The production of the film was supported by the Emili Sagol Creative Arts Therapies Research Center.

This study was conducted with the approval of the Faculty of Social Welfare &#38; Health Sciences at the University of Haifa, ethics committee. Informed consent was obtained, and research was performed in compliance with Helsinki guidelines for human welfare.
NOTE: The research is conducted at a table, using art materials and a portable, wireless and non-invasive electrocardiogram (ECG) recording device.
1. Participant selection
<ol>
	<li>Recruit healthy participants between the ages of 18 and 40. For a wider range of ages, a division to sub-groups is recommended due to age related changes in heart rate variability.</li>
	<li>Exclude participants with current or a history of heart disease as heart disease can affect heart rate variability, thus limiting the ability to examine whether change is due to the behavioral activity.</li>
	<li>Invite all subjects to the laboratory between 08:00-15:00, to ensure similar conditions. Set any time frame as long as the experiment can be conducted within it.</li>
	<li>Greet the participant and confirm that in the 2 hours before the experiment the participant did not drink coffee, eat, smoke or vigorously exercise.</li>
	<li>Obtain written informed consent to ensure that participants know they are free to leave the experiment at any point in time without consequence and are aware of any risks and benefits to participation.</li>
</ol>
2. Experimental protocol
<ol>
	<li>Adhere the biopatch two fingers below the sternum with 2 Ag-AgCl disposable electrodes. The ECG is sampled (1000 Hz, 16 bit) and recorded with the biopatch.</li>
	<li>Examine that the values of the data collected (i.e., heart rate, HRV) appear on the graphic interface ensuring that data is being collected. The software will also transmit an audio alarm when the biopatch goes offline.</li>
	<li>After the participant adapts to the environment and wears the biopatch, measure 5 min of resting heart rate in a sitting position to establish baseline HRV. Instruct the participant to sit still, and avoid chewing or talking, which affects the HRV.</li>
	<li>Following the 5 min rest to establish baseline HRV, instruct participants to fill out pencil and paper questionnaires with demographic data, a question about art making habits and the self-assessment manikin (SAM)5. Instruct participants to mark the drawing that is closest to how they feel at the current moment (See Figure 2).</li>
	<li>To establish a comparable emotional state, have participants listen to 5 min of relaxing music of their choice (nature sounds, new age or classical music) before each artmaking session. The relaxing music is purposely chosen by the participant to ensure that it is relaxing for them6.</li>
	<li>Provide participants with a (50 cm x 35 cm) sheet of paper and instruct them to engage in a 10 min artmaking session (pencil, oil pastels or gouache paint). To reduce an order affect, randomize the order of the art materials. 
	NOTE: Here, after drawing with pencil, the participants used oil pastels and then gouache paint.
	<ol>
		<li>Encourage participants to engage in an exploration of the materials in any way they feel fit and use the entire 10 min for artmaking. Provide encouragement by reminding participants that the art product and its aesthetics are not important and that they can draw anything at all.</li>
		<li>Present the pencil with a pencil sharpener and an eraser.</li>
		<li>Instruct participants to report their emotional state using the SAM.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Turn on music and instruct participants to listen to 5 min of relaxing music of their choice (nature sounds, new age or classical music).</li>
	<li>Place an open box of 12 colors of oil pastels on the table and instruct participants to use them in any way they choose including peeling the wrapper and breaking the pastel if needed.
	<ol>
		<li>Replace the box of pastels for the next subject if their general appearance is significantly affected by use.</li>
		<li>Instruct participants to report their emotional state using the SAM.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Turn on music and instruct participants to listen to 5 min of relaxing music of their choice (nature sounds, new age or classical music).</li>
	<li>Present gouache paint in primary colors (yellow, red and blue), black and white in a plastic palette, divided into 6 bowls and 4 mixing surfaces, to control the quantities of paint. In addition, provide a jar of water, a soft, flat-headed brush (size 6) and a cloth.
	<ol>
		<li>Tell the subjects that they can request additional paint if needed.</li>
		<li>Provide a short explanation of mixing colors and cleaning the brushes.</li>
		<li>Instruct participants to report their emotional state using the SAM.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Remove the biopatch from the participant at the end of the session. Download the data recorded with the biopatch to the computer using the biopatch download log.</li>
</ol>
3. Data analysis
<ol>
	<li>Convert the data to a text file that is appropriate for import to the visual analysis software (e.g., QRSTool)7, saving only the time stamp and voltage vectors, using a MATLAB script. The MATLAB script* is helpful in saving the timestamp and voltage vectors, while erasing the rest. This can be done manually but is very time consuming. The resulting text file example is presented in Figure 3.</li>
	<li>Import the text file created by the MATLAB script to the QRSTool using the graphical user interface: File | Import | (Choose File). Make sure that the sample rate 1000 Hz button is pressed. The ECG will then be graphically displayed in the window of QRSTool.</li>
	<li>Visually inspect the ECG series for artefacts. Identify the R component of the ECG using the QRS-tool software (See Figure 4). The software automatically detects the R spikes, by flagging all points with a red hourglass, above a threshold marked manually. 
	NOTE: For more information contact the third author at: jallen@email.arizona.edu
	<ol>
		<li>Visually inspect each ECG series alongside the identified heartbeats, time points and artefacts (missed or wrongfully identified heartbeats), which may have an excessive or missing heartbeat in the inter-beat intervals graph. Correct this manually by clicking to remove the extra heartbeat or adding one where missing.</li>
		<li>In areas of data with noise, not showing an identifiable QRS waveform, divide the data into several chunks, of 30 seconds at least. 
		NOTE: Remember, tails of cropped data cannot be added together. Analyze these separately and create a mean of all chunks.</li>
		<li>Mark or divide the data according to various phases of the experiment. To do so, use the visual interface to cut off and save only the data for each event and export them separately to CMetX (described below). Divide the data based on the experiment stages described above (baseline, music listening and art making with the various materials).</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>When all data is clean, export to CMETX by using the visual interface File | Export, or directly by a command line. This will open the CMetX viewer window with an added line with the indices of HRV.</li>
	<li>Export HRV indices to a CSV file for data analysis
	<ol>
		<li>Use two indices of HRV: the estimated respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA) as a vagal or parasympathetic index and the cardiac sympathetic index (CSI) &#8211; based on a Lorenz plot that estimates sympathetic influence. Figure 4 is an example of the output provided by the CMetX software. 
		NOTE: Choosing the appropriate HRV index to represent vagal or sympathetic cardiac regulation can be tricky and requires some methodologically and theoretically based decisions that are beyond the scope of this presentation. For further information we recommend reading: Allen, J. J., Chambers, A. S., &#38; Towers, D. N. (2007). The many metrics of cardiac chronotropy: A pragmatic primer and a brief comparison of metrics8.</li>
	</ol>
	</li>
	<li>Estimate HRV reactivity by subtracting the mean HRV index during music listening from the mean HRV index during the following artmaking session (i.e., positive values represent higher HRV during artmaking compared to the proceeding relaxation).</li>
</ol>

