Wake up. Back to Bed – Zugang zum nächtlichen Training?

Einleitung Ein Klartraum ist definiert als ein Traum, in dem der Träumende weiß, dass er träumt. In der Fachliteratur finden sich verschiedene Induktionstechniken, um die Klartraum-häufigkeit zu steigern (z.B. Stumbrys, Erlacher, Schädlich & Schredl, 2012). Zudem wurde in einer Pilotstudie gezeigt, dass ein Training im Klartraum zu Verbesserungen in einer Zielwurfaufgabe am nächsten Morgen führt (Erlacher & Schredl, 2010). Um ein regelmäßiges Training im Traum zu ermöglichen, besteht für die Sportpraxis das Problem, Klarträume gezielt zu induzieren. In dieser Studie wurde im Schlaflabor die so genannte Memnotische Induktion von luziden Träumen (MILT) – eine Autosugges-tionstechnik in der die Intention, einen Klartraum zu erleben, an Traumhinweise ge-koppelt wird – im Morgenschlaf überprüft. Methoden Insgesamt wurden 52 Versuchsteilnehmer (32 männlich und 20 weiblich) im Alter von 24 Jahren (± 2.2) im Schlaflabor untersucht. Die Personen waren in 4 Gruppen aufge-teilt. Alle Personen schliefen zunächst für ca. 6 Stunden, wurden dann aus einer REM-Phase geweckt und sollten einen Traum berichten. Im Anschluss blieben die Teilnehmer 30 bzw. 60 Minuten wach und praktizierten entweder MILT oder beschäf-tigten sich mit einer kognitiven oder motorischen Kontrollaufgabe. Im Anschluss durf-ten alle Teilnehmer für max. 4 weitere Stunden schlafen. Das Auftreten eines Klartraums in der morgendlichen Schlafphase diente als abhängige Variable. Ergebnisse und Diskussion Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass MILT zu einer gesteigerten Klartraumhäufigkeit (33-70%) im Vergleich zur Kontrollbedingung (9-14%) führt. Ein Unterschied zwischen 30 Minuten (50%) zu 60 Minuten MILT (70%) ist marginal. Das Auftreten von Klarträumen kann durch MILT im Morgenschlaf signifikant gestei-gert werden. Die Erfolgsquote schwankt jedoch mit Blick auf die genaue Definition ei-nes Klartraums. Es konnten bei nicht klartraumerfahrenen Versuchsteilnehmerinnen mehr Klarträume induziert werden. Für die Sportpraxis könnten solche Induktions-techniken dem Sportler ermöglichen, im Traum zu trainieren. In weiteren Studien wäre zu untersuchen, ob Athleten ebenfalls Klarträume induziert werden können. Ebenso sollte die Auswirkung eines regelmäßigen Klartraumtrainings in der Sportpraxis wei-ter untersucht werden. Literatur Stumbrys, T., Erlacher, D., Schädlich, M. & Schredl, M. (2012). Induction of lucid dreams: a systematic review of evidence. Consciousness and Cognition, 21(3), 1456-1475. Erlacher, D. & Schredl, M. (2010). Practicing a motor task in a lucid dream enhances subsequent performance: A pilot study. The Sport Psychologist, 24(2), 157-167.

Electrophysiological indices of response inhibition in a Go/NoGo task predict self-control in a social context.

Recent research demonstrates that response inhibition-a core executive function-may subserve self-regulation and self-control. However, it is unclear whether response inhibition also predicts self-control in the multifaceted, high-level phenomena of social decision-making. Here we examined whether electrophysiological indices of response inhibition would predict self-control in a social context. Electroencephalography was recorded as participants completed a widely used Go/NoGo task (the cued Continuous Performance Test). Participants then interacted with a partner in an economic exchange game that requires self-control. Results demonstrated that greater NoGo-Anteriorization and larger NoGo-P300 peak amplitudes-two established electrophysiological indices of response inhibition-both predicted more self-control in this social game. These findings support continued integration of executive function and self-regulation and help extend prior research into social decision-making processes.

Unconscious relational encoding depends on hippocampus

Textbooks divide between human memory systems based on consciousness. Hippocampus is thought to support only conscious encoding, while neocortex supports both conscious and unconscious encoding. We tested whether processing modes, not consciousness, divide between memory systems in three neuroimaging experiments with 11 amnesic patients (mean age = 45.55 years, standard deviation = 8.74, range = 23-60) and 11 matched healthy control subjects. Examined processing modes were single item versus relational encoding with only relational encoding hypothesized to depend on hippocampus. Participants encoded and later retrieved either single words or new relations between words. Consciousness of encoding was excluded by subliminal (invisible) word presentation. Amnesic patients and controls performed equally well on the single item task activating prefrontal cortex. But only the controls succeeded on the relational task activating the hippocampus, while amnesic patients failed as a group. Hence, unconscious relational encoding, but not unconscious single item encoding, depended on hippocampus. Yet, three patients performed normally on unconscious relational encoding in spite of amnesia capitalizing on spared hippocampal tissue and connections to language cortex. This pattern of results suggests that processing modes divide between memory systems, while consciousness divides between levels of function within a memory system.

