The present study examines the effect of financial scarcity on cognitive performance by not only measuring the objective, but also the subjective aspect of scarcity, contrary to earlier research in...Show moreThe present study examines the effect of financial scarcity on cognitive performance by not only measuring the objective, but also the subjective aspect of scarcity, contrary to earlier research in this field. Cognitive performance was measured by means of a cognitive control task and a working memory task. A moderating effect of cognitive load was tested by randomly assigning participants into either a ‘difficult’ or ‘easy’ condition, determining the level of difficulty of the financial scenarios they had to solve. This effect could not be rejected, nor supported. By use of the Psychological Inventory of Financial Scarcity (PIFS), this study finds support for the relationship between subjective financial scarcity and cognitive performance. More specifically, we demonstrate an effect on cognitive control, while no support was found an effect on working memory. This study underwrites the importance of a measurement of subjective financial scarcity and encourages future research to uncover the true impact of the cognitive load in the minds of the poor.Show less
The study examines the relationship between theta/beta ratio (TBR) and mind wandering (MW), an important aspect in the domain of attentional control. Contemporary research suggests that high TBR ...Show moreThe study examines the relationship between theta/beta ratio (TBR) and mind wandering (MW), an important aspect in the domain of attentional control. Contemporary research suggests that high TBR (the ratio of power in the theta band to power in the beta band) can be used as an indicator of attentional lapses, i.e. MW. To investigate this notion, an experimental study was conducted. 79 participants completed a sustained attention task while brain activity was measured using electroencephalography. Additionally, it was examined whether TBR is associated with impeded resilience to emotional interference during a working memory task. Moreover, the role of fatigue as a secondary factor was investigated as it potentially further deteriorates MW. No significant relationship between TBR and MW or WM could be found. Further, TBR was not associated with working memory performance. Finally, fatigue was not correlated to MW occurrence. In conclusion, the relationship between TBR and MW could not be confirmed. However, this study is a step towards studying internal experiences without reliance on introspection.Show less
