Shifting the gaze from racism to healing from racism: A systematic review of selected psychology journals from 1992 to 2022.

Using a decolonial approach, we provided a narrative review of the research on racism in psychology and conducted a systematic review of the top five psychology journals publishing research on racism and mental health to identify trends in racism research over time and the research gaps. We examined 372 articles on racism published between 1992 and 2022: American Psychologist, Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, Journal of Black Psychology, Journal of Counseling Psychology, and The Counseling Psychologist. Based on our review, we found that published research examining racism has steadily increased over the past 3 decades, with the greatest spikes in 2021 and 2022. The largest increase was in studies focused on People of Color's experiences with racism. The overwhelming majority of the articles were empirical (86.3%) and most of these studies (87.5%) employed cross-sectional designs. We identified corollary topics by racial/ethnic group, prevalent research designs, and the emergence of strength-based and healing approaches to address racism's impact. There were general racial and ethnic differences in trends, with research on various People of Color groups focused on the harmful effects of racism and research on White populations focused on Whiteness and level of awareness of racism. We conclude with recommendations to enhance the content and methodological rigor of future research while also suggesting policy implications to support advancements in this critical area of study. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

The iBelong Scale: Construction and validation of a measure of racial-ethnic-cultural belonging.

The purpose of this study was to develop a measure of racial-ethnic-cultural (REC) belonging for Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC). The iBelong Scale was designed to assess the multidimensional components of REC belonging across diverse BIPOC groups. The scale was constructed based on a grounded conceptual framework of REC belonging, and the initial pool of items received feedback from community members and content experts. Validation of the iBelong Scale comprised data from 808 BIPOC participants collected across three interrelated studies for the purposes of initial validation, construct validity, and test-retest reliability. In Study 1, an exploratory factor analysis yielded a 25-item scale with five factors: (a) Home, (b) Connection, (c) Authenticity, (d) REC Thriving, and (e) Self-Definition. Results from Study 2's confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the five-factor model was an acceptable fit of the data and the best fit among competing models. Measurement invariance was assessed, and results indicated that the iBelong Scale measures REC belonging similarly across differing BIPOC groups. The iBelong Scale was related to a range of measures in theoretically expected ways, including positive associations with general belonging, racial/ethnic identity, and general well-being, and negative associations with loneliness and REC nonbelonging. Findings from Study 3 indicated the test-retest reliability of the iBelong Scale over a 2-week period. Limitations of the studies and implications for research and practice are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Closing the gap between science and management of cold-water refuges in rivers and streams.

Human activities and climate change threaten coldwater organisms in freshwater ecosystems by causing rivers and streams to warm, increasing the intensity and frequency of warm temperature events, and reducing thermal heterogeneity. Cold-water refuges are discrete patches of relatively cool water that are used by coldwater organisms for thermal relief and short-term survival. Globally, cohesive management approaches are needed that consider interlinked physical, biological, and social factors of cold-water refuges. We review current understanding of cold-water refuges, identify gaps between science and management, and evaluate policies aimed at protecting thermally sensitive species. Existing policies include designating cold-water habitats, restricting fishing during warm periods, and implementing threshold temperature standards or guidelines. However, these policies are rare and uncoordinated across spatial scales and often do not consider input from Indigenous peoples. We propose that cold-water refuges be managed as distinct operational landscape units, which provide a social and ecological context that is relevant at the watershed scale. These operational landscape units provide the foundation for an integrated framework that links science and management by (1) mapping and characterizing cold-water refuges to prioritize management and conservation actions, (2) leveraging existing and new policies, (3) improving coordination across jurisdictions, and (4) implementing adaptive management practices across scales. Our findings show that while there are many opportunities for scientific advancement, the current state of the sciences is sufficient to inform policy and management. Our proposed framework provides a path forward for managing and protecting cold-water refuges using existing and new policies to protect coldwater organisms in the face of global change.

