Former Acmelab member Elyse talks about her MA research on gratitude: Gratitude a way to connect

Connection in 2020

During this pandemic, many of us have formed a deeper appreciation of social connection. People who used to complain about work have started to miss their colleagues. Being unable to gather for events and holidays has proved frustrating. Even the simple ability to smile at a stranger has taken on new importance.

I think it is safe to say that most of us assumed that we would always be able to connect with others relatively easily, until it was made difficult or impossible through social distancing. I know I certainly did!

Research

From a research perspective, this is a fascinating lens through which to view feelings that promote connection. Gratitude happens to be a very powerful way to feel connected to each other, even when unable to interact in-person. There is a wealth of research showing that both actions and feelings of gratitude act as a “social glue”, binding people together to form a safe and supportive community (Carr, 2015; Ma, Tunney & Ferguson, 2017; McCullough et al.; Wood et al., 2010).

My own research on the subject, completed as part of my MA dissertation under the supervision of Dr. Annalisa Setti, investigated how people of different ages responded to the idea of reading a letter of gratitude aloud (Neubauer, 2019). If you can imagine doing such a thing yourself, you may agree that it sounds like a very intimate experience. Imagine you have written a letter to someone who has made a meaningful and positive impact on your life. Now imagine that you have asked that person to meet with you (in pre-pandemic times, of course). Unknown to this person, you are planning on reading that letter of gratitude aloud to them. Would you do this? How would you feel about reading such a letter aloud to the recipient? Do you think your age would impact these answers?

This was what was under investigation in my study on age-differences and choices made during this letter-writing intervention (known as The Gratitude Visit). In previous studies, The Gratitude Visit had increased feelings of happiness and decreased feelings of depression in adult participants (Gander et al., 2013; Seligman et al., 2005; Seligman, 2011). However, there was also some evidence that this outcome may not be as strong for older adults  (Proyer et al., 2014). In my study, 30 younger adults (avg. age approx. 21)  and 23 older adults (avg. age approx. 69) were asked to write a letter of gratitude. Next, they recorded their plan of action regarding actually reading the letter to the person they’d written to, as well as their emotional response to the idea.

 The results revealed an interesting pattern. Younger adults were more likely than their older counterparts to actually complete a visit (either specifically to read the letter, or just to connect socially). However, older adults reported less negative emotion while imagining visiting the person they’d written to. This meant that, on average, the college-aged participants felt more negative emotions --like anxiety, distress and irritability --connected to the idea of completing The Gratitude Visit than the group of older adults. This finding started to come into focus when further analysis showed that many of the older adults in the sample chose to write gratitude letters to people who had passed away.

This was a small study, and the results should not be overgeneralized as being representative of absolutely everyone. However, when taken together with past research, these findings make it clear that The Gratitude Visit is not as easy to complete for older adults. And yet, the older research participants experienced less negative emotion when imagining being able to actually complete the visit to express gratitude towards someone meaningful to them.

 Final Thoughts

Thinking about these results, I find myself interpreting them in a way that is applicable to the past year. The older adults in my study seemed to find benefit in expressing gratitude to someone even if they could not visit them. Of course, we have all had a hard lesson this year about the importance of being physically together. It also seems plausible, however, that feelings of gratitude work to uplift emotion even if it is impossible to turn those feelings into action.

What is gratitude, if not a reflection on the positive influence and connection we have had the privilege of experiencing with others? While feeling gratitude for someone who is absent may be inevitably accompanied by grief, this gratefulness also brings comfort. I further believe that the boost of good feeling we get from gratitude helps us remain open to new connections, even from unexpected sources.

Elyse Neubauer, 28/12/2020

Picture credits, "Gratitude - This Dawn #8" by juliejordanscott is licensed under CC BY 2.0

References

Carr, D. (2015). The Paradox of Gratitude. British Journal of Educational Studies, 63(4), 429–446. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071005.2015.1011077

Gander, F., Proyer, R. T., Ruch, W., & Wyss, T. (2013?). Strength-Based Positive Interventions: Further Evidence for Their Potential in Enhancing Well-Being and Alleviating Depression. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-012-9380-0

Ma, L. K., Tunney, R. J., & Ferguson, E. (2017). Does gratitude enhance prosociality?: A meta-analytic review. Psychological Bulletin, 143(6), 601–635. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000103

McCullough, M. E., Kilpatrick, S. D., Emmons, R. A., & Larson, D. B. (2001). Is gratitude a moral affect? Psychological Bulletin, 127(2), 249–266. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.127.2.249

