Trait self-focused attention increases sensitivity to nonconscious primes: Evidence from effort-related cardiovascular reactivity

Silvia, Paul J.; Kelly, Casey S.; Zibaie, Alireza; Nardello, Joseph L.; Moore, Lance C.

doi:10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2013.03.007

Cited by 13 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…The effects were stronger for effort-related physiology than for behavioral task performance, a common finding in our research (e.g., Silvia, 2012; Silvia et al, 2011a, 2011b; Silvia, Kelly, Zibaie, Nardello, & Moore, in press; Silvia, McCord, & Gendolla, 2010) and in motivational intensity research generally. Effort is one of several contributions to task performance.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Gritty people try harder: Grit and effort-related cardiac autonomic activity during an active coping challenge

Silvia

Eddington

Beaty

et al. 2013

International Journal of Psychophysiology

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Grit, a recently proposed personality trait associated with persistence for long-range goals, predicts achievement in a wide range of important life outcomes. Using motivational intensity theory, the present research examined the physiological underpinnings of grit during an active coping task. Forty young adults completed the Short Grit Scale and worked on a self-paced mental effort task. Effort-related autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity was assessed using impedance cardiography, which yielded measures of sympathetic activity (pre-ejection period; PEP) and parasympathetic activity (respiratory sinus arrhythmia; RSA). Multilevel models revealed that people high on the Perseverance of Effort subscale showed autonomic coactivation: both PEP and RSA became stronger during the task, reflecting higher activity of both ANS divisions. The Consistency of Interest subscale, in contrast, predicted only weaker sympathetic activity (slower PEP). Taken together, the findings illuminate autonomic processes associated with how “gritty” people pursue goals, and they suggest that more attention should be paid to the facets’ distinct effects.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 77%

Gritty people try harder: Grit and effort-related cardiac autonomic activity during an active coping challenge

Silvia

Eddington

Beaty

et al. 2013

International Journal of Psychophysiology

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“…For each physiological outcome, scores for the 5 baseline minutes were averaged to form a baseline value, and scores for the 3 parity task minutes were averaged to form a task value. We analyzed the data using regression models, as in our recent work [ 43 , 44 ]. Reactivity scores—change from baseline to task—were computed by subtracting the baseline value from the task value.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perfectionism and Effort-Related Cardiac Activity: Do Perfectionists Try Harder?

2016

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Do perfectionists try harder? Previous research on perfectionism and effort has used self-report items and task performance as indicators of effort. The current study investigated whether individual differences in perfectionism predicted effort-related cardiac activity during a mental effort task. Based on past research that suggests adaptive perfectionism is associated with higher effort, it was hypothesized that self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) would predict increased effort on the task. One hundred and eleven college students completed the Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (MPS) and a self-paced parity task in which they received a small cash reward (3 cents) for each correct response. Impedance cardiography was used to assess autonomic reactivity, and regression models tested whether SOP and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) explained autonomic reactivity. Overall, participants showed both sympathetic (faster pre-ejection period; PEP) and parasympathetic activation (elevated high-frequency heart rate variability; HRV) during the task, reflecting higher effort and engagement. Contrary to predictions, individual differences in perfectionism did not moderate cardiac reactivity. These findings draw attention to the importance of assessing physiological components of effort and motivation directly rather than inferring them from task performance or self-reported effort.

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“…In the easy condition, all the items appeared for 2000 ms; in the medium condition, 67% of the items appears for 2000 ms and 33% appeared for 750 ms; in the hard condition, 33% of the items appeared for 2000 ms and 67% appeared for 750 ms; and in the very hard condition, all the items appeared for 750 ms. These response windows were based on our extensive past research with this task with similar samples (e.g., Silvia, Kelly, Zibaie, Nardello, & Moore, 2013; Silvia, McCord, & Gendolla, 2010; Silvia, Moore, & Nardello, 2014). In all cases, the item remained on screen for the full response window.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do depressive symptoms “blunt” effort? An analysis of cardiac engagement and withdrawal for an increasingly difficult task

Silvia

Mironovová

McHone

et al. 2016

Biological Psychology

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Research on depression and effort has suggested “depressive blunting”—lower cardiovascular reactivity in response to challenges and stressors. Many studies, however, find null effects or higher reactivity. The present research draws upon motivational intensity theory, a broad model of effort that predicts cases in which depressive symptoms should increase or decrease effort. Because depressive symptoms can influence task-difficulty appraisals—people see tasks as subjectively harder—people high in depressive symptoms should engage higher effort at objectively easier levels of difficulty but also quit sooner. A sample of adults completed a mental effort challenge with four levels of difficulty, from very easy to difficult-but-feasible. Depressive symptoms were assessed with the CESD and DASS; effort-related cardiac activity was assessed via markers of contractility (e.g., the cardiac pre-ejection period [PEP]) obtained with impedance cardiography. The findings supported the theory’s predictions. When the task was relatively easier, people high in depressive symptoms showed higher contractility (shorter PEP), consistent with greater effort. When the task was relatively harder, people high in depressive symptoms showed diminished contractility, consistent with quitting. The results suggest that past research has been observing a small part of a larger trajectory of trying and quitting, and they illustrate the value of a theoretically grounded analysis of depressive symptoms and effort-related cardiac activity.

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Trait self-focused attention increases sensitivity to nonconscious primes: Evidence from effort-related cardiovascular reactivity

Cited by 13 publications

References 54 publications

Gritty people try harder: Grit and effort-related cardiac autonomic activity during an active coping challenge

Gritty people try harder: Grit and effort-related cardiac autonomic activity during an active coping challenge

Perfectionism and Effort-Related Cardiac Activity: Do Perfectionists Try Harder?

Do depressive symptoms “blunt” effort? An analysis of cardiac engagement and withdrawal for an increasingly difficult task

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