Construction and validation of the Racially Biased Reasoning Scale: A measure of beliefs about police interactions with people of color.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to develop and provide initial psychometric support for the Racially Biased Reasoning Scale-Police (RBias-Police). The vignette-based RBias-Police is designed to capture rigid racially biased beliefs. The items focus on police interactions with people of color as this is a particularly emotional-laden issue in the United States that signifies deeper racial and social intolerance. METHOD: Data from a combined sample of 1,156 participants were collected through Mechanical Turk for two interrelated studies. In the first study, we used matrix sampling and exploratory structural equation modeling to explore the factor structure of RBias-Police. In the second study, we conducted confirmatory factor analysis and explored the construct validity with theoretically relevant concepts. RESULTS: In Study 1, we found that 10 items with three factors solution captured the data across each of the six vignettes: (a) Minimization of Racism, (b) Target Apathy, and (c) Target Blaming. In Study 2, findings from confirmatory factor analysis supported that the three-factor model was a good fit to the data. The RBias-Police factors were positively related to color-blind racial ideology and the general belief in a just world in theoretically expected ways. CONCLUSIONS: Across two studies, our findings provide initial psychometric support for the RBias-Police; this new measure captures both affective and cognitive dimensions of biased reasoning. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Reclaiming the past and transforming our future: Introduction to the special issue on foundational contributions of Black scholars in psychology.

The contributions of Black scholars to psychology have been erased or marginalized within mainstream, U.S.-centered psychology. As such, psychologists and trainees have little exposure to strengths-based theories and schools of thought that center and humanize the experiences of people of African descent. This special issue intervenes on anti-Black racism at the epistemic level by curating a review of foundational contributions by diverse Black scholars in psychology and related fields. The special issue is organized around five integrative and overlapping themes: (a) Black scholars who have written on topics related to race, racism, and racial identity; (b) schools of thought that embody decolonial, liberation, and African psychologies and the scholars writing within these traditions; (c) scholars who have created new theories and approaches to conceptualizing the mental health of Black children, youth, and families; (d) Black scholars adopting an intersectional lens to research and practice; and (e) Black scholars creating spaces within existing organizations to theorize about and research the experiences of people of African descent. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

"We can create a better world for ourselves": Radical hope in communities of color.

The negative impact of racism on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color's (BIPOC's) mental and physical health is well-documented. Research supports the critical role of personal hope as a buffer against despair and adverse health outcomes among BIPOC. However, there is a dearth of empirical research exploring the experiences of BIPOC's sense of collective hope. This study aimed to help fill this gap in the literature by extending Mosley et al.'s (2020) multidimensional psychological framework of radical hope via a qualitative study. Radical hope includes a collective motivation of hope for BIPOC communities to work toward a more egalitarian future. In this study, focus groups and interviews were conducted with 29 BIPOC adults, with and without mental health training, to explore participants' perceptions of radical hope. Seven interrelated themes were identified. Two core components and four themes aligned with and extended Mosley et al.'s (2020) framework: Collective Orientation, Faith and Agency, Resisting Racism, Embracing Racial Pride, Envisioning Possibilities, and Meaning Making and Purpose. We also identified a new theme, Valuing Self. Implications for clinical practice and research are discussed. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

An emerging youth-centered model of community resilience in communities impacted by gun violence: Power through Black Community and Unity.

Studies commonly examine resilience as an outcome by way of measuring the degree to which protective factors maintain individuals' well-being despite the presence of significant risk. In this study, we developed a model of community resilience that centered the voices of Black youth. Using data collected as part of a 3-year, youth participatory action research project, we developed a model that focuses on what 11 Black youth perceive and believe contributes to community resilience through their investigation of problems and solutions related to community gun violence. Findings from a constructivist grounded theory analysis of multiple data sources (e.g., field notes, transcribed group discussions, youth photovoice activities) revealed our developing model of community resilience: Power through Black Community and Unity. Specifically, Power through Black Community and Unity was a core category that reflected the importance of care, support, and safety as strengths in the community's current response and resilience to gun violence, and future aspects the community could develop to increase community resilience to gun violence. This core category emerged in three subsequent ways: Collective Care, "Seeing Beyond the Bad," and Supportive Teen Spaces. This study illustrates potential pathways that youth service agencies and community practitioners can consider enhancing in their programming to promote resilience in their communities.

Radical healing in psychotherapy: Addressing the wounds of racism-related stress and trauma.

