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In this chapter, the experimental paradigms traditionally used to evaluate perceptual inhibition, and therefore selective attention, were briefly presented: The Stroop, Flanks, and Conjunction Visual Search paradigms. The Conjunction Visual Search paradigm was analyzed in greater detail, and the main studies in recent years that use it as a measure of perceptual inhibition in one or more stages of the life cycle were shown. At the same time, the methodological limitations of these works were raised: the scarcity of studies that address the analysis of the development of the process throughout the life course and the diversity in the use of paradigms to evaluate the same process in different evolutionary stages.

This chapter addresses the inhibitory processing training. The topic is analyzed placing the emphasis on the process-based approach (e.g., predominant in executive functions training). Special emphasis is also placed on inhibitory training during childhood. Reference is made to both theoretical aspects (theoretical model and inhibitory processes addressed) and practical aspects (transfer effects of training). The authors review studies of specific inhibitory training, which meet certain methodological requirements (e.g., random designs with at least two groups and pre- and post-test measurements). The approach of these studies allowed the authors to (1) extract some ideas about the current work in this field (as the taking of a non-unitary perspective of inhibition and the use of computerized experimental tasks); (2) highlight the need for further study, as data on training transfer are not conclusive; and (3) discuss possible fundamental future lines of work.

In the present chapter, the authors analyze of the relations between inhibitory processes, selective attention, and the executive processes responsible for self-regulation. They describe the multidimensional model of inhibition with special emphasis on the unique functional and operative features of perceptual inhibition, in contrast with cognitive and response inhibitions. Likewise, they analyze the role of selective attention and self-regulation processes. Moreover, they describe the procedures and paradigms currently used for each inhibitory process assessment and outline the importance of including them as part of the evaluation and intervention processes in the different scenarios of psychological practice.

Currently, inhibition is considered one of the main executive functions responsible for stopping or attenuating the interference generated by prepotent tendencies linked to emotion, thought, or behavior that can interfere with the achievement of objectives. The study of inhibitory functioning has been focused more on neutral (or also called cold) contexts. However, real-world problems are often completely permeated with emotions or emotional signals that different inhibitory processes must suppress or attenuate. Although some studies have been reported on inhibitory functioning with emotional stimuli, the results are contradictory and have not even analyzed this question from a multidimensional inhibition perspective. For these reasons, this chapter addresses inhibitory control processes from a multidimensional perspective in both neutral and emotional contexts. The main theoretical proposals that provide explanations in this regard, experimental evaluation methods, and new lines of work are discussed.

The COVID-19 pandemic had imposed a variety of containment measures on the general population for prolonged periods. Confinement has had, and still has, social, economic, educational, health, and psychological consequences on the entire population. Objective: In this article, a systematic search has been performed based on studies carried out since the beginning of the pandemic, regarding the impact of these containment measures on the autism spectrum disorder (ASD) population and their caregivers. Method: We consulted six databases (i.e., PubMed, Medline, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, and Science Direct) and selected ten studies that met the inclusion criteria. The chosen studies have been classified according to their theoretical focus, methodology, and target population. Results: We found an increase in stress and a decrease in psychological well-being among individuals diagnosed with ASD (i.e., parents and caregivers). Additionally, in studies focused on children, youth, and adults with ASD diagnosis, the results are contradictory depending on variables such as age, ASD severity, or type of family structure. Conclusions: The results show that the consequences of quarantine and social confinement are quite contradictory and depend on variables such as age, ASD severity, and family features.

This study aims to develop a clinical trial to test the efficacy of a mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) and self-compassion (SC) program on self-reported values of anxiety, depression, and stress in parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) in primary school, in order to assess their integration into the framework of community intervention programs in Spain. Methods: A brief 8-week training program using mindfulness-based intervention (MBSR) and self-compassion (SC) has been applied to twelve Valencian ASD parents, ten of whom completed the program. Participants were assigned to two groups, both groups received the same treatment but at two different measurement moments. Depression, anxiety, stress, satisfaction with life and mindful attention awareness measurements were performed, in all participants, in three testing stages. Results: Analysis of variance results suggested that MBSR and SC training reduces stress and anxiety and increases mindful attention awareness. No significant changes were found in life satisfaction measurements. Conclusions: The small number of participants prevents us from generalizing the results found. More MBSR and SC clinical trials are needed in parents of ASD with results on anxiety, depression and stress in order to demonstrate the relevance of the inclusion of these programs in community-based early intervention services.