Neubauer, E. (2019). Adults’ Decision-Making Process When Expressing Gratitude: Does Age Impact Choices Made During A “Gratitude Visit” Intervention? (unpublished) [Masters thesis, University College Cork]

Proyer, R. T., Gander, F., Wellenzohn, S., & Ruch, W. (2014). Positive psychology interventions in people aged 50-79 years: Long-term effects of placebo-controlled online interventions on well-being and depression. Aging and Mental Health, 18(8), 997–1005. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2014.899978

Seligman, M. E. P., Steen, T. A., Park, N., & Peterson, C. (2005). Positive psychology progress: empirical validation of interventions. The American Psychologist, 60(5), 410–421. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.60.5.410

Seligman, M.E.P. (2011). Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being. New York, NY: Free Press, A Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

Wood, A. M., Froh, J. J., & Geraghty, A. W. A. (2010). Gratitude and well-being: A review and theoretical integration. Clinical Psychology Review, 30(7), 890–905. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.CPR.2010.03.005

Keeping active while Cocooning by Jessica O'Brien and Phil Goodman

How can our over 65’s keep active while self-isolating?

If you are self-isolating this summer, your movements are limited and so too are the options for exercising. While golf courses have opened in recent weeks and gyms and sports centres due to reopen again soon, but for those self-isolating, it’s time to think of other ways to get your weekly exercise in. It is still possible to get your daily steps, Covid or no Covid.

Gardening:

The queues outside our local garden centres tells us gardening is in fashion. And we garden not just to landscape our lawns and pretty our porches, we should garden as a form of physical activity. Scientists have found numerous health benefits from gardening. It increases your physical activity levels, reduces BMI (body mass index: you can calculate your BMI here: https://www.safefood.eu/Healthy-Eating/BMI-calculator.aspx) and is good for your mind too; boosting attention, wellbeing and reducing anxiety and stress levels [1]. Research has also found gardening benefits older adults’ flexibility and body strength and reduces bodily pain [2]. Psychologists are constantly researching the benefits of spending time in nature and your garden is a form of nature. It is thought that nature or green environments have a restorative effect on humans, restoring our physical and mental health [3]. Doing a bit in the garden is certainly therapeutic for both mind and body. If you are cocooning, many garden stores are doing home deliveries so you can avoid going to the store itself.

Walking:

Walk your way to better health. Walking is a simple exercise but has an abundance of benefits for us, with regular walking habits associated with a lower risk of heart disease and diabetes, improved joint strength and reducing stress and depression [4, 5]. If you are staying within the limits of your home, try to move around more during the day. Go for a walk in the garden, even walk from room to room in your house or do a few laps around your neighbourhood. Every little bit of exercise helps, small doses do add up!

Many people like to use technology to keep track of their daily activity, with activity trackers like Fitbits being popular. If you have a smartphone, you can easily set up a free app to count your steps (as long as you take the phone with you as you walk!). We were recently involved in a community research project with older adults using activity trackers to promote walking. Local active retired group, Young @ Heart Douglas secured funding for activity trackers for their members and started an initiative called ‘StepUp to Your Health’. Phil Goodman, organiser of the initiative explains; ‘We wanted to engage people in a walking initiative in a fun and friendly atmosphere. We all know exercising is good for the mind and body and we felt this community project would allow people come together with the shared goal of staying fit and healthy. We’re very grateful to the Manager of Douglas Village Shopping Centre, Bartosz Mieszala for sponsoring the activity trackers.’ Participants were given a tracker for 6 weeks to monitor their normal walking habits and were encouraged to increase their steps if possible but no target number of steps was set. Participants found the activity tracker a ‘good motivator’ and felt ‘it would push you on’ as many ‘became more aware of [their] own activity’. One member explained; ‘it did encourage me to walk further, park further away in the car park and you know it encouraged me to build up the steps’. Some found a lasting benefit from the initiative; ‘In town… I stopped using the escalator and I use the stairs…and I still use the stairs now [post-initiative]…so I thought if I only got just that one thing from it, it was probably worth doing.’

We checked in on the group to see how they were finding exercising in lockdown. Many had started to walk around their homes, as one lady put it; ‘I send myself on a trek up and down [the stairs] four or five times a day’, with some keeping tabs on their number of stair climbs. Others made use of their outdoor spaces, ‘I potter around the garden’ or make use of local greenspaces ‘I live across the road from the woods so I’m in an ideal position’. This walking programme was a great success and we hope to continue the initiative soon. Keep an eye out for local walking groups or active retired organisations who may organise a walking group in your neighbourhood. Find your local active retired group here: https://activeirl.ie/your-local-group/.

