Associations between delay discounting and unhealthy behaviors in substance use recovery.

BACKGROUND: Research on delay discounting (DD) is mixed on whether DD is a domain-specific component related to specific behaviors or a domain-general process that cuts across various behaviors. A pivotal group to test the associations between DD and unhealthy behaviors is individuals in recovery from substance use disorders (SUD), as they are moving away from a disorder toward a healthier state. METHODS: Individuals in SUD recovery (n = 317) completed the Temptation Scale, the Health Behaviors Questionnaire, and an Adjusting Delay Discounting Task. An exhaustive model space search was performed using linear regression to examine associations between DD with temptation, engagement in unhealthy behaviors, and the total number of unhealthy behaviors participants engage in. We also tested whether remission status is associated with the total number of unhealthy behaviors participants engage in. RESULTS: Results revealed that DD was positively associated with poor eating (p<.001), physical inactivity (p=.003), financial irresponsibility (p<.001), risky behaviors (p<.001), lack of personal development goals (p<.001), lack of household savings (p=.004), and lack of health behaviors (p=.003). DD was also positively associated with the total number of unhealthy behaviors participants engage in (p<.001). Participants who were not in remission engaged in more unhealthy behaviors compared to those who were in remission (p<.001). CONCLUSION: In a sample of individuals in recovery from SUD, DD is not domain-specific and undergirds engagement in several maladaptive health behaviors that can negatively impact recovery. Thus, DD can be a target for interventions aiming to reduce other maladaptive behaviors in SUD recovery.

Conquering pressure! The effects of mild-anxiety training on motor performance under pressure during early motor learning.

We conceptually replicated the one previous study (see record 2009-13549-001) revealing that individuals who practice a motor skill under psychological pressure (anxiety training-AT) avoid performance deterioration when exposed to higher levels of pressure. We used a >3× larger sample size than the original study and attempted to shed light on mechanisms whereby AT may promote performance under pressure by measuring variables related to three theories of choking under pressure: attentional control theory (ACT), reinvestment theory, and the biopsychosocial model (BPSM) of challenge and threat. Eighty-four participants practiced 300 golf putts over 2 days with mild psychological pressure manipulations (AT group) or no pressure manipulations (control group). On the third day, all participants completed putting posttests with no pressure manipulations, mild pressure manipulations, or high-pressure manipulations. We had participants report their mental effort, movement reinvestment, and perceived challenge/threat after each posttest to investigate ACT, reinvestment theory, and the BPSM of challenge and threat, respectively. Results showed the AT group maintained their performance across posttests, whereas the control group performed worse under pressure. Additionally, results indicated that AT moderated changes in mental effort and movement reinvestment during pressure, although neither mechanism mediated the relationship between AT and performance under pressure. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

An overlooked relationship in recovery from substance use disorders: Associations between body mass index and negative emotional states.

Recovery from substance use disorders (SUD) is multifactorial. Being overweight could negatively impact physiological and psychological health-related parameters. Using model selection, we examined associations between body mass index (BMI) and negative emotional states (NES; e.g., stress, anxiety, depression) in 54 men with SUD and under treatment in five different therapeutic recovery centers. We found that BMI was positively associated with stress (p < .001), anxiety (p < .001), and depression (p = .002). Therefore, our findings suggest that decreasing the accumulation of body fat might contribute to improving mental health in individuals with SUD during recovery.

Does learning a skill with the expectation of teaching it impair the skill's execution under psychological pressure if the skill is learned with analogy instructions?