Recent studies suggest that the developmental curves in adolescence, related to the development of executive functions, could be fitted to a non-linear trajectory of development with progressions and retrogressions. Therefore, the present study proposes to analyze the pattern of development in Perceptual Inhibition (PI), considering all stages of adolescence (early, middle, and late) in intervals of one year. To this aim, we worked with a sample of 275 participants between 10 and 25 years, who performed a joint visual and search task (to measure PI). We have fitted ex-Gaussian functions to the probability distributions of the mean response time across the sample and performed a covariance analysis (ANCOVA). The results showed that the 10- to 13-year-old groups performed similarly in the task and differ from the 14- to 19-year-old participants. We found significant differences between the older group and all the rest of the groups. We discuss the important changes that can be observed in relation to the nonlinear trajectory of development that would show the PI during adolescence.

Recent studies suggest that the developmental curves in adolescence, related to the development of executive functions, could be fitted to a non-linear trajectory of development with progressions and retrogressions. Therefore, the present study proposes to analyze the pattern of development in Perceptual Inhibition (PI), considering all stages of adolescence (early, middle, and late) in intervals of one year. To this aim, we worked with a sample of 275 participants between 10 and 25 years, who performed a joint visual and search task (to measure PI). We have fitted exGaussian functions to the probability distributions of the mean response time across the sample and performed a covariance analysis (ANCOVA). The results showed that the 10- to 13-year-old groups performed similarly in the task and differ from the 14- to 19-year-old participants. We found significant differences between the older group and all the rest of the groups. We discuss the important changes that can be observed in relation to the nonlinear trajectory of development that would show the PI during adolescence.

According to the All or None Hypothesis (Diamond, 2009), the cognitive system can operate in a global manner that is not very discriminate or in a more discriminate mode that demands greater precision, control, and cognitive effort. There are five corollaries to this hypothesis that describe, in an operative way, the conditions under which the controlled mode of functioning in the cognitive domain can be activated and thus tested. Given the impact this theory has generated and the absence of studies analyzing the corollaries in a collective and systematic way at different stages of development, this study was proposed, first of all, to test three of these corollaries in children, adolescents and adults and, secondly, to analyze the changes in the controlled mode of functioning during these three stages of development. To this end, the Fingers Task, a modified version of Arrows Task (with two rules: response ipsilateral where the stimulus is presented, symmetry, and response contralateral, asymmetry), was administered to a sample of 123 participants (43 children, 44 adolescents, and 36 adults). In general, the results verify the corollaries and identify the changes that the controlled mode of functioning experiences at different stages of development.

Prior research developed the Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale (ARDES), a 19-item questionnaire aimed at evaluating the drivers’ predisposition to attentional error, and also provided validity evidence of ARDES measures across two countries: Argentina and Spain. In the current work we adapt the Spanish version of the ARDES to the English language and the culture, traffic regulations and driving habits of the UK, and then provide new evidence of the cross-cultural equivalence of the scale. First, an improved forward and backward translation design was used to translate the Spanish ARDES into English. A committee-approach review process was also performed during the translation phase to guarantee that the English ARDES was the most appropriate to reflect the language, culture, traffic regulations and driving habits of the UK. Second, the adapted questionnaire was tested on 301 British drivers to inspect its psychometric properties and study the relationships between the ARDES-UK and different socio-demographic variables. In agreement with the previous literature, the results of the factor analysis confirmed a single factor and accounting for 33.84% of the variance. Cronbach’s alpha was equal to .89. The observed pattern of relationships of the scores and the different socio-demographic variables was consistent with previous evidence and support the validity of the adapted questionnaire. For example, the ARDES-UK scores were significantly different between drivers reporting and not reporting traffic accidents with material damage. To conclude with, the translation design and the resulting psychometric suggest the validity of ARDES-UK measures for evaluating the British drivers’ predisposition to attentional error. In addition, the evidence in the current work supports the hypothesis of the cross-cultural stability of the scale across Spain and the UK.

The Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale (ARDES) is a self-reported questionnaire to assess individual differences in the proneness to make attentional errors while driving. The aims of the current work are to adapt the original Argentinean version of the ARDES to the culture, language, traffic regulations and driving habits of Spain and provide new validity evidence of the cross-cultural equivalence of the scale. In the first step of the validation process, five external independent experts reviewed the original ARDES-Argentina and proposed modifications, adapted to the culture, language, traffic regulations and driving habits in Spain. Secondly, a sample of 320 drivers completed the adapted questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and psychometric properties (corrected item-total correlation, Cronbach’s alpha and factor structure) were performed on the data. Besides, in order to obtain further validity evidence, the relationships between the questionnaire scores and socio-demographic variables (age, sex, educational level, driving experience, crash involvement and traffic fines received) were analyzed. Factor analysis suggested a single factor that exceeded the parallel analysis criterion and accounted for 32.70% of the total variance. All items showed positive loadings on this factor, ranging from .41 to .72. The corrected item-total correlation values extend from .41 to .60, indicating that the items had good discrimination power. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient value was .88. The analysis of the relationships between ARDES-Spain scores and socio-demographic variables provided further validity evidence of the appropriateness of the adapted questionnaire. In particular, differences in ARDES-Spain scores were found between drivers who reported traffic collisions with material damage and participants who did not. In conclusion, results in the current study suggest that the adapted version of the ARDES is a useful tool for evaluating the proneness to attentional errors during driving in the Spanish population. Future studies adapting the questionnaire to other countries with different languages, cultures, traffic regulations and driving habits are encouraged in order to expand the discussion on the cross-cultural equivalence of the ARDES.

Driver distraction and inattention are considered among the major contributing factors in road traffic crashes. One of the most widely used tools to study drivers’ attentional lapses and other types of aberrant behaviour is the Driver Behaviour Questionnaire (DBQ). In the present work, further evidence of the feasibility of the DBQ to study driver inattention is provided. The relationships between the DBQ and both a computer-based neurocognitive test on attentional performance (the Attention Network Test for Interactions and Vigilance, ANTI-V) and a self-reported measure of cognitive failure (the Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, CFQ) are analysed. Results show that attentional lapses are negatively associated with vigilance and positively associated with cognitive failure. Other types of aberrant behaviour (driving errors, traffic violations and aggressive behaviours) were not found related to the attentional performance indices (executive control, orienting, phasic alertness or vigilance), with the exception of DBQ-Violations and the executive control score in percentage of errors. In addition, the relationship between the other types of aberrant behaviour with cognitive failure was more moderate (except for DBQ-Errors, which was also highly correlated). Overall, these results are consistent with the idea of DBQ-Lapses being related to driving inattention, and suggest that this subscale could be a useful tool to study vigilance-related driving behaviour. Further evidence with improved versions of the DBQ or alternative questionnaires would be helpful to clarify whether proneness to attentional lapses while driving may be associated with different driving performance measures, such as crashes or near misses.

