Ricardo G. Lugo

The somatic marker theory in the context of addiction: contributions to understanding development and maintenance

Recent theoretical accounts of addiction have acknowledged that addiction to substances and behaviors share inherent similarities (eg, insensitivity to future consequences and self-regulatory deficits). This recognition is corroborated by inquiries into the neurobiological correlates of addiction, which has indicated that different manifestations of addictive pathology share common neural mechanisms. This review of the literature will explore the feasibility of the somatic marker hypothesis as a unifying explanatory framework of the decision-making deficits that are believed to be involved in addiction development and maintenance. The somatic marker hypothesis provides a neuroanatomical and cognitive framework of decision making, which posits that decisional processes are biased toward long-term prospects by emotional marker signals engendered by a neuronal architecture comprising both cortical and subcortical circuits. Addicts display markedly impulsive and compulsive behavioral patterns that might be understood as manifestations of decision-making processes that fail to take into account the long-term consequences of actions. Evidence demonstrates that substance dependence, pathological gambling, and Internet addiction are characterized by structural and functional abnormalities in neural regions, as outlined by the somatic marker hypothesis. Furthermore, both substance dependents and behavioral addicts show similar impairments on a measure of decision making that is sensitive to somatic marker functioning. The decision-making deficits that characterize addiction might exist a priori to addiction development; however, they may be worsened by ingestion of substances with neurotoxic properties. It is concluded that the somatic marker model of addiction contributes a plausible account of the underlying neurobiology of decision-making deficits in addictive disorders that is supported by the current neuroimaging and behavioral evidence. Implications for future research are outlined.

Towards a Cognitive Agility Index: The Role of Metacognition in Human Computer Interaction

Research on human factors in the cyber domain is lacking. Metacognitive awareness and regulation have been shown to be important factors in performance, but research integrating metacognitive strategies in socio-technical systems is lacking. This study aims to investigate metacognition as a potential index of evaluating individual cognitive performance in cyberspace operations. Cyber military cadets were tested during a cyber-exercise to see how metacognitive awareness and regulation influenced performance in the Hybrid Space conceptual framework. Findings suggest that metacognitive strategies could explain Hybrid Space performance outcomes and support the development of a cognitive agility index for cyber operators. Future research and training programs for cyber officers should incorporate metacognition as measurement outcomes and in training to help index development and performance.

Socio-technical communication: The hybrid space and the OLB model for science-based cyber education

ABSTRACT Lessons from safety-critical sociotechnical systems, such as aviation and acute medical care, demonstrate the importance of the human factor and highlight the crucial role of efficient communication between human agents. Although a large proportion of fatal incidents in aviation have been linked to failures in communication, cognitive engineering provides the theoretical framework to mitigate risks and increase performance in sociotechnical systems not only in the civil sector, but also in the military domain. Conducting cyber operations in multidomain battles presents new challenges for military training and education as the increased importance of psychological factors such as metacognitive skills and perspective-taking both in lower and higher ranking staff, becomes more apparent. The Hybrid Space framework (Jøsok et al., 2016) provides a blueprint for describing the cognitive and behavioral constraints for maneuvering between socio-technical and cyber-physical systems whilst cooperating, coordinating or competing with accompanying cognitive styles in the chain of command. We apply the Hybrid Space framework to communicative challenges in the military cyber domain and suggest a three-phase Orienting, Locating, Bridging model for safe and efficient communication between partners. Based on the educational principles of the Norwegian Defence Cyber Academy, we discuss the required skill-sets and knowledge in which cyber officer cadets are trained and taught early in their education, and how these refer to the theoretical framework of the Hybrid Space and the key principles of communication as defined in cognitive engineering.

Beyond expectation: a case for nonpersonal contextual factors in a more comprehensive approach to the placebo effect and the contribution of environmental psychology.

Creating an optimized health care environment to maximize the probability and magnitude of placebo effects draws on a number of well-researched mechanisms such as the patient’s positive expectation toward treatment outcome. Patient-centered communication styles influence expectations and can thus be considered as a form of supplemental treatment. Unconsciously processed contextual triggering and facilitating placebo effects are omnipresent in clinical settings as well as in all other social and physical environments. Contextual cues in both the social and physical domain exert influences on the recipient’s emotional state and recreational experiences. While the majority of research focuses on improving the patients’ expectations, classical conditioning effects of nonsocial contextual factors have been largely neglected in discussions on practical implementation of placebo-enhancing environments. Built on the empirically well-supported argument that conditioning processes act as a powerful tool to mobilize self-healing resources just as verbally induced expectations do, we argue for a stronger consideration of the effects of permanent, nonsocial and nonverbal environmental contexts. Environmental psychology is a new field of research within the psychological domain and offers a toolbox of opportunities for medical psychological research and health care practitioners to improve the treatment outcomes and benefits of health care environments.