<ol>
	<li>Kagin, S. L., Lusebrink, V. B. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+expressive+therapies+continuum.">The expressive therapies continuum.</a> Art Psychotherapy. 5 (4), 171-180 (1978).</li><li>Butler, E. A., Wilhelm, F. H., Gross, J. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Respiratory+sinus+arrhythmia,+emotion,+and+emotion+regulation+during+social+interaction.">Respiratory sinus arrhythmia, emotion, and emotion regulation during social interaction.</a> Psychophysiology. 43 (6), 612-622 (2006).</li><li>Balzarotti, S., Biassoni, F., Colombo, B., Ciceri, M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Cardiac+vagal+control+as+a+marker+of+emotion+regulation+in+healthy+adults:+A+review.">Cardiac vagal control as a marker of emotion regulation in healthy adults: A review.</a> Biological Psychology. 130, 54-66 (2017).</li><li>Kaimal, G., Ray, K., Muniz, J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reduction+of+Cortisol+Levels+and+Participants'+Responses+Following+Art+Making.">Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants' Responses Following Art Making.</a> Art Therapy. 33 (2), 74-80 (2016).</li><li>Bradley, M. M., Lang, P. J. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Measuring+emotion:+the+self-assessment+manikin+and+the+semantic+differential.">Measuring emotion: the self-assessment manikin and the semantic differential.</a> Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. 25 (1), 49-59 (1994).</li><li>Jiang, J., Rickson, D., Jiang, C. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+mechanism+of+music+for+reducing+psychological+stress:+Music+preference+as+a+mediator.">The mechanism of music for reducing psychological stress: Music preference as a mediator.</a> The Arts in Psychotherapy. 48, 62-68 (2016).</li><li>Haiblum-Itskovitch, S., Czamanski-Cohen, J., Galili, G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Emotional+response+and+changes+in+heart+rate+variability+following+art-making+with+three+different+art+materials.">Emotional response and changes in heart rate variability following art-making with three different art materials.</a> Frontiers in Psychology. 9, (2018).</li><li>Allen, J. J., Chambers, A. S., Towers, D. N. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+many+metrics+of+cardiac+chronotropy:+a+pragmatic+primer+and+a+brief+comparison+of+metrics.">The many metrics of cardiac chronotropy: a pragmatic primer and a brief comparison of metrics.</a> Biological Psychology. 74 (2), 243-262 (2007).</li><li>Johnstone, J. A., Ford, P. A., Hughes, G., Watson, T., Garrett, A. T. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=BioHarness&#8482;+multivariable+monitoring+device:+part.+I:+validity.">BioHarness&#8482; multivariable monitoring device: part. I: validity.</a> Journal of Sports Science &amp; Medicine. 11 (3), 400 (2012).</li><li>Johnstone, J. A., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Field+Based+Reliability+and+Validity+of+the+Bioharness&#8482;+Multivariable+Monitoring+Device.">Field Based Reliability and Validity of the Bioharness&#8482; Multivariable Monitoring Device.</a> Journal of Sports Science &amp; Medicine. 11 (4), 643-652 (2012).</li></ol>

