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- Title
- PERIODICITIES IN PERFORMANCE ON VISUAL CONTINUOUS PERFORMANCE TASKS.
- Author
- Aue, William Roger, Arruda, James E., Stanny, Claudia J., Kass, Steven J., University of West Florida
- Abstract/Description
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It is well known that biological rhythms play a prominent role in the modulation of human physiology and behavior. Recent research by Smith, Valentino, and Arruda (2003) suggests that sustained human performance may systematically fluctuate in a cyclic manner with periods of 1.5 min and 5.2 min. However, more traditional measures of sustained human performance have sampled behavior too infrequently to capture these fast rhythms. The purpose of the current study was to validate the...
Show moreIt is well known that biological rhythms play a prominent role in the modulation of human physiology and behavior. Recent research by Smith, Valentino, and Arruda (2003) suggests that sustained human performance may systematically fluctuate in a cyclic manner with periods of 1.5 min and 5.2 min. However, more traditional measures of sustained human performance have sampled behavior too infrequently to capture these fast rhythms. The purpose of the current study was to validate the periodicities reported previously by Smith et al. by employing nontraditional, ecologically valid continuous performance tasks (i.e., a visual pointtracking task and a driving simulator task). The majority of participants demonstrated the 1.5 min periodicity for both tasks; however, few participants demonstrated the 5.2 min periodicity. These rhythms may be indicative of an endogenous system that modulates sustained attention in humans. Evidence supporting this idea and implications of the research are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- WFE0000103, uwf:60846
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- PREDICTING SIMULATED DRIVING PERFORMANCE UNDER HIGH AND LOW WORKLOAD ENVIRONMENTS USING COGNITIVE, VISUAL, AND PSYCHOMOTOR TASKS.
- Author
- Shanmugaratnam, Sharmili, Kass, Steven J., Arruda, James E., Marzilli, Scott T., University of West Florida
- Abstract/Description
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Although many improvements to road and vehicle safety have been made in the United States over the past 2 decades, accident numbers have remained stable since 1980 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003). Given that there are many serious motor vehicle accidents occurring each year, understanding the underlying causes of these accidents may help improve driver safety. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role cognitive, visual, and psychomotor domains play in predicting driving performance....
Show moreAlthough many improvements to road and vehicle safety have been made in the United States over the past 2 decades, accident numbers have remained stable since 1980 (U.S. Census Bureau, 2003). Given that there are many serious motor vehicle accidents occurring each year, understanding the underlying causes of these accidents may help improve driver safety. The purpose of this study was to investigate the role cognitive, visual, and psychomotor domains play in predicting driving performance. The participants were 55 drivers (mean age of 31 years, SD = 19.08) recruited from the University of West Florida. Participants performed 9 tasks that measured their abilities in the 3 domains and performed simulated driving under high workload (i.e., city) and low workload (i.e., highway) conditions. Results indicated that measures of visual acuity, tracking task, and age were predictive of performance at simulated city intersections and highway driver watchfulness-related behaviors. These results may aid in the development of a cost-effective and time-efficient method to assess driver fitness (e.g., license renewal).
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- WFE0000127, uwf:60788
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- PRINCIPAL COMPONENTS ANALYSIS AND QEEG DATA TRANSFORMATION.
- Author
- McGee, Heather Ann, Arruda, James E., Stanny, Claudia J., Zhang, Hongmei, University of West Florida
- Abstract/Description
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Principal component analysis (PCA) is a multivariate, statistical technique that can be applied to qEEG data to reduce the number of dependent measures into a smaller set of component variables. The qEEG distributions are often positively skewed and violate assumptions of normality commonly associated with parametric statistics. Accordingly, prior to statistical analyses, normalizing data transformations are often applied to qEEG variables. Unfortunately, researchers who choose to transform...
