No Evidence for Performance Improvements in Episodic Memory Due to Fidgeting, Doodling or a “Neuro-Enhancing” Drink

Amico, Gianluca; Schaefer, Sabine

doi:10.1007/s41465-019-00124-9

Cited by 9 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…An ANOVA with seminar group as between-subjects factor showed no differences in perceptual speed across the three groups, F (2,55) = 0.066, p = 0.936. In addition, Digit Symbol scores corresponded well to young adult samples of other representative studies (see Amico & Schaefer, 2019) (see Table 1).…”

Section: Maximum Performance Squat Tasksupporting

confidence: 73%

“…Motor tasks in these studies were continuous, like keeping one's balance on an unstable surface (Schaefer et al, 2008), walking on a narrow track (Li et al, 2001;Lindenberger et al, 2000), or fidgeting, doodling, and drawing (Amico & Schaefer, 2019). However, in the study by Amico and Schaefer (2019), kneading a stressball while encoding the MoL word lists did not lead to performance decrements in young adults. This indicates that the attentional requirements of the parallel motor task need to be taken into account when searching for exercise-induced performance enhancements in cognition.…”

Section: Reasons For the Exercise-induced Performance Deteriorationsmentioning

confidence: 91%

“…The Method of Loci task (MoL) is a well-established memory strategy to encode word lists (Amico & Schaefer, 2019;Kliegl et al, 1990;Li et al, 2001;Schaefer et al, 2008). To start with, participants learned a sequence of location cues.…”

Section: Methods Of Loci Taskmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The current study investigates the effects of resistance exercise on memory encoding in university sports students. Each participant was instructed and trained in the method of loci as a memory strategy (Amico & Schaefer, 2019). Over the course of a seminar, participants learned two new lists of 20 words per session, while they either remained seated (sitting condition), performed one squat every second word (slowsquat-condition), or one squat every word (fast-squat-condition).…”

Section: Hypotheses Of the Current Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies that have combined the MoL memory task with a secondary motor task have often found performance decrements in memory performances (Amico & Schaefer, 2019;Li et al, 2001;Lindenberger et al, 2000;Schaefer et al, 2008). Motor tasks in these studies were continuous, like keeping one's balance on an unstable surface (Schaefer et al, 2008), walking on a narrow track (Li et al, 2001;Lindenberger et al, 2000), or fidgeting, doodling, and drawing (Amico & Schaefer, 2019).…”

Section: Reasons For the Exercise-induced Performance Deteriorationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Can acute resistance exercise facilitate episodic memory encoding?

2021

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Research has shown benefits of physical exercise on memory performance when carried out before or after a memory task. The effects of concurrent physical exercise and particularly resistance exercise are still inconclusive. The current study investigates the influence of resistance exercise with two intensities (fast and slow squats) on performance in a wordlist learning task using a within-subject design. Sport students (N = 58, Mage = 23 years; 26 women) were trained in a mnemonic technique to encode word lists (method of loci). In each session they were asked to encode two lists, each consisting of 20 words. During encoding, participants either performed one squat per word (fast-squat-condition), one squat every second word (slow-squat-condition), or stayed seated (control-condition). Participants performed three sessions for each condition, in counterbalanced order. Heart rates differed significantly according to exercise intensity. Memory performances in the sitting condition were better, compared to the exercise conditions. Performance in sitting and the fast squat conditions improved similarly over time, while performance in the slow squat condition increased faster, and reached the level of the fast squat condition at the end of the study phase. We conclude that light to moderate resistance exercise while working on an episodic memory task may rather represent a dual-task situation (= two tasks that compete for attentional resources). Especially doing a squat every second word may represent an inhibition task that people have to get used to. Future studies should include biochemical markers of arousal and neuronal plasticity in addition to heart rate.

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Section: Maximum Performance Squat Tasksupporting

confidence: 73%