The authors have nothing to disclose.

This protocol is designed to measure differences in RSA during artmaking with art materials varying in their levels of fluidity7. The biopatch9,10 is a small round physiological monitoring telemetry device that attaches to a holster that connects to two Ag-AgCl disposable electrodes and enables the collection of physiological data, including basic ECG. The device stores and transmits vital sign data including ECG, heart rate, respiration r...

The purpose of this protocol is to examine the physiological and emotional response to artmaking in different conditions. In this case, the difference in response to art making with three different art materials varying in levels of fluidity is examined. The rationale behind the development of this experiment is to provide support for theories of art therapy claiming that artmaking with more fluid art materials is related to enhancing emotional expression1. Heart rate variability (HRV) in general, and respiratory sinus arrythmia (RSA) specifically, is indicative of emotional engagement and regulation2,3. In this study example, the order of the art materials used are randomized to control for an order effect. There are no other studies with this study design found.
The advantage of this method is that the ongoing measurement of heart rate variability (HRV) enables the examination of the physiological response to artmaking during the art making itself and it is noninvasive. This is in opposition to measuring bio-markers in blood or saliva following art making, which is important and relevant, but can be challenging to time accurately and requires uncomfortable (drooling in to a tube) or invasive (providing a blood sample) collection methods4.
This protocol can be adapted to measure response to a variety of behavioral activities, and art making with different materials. To do so, replace the artmaking with three materials with the desired behaviors to be examined. It is important to make sure that most elements of the behaviors being examined are similar other than the quality of the behavior being examined (i.e., the liquidity of the art material). Figure 1 is a flow chart of the experiment.

<table border="1" fo:keep-together.within-page="1" fo:keep-with-next.within-page="always">
	<tbody>
		<tr>
			<td>Disposable Ag/AgCl electrodes</td>
			<td>Biopac</td>
			<td>EL501</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Drawing paper</td>
			<td>Stenoplast</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Echo gateway</td>
			<td>Medtronic</td>
			<td>9600.0303</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Eraser</td>
			<td>Factis</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Gouache paint</td>
			<td>Giotto</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>HB pencil</td>
			<td>Milan</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Omnisense 3.9.7</td>
			<td>Medtronic</td>
			<td>9700.0269</td>
			<td>Computer software</td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Oil pastels 12 colors</td>
			<td>Talens</td>
			<td></td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr>
			<td>Zephyr biopatch</td>
			<td>Medtronic</td>
			<td>9600.041</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

examining changes in hrv and emotion following artmaking with three different art materials