Armchair Exercises:

Public health guidelines recommend those over 65 to include some strength training into their week in order to maintain muscle mass. While the gym may be out of the question at the moment, you can do strength training from home. The HSE have a useful and easy to follow series of armchair exercises for improving your strength and mobility: https://www.healthpromotion.ie/hp-files/docs/HPM00487.pdf. For guided home exercise sessions, the not-for-profit Siel Bleu has a series of Youtube videos you can follow, simply click here: http://www.sielbleu.ie/home/at-home-guides/.

Whether its walking, gardening or home workouts, find a physical activity you enjoy and keep moving this summer!

References:

[1] Soga, M., Gaston, K. J., & Yamaura, Y. (2017). Gardening is beneficial for health: A meta-analysis. Preventive Medicine Reports, 5, 92-99.

[2] Wang, D., & MacMillan, T. (2013). The benefits of gardening for older adults: a systematic review of the literature. Activities, Adaptation & Aging, 37(2), 153-181.

[3] Kaplan, S. (1995). The restorative benefits of nature: Toward an integrative framework. Journal of environmental psychology, 15(3), 169-182.

[4] Murtagh, E. M., Murphy, M. H., & Boone-Heinonen, J. (2010). Walking–the first steps in cardiovascular disease prevention. Current opinion in cardiology, 25(5), 490.

[5] Lee, I. M., & Buchner, D. M. (2008). The importance of walking to public health. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 40(7), S512-S518.

Working Out at Work

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that  “adults aged 18–64 should do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or do at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week or an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity”. We often view such exercise goals as unrealistic or low down on our list of priorities with long working days and family responsibilities, but should exercise be put on the backburner and be forgotten about? Of course not. But what if we could slot our daily exercise into our work hours?

The proven benefits of exercising for productivity are abundant and perhaps company leaders should take the initiative to attempt to reap the rewards of improved productivity by paying their employees to take some time out of their working day to get moving. Physical activity programs have positive effects on work related outcomes such as reducing healthcare costs, lower absenteeism levels, improving work performance and reducing sedentary time to name but a few [2; 3]. Research has even shown exercise can change the brain itself…for the better! Regular aerobic exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain associated with memory and learning. Exercise is thought to boost learning and memory by stimulating the production of hormones which in turn lead to the growth of brain cells [4]. Giving our brain a much needed boost is a no-brainer (we make no apologies for this pun 😉), both for us and the companies we work for. Some companies have already adopted this philosophy, making workout or movement breaks compulsory for employees. Is working out at work the way forward?

Should we pay our employees to exercise during working hours?

Google, which is considered one of the best places to work at in the world, has exercise facilities including gyms, swimming pools, and dedicated play/exercise areas at every floor in their buildings. Their support of exercising in the workplace comes from an understanding of the benefits associated with physical activity. These include improved concentration, sharper memory, faster learning, prolonged mental stamina, enhanced creativity, and lower stress [1].

Home as the New Office & New Gym

With Covid-19 making many of us swap office desks for kitchen tables or home offices (if you’re lucky!), now might be the perfect time to try adding exercise breaks to our work days. And an exercise break can be just that, a short break. Scientists show short sessions of exercise (called ‘acute exercise’) have benefits, especially for the brain. Exercise breaks are shown to boost brain functioning in the part of the brain (prefrontal cortex) we use for planning, paying attention and staying focused on and completing tasks [5], all mental skills usually required for work! Working the same long days without ever leaving the house can leave many of us feeling unmotivated and unproductive, we may feel we have ‘brain fog’ and lack focus. An exercise break could be just the Duracell bunny we need to boost our productivity.

How do I take an exercise break?

As you work from home, some factors may work in your favour in terms of establishing a routine for exercise or movement breaks during your day. You may have greater control over your time schedule, which means you can slot in a short break.

If you have little ones housebound also, why not incorporate an exercise break into play time? Simply exercise together! Joe Wicks’ P.E. with Joe has become something of a sensation, with exercise workouts at 9am over Youtube every weekday. Pop on the TV, go to https://www.youtube.com/user/thebodycoach1/videos and get moving with the kids. Schools have already begun to incorporate exercise breaks into the schoolday, with many schools using exergame or video-led exercise bouts to get kids moving in the classroom and boost energy and attention levels. GoNoodle is a popular platform for this, with colourful cartoon monsters encouraging kids to move and groove (https://www.gonoodle.com/)!

