Individual Differences In Sensitivity Research Articles

Potential Mechanism Linking Peer Relationships and Adolescent Prosocial Behavior: Mediation of Cognitive Empathy and Moderations of OXTR and DRD2.

Peers are important socializers of adolescent prosocial behavior. Still, the proximal cognitive and emotional process underlying this link and the sources of individual differences in sensitivity to peer influence have yet to be explored. Utilizing the gene-gene-environment (G × G × E) approach and multi-informant measurement, this study investigated how peer relationships operate to influence adolescent prosocial behavior by examining the mediating role of cognitive and emotional empathy, and the moderating role of the OXTR and DRD2 genes. The study utilized longitudinal data from a community sample of Chinese adolescents (N = 1080, Mage = 13.32 years at T1). Results showed that cognitive empathy rather than emotional empathy mediated the link between peer acceptance/rejection and prosocial behavior. Furthermore, the association among peer acceptance, cognitive empathy, and prosocial behavior was moderated by OXTR and DRD2. Specifically, adolescents with the combinations of AA/AA or G/G genotypes of OXTR/DRD2 benefited more from peer acceptance compared to their counterparts carrying other combined genotypes. The findings highlight cognitive empathy as a proximal process linking peer interaction to prosocial behavior and lend support to the interaction between oxytocinergic and dopaminergic systems on environmental sensitivity.

Approaching lifelong learning: An integrated framework for explaining decision-making processes in personal and professional development

Background: Individual differences in commitment to lifelong learning, a process aimed at seizing opportunities for self-development, have not been extensively studied. Objective: Our aim is to provide a comprehensive understanding of the decision-making mechanisms involved in pursuing learning for self-development. Method: We conducted a literature review on the taxing nature of cognitive exertion and its impact on the inclination to engage in cognitively demanding tasks for learning, as well as individual differences in sensitivity to aversive or rewarding outcomes inherent in the learning process. Results: Our findings indicate that the Expected Value of Control (EVC) theory can elucidate the former, while research on approach-avoidance motivation can shed light on the latter. Conclusion: We propose and develop an integrated framework that incorporates both lines of research. This framework holds relevance for neuropsychology, experimental psychology, and education psychology, offering theoretical guidance for tailoring learning experiences to enhance engagement and commitment to self-development.

A measure of the blink reflex to parametric variation of mechanical stimulation of the trigeminal nerve.

The primary goal of this study was to develop a parametric model that relates variation in stimulation of the trigeminal nerve to properties of the blink response. We measured blink responses in 17 healthy, adult participants to air puffs directed at the lateral canthus of the eye at five different, log-spaced intensities (3.5-60 PSI). Lid position over time was decomposed into amplitude and velocity components. We found that blink amplitude was systematically related to log stimulus intensity, with the relationship well described by a sigmoidal function. The parameters of the model fit correspond to the slope of the function and the stimulus intensity required to produce half of a maximal blink response (the half-response threshold). There was a reliable increase in the half-response threshold for the contralateral as compared to the ipsilateral blink response. This increase was consistent across participants despite substantial individual differences in the half-response threshold and slope parameters of the overall sensitivity function, suggesting that the laterality effect arises in the neural circuit subsequent to individual differences in sensitivity. Overall, we find that graded mechanical stimulation of the somatosensory trigeminal afferents elicits a graded response that is well described by a simple parametric model. We discuss the application of parametric measurements of the blink response to the detection of group differences in trigeminal sensitivity.

Individual differences in environmental sensitivity: associations between cognitive emotion regulation and mental health.

Environmental sensitivity is defined as the ability to perceive and process internal and external information. Previous studies have suggested that mental health-related factors differ by sensitivity level. This study aimed to investigate whether environmental sensitivity moderates the associations between cognitive emotion regulation strategies (e.g., rumination and blaming others) and mental health. In this three-wave longitudinal study, participants (N = 1,233, 585, and 349 at Times 1, 2, and 3, respectively) completed the Cognitive Emotion Regulation Questionnaire-short and Kessler 10 scale at all the measurement points as well as the 10-item version of the Highly Sensitive Person scale and some covariates only at Time 1. Latent growth model analyses indicated that the blaming others strategy had contrastive effects on changes in mental health by sensitivity level; the increase in refocusing on planning was associated with improved mental health over time only for highly sensitive individuals; and the rumination and catastrophizing strategies were the most important risk factors for mental health problems, although their effects differed slightly by sensitivity level. The associations between some of the cognitive strategies and mental health differ by environmental sensitivity level. Future investigations based on individual differences in sensitivity could provide innovative insights into practices.