Based on Posner's (1994) model of attentional functions, the relationship between age and personal proneness to attention-related errors while driving and the functioning of the 3 attentional networks were explored by means of attentional behavioral measures and self-report data.A sample of 55 drivers was drawn from the general population of Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina. The Attention Network Test for Interactions (ANTI) (Callejas et al. 2004) task was used to obtain behavioral measures of the attentional networks, and we used the Attention-Related Driving Error Scale (ARDES) (Ledesma et al. 2010) questionnaire to obtain a self-report measure of attention-related driving errors.Drivers reporting the greatest propensity to experience attention-related errors showed an overall slowdown in performance, less endogenous preparation for high = priority warning signs, and a better response to conflict in the presence of valid cues than drivers less prone to attention-related errors while driving. Older participants showed a slowdown in performance, less endogenous preparation for high-priority warning signs, and worse cognitive control when solving conflict in comparison with younger drivers.We suggest that each group variable, attention-related error proneness and age, shows a particular combination of attentional network functioning that implies different ways of being distracted, which have different practical implications for safe driving. It can be inferred that drivers who are more prone to commit attentional errors while driving run less risk in situations in which they can deal with response conflict in the presence of valid cues because of the particular way in which their attentional networks are combined when a valid cue is present, could serve to compensate, with a better response conflict, their general slowdown and less endogenous preparedness for high-priority signs. It can be inferred that older drivers might show a reduction of the general state of alertness to signs that indicate the presence of a dangerous driving situation and in solving conflict in traffic circumstances.

We used several cue–target SOAs (100, 500, 1000 ms) and three different degrees of cue predictability (Non-predictive-50%, Predictive-75%, Counter-predictive-25%), to investigate the role of awareness of cue–target predictability on cueing effects. A group of participants received instructions about the informative value of the cue, while another group did not receive such instructions. Participants were able to extract the predictive value of a spatially peripheral cue and use it to orient attention, whether or not specific instructions about the predictive value of the cue were given, and no matter their ability to correctly report it in a post-test questionnaire. In the non-predictive block, bad estimators who received no instructions showed regular cueing effects, while good estimators exhibited smaller and non-significant facilitatory effects at the short SOA and an absence of significant IOR at longer SOAs. However, for the instructions group, the pattern of results reversed.

El trastorno por déficit de atención e hiperactividad (TDAH) afecta a entre un 5% y un 10% de la población en desarrollo. Hiperactividad, impulsividad e inatención son los síntomas comportamentales que mejor caracterizan a este trastorno. A pesar de la extensa investigación clínica en relación al mismo, el déficit subyacente sigue aún generando bastante controversia. Por ello, estudiar las redes atencionales en relación a la caracterización sintomática del TDAH puede ayudar a tener una visión más clara del trastorno y con ello generar mejoras en su tratamiento.

El objetivo del presente artículo es contribuir a la integración teórica entre dos perspectivas de amplia difusión y desa - rrollo actual: las teorías sobre el aprendizaje implícito (AI) y el programa de investigación conocido como Psicología Evolucionista (PE). Se propone la existencia de una base teórica común entre el AI y la PE que incluye: una perspectiva adaptacionista, que sostiene que las estructuras y mecanismos, procesos y conductas necesitan ser integrados dentro de un marco evolucionista y evaluados en términos de los roles que cada uno juega en las especies que los poseen; un innatismo moderado, que admite la existencia de una estructura considerable no dependiente del ambiente y por último, un acuerdo acerca del carác ter adaptativo y no reductible de la conciencia. Por el con trario, se considera que no forma parte de los compromisos compartidos la tesis del carácter masivamente modular de la mente.

Objective: The aim of this research was (a) to study driver inattention as a trait-like variable and (b) to provide new evidence of validity for the Attention-Related Driving Errors Scale (ARDES). Background: Driving inattention is approached from an individual differences perspective. We are interested in how drivers vary in their propensity to experience failures of attention and in the methods to measure these differences. Method: In a first sample (n = 301), we tested, via confirmatory factor analysis, a new theoretical model for the ARDES. In a second sample (n = 201), we evaluated the relationship between inattention and internal and external sources of distraction and social desirability bias in ARDES responses. A subsample (n = 65) was reevaluated to study temporal stability of the ARDES scores. Results: Errors measured by the ARDES can be classified according to the driving task level at which they occur (navigation, maneuvering, or control). Differences in ARDES scores based on collision history were observed. ARDES was related to internal sources of distraction and was independent of the level of exposure to distracting activities. Test-retest showed a high degree of stability in ARDES scores. Low correlations were found with a social desirability measure. Conclusion: ARDES appears to measure a personal trait that remains relatively stable over time and is relatively independent of distracting activities. New evidence of validity emerged for this self-report. Application: ARDES can be used to measure individual differences in driving inattention and to help tailor preventive interventions for inattentive drivers. It can serve as an instrument of driver self-assessment in educational and training contexts. Fil: Ledesma, Ruben Daniel. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Montes, Silvana Andrea. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: Poó, Fernando Martín. Universidad Nacional de Mar del Plata; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina Fil: López Ramón, María Fernanda. Universidad de Zaragoza; España

