clear. In particular, it is unknown how the presence of concurrent reward modulates the processing of an aversive event throughout the brain. Here, we propose utilizing a four-armed bandit task in an fMRI study to measure the representation of an aversive electric shock with and without the simultaneous receipt of monetary reward. Using an ROI approach, we will first identify regions activated by the experience of aversive electric shock, and then measure how this shock-related activation is modulated by concurrent reward using independent data. Informed by prior literature and our own preliminary data, analyses will focus on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, anterior and posterior insula, anterior cingulate cortex, and the thalamus and somatosensory cortex. Of interest will be the extent to which responses to the aversive electric shock are attenuated due to the presence of concurrent reward, consistent with either the integration of valence signals or competition between punishment and reward.