Temperament and sex as moderating factors of the effects of exposure to maternal depression on telomere length in early childhood.

Individual differences in sensitivity to context are posited to emerge early in development and to influence the effects of environmental exposures on a range of developmental outcomes. The goal of the current study was to examine the hypothesis that temperament characteristics and biological sex confer differential vulnerability to the effects of exposure to maternal depression on telomere length in early childhood. Telomere length has emerged as a potentially important biomarker of current and future health, with possible mechanistic involvement in the onset of various disease states. Participants comprised a community sample of children followed from infancy to age 3 years. Relative telomere length was assessed from DNA in saliva samples collected at infancy, 2 years, and 3 years. Maternal depressive symptoms and the child temperament traits of negative affectivity, surgency/extraversion, and regulation/effortful control were assessed via maternal report at each timepoint. Analyses revealed a 3-way interaction among surgency/extraversion, sex, and maternal depressive symptoms, such that higher surgency/extraversion was associated with shorter telomere length specifically among males exposed to elevated maternal depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that temperament and sex influence children's susceptibility to the effects of maternal depression on telomere dynamics in early life.

Coffea plant (Caffeine): Examining its Impact on Physical and Mental Health

This research delves into the extensive use of caffeine across various consumables like foods, drinks, medications, and supplements. Caffeine's influence on the central nervous system renders it a popular substance globally. The study aims to elucidate how caffeine impacts health and overall well-being. It examines both the physical and mental repercussions of caffeine consumption, highlighting its advantages, risks, and individual differences in sensitivity. Moreover, the research investigates how caffeine affects diverse aspects such as sleep, mood, cognition, and physical performance, both positively and negatively. Notably, it also scrutinizes the association between caffeine intake and health conditions like heart disease, bone health, and mental well-being. The research promotes responsible caffeine consumption by advocating for moderation and understanding one's tolerance levels. It underscores the significance of comprehending caffeine's effects to enable informed decisions among consumers, healthcare providers, and policymakers. Emphasizing the prevalence of caffeine consumption, the study underscores the necessity of recognizing its impact on various bodily systems, including the cardiovascular, respiratory, endocrine, and neurological systems. While coffee, a common source of caffeine, offers health benefits, it's crucial to acknowledge caffeine as a chemical compound capable of influencing our nervous and other bodily systems. Excessive consumption of caffeine can pose detrimental effects on health. In essence, this research aims to raise awareness regarding the advantages and disadvantages associated with caffeine consumption. As the most widely consumed psychoactive substance globally, understanding caffeine's effects is imperative for maintaining overall well-being. Many individuals kickstart their day with coffee, unaware of both the positive and negative effects of caffeine.

Associations of social and cognitive-behavioral variables with disinhibited eating and anxiety: An ecological momentary assessment study.