If you prefer solo exercise, open Youtube or Instagram and find a HIIT session to your liking, or simply go for an old-fashioned run around the block. Effective exercise can be done without a need for any fancy equipment or tonnes of space. See below for an example of an efficient exercise circuit which can be done on the spot with 15 seconds of rest in between each 45 seconds of exercise. The circuit should be done four times with 3-5 minutes between each circuit.

Many of us view exercising as something we would like to do in theory if we had the time. It is viewed as somewhat of a luxury. But, as something that enables us to soak up more information, work more efficiently and be in a better mood, should it not be something we view as a priority? Perhaps instead of viewing it as something people do for themselves, it should be viewed as part of work; a worthwhile investment for the company, the workforce and most importantly you!

References:

1)      Hogan, C.L., Mata, J. and Carstensen, L.L. (2013) ‘Exercise holds immediate benefits for affect and cognition in younger and older adults’, Psychology and Ageing, 28(2), 587-594.

2)      Conn, V., Hafdahl, A., Cooper, P., Brown, L., & Lusk, S. (2009) “Meta-Analysis of Workplace Physical Activity Interventions”, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 37(4), 330–339.

3)      Whitsel, L., Pate, R., Ablah, E., Lemon, S., Pronk, N., Wojcik, J., … Lobelo, F. (2019). Editor’s Desk: Promoting Physical Activity in the Workplace. American Journal of Health Promotion, 33(2), 312–326.

4)      Kirk-Sanchez, N.J. and McGough, E.L. (2014) ‘Physical Exercise and cognitive performance in the elderly: current perspectives’, Clinical interventions in aging, 9, 51-62.

5)      Chang, Y. K., Labban, J. D., Gapin, J. I., & Etnier, J. L. (2012). The effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance: a meta-analysis. Brain research, 1453, 87-101.

Virtual Reality Forest: The New Solution to Pre-Exam Panic? by Alison O’Meara

My name is Alison O’ Meara, I am a final year undergraduate student in Applied Psychology at University College Cork. For my final year thesis, I investigated the relationship between virtual reality exposure, exam anxiety and performance under the supervision of Dr. Annalisa Setti and with the support of the Disability Support Services and the Skills Centre in UCC.

Why is nature good for us?

Some of the most well-known and widely researched benefits that can be obtained from spending time in nature are enhanced levels of happiness and vitality, reductions in psychological stress and the restoration of mental fatigue (1, 2, 3).

Viewing nature for as little as 5 minutes is beneficial

We don’t need to be constantly exposed or exposed to nature for a long time to reap these benefits, as spending as little as 5 minutes in nature has been shown to cause a significant reduction in individuals’ stress levels (4)

Don’t have access to nature? Virtual Reality can solve that!

While the benefits of nature exposure are clear, it is also clear that nature is not always available to individuals as nowadays, more and more people live in urban areas (5).

 However, even people do have access to nature, availing of it may not be possible under certain circumstances (e.g. while at work or when sitting an exam).

Fortunately, contemporary developments in immersive virtual reality (IVR), have facilitated the creation and customisation of virtual green environments (i.e. parks and forests, 6).

Test Anxiety: a pervasive problem

Test anxiety can be described as the dread, fear and worry of failure that occurs during or before testing scenarios (7)

It’s no wonder that the number of students suffering from test anxiety continues to rise, as the results from exams often act as gateways into further education or potential job prospects, which can put a lot of pressure of having to perform well (8)

Therefore, I believe that it is becoming progressively relevant to explore alternative methods that will serve to mitigate the debilitating effects of exam anxiety.

The study

To my knowledge, no study has looked at the effects green environment exposure may have on students’ levels of test anxiety right before an exam.

Several studies have looked at the impact exposure to green environments via IVR has on individual’s mood and have deemed this technology as an effective therapeutic aid for managing stress and promoting relaxation (9).

Therefore, I wanted to conduct research that would seek to answer the question: whether or not green environment exposure, as opposed to exposure to an urban environment, simulated by virtual reality technology, will serve as an effective intervention to reduce participants’ test anxiety and therefore increase test scores.

Participants

We recruited 40 participants were recruited, twenty who met the inclusion criteria for the high exam anxiety and 20 who met the inclusion criteria for the low exam anxiety. Within both groups, each participant was randomly assigned to either an urban or nature virtual reality (VR) intervention condition.

