The ANTI-Vea task: analyzing the executive and arousal vigilance decrements while measuring the three attentional networks

Abstract

The vigilance decrement phenomenon has been traditionally studied by simple and monotonous behavioral tasks. Nowadays, however, there is considerable interest in measuring vigilance with more complex tasks, including independent measures of other attentional functions. In the present study, we provide evidence supporting the suitability of the Attentional Networks Test for Interactions and Vigilance – executive and arousal components (ANTI-Vea) as an appropriate method to simultaneously assess multiple attentional and vigilance components. Vigilance was examined as two dissociated components: executive vigilance –as the detection of infrequent signals– and arousal vigilance–as the sustenance of a fast reaction to stimuli without response selection–. Importantly, the executive vigilance decrement was analyzed with a novel methodological approach to particularly determine whether the sensitivity loss effect is influenced by a floor level on the false alarms. As expected, the ANTI-Vea proved to be a task suitable to assess: (a) the main effects and interactions of phasic alertness, orienting, and executive control; (b) the executive vigilance decrement as a progressive change in the response bias; and (c) the arousal vigilance decrement as a progressive slowness and variability in reaction time. We discuss some critical theoretical and empirical implications of measuring vigilance components with the ANTI-Vea task. We expect the present study to provide a suitable method to analyze the vigilance decrement phenomenon when measuring multiple attentional and vigilance functions.

Study on the diversity of mental states and neuroplasticity of the brain during human-machine interaction

“…Comparing Figures 7A,C , 9A,C , it is found that the decrease in concentration and arousal have the same phenomenon in the functional brain network of low-frequency EEG, indicating that there is a certain correlation between attention and arousal. This corroborates the theory that decreased attention is attributed to decreased physiological arousal ( Luna et al, 2021 ). However, the difference degree is much smaller than the difference degree between the fatigue and the resting state, which shows that there is also the difference between the decline of attention and the decline of arousal from another perspective.…”

Different oscillatory rhythms anticipate failures in executive and arousal vigilance

“…Using G * Power 3.1.9.4 (Faul et al, 2007), power analysis showed that considering α = 0.05 and 1β = 0.90, the minimum sample size required to observe a decrease in hits across blocks considering an effect size of η 2 p = 0.05, two sessions, and seven blocks, was of 35 participants (i.e., as the final sample included in data analysis). Given that in the present study participants performed two experimental sessions of seven blocks, the statistical power of our study was much higher than in previous studies with a lower number of trials (i.e., one session of six blocks in Luna et al, 2018Luna et al, , 2021aBaker et al, 2021).…”

“…Sample size was a-priori estimated based on previous studies with 40 participants per group in which the decrement in hits across six blocks measured with the ANTI-Vea showed an effect size of η 2 p = 0.05 (Luna et al, 2018(Luna et al, , 2021a. Using G * Power 3.1.9.4 (Faul et al, 2007), power analysis showed that considering α = 0.05 and 1β = 0.90, the minimum sample size required to observe a decrease in hits across blocks considering an effect size of η 2 p = 0.05, two sessions, and seven blocks, was of 35 participants (i.e., as the final sample included in data analysis).…”

“…Importantly, as depicted in Figure 1, stimuli timing was the same for the three type of trials. Further details on the procedure, stimuli, and instructions of the ANTI-Vea can be reviewed in previous studies (Luna et al, 2018(Luna et al, , 2021a. Importantly, the ANTI-Vea has shown acceptable splithalf reliability scores for hits in EV and mean RT in AV (i.e., mean r corrected by the Spearman-Brown prophecy above 0.90) and at least similar split-half reliability for phasic alertness, orienting, and executive control as the ANT (MacLeod et al, 2010) and ANTI (Ishigami and Klein, 2010) tasks (Luna et al, 2021b).…”

“…To this end, participants completed the Attentional Networks Test for Interactions and Vigilance-executive and arousal components (ANTI-Vea; Luna et al, 2018) while high-density EEG signal was recorded. The ANTI-Vea combines three subtasks that are simultaneously and randomly completed within a single session, in particular: (a) the ANTI task by Callejas et al (2004), a flanker paradigm combined with visual and warning cues that is suitable to assess the main effects and interactions of classic attentional networks functions (i.e., phasic alertness, orienting, and executive control); (b) a signal-detection subtask similar to the Mackworth Clock Test, suitable for measuring the EV decrement; and (c) a RT subtask similar to the Psychomotor Vigilance Test, suitable to assess the AV decrement (Luna et al, 2018(Luna et al, , 2021a. Importantly, to increase the number of vigilance trials as well as the statistical power of our study, participants completed the same procedure in two repeated sessions.…”