This protocol enables the examination of psychological and physiological responses to different types of behavioral engagements. Specifically, in this study example, the emotional response and changes in heart rate variability are examined in response to artmaking with three different art materials that vary in their levels of fluidity. This protocol can be adapted to examine other types of behavior or engagement in artmaking with other materials. There are several benefits to using this protocol. Firstly, the order randomization of the materials improves the probability that the response measured is associated with its qualities and not the order of presentation. Secondly, the continuous measuring of electrocardiogram enables the examination of changes in heart rate variability after engagement with each art material and changes that might occur during the artmaking itself. The advantages of this protocol should be considered with their limitations. The music listening is before each art making session; thus, the return to baseline can only be measured in the first two conditions. The return to baseline provides information on how fast individuals recover after response to working with each of the materials. Furthermore, a more liquid material instead of gouache paint with a brush, such as finger paints, provides more difference between materials. Finally, this protocol can be adapted to specific research needs.

As mentioned above, the CMetX software provides several matrices of HRV. Here, the RSA measure, was calculated for each participant per each experimental condition. Figure 5 depicts mean RSA values (&#177;SE) for the three artmaking tasks and their preceding resting periods. A within subjects ANOVA revealed a statistically significant main effect for artmaking (F(1,49) = 26.155, p &#60; .001), with a large effect size (&#951;p2 = .348), whic...

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Examining Changes in HRV and Emotion Following Artmaking with Three Different Art Materials

The goal of the protocol is to guide researchers in conducting experiments that are intended to measure changes in self-reported emotional response and heart rate variability following art making with different materials. The protocol can easily be adapted for use in a variety of behavioral conditions and activities.

This protocol enables the examination of psychological and physiological responses to different types of behavioral engagements. Specifically, in this ...

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6.0K Views.  University of Haifa. The goal of the protocol is to guide researchers in conducting experiments that are intended to measure changes in self-reported emotional response and heart rate variability following art making with different materials. The protocol can easily be adapted for use in a variety of behavioral conditions and activities.

Video: Examining Changes in HRV and Emotion Following Artmaking with Three Different Art Materials

Assessment of Age-related Changes in Cognitive Functions Using EmoCogMeter, a Novel Tablet-computer Based Approach

The main goal of this study was to assess the usability of a tablet-computer-based application (EmoCogMeter) in investigating the effects of age on cognitive functions across the lifespan in a sample of 378 healthy subjects (age range 18-89 years). Consistent with previous findings we found an age-related cognitive decline across a wide range of neuropsychological domains (memory, attention, executive functions), thereby proving the usability of our tablet-based application. Regardless of prior computer experience, subjects of all age groups were able to perform the tasks without instruction or feedback from an experimenter. Increased motivation and compliance proved to be beneficial for task performance, thereby potentially increasing the validity of the results. Our promising findings underline the great clinical and practical potential of a tablet-based application for detection and monitoring of cognitive dysfunction.

We tested the usability of a tablet-computer-based application (EmoCogMeter) in investigating the effects of age on cognition. Results show an age-related cognitive decline, thereby proving the usability of our application. Findings underline the great clinical and practical potential of a tablet-based application for detection and monitoring of cognitive dysfunction.

The main goal of this study was to assess the usability of a tablet-computer-based application (EmoCogMeter) in investigating the effects of age on ...

Design and Implementation of an fMRI Study Examining Thought Suppression in Young Women with, and At-risk, for Depression

Ruminative brooding is associated with increased vulnerability to major depression. Individuals who regularly ruminate will often try to reduce the frequency of their negative thoughts by actively suppressing them. We aim to identify the neural correlates underlying thought suppression in at-risk and depressed individuals. Three groups of women were studied; a major depressive disorder group, an at-risk group (having a first degree relative with depression) and controls. Participants performed a mixed block-event fMRI paradigm involving thought suppression, free thought and motor control periods. Participants identified the re-emergence of &#8220;to-be-suppressed&#8221; thoughts (&#8220;popping&#8221; back into conscious awareness) with a button press. During thought suppression the control group showed the greatest activation of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, followed by the at-risk, then depressed group. During the re-emergence of intrusive thoughts compared to successful re-suppression of those thoughts, the control group showed the greatest activation of the anterior cingulate cortices, followed by the at-risk, then depressed group. At-risk participants displayed anomalies in the neural regulation of thought suppression resembling the dysregulation found in depressed individuals. The predictive value of these changes in the onset of depression remains to be determined.

