Abstract
BackgroundThe use of psychoactive substances to neuroenhance cognitive performance is prevalent. Neuroenhancement (NE) in everyday life and doping in sport might rest on similar attitudinal representations, and both behaviors can be theoretically modeled by comparable means-to-end relations (substance-performance). A behavioral (not substance-based) definition of NE is proposed, with assumed functionality as its core component. It is empirically tested whether different NE variants (lifestyle drug, prescription drug, and illicit substance) can be regressed to school stressors.FindingsParticipants were 519 students (25.8 ± 8.4 years old, 73.1% female). Logistic regressions indicate that a modified doping attitude scale can predict all three NE variants. Multiple NE substance abuse was frequent. Overwhelming demands in school were associated with lifestyle and prescription drug NE.ConclusionsResearchers should be sensitive for probable structural similarities between enhancement in everyday life and sport and systematically explore where findings from one domain can be adapted for the other. Policy makers should be aware that students might misperceive NE as an acceptable means of coping with stress in school, and help to form societal sensitivity for the topic of NE among our younger ones in general.
Highlights
The use of psychoactive substances to neuroenhance cognitive performance is prevalent
Researchers should be sensitive for probable structural similarities between enhancement in everyday life and sport and systematically explore where findings from one domain can be adapted for the other
With regard to substances we propose three NE variants: lifestyle drug NE, prescription drug NE (e.g., Methylphenidate) and illicit substance NE (e.g., Cocaine)
Summary
The use of psychoactive substances to neuroenhance cognitive performance is prevalent. A researcher who chooses to pull an “all-nighter” to meet a submission deadline might be tempted to use Ritalin to prolong concentration and vigilance. This use of psychoactive substances to enhance one’s cognitive functioning, without the medical indication to do so, is prevalent [1,2,3,4]. For this behavior the term neuroenhancement (NE) has been coined [5].
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