OBJECTIVE: Having learners practice a motor skill with the expectation of teaching it (versus an expectation of being tested on it) has been revealed to enhance skill learning. However, this improvement in skill performance is lost when the skill must be performed under psychological pressure due to 'choking under pressure.' The present study investigated whether this choking effect is caused by an accrual of declarative knowledge during skill practice and could be prevented if a technique (analogy instructions) to minimize the accrual of declarative knowledge during practice is employed. DESIGN: We used a 2 (Expectation: teach/test) x 2 (Instructions: analogy/explicit) x 2 (Posttest: low-pressure/high-pressure) mixed-factor design, with repeated measures on the last factor. METHODS: One-hundred fifty-six participants were quasi-randomly assigned (based on sex) to one of four groups. Participants in the teach/analogy and teach/explicit groups practiced golf putting with the expectation of teaching putting to another participant, and analogy instructions or explicit instructions, respectively. Participants in the test/analogy and test/explicit groups practiced golf putting with the expectation of being tested on their putting, and analogy instructions or explicit instructions, respectively. The next day all participants completed low- and high-pressure putting posttests, with their putting accuracy serving as the dependent variable. RESULTS: We observed an Expectation x Instructions × Posttest interaction, such that a main effect of expectation was found in the low-pressure posttest, with the teach group exhibiting superior accuracy, and an Expectation × Instructions interaction was revealed for the high-pressure posttest. This interaction resulted from the teach group showing greater accuracy than the test group exclusively when receiving analogy instructions. CONCLUSION: Results show that participants who practiced with the expectation of teaching exhibited superior learning and indicate that they choked under pressure likely due to their accrual of declarative knowledge during practice, since the choking effect was prevented by having them practice with analogy instructions. Accordingly, having learners practice with the expectation of teaching and techniques that minimize the accrual of declarative knowledge is recommended.

That looks easy! Evidence against the benefits of an easier criterion of success for enhancing motor learning.

OPTIMAL theory predicts providing learners with a relatively easier criterion of success during practice enhances motor learning through increased self-efficacy, perceptions of competence, and intrinsic motivation. However, mixed results in the literature suggest this enhancement effect may be moderated by the number of successes achieved by learners practicing with the difficult criterion. To investigate this possibility, we manipulated quantity of practice to affect the absolute number of successes achieved by learners practicing with different success criteria. Eighty participants were divided into four groups and performed 50 or 100 trials of a mini-shuffleboard task. Groups practiced with either a large or a small zone of success surrounding the target. Learning was assessed 24 h after acquisition with retention and transfer tests. In terms of endpoint accuracy and precision, there were no learning or practice performance benefits of practicing with an easier criterion of success, regardless of the number of trials. This absence of a criterion of success effect was despite the efficacy of our manipulation in increasing the number of trials stopping within the zone of success, self-efficacy, perceptions of competence, and, for participants with 100 trials, intrinsic motivation. An equivalence test indicated that the effect of criterion of success was small, if existent. Moreover, at the individual level, intrinsic motivation did not predict posttest or acquisition performance. There were no benefits of easing the criterion of success on pressure, effort, accrual of explicit knowledge, or conscious processing. These data challenge key tenets of OPTIMAL theory and question the efficacy of easing criterion of success for motor learning.

Relationship between reward-related brain activity and opportunities to sit.

The present study tested whether energy-minimizing behaviors evoke reward-related brain activity that promotes the repetition of these behaviors via reinforcement learning processes. Fifty-eight healthy young adults in a standing position performed a task where they could earn a reward either by sitting down or squatting while undergoing electroencephalographic (EEG) recording. Reward-prediction errors were quantified as the amplitude of the EEG-derived reward positivity. Results showed that reward positivity was larger on reward versus no reward trials, confirming the validity of our paradigm to measure evoked reward-related brain activity. However, results showed no evidence that sitting (versus standing and squatting) trials led to larger reward positivity. Moreover, we found no evidence suggesting that this effect was moderated by typical physical activity, physical activity on the day of the study, or energy expenditure during the experiment. However, at the behavioral level, results showed that the probability of choosing the stimulus more likely to lead to sitting than standing increased as the number of trials increased. In addition, results revealed that the probability of changing the selected stimulus was higher when the previous trial was a stand trial relative to a sit trial. In sum, neural results showed no evidence supporting the theory that opportunities to minimize energy expenditure are rewarding. However, behavioral findings suggested participants tend to choose the less effortful behavioral alternative and were therefore consistent with the theory of effort minimization (TEMPA).