En el estudio que se informa se exploraron las relaciones entre las siguientes mediciones cognitivas en niños de 8 a 12 años: (a) la capacidad de aprendizaje implícito (AI) de reglas abstractas, (b) la capacidad de aprendizaje explícito (AE) de reglas abstractas y (c) la medición psicométrica de inteligencia general (IG). Además, se analizó el efecto de tales relaciones con respecto al desarrollo cognitivo en diferentes edades cronológicas. Por último, se exploraron las diferencias en el formato de presentación utilizado en las pruebas comparando dos formatos: alfabético (CA) y figurativo (CF). Se trabajó con una muestra de 64 alumnos de tres escuelas provinciales de la ciudad de Mar del Plata (Prov. de Buenos Aires). La muestra estuvo conformada por 32 niños de tercer año y 32 niños de quinto año de Enseñanza General Básica (EGB). Se verificó la ocurrencia de una correlación positiva estadísticamente significativa entre el AE y la IG (en la CF). Al comparar los resultados obtenidos por los niños de quinto año con los niños de tercero, se obtuvieron diferencias significativas en las puntuaciones obtenidas en la prueba de AE. Los resultados observados sustentan la hipótesis de la independencia del AI de reglas abstractas con respecto a la edad de los sujetos y al CI, y la asociación del AE de reglas abstractas con respecto a la edad de los sujetos y al CI. Los resultados sugieren que el formato figurativo es más sencillo y accesible para la edad de los sujetos comprendidos en la muestra.

The aim of the current study is to develop and obtain valid evidence for a hazard perception test suitable for the Spanish driving population. To obtain valid evidence to support the use of the test, the effect of hazardous and quasi-hazardous situations on the participants' hazard prediction is analyzed and the pattern of results for drivers with different driving experience--that is, learner, novice, and expert drivers and reoffender vs. nonoffender drivers--is compared. Potentially hazardous situations are those that develop without involving any real hazard (i.e., the driver did not actually have to decelerate or make any evasive maneuver to avoid a potential collision). The current study analyzed repeat offender drivers attending compulsory reeducation programs as a result of reaching the maximum number of penalty points on their driving license due to repeated violations of traffic laws.A new video-based hazard perception test was developed, using a total of 20 hazardous situation videos plus 8 quasi-hazardous situation videos. They were selected from 167 recordings of natural hazards in real Spanish driving settings.The test showed adequate psychometric properties and evidence of validity, distinguishing between different types of drivers. Psychometric results confirm a final version of the hazard perception test composed of 11 video clips of hazards and 6 video clips of quasi-hazards, for which an overall Cronbach's alpha coefficient of.77 was obtained. A lack of ability to detect quasi-hazards and distinguish them from hazardous situations was also found for learner, novice, and reoffender drivers. Learner drivers obtained lower average scores than novice and experienced drivers with the hazardous situation videos, and learner drivers obtained lower average scores than experienced drivers with the quasi-hazardous situation videos, suggesting that the ability to correctly identify hazardous traffic situations may develop early by accumulating initial driving experience. However, the ability to correctly identify quasi-hazardous situations may develop later with the accumulation of further driving experience. Developing this ability is also difficult for reoffender drivers.The test has adequate psychometric properties and is useful in distinguishing between learner, novice, and expert drivers. In addition, it is useful in that it analyzes the performance of both safe and unsafe drivers (reoffenders who have already lost their driving license).