Macrocognition Applied to the Hybrid Space: Team Environment, Functions and Processes in Cyber Operations

As cyber is increasingly integrated into military operations, conducting military cyber operations requires the effective coordination of teams. This interdisciplinary contribution discusses teams working in, and in relation to the cyber domain as a part of a larger socio-technical system, and the need for a better understanding of the human factors that contribute to individual and team performance in such settings. To extend an existing macrocognitive model [19] describing functions and processes into a conceptual framework that maps cognitive processes along cyber-physical and tactical-strategic dimensions (the Hybrid Space; [4]) to gain a better understanding of environmental complexity, and how to operate effectively in a cyber team context. Current experience from conducting cyber network defence exercises at the Norwegian Defence Cyber Academy and implications for future education and training are discussed.

Effects of Music on Agitation in Dementia: A Meta-Analysis

Agitation is a common problem in patients suffering from dementia and encompasses a variety of behaviors such as repetitive acts, restlessness, wandering, and aggressive behaviors. Agitation reduces the probability of positive social interaction and increases the psychological and organizational burden. While medical interventions are common, there is need for complementary or alternative methods. Music intervention has been brought forward as a promising method to reduce agitation in dementia. While interventions, target groups and research designs differ, there has so far not been a systematic overview assessing the effect of music intervention for agitation in patients with dementia. A meta-analysis was conducted in order to investigate possible effects of music interventions. Twelve studies met inclusion criteria. Music intervention had a medium overall effect on agitation in dementia, suggesting robust clinical relevance. While the moderate number of studies does not allow for further differentiation between sub-types of music intervention, the sub-group comparisons indicated promising pathways for future systematic reviews. This meta-analysis is the first systematic and quantitative overview supporting clinically and statistically robust effects of music intervention on agitation in dementia. The analysis provides further arguments for this non-pharmacological approach and highlights needs for future systematic research reviews for the investigation of intervention types.

How Coping Strategies Influence Cyber Task Performance in the Hybrid Space

This paper combines two previous studies concerning how the applied use of specified coping strategies can improve performance, and, how knowledge of task importance affect performance in cyber cognitive tasks. The participants self-evaluated their application of coping strategies after a period of time for reflection having completed the cyber cognitive tasks. The results show how applying ‘Control’ and drawing on ‘Self-confidence and belief in oneself’ can influence performance in cyber cognitive tasks amongst cyber officer cadets.

Exploring the Hybrid Space Theoretical Framework Applying Cognitive Science in Military Cyberspace Operations

Operations in cyberspace are enabled by a digitized battlefield. The ability to control operations in cyberspace has become a central goal for defence forces. As a result, terms like cyber power, cyberspace operations and cyber deterrence have begun to emerge in military literature in an effort to describe and highlight the importance of related activities. Future military personnel, in all branches, will encounter the raised complexity of joint military operations with cyber as the key enabler. The constant change and complexity raises the demands for the structure and content of education and training. This interdisciplinary contribution discusses the need for a better understanding of the relationships between cyberspace and the physical domain, the cognitive challenges this represents, and proposes a theoretical framework - the Hybrid Space - allowing for the application of psychological concepts in assessment, training and action.

Empathy, Guilt Proneness, and Gender: Relative Contributions to Prosocial Behaviour

Guilt is a moral emotion that is often looked upon as a negative trait. However, studies show that some individuals are more predisposed to think, feel and act in a more ethical manner because of a lower threshold to experience guilt. Some theories of helping behaviour emphasize the evolutionary mechanisms, while other theories stress the importance of social variables. This study investigated whether guilt proneness as a dispositional trait can be associated with prosocial behaviour. Five hundred sixty-nine participants reported in an online survey their own levels of guilt proneness, frequency of prosocial behaviour, and related cognitions such as empathy. This study is among the first to demonstrate how guilt proneness combined with empathy can explain additional variance in prosocial behaviour. The findings also indicate gender differences in the precursors of prosocial behaviour, suggesting women are more influenced by the effects of guilt proneness on prosocial behaviour than men.

Interoceptive sensitivity as a proxy for emotional intensity and its relationship with perseverative cognition

Background Technical advancement in military cyber defense poses increased cognitive demands on cyber officers. In the cyber domain, the influence of emotion on decision-making is rarely investigated. The purpose of this study was to assess psychophysiological correlation with perseverative cognitions during emotionally intensive/stressful situations in cyber military personnel. In line with parallel research on clinical samples high on perseverative cognition, we expected a decreased interoceptive sensitivity in officers with high levels of perseverative cognition. Method We investigated this association in a sample of 27 cyber officer cadets. Results Contrary to our hypothesis, there was no relationship between the factors. Discussion Cyber officers might display characteristics not otherwise found in general populations. The cyber domain may lead to a selection process that attracts different profiles of cognitive and emotional processing.