There is a large body of research on the importance of addressing culture in psychotherapy. However, less is known about providing critically conscious and racially affirmative therapy for Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) clients in the context of ongoing systemic racism and racism-related stress and trauma, especially in the sociopolitical context of the United States. This article introduces and illustrates the Keeping Radical Healing in Mind Therapeutic Approach using a sample therapy session. To contextualize the therapeutic approach, we outline the need for antiracist and liberatory approaches to psychotherapy and describe in detail the Psychology of Radical Healing theoretical framework. The clinical stance that underpins the Keeping Radical Healing in Mind Therapeutic Approach includes helping clients develop, internalize, and nurture (a) Critical Consciousness, (b) Cultural Authenticity and Self-Knowledge, (c) Radical Hope and Envisioning Possibilities, (d) Collectivism, and (e) Strength and Resistance. To better meet the needs of BIPOC clients, the stance requires clinicians to develop their critical consciousness of systemic racism and interlocking forms of oppression. The clinical case of "Brenda," a Black woman experiencing the effects of racism-related stress while raising a young Black boy, is presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Resistance and restoration: Healing research methodologies for the global majority.

Objectives: Recently, research has focused both on the influence of institutional racism and how the Global Majority, which includes Black, Indigenous and People of Color, heal from processes related to racial and other forms of oppression. We propose a framework of healing research methodologies that is situated within emerging diversity science trends. This framework specifically is designed to apply diversity science principles to develop research that is culturally relevant and can help explain intragroup processes related to healing from institutional racism. Methods: Drawing from the diversity science, liberation and critical research methodologies, and psychological healing practices literature, we propose a healing research methodologies framework. Results: The healing research methodologies framework consists of six critical components: maintains social justice ethics, adopts liberation methodologies, implements healing methods, embraces interdisciplinary approaches, catalyzes action, and promotes community accessibility. Conclusions: We offer recommendations to guide future diversity science healing research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Ignoring race and denying racism: A meta-analysis of the associations between colorblind racial ideology, anti-Blackness, and other variables antithetical to racial justice.

One critical role counseling psychologists can play in dismantling anti-Blackness and eradicating systemic racism is to build on the field's strength in understanding individual-level processes (i.e., systems are created and maintained by individual actors). Drawing on antiracism scholarship, we aimed to better understand how colorblind racial ideology (CBRI), or the denial and minimization of race and racism, may serve as a barrier to engaging in antiracist praxis. Specifically, we conducted a meta-analysis to determine if color evasion (ignoring race) and power evasion (denying structural racism) CBRI were differentially associated with anti-Blackness and processes linked to antiracism. Findings based on 375 effects drawn from 83 studies with more than 25,000 individuals suggest different effects based on CBRI type. As hypothesized, we found that power evasion CBRI was related to increased endorsement of anti-Black prejudice (r = .33) and legitimizing ideologies (r = .24), and negatively associated with a range of other variables associated with antiracism, including social justice behaviors (r = -.31), multicultural practice competencies (r = -.16), diversity openness (r = -.28), and racial/ethnocultural empathy (r = -.35). Consistent with theory, color evasion CBRI was related to increased diversity openness (r = .12). We discuss limitations of our study, as well as outline future directions for research and practice to focus on the role of CBRI in sustaining and perpetuating anti-Blackness and systemic racism. Thus, this meta-analysis has implications for pushing the field of counseling psychology to build the bridge between individual ideologies and creating structural change. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Population genomic monitoring provides insight into conservation status but no correlation with demographic estimates of extinction risk in a threatened trout.

The current extinction crisis requires effective assessment and monitoring tools. Genetic approaches are appealing given the relative ease of field sampling required to estimate genetic diversity characteristics assumed related to population size, evolutionary potential, and extinction risk, and to evaluate hybridization with non-native species simultaneously. However, linkages between population genetic metrics of diversity from survey-style field collections and demographic estimates of population size and extinction risk are still in need of empirical examples, especially for remotely distributed species of conservation concern where the approach might be most beneficial. We capitalized on an exceptional opportunity to evaluate congruence between genetic diversity metrics and demographic-based estimates of abundance and extinction risk from a comprehensive Multiple Population Viability Analysis (MPVA) in a threatened fish, the Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT). We sequenced non-native trout reference samples and recently collected and archived tissue samples of most remaining populations of LCT (N = 60) and estimated common genetic assessment metrics, predicting minimal hybridization with non-native trout, low diversity, and declining diversity over time. We further hypothesized genetic metrics would correlate positively with MPVA-estimated abundance and negatively with extinction probability. We uncovered several instances of hybridization that pointed to immediate management needs. After removing hybridized individuals, cautious interpretation of low effective population sizes (2-63) suggested reduced evolutionary potential for many LCT populations. Other genetic metrics did not decline over time nor correlate with MPVA-based estimates of harmonic mean abundance or 30-year extinction probability. Our results demonstrate benefits of genetic monitoring for efficiently detecting hybridization and, though genetic results were disconnected from demographic assessment of conservation status, they suggest reduced evolutionary potential and likely a higher conservation risk than currently recognized for this threatened fish. We emphasize that genetic information provides essential complementary insight, in addition to demographic information, for evaluating species status.

