Psychophysiological Concomitants of Levels of Cognitive Processing. Ronald Alan Cohen Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1982 Psychophysiological Concomitants of Levels of Cognitive Processing. Ronald Alan Cohen Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Cohen, Ronald Alan, "Psychophysiological Concomitants of Levels of Cognitive Processing." (1982). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 3794. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/3794 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This reproduction was made from a copy of a document sent to us for microfilming. 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Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, Ml 48106 8312077 Cohen, Ronald Alan PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL CONCOMITANTS OF LEVELS OF COGNITIVE PROCESSING The Louisiana Stale University and Agricultural and Mechanical Col.PH.D. 1982 University Microfilms International 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 PLEASE NOTE: In all cases this material has been filmed in the best possible way from the available copy. Problems encountered with this document have been identified herewith a checkV .mark 1. Glossy photographs or pages______ 2. Colored illustrations, paper or print_____ 3. Photographs with dark background______ 4. Illustrations are poor copy______ 5. Pages with black marks, not original copy______ 6. Print shows through as there is text on both sides of______ page 7. Indistinct, broken or small print on several pages^ 8. Print exceeds margin requirements_____ 9. Tightly bound copy with print lost in spine______ 10. Computer printout pages with indistinct print______ 11. Page(s)____________lacking when material received, and not available from school or author. 12. Page(s)____________seem to be missing in numbering only as text follows. 13. Two pages numbered___________ . Text follows. 14. Curling and wrinkled pages______ 15. Other______________________________________________________________________ University Microfilms International Psychophysiological Concomitants of Levels of Cognitive Processing A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Psychology by Ronald A. Cohen B.S., Tulane University, 1976 M.S., University of New Orleans, 1979 December 1982 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Appreciation is expressed to my committee chairman, Dr. William Waters, for his support, guidance and consultation through all phases of this study. Appreciation is also expressed to my committee members, Dr. Phillip Brantley, Dr. Bernard J. Jensen, Dr. Arthur Riopelle and Dr. Don Williamson for their support on this project. Additional gratitude goes to Dr. David Shapiro, Dr. Lisa Greenstadt and Dr. John Richards for their consultation and technical assistance, as well as for the use of the psychophysiology laboratory at UCLA’s Neuropsy chiatric Institute. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.............................................. ii LIST OF TABLES................ iv LIST OF FIGURES............................................... V ABSTRACT...................................................... vi INTRODUCTION.................................................. 1 Psychophysiological Arousal and Emotion................. 3 The Orienting Reflex and Attention...................... 9 Activation, Arousal and Effort.................... 17 Higher Cognitive Processes.............................. 22 Cognitive Psychophysiology.............................. 29 METHOD........................................................ 38 Subjects .................. ......... 38 Apparatus................................................ 38 Psychophysiological Recording........................... 38 Stimuli................ 39 Procedure................................................ 40 Design................................................... 42 Data Analysis ..................................... 43 RESULTS .............................. 46 Memory Performance....................................... 46 Task Difficulty.......................................... 46 Psychophysiological Measures............ 46 Verbalization Duration.................................. 47 Trial Effects........ 47 Psychophysiological Reactivity Averaged Across Trials... 47 Relationship of Memory Scores to Physiological Reactivity............................................ 33 Physiological Reactivity on Recalled/Non-Recalled Items. .............................. 59 DISCUSSION.................................................... 61 REFERENCES.................................................... 71 APPENDICES.................................................... 81 VITA........................................................... 85 iii LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. F Statistics and Probability Levels for MANOVA of Psychophysiological Reactivity Scores Across Trials................................... 49 2. Univariate F Statistics and Probabilities for Each Dependent Variable.................................... 50 3. Mean Differences Derived from Duncan’s Multiple Range Tests........................................... 52 4. Correlations of Memory Score with Standardized Psychological Measures from Stepwise Multiple Regression for Each Condition x Level................ 58 5. Means and (Standard Deviations) for Recalled and Non-Recalled Words.................................... 60 iv LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Psychophysiological Response Patterns During the Cue Phase..................... 54 2. Psychophysiological Response Patterns During Covert Processing............................................. 55 3. Psychophysiological Response Patterns During the Verbalization Phase......... 56 v ABSTRACT The peripheral electrophysiologlcal manifestations of levels of cognitive processing and memory performance were investigated by record ing heart rate, skin conductance, skin temperature and electromyogram measures during a three phase verbal task. Subjects processed words at three cognitive levels (phonetic, low semantic, high semantic), and physiological recordings were made during cue covert processing and verbalization phases. Three colored lights were used to cue subjects to the appropriate processing level for each word. An incidental memory task was given following the processing tasks. As expected, words pro cessed at the higher cognitive levels were recalled better. There was greater physiological reactivity associated with the phonetic tasks during the cue phase, while the semantic tasks produced more reactivity during the covert processing and verbalization phases. The high and low semantic tasks were psychophysiologically differentiated, the more semantically complex task eliciting greater arousal. An analysis of recalled versus non-recalled trials indicated greater heart rate and skin conductance increases on trials that were later recalled. A multivariate regression of physiological reactivity on memory scores showed a moderate relation ship, with heart rate contributing the roost variance. The results were interpreted as demonstrating a definite relationship between the level of cognitive operation and the amount of physiological reactivity. The greater activation accompanying the higher processing levels seemed to reflect