Associations of objectively measured movement behavior and cardiorespiratory fitness with mental health and quality of life in older adults with hypertension: an exploratory analysis during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objectives: Herein, we explored the associations of pre-pandemic COVID-19 physical activity (PA), sedentary behavior (SB) and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) with mental health and quality of life in older adults with hypertension.Method: Objectively measured PA and SB, perceived stress, depression symptoms, and quality of life were assessed before and during the pandemic in seventeen older adults with hypertension. CRF was assessed before the pandemic by cardiopulmonary exercise testing. Longitudinal and cross-sectional associations were analyzed using the mixed linear model.Results: Pre-pandemic light PA (positive association) and SB (negative association) were associated with quality of life during the pandemic. Higher pre-pandemic CRF was associated with less negative changes in perceived stress, depression symptoms, and quality of life during the pandemic.Conclusion: Our preliminary findings suggest that a healthier pre-pandemic movement behavior (more PA, less SB) and better CRF can mitigate the negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and quality of life in older adults with hypertension.

Does being overweight play a role in the reduced inhibitory control of patients receiving treatment for substance use disorder?

BACKGROUND: Impaired inhibitory control is present in individuals with substance use disorder (SUD) and in those with obesity. However, the question as to whether patients with SUD who are either overweight or obese have impaired inhibitory control, relative to patients with SUD and normal weight, remains unanswered. METHODS: Sixty-two adult men (mean age: 31.17±8.79) under treatment for SUD performed a general and drug-specific inhibitory control test (GoNogo). Participants were divided in two groups based on their BMI. Patients with a BMI higher or equal than ≥25 kg/m² were in the overweight and obese group (OB), and patients with a BMI lower than 25 kg/m² were in the normal weight group (NW). Analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) were performed to explore differences in drug-specific and general commission errors, as well as reaction time for go trials during both drug-specific and general inhibition tasks. Models were adjusted for anxiety, depression, age, and duration of drug use. RESULTS: No differences were found for commission errors in both tasks. With regards to reaction time, no differences were found for the general inhibitory control paradigm, whereas the OB group demonstrated slower reaction time during the drug specific paradigm, relative to the NW group (p=0.03, f2 = 0.09; OB: 520.65±71.39 ms vs. NW: 486.07±51.75 ms). CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that those undergoing treatment for SUD and are either overweight or obese present impaired inhibitory control when facing drug cues. Future research should explore the effects of physical activity, nutritional counseling, and food monitoring on inhibitory control outcomes in SUD rehabilitation.

Does learning a skill with the expectation of teaching it impair the skill's execution under psychological pressure if the skill is learned with analogy instructions?

OBJECTIVE: Having learners practice a motor skill with the expectation of teaching it (versus an expectation of being tested on it) has been revealed to enhance skill learning. However, this improvement in skill performance is lost when the skill must be performed under psychological pressure due to 'choking under pressure.' The present study will investigate whether this choking effect is caused by an accrual of declarative knowledge during skill practice and could be prevented if a technique (analogy instructions) to minimize the accrual of declarative knowledge during practice is employed. DESIGN: We will use a 2 (Expectation: teach/test) x 2 (Instruction: analogy/explicit) x 2 (Posttest: high-pressure/low-pressure) mixed-factor design, with repeated measures on the last factor. METHODS: A minimum of 148 participants will be quasi-randomly assigned (based on sex) to one of four groups. Participants in the teach/analogy and teach/explicit groups will practice golf putting with the expectation of teaching putting to another participant, and analogy instructions or explicit instructions, respectively. Participants in the test/analogy and test/explicit groups will practice golf putting with the expectation of being tested on their putting, and analogy instructions or explicit instructions, respectively. The next day all participants will complete low- and high-pressure putting posttests, with their putting accuracy serving as the dependent variable.