The effects of team environment on cerebral cortical processes and attentional reserve.

Abstract

Despite the frequency with which individuals perform in team environments of differing quality as well as the robust relationship between cerebral cortical processes/ attentional reserve and cognitive–motor performance, the impact of team environment on cortical processes and attentional reserve has not been investigated. The purpose of the present study was to address this shortcoming. Using electroencephalography (EEG), we found that individuals exhibited reduced cerebral cortical activation and increased attentional reserve when performing in adaptive and neutral team environments as compared with a maladaptive team environment. Additionally, in the adaptive team environment, individuals exhibited superior cognitive–motor task performance relative to neutral and maladaptive team environments. Thus, the results suggest that relative to neutral team environments, maintaining performance in maladaptive team environments comes at the expense of neural and attentional resources, whereas adaptive team environments enhance performance without additional neurophysiological costs.