Cognitive Science Commons^™

Prefrontal Engagement In Cognitive Flexibility Across Paradigms, Katarina Kalajzic

Honors Scholar Theses

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Cognitive flexibility is an executive function that involves dynamically adapting behavior in the face of changing environmental circumstances to achieve a particular goal. Disrupted in numerous psychiatric disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, schizophrenia, OCD, and depression, the neural correlates of cognitive flexibility are not well understood. However, the prefrontal cortex (PFC) is strongly implicated in executive function and attentional control processes. Thus, we sought to examine the neural circuitry involved in distinct cognitive flexibility tasks – the attentional set-shifting task and the probabilistic 2-armed bandit task. Through optogenetic suppression, we targeted pyramidal neurons of the rodent medial prefrontal cortex, an …

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An Examination Of Speech Motor Control And Auditory Processing In Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (Adhd), Rita Bishai

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

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Fluent speech production is achieved through a relative weighting of feedback and feedforward motor control systems. These systems are thought to be responsible for the online correction of vocal errors and initiating speech, respectively. The relative weighting of these motor control systems has been shown to differ under conditions of high attentional load and across individual differences in sensory acuity. However, research has yet to examine speech motor control in a population with clinical attentional and sensory processing differences, such as those with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The studies in this thesis aimed to examine how ADHD traits relate to …

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The Effects Of Audio And Visual Stimuli On Working Memory, Suad H. Mohamed, Gavin Khamphouvong, Bailey A. Zobel, Kayley Erin Tiggs

Science University Research Symposium (SURS)

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The rise in technology over recent years has led to a dramatic increase in distractions (Miller et al., 2020). Additionally, it has been well-established that visual and audio stimuli can make up the majority of these distractors on working memory. Working memory provides temporary storage and active manipulation of information that requires simultaneous processing (Baddeley, 1992). However, little research has experimentally tested to see if there is a significant difference between audio and visual stimuli on working memory. The purpose of the present study was to examine how an addition of audio or visual stimuli impacts performance on working memory …

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Zoom Dysmorphia: An Eye-Tracking Study Of Self-View And Attention During Video Conferences, Kathleen H. Stimson

Cognitive Science Senior Theses

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This study investigates Zoom Dysmorphia, a heightened self-awareness and self-criticism of perceived physical flaws due to prolonged self-view on video conferencing platforms, with associated behaviors resembling symptoms of Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD). Drawing on Veale’s (2001, 2004) and Neziroglu’s (2004) cognitive-behavioral models of BDD and prior studies on BDD which suggest the development and maintenance of BDD through excessive self-focused attention and attentional bias, this study explores the potential cognitive and emotional implications of this phenomenon. Participants engaged in two mock video conferences with self-view enabled in one meeting and disabled the other for comparison. Eye tracking technology monitored their …

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Awareness In The Brain: A Mechanistic And Descriptive Account, Jacob Fried, Roy Pereira

Honors Thesis

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An exploration of the different aspects of consciousness and their biological underpinnings, followed by a review of existing theories of awareness in the brain and a critique of the existing research. This paper conducts a review and critique of the contemporary research and finds that no existing theory currently offers an account of awareness in the brain that is both mechanistic and descriptive in nature. Thus, this paper proposes a new theory of the process of awareness in the brain, wherein Attention Schema Theory is considered as the mechanism of awareness and Global Neuronal Workspace Theory as its nature.

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Exploring Spatial Operations Of Distractor Suppression In The Sense Of Touch, Nicole A. Serino

Dissertations and Theses

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The ability to select sensory information in our environment is key to facilitating goal-directed actions. Sensory selection mechanisms are prevalent in all sensory modalities, and can be implemented by enhancing information at the relevant location and/or suppressing neural information outside the focus of attention (a mechanism known as distractor suppression). Although we have a decent understanding of how the brain enhances information within the focus of attention, less is known about the mechanisms that mediate suppression of distractors, especially in sensory modalities outside vision. In this study, we conducted a series of behavioral experiments to investigate the spatial flexibility of …

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The Long-Term Effects Of Cannabis On Attention To Motion, Rachel Mccaig

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

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The purpose of the following study was to investigate the long-term effects of cannabis use on attention to motion.

Methods: Cannabis users, who varied in age of onset of use, were compared to control participants after abstaining from cannabis for at least 24 hours. One-hundred and ninety-seven participants engaged in a cognitive assessment followed by a motion discrimination task and an attention to motion task. The assessment consisted of a series of standard tasks that measured a range of cognitive processes such as attention, memory, and executive functioning. The motion discrimination task assessed the participants’ abilities in discriminating between various …

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Event-Related Potentials Of Individuals With Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Performing The Attention Network Task, P. Dennis Rodriguez, Justin E. Stauffacher

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

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The current study sought to investigate the neural basis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by examining the performance of individuals with ADHD on the Attentional Networks Test (ANT) by Fan, McCandliss, Sommer, Raz, and Posner (2002), while recording electroencephalography (EEG) utilizing event-related potentials (ERP) methodology. Fifty-seven university students were divided into three groups: control, ADHD-inattentive subtype (ADHD-IA), and ADHD-combined/hyperactive impulsive subtype (ADHD-C/HI). The average peak amplitudes of the P300 waveform for each group were compared and analyzed for performance on each attention network measured by the ANT: the alerting network, the orienting network, and the executive control network. The average P3 …

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Intellectual Functioning And Multi-Dimensional Attentional Processes In Long-Term Survivors Of A Central Nervous System Related Pediatric Malignancy, Robert W. Butler, Diane L. Fairclough, Ernest R. Katz, Anne E. Kazak, Robert B. Noll, Ryan D. Thompson, Olle Jane Z. Sahler

Faculty Publications - Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) Program

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Abstract

Aims

Central nervous system (CNS) malignancies and/or their treatment in pediatric cancer survivors are known to be associated with deficits in neuropsychological functions. We report findings from a nation-wide study of childhood cancer survivors to investigate intelligence and attention/concentration from a multi-dimensional perspective in a diverse sample from this population.

Main methods

Four hundred forty-four pediatric cancer survivors between 6 and 17 years of age, who had suffered CNS involvement associated with their malignancy, were evaluated. All patients completed a measure of general intelligence. Attention was measured by a continuous performance test (CPT) and by parental report using a …

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