Among adolescents, disinhibited eating and anxiety commonly co-occur. Precision intervention approaches targeting unique mechanistic vulnerabilities that contribute to disinhibited eating and anxiety may therefore be helpful. However, the effectiveness of such interventions hinges on knowledge of between- and within-person associations related to disinhibited eating, anxiety, and related processes. A sample of 39 adolescent females (12-17 years) with elevated anxiety and above-average weight (BMI %ile ≥ 75th) completed measures of theoretically driven social and cognitive-behavioral variables, disinhibited eating, and anxiety via ecological momentary assessment over 7 days. Data were analyzed using mixed-effects models. Between-person differences in social stressors were linked to emotional eating, eating in the absence of hunger, and anxiety, whereas between-person differences in negative thoughts were associated with all disinhibited eating variables and anxiety. Between-person differences in avoidance were not related to any outcome. Additionally, between-person differences in social stressors and negative thoughts-as well as within-person deviations (from person-average levels) of social stressors, negative thoughts, and avoidance-were associated with anxiety. In turn, between-person differences in anxiety predicted eating in the absence of hunger and emotional eating, and within-person deviations in anxiety were associated with emotional eating at any given time point. Findings support elements of both the interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral models of disinhibited eating. Differential trigger effects on anxiety, both at the between- and within-person levels, and significant associations between anxiety and all eating-related outcomes, highlight the potential utility of interventions targeting individual differences in sensitivity to anxiety triggers. Findings provide support for the interpersonal and cognitive-behavioral models of disinhibited eating, highlighting anxiety as a salient vulnerability and potential mechanistic factor underlying disinhibited eating. Social, cognitive, and behavioral variables were differentially related to anxiety across participants, suggesting potential for future intervention tailoring and intervention selection based on adolescents' sensitivity to anxiety as a trigger for disinhibited eating behavior.

Individual Differences in Leveraging Regularity in Emergent L2 Readers in Rural Côte d’Ivoire

ABSTRACT Purpose Statistical learning (SL) approaches to reading maintain that proficient reading requires assimilation of the rich statistical regularities in the writing system. Reading skills in developing first- and second-language readers in English have been shown to be predicted by individual differences in sensitivity to regularities in mappings from orthography to phonology (O-P) and semantics (O-S), with good readers relying more on O-P consistency, and less on O-S associations. However, SL and its relation to reading has been primarily studied in English readers in high-income Western countries. Method We examine individual differences in sensitivity to regularities in emergent French readers in rural agricultural communities in Côte d’Ivoire (N = 134). Results We show that, in contrast to previous studies, in this cohort better readers are leveraging semantic associations more strongly, while individual differences in sensitivity to orthographic consistency did not predict reading skill. Relatively little variance in reading skill was explained by sensitivity to regularities, and we discuss these findings in terms of literacy acquisition in low-literacy and low-exposure contexts. This showcases the importance of cross-linguistic and cross-cultural research to back up universal theories of literacy, and suggests that current SL accounts of reading must be updated to account for this variance in reading skills.

A translational rodent model of individual differences in sensitivity to the aversive properties of ethanol.

A strong relationship exists between individual sensitivity to the aversive properties of ethanol and risk for alcohol use disorder (AUD). Despite this, our understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms underlying the subjective response to ethanol is limited. A major contributor to this lack of knowledge is the absence of preclinical models that enable exploration of this individual variability such as is possible in studies of humans. Adult male and female Long-Evans rats were trained to associate a novel tastant (saccharin) with acute exposure to either saline or ethanol (1.5 g/kg or 2.0 g/kg i.p.) over three conditioning days using a standard conditioned taste aversion (CTA) procedure. Variability in sensitivity to ethanol-induced CTA was phenotypically characterized using a median split across the populations studied. When examining group averages, both male and female rats exposed to saccharin paired with either dose of ethanol exhibited lower saccharin intake relative to saline controls indicative of ethanol-induced CTA. Examination of individual data revealed a bimodal distribution of responses uncovering two distinct phenotypes present in both sexes. CTA-sensitive rats exhibited a rapid and progressive reduction in saccharin intake with each successive ethanol pairing. In contrast, saccharin intake was unchanged or maintained after an initial decrease from baseline levels in CTA-resistant rats. While CTA magnitude was similar between male and female CTA-sensitive rats, among CTA-resistant animals females were more resistant to the development of ethanol-induced CTA than males. Phenotypic differences were not driven by differences in baseline saccharin intake. These data parallel work in humans by revealing individual differences in sensitivity to the aversive properties of ethanol that emerge immediately after initial exposure to ethanol in both sexes. This model can be used in future studies to investigate the neurobiological mechanisms that confer risk for AUD.

