Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of mobile cognitive control training during basic combat training in the military

Ben-Avraham, Rina; Afek, Anat; Vleet, Tom Van; Jordan, Joshua T.; Yehudah, Ariel Ben; Gilboa, Yafit; Nahum, Mor

doi:10.1080/08995605.2021.1969162

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 70 publications

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“…For example, supporting the theory’s predictions, those with anxiety disorders display cognitive deficits that appear to relate to reduced attentional capacity ( Stefanopoulou et al, 2014 ). In a military context, Attentional Control Theory’s description of differential effects of anxiety across executive functions has been used to guide the development of cognitive training interventions that target those executive functions (inhibition and shifting) most threatened by anxiety ( Ben-Avraham et al, 2021 ). Attentional Control Theory can also be used to explain decrements in shooting performance and increases in effort in simulated military operations designed to provoke anxiety ( Nibbeling et al, 2014 ).…”

Section: Psychological Stress and Cognitive Performance: Theoretical ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive Resilience to Psychological Stress in Military Personnel

Flood

Keegan

2022

Front. Psychol.

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Military personnel often perform complex cognitive operations under unique conditions of intense stress. This requirement to perform diverse physical and mental tasks under stress, often with high stakes, has led to recognition of the term ‘tactical athlete’ for these performers. Impaired cognitive performance as a result of this stress may have serious implications for the success of military operations and the well-being of military service men and women, particularly in combat scenarios. Therefore, understanding the nature of the stress experienced by military personnel and the resilience of cognitive functioning to this stress is of great importance. This review synthesises the current state of the literature regarding cognitive resilience to psychological stress in tactical athletes. The experience of psychological stress in military personnel is considered through the lens of the Transactional Theory of stress, while offering contemporary updates and new insights. Models of the effects of stress on cognitive performance are then reviewed to highlight the complexity of this interaction before considering recent advancements in the preparation of military personnel for the enhancement of cognitive resilience. Several areas for future research are identified throughout the review, emphasising the need for the wider use of self-report measures and mixed methods approaches to better reflect the subjective experience of stress and its impact on the performance of cognitive operations.

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Section: Psychological Stress and Cognitive Performance: Theoretical ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Cognitive Resilience to Psychological Stress in Military Personnel

Flood

Keegan

2022

Front. Psychol.

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Inhibitory control and mood in relation to psychological resilience: an ecological momentary assessment study

Nahum,

Sinvani,

Afek

et al. 2023

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Psychological resilience, the ability to adapt to adversity, is theorized to rely on intact inhibitory control (IC) mechanisms, which underlie one’s ability to maintain goal-directed behavior by inhibiting prepotent responses. However, no study to date has explored daily fluctuations of IC performance in relation to resilience. Here, we examined the association between IC and mood measured daily in relation to psychological resilience in young adults in a stressful situation. Baseline resilience was obtained from 144 female and male soldiers during their basic combat training. Then, participants completed an ecological momentary assessment protocol, in which they reported their momentary mood and completed a short IC assessment twice/day for 2 weeks. A hierarchical linear modeling analysis revealed that psychological resilience moderated the relationship between momentary IC and momentary mood, such that better IC was associated with better mood only for those with higher, but not lower, self-reported psychological resilience at baseline. These results show that psychological resilience is manifested in the everyday association between IC and mood. Furthermore, they lend important support to cognitive models of resilience and may have significant contribution to our understanding of resilient behavior in real life.Trial Registration: MOH_2018-0-13_002451.

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Momentary Mood and Cognitive Control in relation to Psychological Resilience: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study (Preprint)

Nahum¹,

Sinvani²,

Afek³

et al. 2022

Preprint

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BACKGROUND Psychological resilience, one’s ability to adapt to adversity or life stressors, is hypothesized to rely on intact mechanisms of cognitive control (CC), i.e., the mental abilities that underlie our goal-directed behavior. These CC mechanisms may further help with emotion regulation during stressful periods. However, CC abilities may fluctuate, and there is no research to date on the daily fluctuations of CC and mood in relation to psychological resilience. OBJECTIVE The goal of the current study was to examine the everyday association between inhibitory control (IC), an integral part of CC, and daily mood in relation to psychological resilience in young adults in a stressful situation. METHODS Data was collected from 156 male and female soldiers in a mixed-gender unit of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF). Participants reported their resilience at baseline. Then, during a 2-week period, participants filled out a short momentary mood assessment and completed a short IC assessment (a Go-NoGo task; GNG) twice/day using a mobile app installed on their phones. A hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was applied to examine the association between momentary IC and mood for each participant. RESULTS A total of 1,153 assessment points (Mean [M] = 7.49, standard deviation [SD] = 2.95) were completed by participants, for an overall compliance rate of 57.6%. The HLM analysis showed that psychological resilience at baseline moderated the relationship between IC and mood, such that better IC was associated with better mood only for those with higher, but not lower, levers of self-reported psychological resilience at baseline. This association was present only for female, but not for male, participants in our sample. CONCLUSIONS To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first to demonstrate that psychological resilience is manifested in the everyday association between inhibitory control and mood. Hence, these findings provide an ecological validation for the definition of resilience, as measured in young adults during a stressful life period. These results therefore lend important support to cognitive models of resilience and may have significant contribution to our understanding of resilient behavior in real life and to potential ecological interventions designed to improve resilience. CLINICALTRIAL MOH_2018-06-13_002451

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Feasibility and preliminary effectiveness of mobile cognitive control training during basic combat training in the military

Cited by 4 publications

References 70 publications

Cognitive Resilience to Psychological Stress in Military Personnel

Cognitive Resilience to Psychological Stress in Military Personnel

Inhibitory control and mood in relation to psychological resilience: an ecological momentary assessment study

Momentary Mood and Cognitive Control in relation to Psychological Resilience: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study (Preprint)

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