Virtual Reality Footage

The nature condition comprised of a 360-degree experience of being immersed in a lush forest (check it out above) whereas the urban condition comprised of a 360-degree experience of being immersed in an alleyway located in an urban town.The footage for both of these scenes was recorded on a GoPro Fusion 360-degree camera.

The Experiment

We gathered measure of Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), which functioned in assessing participants’ momentary feelings towards (i.e. anxiety) having to complete an exam and participants completed a non-verbal reasoning test, which functioned in mimicking a real-life testing scenario.

Next, participants underwent the VR intervention. Depending on which condition they had been assigned to, participants had four minutes to observe and ‘explore’ either an urban or nature environment. Participants were also asked to wear headphones so that they could listen to the accompanying noise of environment, then they completed the PANAS again and took another test.

What was found?

             Students with high exam anxiety showed reduced anxiety following the nature VR intervention

High Anxiety Participants exposed to the nature VR intervention were the only group of participants to have a significant decrease in negative affect scores after the intervention. This group also showed the biggest mean decline in negative affect scores (see figure 1. ‘HA NAT’).

Figure 1

Implications?

This study revealed a promising link between exposure to green environments via virtual reality and the subsequent reduction in feelings of negative affect for students with high exam anxiety prior to a testing situation.

I believe that there is a lot more scope for further research into this topic. This study is another example of why green environments should be viewed as a fundamental psychological health resource.

Facing an exam can be a very overwhelming and uncertain experience for people who suffer with exam anxiety. At present, we may find ourselves feeling a similar way given the current global circumstance. If you are, pop in your headphones and try spending a few minutes exploring the ‘virtual forest’ that is linked below.

If you have any questions you’d like to ask regarding this research, please contact me at 117323401@umail.ucc.ie

References

(1)    Capaldi, C. A., Dopko, R. L., & Zelenski, J. M. (2014). The relationship between nature                connectedness and happiness: a meta-analysis. Frontiers in psychology, 5, 976.

(2)    Ryan, R., Weinstein, N., Bernstein, J., Brown, K., Mistretta, L., and Gagne, M. (2010). Vitalizing effects of being outdoors and in nature. J. Environ. Psychol. 30, 159–168.                doi: 10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.10.009

(3)    Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). The experience of nature: A psychological perspective. CUP                Archive

(4)    Gladwell, V. F., Brown, D. K., Barton, J. L., Tarvainen, M. P., Kuoppa, P., Pretty, J., ... &                Sandercock, G. R. H. (2012). The effects of views of nature on autonomic      control. European journal of applied physiology, 112(9), 3379-3386.

(5)    Heilig, G. K. (2012). World urbanization prospects: the 2011 revision. United Nations,                Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Population Division, Population                Estimates and Projections Section, New York, 14.

(6)    Calogiuri, G., Litleskare, S., Fagerheim, K. A., Rydgren, T. L., Brambilla, E., & Thurston, M.                (2018). Experiencing nature through immersive virtual environments: environmental                perceptions, physical engagement, and affective responses during a simulated nature walk. Frontiers in psychology, 8, 2321.

(7)    Trifoni, A., & Shahini, M. (2011). How does exam anxiety affect the performance of                university students. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 2(2), 93-100.

(8)    Duraku, Z. H. (2017). Factors influencing test anxiety among university students. The                European Journal of Social & Behavioural Sciences, 18(1), 2325.

(9) Villani, D., Riva, F., & Riva, G. (2007). New technologies for relaxation: The role of         presence. International Journal of Stress Management, 14(3), 260.

Crossmodal Temporal Processing in Adult Readers with Developmental Dyslexia by Anna Talty

Photo by Josh Applegate on Unsplash

Reading is a multisensory process, one that involves the rapid and precise integration of both auditory and visual information. Integrating multisensory information requires temporal processing skills, in order to accurately perceive and coordinate the different types of sensory stimuli. Research has shown that individuals with dyslexia tend to perform more poorly in tasks that require temporal processing, even when the stimuli is non-linguistic in nature (e.g. ‘beeps’ or ‘flashes’ or even tactile ‘buzzes’). The temporal binding window (the window of time within which nonsimultaneous information is perceived as being simultaneous) has been shown to be altered in individuals with certain developmental disorders, including dyslexia, offering a possible explanation for the temporal processing deficit that is hypothesised to be at the root of dyslexia.