Show morePrincipal component analysis (PCA) is a multivariate, statistical technique that can be applied to qEEG data to reduce the number of dependent measures into a smaller set of component variables. The qEEG distributions are often positively skewed and violate assumptions of normality commonly associated with parametric statistics. Accordingly, prior to statistical analyses, normalizing data transformations are often applied to qEEG variables. Unfortunately, researchers who choose to transform qEEG data do so with limited knowledge of the effects the transformations may have on PCA solutions. The current study investigated the effects of several qEEG data transformations on the accuracy of PCA solutions.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2011
- Identifier
- WFE0000297, uwf:60961
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- RELATIONSHIPS AMONG RUMINATION, WORRY, OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE SYMPTOMS, COGNITIVE FLEXIBILITY, AND PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL VARIABLES.
- Author
- Longo, Ashley Anne, Andrasik, Frank, Arruda, James E., University of West Florida
- Abstract/Description
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A number of researchers have investigated the associations among rumination, worry, depression, eating disorders, and anxiety states; however, few studies have evaluated the interrelationships among rumination, worry, cognitive flexibility, psychophysiological variables, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In this thesis, 87 college students' psychological, cognitive, and psychophysiological factors were assessed. They were then presented with a series of 60 emotionally arousing pictures and a...
Show moreA number of researchers have investigated the associations among rumination, worry, depression, eating disorders, and anxiety states; however, few studies have evaluated the interrelationships among rumination, worry, cognitive flexibility, psychophysiological variables, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. In this thesis, 87 college students' psychological, cognitive, and psychophysiological factors were assessed. They were then presented with a series of 60 emotionally arousing pictures and a relaxation induction with pleasant imagery while psychophysiological measures were collected. Results indicated that participants with low levels of cognitive flexibility and reflective rumination and high levels of worry reported high levels of obsessivecompulsive symptoms and demonstrated a longer temperature habituation time during relaxation induction following the viewing of stressful pictures. Emotional distress levels were significantly predicted by brooding rumination. This study demonstrated that cognitive flexibility is an important construct in understanding obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Additionally, cognitive rumination provides additional predictive utility in this symptom complex, above and beyond worry. Implications for further research in the neurodeficits model of obsessive-compulsive disorder are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- WFE0000326, uwf:60980
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- RELIABILITY AND VALIDITY OF THE VISUAL ANALOG MOOD SCALES (VAMS) IN NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING PAIN PATIENTS.
- Author
- House, Erica Denise, Arruda, James E., Andrasik, Frank, University of West Florida
- Abstract/Description
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The purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Visual Analog Mood scales (VAMS) when administered to a non-English speaking, headache population. The VAMS and another frequently used mood assessment measure, the Profile of Mood States (POMS), were administered to sixty patients at a headache clinic in Milan, Italy. Both the VAMS and POMS were administered before and after a regularly schedule appointment at the clinic. Multitrait-Multimethod analyses were...
Show moreThe purpose of this study was to assess the validity and reliability of the Visual Analog Mood scales (VAMS) when administered to a non-English speaking, headache population. The VAMS and another frequently used mood assessment measure, the Profile of Mood States (POMS), were administered to sixty patients at a headache clinic in Milan, Italy. Both the VAMS and POMS were administered before and after a regularly schedule appointment at the clinic. Multitrait-Multimethod analyses were conducted to assess the validity of each subscale of the VAMS against corresponding scales in the POMS. Analysis concluded that all subscales of the VAMS possessed high test-retest reliability and the "confused," "sad," "angry," "energetic," and "tired" subscales of the VAMS are reliable and valid when administered to a non-English speaking pain population. Given the evidence of strong reliability and validity, the VAMS may be very useful as a clinical diagnostic tool in non-English speaking pain populations.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2010
- Identifier
- WFE0000220, uwf:60928
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF GINKGO BILOBA ON MEMORY, REACTION TIME, AND MOOD.
- Author
- Qualls, Emily Katherine, Arruda, James E., Mathews, Samuel R., University of West Florida
- Abstract/Description
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The present study investigated the effects of Ginkgo biloba on verbal memory, spatial memory, simple reaction time, choice reaction time, and mood. Pretest and posttest measures of memory and reaction time were assessed using the Stim2 computer software designed by Neuroscan. Pretest and Posttest measures of mood were assessed using the Visual Analog Mood Scales (VAMS). Following the pretest measure, participants received one of three treatments: placebo, 120mg Ginkgo biloba, or 360mg Ginkgo...