Effects of overt self-­talk on team partners’ other-efficacy and performance in a golf putting task

Introduction According to Lent and Lopez’ (2002) tripartite view of efficacy beliefs, members of a team form beliefs about the efficacy of their team partners. This other-efficacy belief can influence individual performance as shown by Dunlop, Beatty, and Beauchamp (2011) in their experimental study using manipulated performance feedback to alter other-efficacy beliefs. Participants holding favorable other-efficacy beliefs outperformed those with lower other--‐efficacy beliefs. Antecedents of such other-efficacy beliefs are amongst others perceptions regarding motivation and psychological factors of the partner (Jackson, Knapp, & Beauchamp, 2008). Overt self-talk could be interpreted as the manifestation of such motivational or psychological factors. In line with this assumption, in an experimental study using dubbed videos of the same segment of a tennis match, Van Raalte, Brewer, Cornelius, and Petitpas (2006) found that players were perceived more favorably (e.g., more concentrated, and of higher ability levels) when shown with dubbed positive self-talk as compared to dubbed negative or no dubbed self--‐talk. Objectives The aim of the study was to examine the possible effects of a confederate’s overt self-talk on participants’ other-efficacy beliefs and performance in a team setting. Method In a laboratory experiment (between-subjects, pre-post-test design, matched by pretest performance) 89 undergraduate students (female = 35, M = 20.81 years, SD = 2.34) participated in a golf putting task together with a confederate (same gender groups). Depending on the experimental condition (positive, negative, or no self-talk), the confederate commented his or her putts according to a self-talk script. Bogus performance feedback assured that the performance of the confederate was held constant. Performance was measured as the distance to the center of the target, other-efficacy by a questionnaire. Results The data collection has just finished and the results of repeated measures analyses of variance will be presented and discussed at the congress. We expect to find higher other-efficacy beliefs and better individual performance in the positive self-talk condition. References Dunlop, W.L., Beatty, D.J., & Beauchamp, M.R. (2011). Examining the influence of other-efficacy and self-efficacy on personal performance. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 33, 586-593. Jackson, B., Knapp, P., & Beauchamp, M.R. (2008). Origins and consequences of tripartite efficacy beliefs within elite athlete dyads. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 30, 512-540. Lent, R.W., & Lopez, F.G. (2002). Cognitive ties that bind: A tripartite view of efficacy beliefs in growth--‐promoting relationships. Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 21, 256-286. Van Raalte, J.L., Brewer, B.W, Cornelius, A.E., & Petitpas, A.J. (2006). Self-presentational effects of self-talk on perceptions of tennis players. Hellenic Journal of Psychology, 3, 134-149.

The bivalency effect in task switching: General and enduring

The purpose of this study was to investigate the generality and temporal endurance of the bivalency effect in task switching. This effect refers to the slowing on univalent stimuli that occurs when bivalent stimuli appear occasionally. We used a paradigm involving predictable switches between 3 simple tasks, with bivalent stimuli occasionally occurring on one of the tasks. The generality of the bivalency effect was investigated by using different tasks and different types of bivalent stimuli, and the endurance of this effect was investigated across different intertrial intervals (ITIs) and across the univalent trials that followed trials with bivalent stimuli. In 3 experiments, the results showed a general, robust, and enduring bivalency effect for all ITI conditions. Although the effect declined across trials, it remained significant for about 4 trials following one with a bivalent stimulus. Our findings emphasise the importance of top–down processes in task-switching performance. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Brain sources of EEG gamma frequency during volitionally meditation-induced, altered states of consciousness, and experience of the self.

Multichannel EEG of an advanced meditator was recorded during four different, repeated meditations. Locations of intracerebral source gravity centers as well as Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography (LORETA) functional images of the EEG 'gamma' (35-44 Hz) frequency band activity differed significantly between meditations. Thus, during volitionally self-initiated, altered states of consciousness that were associated with different subjective meditation states, different brain neuronal populations were active. The brain areas predominantly involved during the self-induced meditation states aiming at visualization (right posterior) and verbalization (left central) agreed with known brain functional neuroanatomy. The brain areas involved in the self-induced, meditational dissolution and reconstitution of the experience of the self (right fronto-temporal) are discussed in the context of neural substrates implicated in normal self-representation and reality testing, as well as in depersonalization disorders and detachment from self after brain lesions.