The study of sleep deprivation is a fruitful area of research to increase our knowledge of cognitive functions and their neural basis. In the current work, 26 healthy young adults participated in a sleep deprivation study, in which the Attentional Networks Test for Interactions and Vigilance (ANTI-V) was performed at 10 a.m. after a night of normal sleep and again at 10 a.m. after 25.5–27.5 h of total sleep deprivation. The ANTI-V is an experimental task that provides measures of alerting, orienting and executive control attentional functions. Compared with previous versions, the ANTI-V includes a vigilance task, more reliable auditory alerting signals, non-predictive peripheral orienting cues, and also a neutral no-cue condition allowing the analysis of reorienting costs and orienting benefits. Thus, new evidence to evaluate the influence of sleep deprivation on attentional functioning is provided. Results revealed differences in both tonic and phasic alertness after sleep deprivation. Vigilance performance was deteriorated, while a warning tone was more helpful to increase participants' alertness, resulting in slightly faster RT and, in particular, fewer errors. The reorienting costs of having an invalid spatial cue were reduced after sleep loss. No sleep deprivation effect on the executive control measure was found in this study. Finally, since no control group was used, particular precautions were taken to reduce the influence of potential practice effects.

Vigilance could be a crucial aspect of attention that may modulate the functioning of the attentional system. Some behavioural tests, such as the Attention Network Test (ANT), have been developed to obtain an individual index of the three attentional networks (alertness, orientation, and executive control). However, alerting network measures are usually inferred using a phasic alertness task, and some indirect indexes of tonic alertness or vigilance have been proposed but not properly evaluated. The general aim for the present study is to provide the ANT with a direct measure of vigilance and then to analyse the relationship between this measure and other alternative indirect indexes. The obtained results suggest that the proposed new test (ANTI-Vigilance or ANTI-V) is useful to achieve a direct measure of vigilance and could be considered as a new tool available in cognitive, clinical or behavioural neurosciences for analysing vigilance in addition to the usual ANT scores. Other alternative indexes (such as global reaction time and global accuracy averaged across conditions) are only moderately correlated to a direct vigilance measure. As a consequence, although they may be to some extent related to the participants' vigilance level, they could not be used isolatedly as appropriate indexes of vigilance. Also, the role played by these global measures in the ANT task, which have been previously associated with some performance measures in applied areas (such as driving performance), is discussed.

Although episodic memory deficit in patients with multiple sclerosis (ME) is a well established fact, there is no agreement about the origin of this disorder in terms of cognitive processes. Whereas most of the studies attribute this deficit to defects in memory recovery processes, others contribute evidence in favor of the hypothesis that considers that it originates in difficulties in coding memory processes.However, the analysis of the relationship between coding processes and memory functioning in ME is a scantly studied topic. In the present article, we studied coding processes and their relationships with executive control processes in a group of patients with ME. We used a set of indexes of the Test of Verbal Learning from the TAVEC test for the evaluation of the coding processes. To assess the executive processes we used a semantic verbal fluency task, the WCST, and WAIS III scale of matrixes. We worked with 36 patients with ME diagnosis and 36 healthy control participants, paired by age and educational level. The results showed a deficit in the coding processes and the existence of a significant association between these processes and executive functioning.

The aim of this article is to assess and compare three classification statistical techniques--logistic regression, discriminant analysis and classification trees--to identify the personality characteristics associated with the risk of suffering from ischemic cardiovascular acute episodes (ICAE). The sample comprised 313 participants, men and women, aged from 36 to 80. Participants were divided into two groups: a clinical group of patients (n = 143) who were diagnosed as suffering from ICAE, and a control group (n = 170). Both groups were equated in gender, age, socio-economic and educational level. In view of the comparative study of the analytical procedures, we recommend classification trees as the best choice, as it was the most accurate for the individuals in the clinical group, a simple data analysis and a meaningful clinical interpretation. The predictive validity analysis of the MCMI-II allowed the construction of a reduced version made up of 9 personality scales from the 22 scales in the original version. Thus, we could identify the patients with a higher probability of suffering from ICAE, and additionally, generate an empirical model comprising seven and five personality profiles associated, respectively, with the increase and the decrease of the probability of suffering from ICAE.