Attachment research and anti-racism: learning from Black and Brown scholars.

Preliminary evidence suggests that people and scholars of African and/or Latin American and Caribbean origin are often under-represented in mainstream attachment scholarship. In this commentary, we highlight the difficulty of conducting attachment theory research outside of the United States, particularly in Latin American countries. We reflect on the contributions by the authors of this special issue . We also identify (a) ways in which to center the experiences of Black and Brown people and scholars to push the field toward antiracism, and (b) the challenges of attachment theory and research in becoming anti-racist by considering the structural nature of racism.

The public psychology for liberation training model: A call to transform the discipline.

Written against the backdrop of the 2020 twin pandemics of a global health crisis and greater national awareness of structural racism, this article issues a call for psychology to invest in training all psychologists to respond to the social ills of racial and other forms of oppression. We introduce a public psychology for liberation (PPL) training model. Essentially, the model reflects a science, a pedagogical commitment, and practice of, by, and with the people who have been most marginalized in society. The PPL consists of five foundational domains or cross-cutting areas of expertise (e.g., facilitate human relationships; generate reciprocal knowledge and translation) and 10 interrelated lifelong practices (e.g., cultural humility; care and compassion) that foster healing and equity. The model centers the perspectives of the Global Majority, focuses on radical healing and equity, and emphasizes a developmental, culturally grounded, strengths-based approach to training. Various training initiatives consistent with a public psychology for liberation approach are presented. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Application of multiple-population viability analysis to evaluate species recovery alternatives.

Population viability analysis (PVA) is a powerful conservation tool, but it remains impractical for many species, particularly species with multiple, broadly distributed populations for which collecting suitable data can be challenging. A recently developed method of multiple-population viability analysis (MPVA), however, addresses many limitations of traditional PVA. We built on previous development of MPVA for Lahontan cutthroat trout (LCT) (Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi), a species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act, that is distributed broadly across habitat fragments in the Great Basin (U.S.A.). We simulated potential management scenarios and assessed their effects on population sizes and extinction risks in 211 streams, where LCT exist or may be reintroduced. Conservation populations (those managed for recovery) tended to have lower extinction risks than nonconservation populations (mean = 19.8% vs. 52.7%), but not always. Active management or reprioritization may be warranted in some cases. Eliminating non-native trout had a strong positive effect on overall carrying capacities for LCT populations but often did not translate into lower extinction risks unless simulations also reduced associated stochasticity (to the mean for populations without non-native trout). Sixty fish or 5-10 fish/km was the minimum reintroduction number and density, respectively, that provided near-maximum reintroduction success. This modeling framework provided crucial insights and empirical justification for conservation planning and specific adaptive management actions for this threatened species. More broadly, MPVA is applicable to a wide range of species exhibiting geographic rarity and limited availability of abundance data and greatly extends the potential use of empirical PVA for conservation assessment and planning.

