While temporal expectations (TE) generally improve reactions to temporally predictable events, it remains unknown how the learning of temporal regularities (one time point more likely than another time point) and explicit knowledge about temporal regularities contribute to performance improvements; and whether any contributions generalise across modalities. Here, participants discriminated the frequency of diverging auditory, visual or audio-visual targets embedded in auditory, visual or audio-visual distractor sequences. Temporal regularities were manipulated run-wise (early vs. late target within sequence). Behavioural performance (accuracy, RT) plus measures from a computational learning model all suggest that learning of temporal regularities occurred but did not generalise across modalities, and that dynamics of learning (size of TE effect across runs) and explicit knowledge have little to no effect on the strength of TE. Remarkably, explicit knowledge affects performance—if at all—in a context-dependent manner: Only under complex task regimes (here, unknown target modality) might it partially help to resolve response conflict while it is lowering performance in less complex environments.

Background Goal setting and goal-focused work is widely used in young people’s mental health settings. However, little is known about how, why or for whom this is helpful. This study aims to explore the mechanisms of collaborative goal setting as part of therapeutic relationships: is it helpful for young people experiencing anxiety and/or depression, how and why/not, for whom, and under what circumstances? Methods Online database searches generated 10,907 records. Seven unique studies are included, combined with insight analysis from directed discussions with international advisors with lived experience of anxiety and/or depression and therapy (N = 8; mean age = 20.8), and mental health academics/clinicians (N = 6). Results Findings are presented as a narrative synthesis and suggest that goal setting is helpful to young people experiencing anxiety and/or depression because it helps build good therapeutic relationships through open communication and building trust. Goal setting helps make things more manageable, enabling young people to feel supported and have ownership of their care. Individual preferences, or high levels of distress, trauma, low confidence, hopelessness, negative past experiences of goal setting, perfectionism, and rumination are considered limiting factors to goal setting. Additionally, contextual factors including country and long-term therapy are explored. Conclusion Whilst the resultant sample is small, emphasis on the voices of young people in the research is both prominent and of paramount importance. Several key literature gaps are identified, including evidenced links to the reduction in symptoms. Priority must be given to researching unhelpful mechanisms of goal setting for young people experiencing anxiety and/or depression, to avoid any potential iatrogenic effects.

While temporal expectations (TE) generally improve reactions to temporally predictable events, it remains unknown how temporal rule learning and explicit knowledge about temporal rules contribute to performance improvements and whether any contributions generalise across modalities. Here, participants discriminated the frequency of diverging auditory, visual or audiovisual targets embedded in auditory, visual or audiovisual distractor sequences. Temporal regularities were manipulated run-wise (early vs. late target within sequence). Behavioural performance (accuracy, RT) plus measures from a computational learning model all suggest that temporal rule learning occurred but did not generalise across modalities, that dynamics of learning (size of TE effect across runs) and explicit knowledge have little to no effect on the strength of TE, and that explicit knowledge affects performance - if at all - in a context dependent manner: only under complex task regimes (unknown target modality) might it partially help to resolve response conflict while it is lowering performance in less complex environments.