We aim to identify the neural correlates underlying sustained and transient thought suppression, and thought re-emergence in controls, at-risk and depressed individuals. Activation was greatest for controls compared to the at-risk and the depressed group in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex during thought suppression and anterior cingulate cortex during thought re-emergence.

Ruminative brooding is associated with increased vulnerability to major depression. Individuals who regularly ruminate will often try to reduce the ...

Experimental Research Examining How People Can Cope with Uncertainty Through Soft Haptic Sensations

Human beings are constantly surrounded by uncertainty and change. The question arises how people cope with such uncertainty. To date, most research has focused on the cognitive strategies people adopt to deal with uncertainty. However, especially when uncertainty is due to unpredictable societal events (e.g., economical crises, political revolutions, terrorism threats) of which one is unable to judge the impact on one&#8217;s future live, cognitive strategies (like seeking additional information) is likely to fail to combat uncertainty. Instead, the current paper discusses a method demonstrating that people might deal with uncertainty experientially through soft haptic sensations. More specifically, because touching something soft creates a feeling of comfort and security, people prefer objects with softer as compared to harder properties when feeling uncertain. Seeking for softness is a highly efficient and effective tool to deal with uncertainty as our hands are available at all times. This protocol describes a set of methods demonstrating 1) how environmental (un)certainty can be situationally activated with an experiential priming procedure, 2) that the quality of the softness experience (what type of softness and how it is experienced) matters and 3) how uncertainty can be reduced using different methods.

To date research has focused on cognitive strategies people adopt to cope with uncertainty. This research examines instead an experiential way of dealing with uncertainty and introduces a set of experimental methods showing how the experience of haptic softness can serve as a tool to deal with uncertainty.

Human beings are constantly surrounded by uncertainty and change. The question arises how people cope with such uncertainty. To date, most research has ...

Examining Recall Memory in Infancy and Early Childhood Using the Elicited Imitation Paradigm

The ability to recall the past allows us to report on details of previous experiences, from the everyday to the significant. Because recall memory is commonly assessed using verbal report paradigms in adults, studying the development of this ability in preverbal infants and children proved challenging. Over the past 30 years, researchers have developed a non-verbal means of assessing recall memory known as the elicited or deferred imitation paradigm. In one variant of the procedure, participants are presented with novel three-dimensional stimuli for a brief baseline period before a researcher demonstrates a series of actions that culminate in an end- or goal-state. The participant is allowed to imitate the demonstrated actions immediately, after a delay, or both. Recall performance is then compared to baseline or to performance on novel control sequences presented at the same session; memory can be assessed for the individual target actions and the order in which they were completed. This procedure is an accepted analogue to the verbal report techniques used with adults, and it has served to establish a solid foundation of the nature of recall memory in infancy and early childhood. In addition, the elicited or deferred imitation procedure has been modified and adapted to answer questions relevant to other aspects of cognitive functioning. The broad utility and application of imitation paradigms is discussed, along with limitations of the approach and directions for future research.

The elicited imitation procedure was established to examine the development of recall memory in infancy and early childhood. This procedure has been widely used to establish a solid foundation of the nature of recall memory in infancy and early childhood.

The ability to recall the past allows us to report on details of previous experiences, from the everyday to the significant. Because recall memory is ...

Exploring the Use of Isolated Expressions and Film Clips to Evaluate Emotion Recognition by People with Traumatic Brain Injury

The current study presented 60 people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 60 controls with isolated facial emotion expressions, isolated vocal emotion expressions, and multimodal (i.e., film clips) stimuli that included contextual cues. All stimuli were presented via computer. Participants were required to indicate how the person in each stimulus was feeling using a forced-choice format. Additionally, for the film clips, participants had to indicate how they felt in response to the stimulus, and the level of intensity with which they experienced that emotion.

This paper describes how to implement a battery of behavioral tasks to examine emotion recognition of isolated facial and vocal emotion expressions, and a novel task using commercial television and film clips to assess multimodal emotion recognition that includes contextual cues.