Aplicación de un Análisis de Viabilidad Multi-Poblacional para Evaluar Alternativas de Recuperación de Especies Resumen El análisis de viabilidad poblacional (AVP) es una herramienta poderosa de conservación, que desafortunadamente sigue siendo impráctica para muchas especies, en particular para aquellas con poblaciones múltiples distribuidas ampliamente, para las cuales puede ser un reto la recolección de datos apropiados. Sin embargo, un método recientemente desarrollado de análisis de viabilidad multi-poblacional (AVMP) aborda muchas de las limitaciones de los AVP tradicionales. Partimos del desarrollo previo de un AVMP para la trucha degollada lahontana (LCT, en inglés) (Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi), una especie enlistada bajo el Acta de Especies en Peligro de los Estados Unidos, la cual está distribuida ampliamente a lo largo de los fragmentos de hábitat que se encuentran en la Gran Cuenca (E.U.A.). Simulamos los escenarios potenciales de manejo y evaluamos sus efectos sobre el tamaño de las poblaciones y los riesgos de extinción en 211 arroyos en donde existe la LCT o en donde podría ser reintroducida. Las poblaciones de conservación (aquellas manejadas para su recuperación) tuvieron una tendencia hacia un riesgo de extinción más bajo que las poblaciones sin conservación (media = 19.8% vs. 52.7%), pero no en todos los casos. El manejo activo o la repriorización podrían ser justificadas en algunos casos. La eliminación de las truchas no nativas tuvo un fuerte efecto positivo generalizado sobre las capacidades de carga de las poblaciones de LCT, aunque frecuentemente esto no se transformó en un riesgo de extinción más bajo a menos que las simulaciones también redujeran la estocasticidad asociada (para la media de las poblaciones sin truchas no nativas). Para proporcionar un éxito de reintroducción cercano al máximo, el número mínimo de reintroducción debió ser de 60 peces o una densidad de 5-10 peces/km. Este marco de trabajo para el modelo proporcionó una percepción muy importante y una justificación empírica para la planeación de la conservación y para las acciones de manejo adaptativo para esta especie amenazada. En términos más generales, el AVMP puede aplicarse a una gama amplia de especies que exhiban una rareza geográfica y una disponibilidad limitada de datos de abundancia, además de que expande enormemente el uso potencial de AVP empíricos para la evaluación y planeación de la conservación.

Assessing thermal adaptation using family-based association and FST outlier tests in a threatened trout species.

Discovering genetic markers associated with phenotypic or ecological characteristics can improve our understanding of adaptation and guide conservation of key evolutionary traits. The Lahontan cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi) of the northern Great Basin Desert, USA, demonstrated exceptional tolerance to high temperatures in the desert lakes where it resided historically. This trait is central to a conservation hatchery effort to protect the genetic legacy of the nearly extinct lake ecotype. We genotyped full-sibling families from this conservation broodstock and samples from the only two remaining, thermally distinct, native lake populations at 4,644 new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Family-based genome-wide association testing of the broodstock identified nine and 26 SNPs associated with thermal tolerance (p < 0.05 and p < 0.1), measured in a previous thermal challenge experiment. Genes near the associated SNPs had complex functions related to immunity, growth, metabolism and ion homeostasis. Principal component analysis using the thermotolerance-related SNPs showed unexpected divergence between the conservation broodstock and the native lake populations at these loci. FST outlier tests on the native lake populations identified 18 loci shared between two or more of the tests, with two SNPs identified by all three tests (p < 0.01); none overlapped with loci identified by association testing in the broodstock. A recent history of isolation and the complex genetic and demographic backgrounds of Lahontan cutthroat trout probably limited our ability to find shared thermal tolerance loci. Our study extends the still relatively rare application of genomic tools testing for markers associated with important phenotypic or environmental characteristics in species of conservation concern.

Racial trauma: Theory, research, and healing: Introduction to the special issue.

Racial trauma, a form of race-based stress, refers to People of Color and Indigenous individuals' (POCI) reactions to dangerous events and real or perceived experiences of racial discrimination. Such experiences may include threats of harm and injury, humiliating and shaming events, and witnessing racial discrimination toward other POCI. Although similar to posttraumatic stress disorder, racial trauma is unique in that it involves ongoing individual and collective injuries due to exposure and reexposure to race-based stress. The articles in this special issue introduce new conceptual approaches, research, and healing models to challenge racial trauma. The authors encourage psychologists to develop culturally informed healing modalities and methodologically sophisticated research and urge the inclusion of public policy interventions in the area of racial trauma. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

Hierarchical multi-population viability analysis.

Population viability analysis (PVA) uses concepts from theoretical ecology to provide a powerful tool for quantitative estimates of population dynamics and extinction risks. However, conventional statistical PVA requires long-term data from every population of interest, whereas many species of concern exist in multiple isolated populations that are only monitored occasionally. We present a hierarchical multi-population viability analysis model that increases inference power from sparse data by sharing information among populations to assess extinction risks while accounting for incomplete detection and sampling biases with explicit observation and sampling sub-models. We present a case study in which we customized this model for historical population monitoring data (1985-2015) from federally threatened Lahontan cutthroat trout populations in the Great Basin, USA. Data were counts of fish captured during backpack electrofishing surveys from locations associated with 155 isolated populations. Some surveys (25%) included multi-pass removal sampling, which provided valuable information about capture efficiency. GIS and remote sensing were used to estimate August stream temperatures, peak flows, and riparian vegetation condition in each population each year. Field data were used to derive an annual index of nonnative trout densities. Results indicated that population growth rates were higher in colder streams and that nonnative trout reduced carrying capacities of native trout. Extinction risks increased with more environmental stochasticity and were also related to population extent, water temperatures, and nonnative densities. We developed a graphical user interface to interact with the fitted model results and to simulate future habitat scenarios and management actions to assess their influence on extinction risks in each population. Hierarchical multi-population viability analysis bridges the gap between site-level field observations and population-level processes, making effective use of existing datasets to support management decisions with robust estimates of population dynamics, extinction risks, and uncertainties.