In order to investigate this further, a study was conducted with the aim of building a comprehensive profile of crossmodal temporal processing in adult readers with dyslexia. The temporal processing skills of thirty Irish university students (14 with dyslexia and 16 controls) were measured using two simultaneity judgment tasks involving Audio-Visual, Audio-Tactile and Visual-Tactile information. Visual stimuli were presented on a computer screen, auditory stimuli were heard through a speaker and tactile stimuli were presented using a vibro-tactile stimulator to participants’ finger. Finally, participants completed a short tapping task that required their synchronising with a beat produced by an external metronome.

Overall, it was found that the participants with dyslexia were significantly less accurate at identifying and actively producing simultaneity than the control group, although this difference was not significant for each task and each modality. These findings support the theories that propose a crossmodal temporal processing deficit is central to dyslexia. Fortunately, research evidence has shown that temporal processing skills can be quickly and effectively improved using training that narrows the temporal binding window. These training methods may be more effective at helping people with dyslexia to overcome the disorder, than interventions that focus only on literacy skills.

Ponderings during a Pandemic: Perceptual Illusions

Spinning wheel illusion

In the era of Covid-19 (because it feels likes an era!), where reality seems very unreal, allow us to distract you with some illusions 😉

Everyone loves a good magic trick, which is usually spoiled once you know the behind the scenes of the ‘trick’. Well, let me introduce you to real life tricks our brain plays on us all the time!

Is seeing believing?

Perhaps, not always….watch this clever ad by the SKODA car company that shows a well known phenomenon known as change blindness: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpPYdMs97eE. Our brains have finite resources and there is simply too much going on in our environments for our brain to pick up all of it. The result, illusions like change blindness, show up these gaps in our perception vs. actual reality. This illusion shows how limited our attentional resources are. Everything isn’t always as it seems!

Now, let’s take a trip down memory lane to 1985, the year of the moving statues.

Here in Ireland, religious statues began to move left right and centre sparking international attention. People flocked in their thousands to watch these miraculous movements. In one town, Ballinspittle in Co. Cork, hundreds of people said they saw the statue of Holy Mary nod or sway. Are you sceptical? Well the clergy certainly were, saying such mass miracles were unlikely. Well, the statues have since stopped moving and nobody can be quite sure if the statues were shaking or not, but science puts it down to a trick of the light; an optical illusion. In Ballinspittle, people stood for hours on end on a grassy incline opposite the grotto, watching in the dusk to see Mary move. Scientists explained a possible reason for the mass sightings. Our bodies when standing still, naturally sway without our realising it and psychologists claimed people (or their brains) picked up on this movement but ‘saw’ the statue move rather than interpreting that they themselves were moving). A similar effect is called the motion aftereffect (or the waterfall illusion), where after just seeing something moving, we perceive a stationary object as moving, try it out for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=95&v=GkRHN0rnfME&feature=emb_title. It’s thought these illusions happen because of how our visual cortex and vestibular (or balance) system operates [1].

Perceptual illusions can also explain paranormal activity. The Ouija board for example [2]. How can science explain that? A wooden board able to tell me the name of my dead dog? Science says, no problem, what you’re talking about is the Ideomotor effect. The ideomotor effect is simply that you aren’t consciously aware of everything your brain tells your body. When you sit in a circle with your supernatural sidekicks and place your hand on the upturned glass and gasp when the glass moves and spells out MAX, little do you know your brain is pulling the wool over your eyes. Without any wool! Your brain is unconsciously guiding your arm towards the letters that spell out your dear dog’s name. Et voila, some dark magic before your very eyes!

Illusions as windows into brain functioning

Aside from the fun and games, perceptual illusions are fascinating, not just for magic tricks and understanding some unexplainable stuff in our lives but also for research. Our lab deals with a less glamorous but important illusion, the Sound-induced flash Illusion. It does exactly what it says on the tin, you can induce an ‘illusory’ flash by playing a sound. Your ears pick up on a beep and your brain sees a flash that doesn’t exist. Pretty neat eh? Well, this illusion allows us to measure how well the brain integrates information from different senses. Based on how susceptible you are to (i.e. how often you ‘fall’ for) this illusion, we can estimate how efficient your brain is at integrating information across the senses. This illusion has great potential in the field of falls, with studies showing fall-prone older adults are more susceptible to this illusion than others, indicating a possible deficit in their sensory integration abilities. Could this be contributing to their falls? We’re looking into it! Watch this space!

References:

1 Anstis, S., Verstraten, F. A., & Mather, G. (1998). The motion aftereffect. Trends in cognitive sciences, 2(3), 111-117.