The current study presented 60 people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and 60 controls with isolated facial emotion expressions, isolated vocal emotion ...

Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood

Effective regulation of emotion is one of the most important skills that develops in childhood. Research interest in this area is expanding, but empirical work has been limited by predominantly correlational investigations of children's skills. Relatedly, a key conceptual challenge for emotion scientists is to distinguish between emotion responding and emotion regulatory processes. This paper presents a novel method to address these conceptual and methodological issues in child samples. An experimental paradigm that assesses the effectiveness with which children regulate emotion is described. Children are randomly assigned to use specific emotion regulation strategies, negative emotions are elicited with film clips, and changes in subsequent psychophysiology index the extent to which emotion regulation is effective. Children are instructed to simply watch the emotion-eliciting film (control), distract themselves from negative emotions (cognitive distraction), or reframe the situation in a way that downplays the importance of the emotional event (cognitive reappraisal). Cardiac physiology, continuously acquired before and during the emotional task, serves as an objective measure of children's unfolding emotional responding while viewing evocative films. Key comparisons in patterns of obtained physiological reactivity are between the control and emotion regulation strategy conditions. Representative results from this approach are described, and discussion focuses on the contribution of this methodological approach to developmental science.

A detailed protocol for an experimental paradigm to assess the effectiveness with which children regulate emotion is described. Children are randomly assigned to use specific emotion regulation strategies, negative emotions are elicited with film clips, and changes in subsequent psychophysiology index the extent to which emotion regulation is effective.

Effective regulation of emotion is one of the most important skills that develops in childhood. Research interest in this area is expanding, but empirical ...

Three Laboratory Procedures for Assessing Different Manifestations of Impulsivity in Rats

The present article provides a guide for the conduction and analysis of three conditioning-based protocols to evaluate impulsivity in rats. Impulsivity is a meaningful concept because it is associated with psychiatric conditions in humans and with maladaptive behavior in non-human animals. It is believed that impulsivity is composed of separate factors. There are laboratory protocols devised to assess each of these factors using standardized automated equipment. Delay discounting is associated with the incapacity to be motivated by delayed outcomes. This factor is evaluated through intertemporal choice protocols, which consist&#160;of presenting the individual with a choice situation involving an immediate reward and a larger but delayed reward. Response inhibition deficit is associated with the incapacity to withhold prepotent responses. Differential reinforcement of low rates (DLR) and feature-negative discrimination protocols assess the response inhibition deficit factor of impulsivity. The former imposes a condition to a motivated individual in which most wait a minimum period of time for a response to be rewarded. The latter evaluates the capacity of individuals to refrain from food seeking responses when a signal of the absence of food is presented. The purpose of these protocols is to construct an objective quantitative measure of impulsivity, which serves to make cross-species comparisons, allowing the possibility of translational research. The advantages of these particular protocols include their easy set-up and application, which stems from the relatively small amount of equipment needed and the automated nature of these protocols.

We present three protocols that assess different forms of impulsivity in rats and other small mammals. Intertemporal choice procedures evaluate the tendency to discount the value of delayed outcomes. Differential reinforcement of low rates and feature-negative discrimination evaluate response inhibition capacity with and without punishment for inappropriate responses, respectively.

The present article provides a guide for the conduction and analysis of three conditioning-based protocols to evaluate impulsivity in rats. Impulsivity is ...

Observing the Transformation of Bodily Self-consciousness in the Squeeze-machine Experiment

How is our bodily self-consciousness acquired, and how does it affect cognition? To investigate this, we conducted an experiment using the squeeze machine, a device that provides pressure along the length of the user&#8217;s whole body. The squeeze machine is used to help autistic people relax. The inventor of the machine, Dr. Temple Grandin says that the squeeze machine, beyond bringing her relaxation, enables her to feel empathy for others. This claim is of considerable interest and raises the following two points; first, the problem of empathy in autism is an important issue and Squeeze Machine could be effective. Second, it suggests that the physical action of Squeeze Machine could provide an insight of mind-body problem to us. Here, we hypothesize that the squeeze machine focuses conscious to direct the bodily self, transforming bodily self-consciousness itself. Such intentionality could bring empathy to others. In this study, we tested whether bodily self-consciousness would be transformed through the squeeze-machine experience. In the first part of the protocol, we simplified the original design of Grandin&#8217;s squeeze machine but ensured that it retained its relaxing effect. In the second part of the protocol, we adopted a preestablished method of peri-personal space (PPS) measurement to estimate changes in extended bodily space. The results showed that the boundaries of PPS that appeared in the control experiment disappeared during the use of the squeeze machine. Indeed, collected subjective reports suggest that bodily self-consciousness continually drifted between the point of action of the external force (squeeze-machine pressure) and of an internal force (balance among body parts that are usually not consciously controlled), leading to the abandonment of the immobilization of individual PPS.