Joseph White (1932-2017).

Presents an obituary of Joseph White (1932-2017), often called "the godfather of Black psychology." During a distinguished 56-year career, White held many professional roles, perhaps none more profound than that of mentor. Additionally, White served as a (supervising) psychologist to five hospitals and three clinical practices. He served as chairman of the California State Psychology Licensing Board for 3 years. He was also a member of the Board of Trustees of The Menninger Foundation in Houston, Texas, and held the title of professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry at the University of California, Irvine, where he spent most of his career as a professor and director of ethnic studies and cross-cultural programs. White personified a socially engaged psychologist. He continually promoted the goals of multiculturalism and social justice through his practice and scholarship. The author or coauthor of numerous articles and books, he was a founder of the Association of Black Psychologists (ABPsi) and a pioneer in the field of Black psychology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Effects of early adversity on neural mechanisms of distractor suppression are mediated by sympathetic nervous system activity in preschool-aged children.

Multiple theoretical frameworks posit that interactions between the autonomic nervous system and higher-order neural networks are crucial for cognitive regulation. However, few studies have simultaneously examined autonomic physiology and brain activity during cognitive tasks. Such research is promising for understanding how early adversity impacts neurocognitive development in children, given that stress experienced early in life impacts both autonomic function and regulatory behaviors. We recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) as a neural measure of auditory selective attention, and cardiovascular measures of high-frequency heart rate variability (HF-HRV) and preejection period (PEP), in 105 3-5-year-old children with varying degrees of socioeconomic risk. First, we replicated a previous study from our lab: Increased socioeconomic risk was associated with larger ERP amplitudes elicited by distracting sounds. Next, we tested whether PEP and HF-HRV (at rest and during the task) were associated with the distractor ERP response, and found that a physiological profile marked by heightened sympathetic nervous system activity, indexed by shorter PEP, was associated with better ERP suppression of distractor sounds in lower SES children. Finally, we found that PEP mediated the relationship between socioeconomic risk and larger ERP responses to distractor sounds. In line with similar reports, these results suggest that for lower SES children, there is a potential biological cost of achieving better cognitive performance, seen here as increased cardiovascular arousal both at rest and in response to task demands. (PsycINFO Database Record

Parasympathetic and sympathetic activity are associated with individual differences in neural indices of selective attention in adults.

Multiple theoretical frameworks posit that interactions between the autonomic nervous system and higher-order neural networks are crucial for cognitive and emotion regulation. However, few studies have directly examined the relationship between measures of autonomic physiology and brain activity during cognitive tasks, and fewer studies have examined both the parasympathetic and sympathetic autonomic branches when doing so. Here, 93 adults completed an ERP auditory selective attention task concurrently with measures of parasympathetic activity (high-frequency heart rate variability; HF-HRV) and sympathetic activity (preejection period; PEP). We focus on the well-studied N1 ERP component to test for associations with baseline values of HF-HRV and PEP. Individuals with higher resting HF-HRV and shorter resting PEP showed larger effects of selective attention on their ERPs. Follow-up regression models demonstrated that HF-HRV and PEP accounted for unique variance in selective attention effects on N1 mean amplitude. These results are consistent with the neurovisceral integration model, such that greater parasympathetic activity is a marker of increased selective attention, as well as other theoretical models that emphasize the role of heightened sympathetic activity in more efficient attention-related processing. The present findings highlight the importance of autonomic physiology in the study of individual differences in neurocognitive function and, given the foundational role of selective attention across cognitive domains, suggest that both parasympathetic and sympathetic activity may be key to understanding variability in brain function across a variety of cognitive tasks.