2 1 Gauchou, H. L., Rensink, R. A., & Fels, S. (2012). Expression of nonconscious knowledge via ideomotor actions. Consciousness and cognition, 21(2), 976-982.

Cardio for Cognition - Fighting off a busy brain during a pandemic by Amy Mason

Why exercise is of particular importance during a pandemic:

People are attracted to exercise for various different reasons and the benefits which come along with it. Some of these include lowering the risk of developing heart disease, strokes and diabetes. Some people exercise to help with weight loss or to lower blood pressure or just to build muscle and bone density. However, the other benefits of exercise are often underappreciated, especially during these strange and uncertain times. In the midst of a global pandemic, many people are experiencing fear and anxiety and the brain fog that comes along with working the same long days from home without leaving the house.

How can exercise help with these feelings?

Various research over the years has shown that regular aerobic exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus, which is the area of the brain associated with memory and learning. Exercise improves memory and learning by stimulating the production of hormones which can promote the growth of brain cells, making working at home that little bit easier (1). Although exercise is of great value, in terms of cognition, for anyone, it’s especially important for older adults because aging promotes changes in brain structure and function. Exercise has been shown to reduce changes in the brain that can cause Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia (2), so even if you’re not working from home, moving your body benefits the mind not only for the period immediately after but can act as a defence for the brain well into the future.

During these times, it’s common to feel your baseline levels of anxiety to be higher, making it harder to relax at night-time and fall asleep, which frequently causes or contributes to cognitive impairment, but exercise can be a massive aid to this as well. The energy depletion that occurs as a result of exercise stimulates recuperative processes during sleep. Not only does exercise improve sleep quality, but it can also help you to fall asleep faster because it produces changes in the parts of the brain that regulates stress and anxiety, which we all know can keep us up at night. (3)

Apart from having a good night’s sleep, exercise in itself can boost energy levels of all people, even those suffering from various medical conditions and progressive illnesses like cancer and HIV (4), who would be particularly at risk to the coronavirus and so may not be able to get out at all. Many studies have also shown that regular exercise reduces feeling of fatigue for healthy people who had reported persistent fatigue. This has been shown to be true for people suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) as well. (5)

How can I exercise while on lockdown?

Hopefully at this point I have you convinced of the benefits of exercise for the function of your brain, not only for life, but especially during quarantine, where routines are altered, and minds can be clouded. However, you may be thinking about how you can safely exercise and get all the benefits, all while adhering to the rules put in place by the government to stop the spread of the Covid-19 virus. At home workouts can be quick and simple, without the need for any gym equipment. Exercises like jumping-jacks, squat jumps, press-ups, mountain climbers, burpees and so many others can be done in a simple circuit for just a short amount of time and give you all the benefits listed above. Of course, there’s always the option of going on a run or walk within a two-kilometre radius for those who are less at risk and not fully cocooning. Even the more ordinary tasks such as walking up and down the stairs and cleaning/hoovering the house can be of great benefit when done with purpose, especially for the older population.

For how long and to what intensity?

The ideal length of time to exercise for, to bring about these cognitive benefits, is still unclear and thought to be differing from person to person. Many studies have shown improvements in mood, cognitive tasks and anxiety levels for acute exercise bouts as short as 10 minutes and the intensity of the aerobic activity is thought not to have a major effect on perceptual tasks (6). The main thing is to get up and be active, doing something you enjoy, that is good for both your body and brain!

References:

(1)   Kirk-Sanchez, N.J. and McGough, E.L. (2014) ‘Physical Exercise and cognitive performance in the elderly: current perspectives’, Clinical interventions in aging, 9, pp.51-62

(2)   Pedrinolla, A., Schena, F. and Venturelli, M. (2017) ‘Resilience to Alzheimer’s Disease: The Role of Physical Activity’, Current Alzheimer Research, 14(5), pp. 546-553.

(3)   Driver, H.S. and Taylor, S.R. (2000) ‘Exercise and sleep’, Sleep Medicine Reviews, 4(4), pp. 387-402.

(4)   Payne, C., Wiffen, P.J. and Martin, S. (2012) ‘Interventions for fatigue and weight loss in adults with advanced progressive illness’, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

(5)   Larun, L., Brurberg, K.G., Odgaard-Jensen, J. and Price, J.R. (2016) ‘Exercise therapy for chronic fatigue syndrome’, The Cochrane database of systematic reviews.