The squeeze machine, a V-shaped device that provides pressure along the whole body is used in therapy especially for people with autism. Here, we focus on its possible use in experiments to capture the typical transformations of bodily self-consciousness with peri-personal space measurement.

How is our bodily self-consciousness acquired, and how does it affect cognition? To investigate this, we conducted an experiment using the squeeze ...

Measuring Biophysical and Psychological Stress Levels Following Visitation to Three Locations with Differing Levels of Nature

Visitation to natural environments has been linked to psychological stress reduction. Although most stress-related research has relied on self-report formats, a growing number of studies now incorporate biological stress-related hormones and catalysts, such as cortisol and &#945;-amylase, to measure levels of stress. Presented here is a protocol to examine the effects on levels of biophysical and psychological stress following visitation to three different locations with differing levels of nature. Biophysical and self-reported psychological stress levels are measured immediately upon entering the selected locations and just prior to the visitors leaving the site. Using a &#34;drool&#34;&#160;method, the biophysical measure consists of 1-2 mL samples of saliva provided by study subjects upon entry to one of three study locations. As prescribed by extant literature, the saliva is collected within a 45 minute time frame following the end of the visitor&#8217;s engagement at the location. Following saliva collection, the samples are labeled and transported to a biological lab. Cortisol is the biophysical variable of interest in this study and measured using an ELISA process with a TECAN plate reader. To measure self-reported stress, the Perceived Stress Questionnaire (PSQ), which reports levels of worry, tension, joy, and perceived demands. Data are collected at all three sites in the late afternoon through early evening. When compared across all three settings, stress levels, as measured by both the biological markers and self-reports, are significantly lower after visitation to the most natural setting.

The purpose of this paper is to identify changes in stress levels after visitation to three different settings and to describe the methods used in identifying stress levels based on measures of salivary cortisol, &#945;-amylase, and a psychological self-report instrument.&#160;

Visitation to natural environments has been linked to psychological stress reduction. Although most stress-related research has relied on self-report ...

Examining Bilingual Language Control Using the Stroop Task

The Stroop task in its many variations has been used in fields such as psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience to examine questions regarding the automaticity of reading, language processing, and cognitive control, among others. When looking at bilingual individuals, this task can be used to obtain measures of language interference and control in both a bilingual&#39;s first language (L1) and second language (L2), as well as for testing the bilingual advantage hypothesis. The Stroop task presents participants with color terms written in congruent colors (e.g., the word RED written in red font), incongruent colors (e.g., the word RED written in green font), in addition to noncolor terms for control (e.g., the word TREE presented in any color), and uses the reaction times from the different conditions to assess the degree of interference and facilitation. In the covert version of the Stroop bilingual task (i.e., participants respond by pressing a button rather than naming aloud), stimuli in the L1 and the L2 are typically presented in separate blocks. While this allows for a simple, yet effective assessment of processing and cognitive control in each language, it fails to capture any potential differences in processing and control within bilingual young adult groups. The present task combines single-language blocks with a novel mixed-language block to increase the level of difficulty of the task, thus making it suitable for testing cognitive control in young adults. Representative results showing differences between performance in the single-language vs. mixed-language blocks are presented, and the benefits of a mixed-language block are discussed.

This bilingual Stroop task uses Congruent, Incongruent, and Neutral stimuli presented in blocks in the first language (L1) only, the second language (L2) only, and a combination of L1 and L2. This task allows for an examination of language processing and cognitive control in both L1 and L2.

The Stroop task in its many variations has been used in fields such as psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience to examine questions regarding the ...