Time-on-task effect in trait anhedonia
- 1 August 2004
- journal article
- Published by Cambridge University Press (CUP) in European Psychiatry
- Vol. 19 (5), 285-291
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eurpsy.2004.04.007
Abstract
The capacity to sustain attention was explored in a sample of anhedonic subjects according to the Chapman physical anhedonia scale. Sustained attention was determined by studying task-induced changes over the duration of the Eriksen response competition task [Percept. Psychophys. 16 (1974) 143]. Anhedonic subjects had longer reaction times (RTs), but missed no more targets than control subjects. Anhedonic subject RTs got longer with time-on-task (TOT) and displayed greater intra-subject variability. These results confirm those of a previous study indicating that anhedonic subjects may have developed a more conservative response strategy [Psychophysiology 37 (2000) 711] and suggest that this strategy may result in a more rapid decrease in energetical resources. Moreover, the greater intra-subject variability demonstrates the importance of assessing performance over time and its relationship to the variability of responses in the cognitive performance of anhedonic subjects.Keywords
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