Show moreThe present study investigated the effects of Ginkgo biloba on verbal memory, spatial memory, simple reaction time, choice reaction time, and mood. Pretest and posttest measures of memory and reaction time were assessed using the Stim2 computer software designed by Neuroscan. Pretest and Posttest measures of mood were assessed using the Visual Analog Mood Scales (VAMS). Following the pretest measure, participants received one of three treatments: placebo, 120mg Ginkgo biloba, or 360mg Ginkgo biloba. Posttest measures were taken 2.5 hours after administration of treatment. Statistical analyses showed no significant differences between any of the three treatments in terms of cognitive performance or mood. Implications of the studys findings are discussed.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2008
- Identifier
- WFE0000146, uwf:60795
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- THE EFFECTS OF NATIVE LANGUAGE AND TEST FORMAT ON TEST PERFORMANCE.
- Author
- Nehring, Nina, Arruda, James E., Belter, Ronald W., University of West Florida
- Abstract/Description
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The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of native language (English as a native language vs. German as a native language) and test format (minimal language demand: multiple-choice vs. maximal language demand: short-answer) on reading comprehension. A total of 12 German-English bilinguals and 13 native English speakers were asked to read a short passage and answer either multiple-choice or short-answer questions about the passage. Results showed no significant...
Show moreThe purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of native language (English as a native language vs. German as a native language) and test format (minimal language demand: multiple-choice vs. maximal language demand: short-answer) on reading comprehension. A total of 12 German-English bilinguals and 13 native English speakers were asked to read a short passage and answer either multiple-choice or short-answer questions about the passage. Results showed no significant interaction effect or main effects for native language and test format, meaning that neither native language nor test format had a significant effect on the participants' test performance. Given the results of previous research combined with results of this study, it is likely that overall English proficiency is more important in determining test performance than whether English is one's native language.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2015
- Identifier
- WFE0000489, uwf:61127
- Format
- Document (PDF)
- Title
- USING VISUAL EVOKED POTENTIALS FOR THE EARLY DETECTION OF AMNESTIC MILD COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT (MCIA): AN EXPLORATORY INVESTIGATION.
- Author
- Fix, Spencer Toebe, Arruda, James E., Andrasik, Frank, University of West Florida
- Abstract/Description
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Mild Cognitive Impairment of the Amnestic type (MCIa) is often characterized as an early stage of Alzheimer's Dementia (AD). The P2, an electroencephalographic (EEG) component of the flash visual evoked potential (FVEP), shows an increase in latency for those with AD or MCIa when compared to a group of age-matched controls. The present investigation examined the diagnostic accuracy of several FVEP-P2 procedures in distinguishing people with MCIa and age-matched controls. Participants were...
Show moreMild Cognitive Impairment of the Amnestic type (MCIa) is often characterized as an early stage of Alzheimer's Dementia (AD). The P2, an electroencephalographic (EEG) component of the flash visual evoked potential (FVEP), shows an increase in latency for those with AD or MCIa when compared to a group of age-matched controls. The present investigation examined the diagnostic accuracy of several FVEP-P2 procedures in distinguishing people with MCIa and age-matched controls. Participants were exposed to a single flash condition and five double flash conditions with varying inter-stimulus intervals. Significant group differences were observed in the single flash and two of the double flash conditions. One of the double flash conditions, 100 milliseconds (ms), displayed a higher predictive accuracy than the single flash condition, suggesting this novel procedure may have more diagnostic potential. Results from the present investigation lend support to the theory, which holds MCIa as an intermediate stage between normal healthy aging and the serious pathology of AD.
Show less - Date Issued
- 2012
- Identifier
- WFE0000305, uwf:61014
- Format
- Document (PDF)