(6)   Brisswalter, J., Collardeau, M. and René, A., (2002) ‘Effects of acute physical exercise characteristics on cognitive performance’, Sports medicine, 32(9), pp.555-566.

Is Green the new black?: Green Exercise is sprouting by Jessica O’Brien

How do you exercise during a pandemic?

If, like us here in Ireland, you have a 2km restriction on your exercise range, your options are limited, swimming in the sea and hikes up mountains are probably out of range for most of us! If you are curious to know what your exact 2km radius is, check out this app which shows your 2km circle from home: https://2kmfromhome.com/

Now you know your movement limits, where should you go to exercise? Well, some scientists say GO NATURE!

Green exercise became a thing in the science world earlier this century and refers to exercising in the presence of nature. We already know that being exposed to nature is nothing short of magic, with oceans of research showing the benefits of nature for us humans; reduced heart rate, blood pressure and cortisol (markers of biological stress), decreased risk of many health conditions (cardiovascular, asthma, stroke, diabetes type II), improved mood and mental health…we could go on and on [1]! Nature provides the ideal environment for us to replenish our resources (Vitamin D, less air and noise pollution) and the opportunity to exercise with plenty of inviting open spaces. So is green the new gold standard in exercising to reap the most benefits for body and mind? It’s certainly in the running…

STRESS REDUCTION

Evidence is accumulating that exercising in a green environment (surrounded by trees or streams or even the grass in your backgarden) boosts your brain and wellbeing [2]. And let’s face it we’ll take any boost going during these strange times. There are many causes of stress during a pandemic, getting outside into nature could be just what your brain and body needs. Going for a walk or a run in a natural environment can reduce negative emotions (anger, sadness) and improve your attention (more on that in a minute!) [2]. Research reviews have not found sound evidence that green exercise is better for reducing stress than other forms of exercise, but nature (just like exercise) certainly has stress-busting effects. Some put this down to evolution, saying nature facilitates stress recovery with patterns and characteristics (e.g. water features, natural symmetry) that trigger positive emotions in us as they represent safety and survival [3].

ATTENTION RESTORATION

Green exercise can offer a space for you to restore your attention, undoing mental fatigue caused by long hours working hard at home. Based on Kaplan and Kaplan’s [4] ART theory (Attention Restoration Theory), green spaces provide attention restoration as we have a ‘soft fascination’ with nature. Watching the natural world doesn’t require much effort compared to our usual everyday tasks. They argue that being in nature evokes positive emotions in us, think how instagrammable nature is! A review of studies on green exercise found the most reliable benefits from green exercise were improved attention and mood after a dose of green exercise [2].

JURY IS STILL OUT

Despite a decent chunk of research evidence for the benefits of green exercise, a recent review on green vs. non-green exercise found the evidence base weak and advised we can only conclude that green exercise results in lower perceived exertion and a greater enjoyment of exercise compared to indoor exercise [5]. So you may enjoy outdoor ‘green’ exercise more and be able to exercise for longer in a natural setting. The green exercise debate continues, with larger and better controlled experiments needed.

Our lab is doing our bit to chip in on green exercise research. We’re currently using a portable EEG (electro-encephalogram) to measure brain activity while walking in green vs urban spaces. We’re investigating the possibility of different effects of different environments on our cognition. Our portable EEG is sitting on the shelf at the moment (what with the global pandemic), but we hope to get back to researching green exercise soon 😊

So getting a dose of nature is certainly beneficial but whether green exercise is superior to indoor or non-green outdoor exercise, well the jury is still out! So for your daily 2km exercise, you can choose indoor or outdoor but be sure to get a good dose of greenery in your surroundings if you do venture out.  😊

 References:

1 Twohig-Bennett, C., & Jones, A. (2018). The health benefits of the great outdoors: A systematic review and meta-analysis of greenspace exposure and health outcomes. Environmental research, 166, 628-637.

2 Bowler, D. E., Buyung-Ali, L. M., Knight, T. M., & Pullin, A. S. (2010). A systematic review of evidence for the added benefits to health of exposure to natural environments. BMC public health, 10(1), 456.

3 Ulrich, R. S., Altman, I., & Wohlwill, J. F. (1983). Behavior and the natural environment. Aesthetic and affective response to natural environment, 4, 85-125.

4 Kaplan, R., & Kaplan, S. (1989). Toward a synthesis: The experience of nature: A psychological perspective.

5 Lahart, I., Darcy, P., Gidlow, C., & Calogiuri, G. (2019). The effects of green exercise on physical and mental wellbeing: a systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 16(8), 1352.