Effects of Temporal Light Modulation on Individuals Sensitive to Pattern Glare

ABSTRACT Solid-state lighting systems can vary widely in the degree of temporal light modulation (TLM) of their light output. TLM is known to have visual, cognitive, and behavioral effects but there are few recommendations for limits on the acceptable TLM in everyday lighting systems and there is little information concerning individual differences in sensitivity. This paper is a re-analysis of previously presented data, focusing on two subgroups in a larger sample: those scoring low or high on the Wilkins Pattern Glare Sensitivity (PGS) test, which is a validated test that identifies people at high risk of visual stress. The results show that the PGS groups differed in their sensitivity to TLM conditions, despite short exposures and a restricted field of view.

Individual differences in sensitivity to taste-shape crossmodal correspondences

People generally associate curved and symmetrical shapes with sweetness, while associating angular and asymmetrical shapes with the other basic tastes (e.g., sour, bitter). However, these group-level taste-shape correspondences likely conceal important variation at an individual-level. We examined the extent to which individuals vary in their sensitivity to crossmodal correspondence between curvature and symmetry, on the one hand, and the five basic taste qualities (sweet, bitter, salty, sour, and umami), on the other. In Experiment 1, participants matched shapes (curved vs. angular, symmetrical vs. asymmetrical) and taste words. In Experiment 2, participants performed a similar task, though this time using actual tastants. Given that people differ in their hedonic experience of such shapes and tastes, we also measured participants’ liking for each taste and shape separately. The results replicate the general crossmodal correspondences between curved-sweet and symmetrical-sweet stimuli. Furthermore, participants tended to match sour and bitter tastes with angular and asymmetrical stimuli. However, these group-level taste-shape correspondences coexist alongside substantial variation at the level of the individual. While some participants consistently matched specific tastes with curved and symmetrical stimuli, others consistently matched these tastes with angular and asymmetrical stimuli, or else did not show these taste-shape correspondences. Liking for curved and symmetrical stimuli was higher than for angular and asymmetrical stimuli. However, participants also differed considerably in the extent to which these visual features affected their liking. Overall, our findings highlight the substantial individual differences that are associated with the degree to which people associate and like shapes and tastes.

Genetic polymorphisms are associated with individual susceptibility to dexmedetomidine.

Introduction: Dexmedetomidine (DXM) is widely used as an adjuvant to anesthesia or a sedative medicine, and differences in individual sensitivity to the drug exist. This study aimed to investigate the effect of genetic polymorphisms on these differences. Methods: A total of 112 patients undergoing hand surgery were recruited. DXM 0.5μg/kg was administered within 10min and then continuously injected (0.4μg/kg/h). Narcotrend index, effective dose and onset time of sedation, MAP, and HR were measured. Forty-five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were selected for genotype. Results: We observed individual differences in the sedation and hemodynamics induced by DXM. ABCG2 rs2231142, CYP2D6 rs16947, WBP2NL rs5758550, KATP rs141294036, KCNMB1 rs11739136, KCNMA1 rs16934182, ABCC9 rs11046209, ADRA2A rs1800544, and ADRB2 rs1042713 were shown to cause statistically significant (p < 0.05) influence on the individual variation of DXM on sedation and hemodynamics. Moreover, the multiple linear regression analysis indicated sex, BMI, and ADRA2A rs1800544 are statistically related to the effective dose of DXM sedation. Discussion: The evidence suggests that the nine SNPs involved in transport proteins, metabolic enzymes, and target proteins of DXM could explain the individual variability in the sedative and hemodynamic effects of DXM. Therefore, with SNP genotyping, these results could guide personalized medication and promote clinical and surgical management.

Why are only some children with autism spectrum disorder misclassified by the social communication questionnaire? An empirical investigation of individual differences in sensitivity and specificity in a clinic-referred sample

BackgroundThe Social Communication Questionnaire (SCQ) is a checklist for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) commonly used in research and clinical practice. While the original validation study suggested that the SCQ was an accurate ASD screener with satisfactory sensitivity and specificity, subsequent studies have yielded mixed results, with some revealing low sensitivity, low specificity, and low utility in some settings.MethodThe present study examined the psychometric properties of the SCQ as well as the individual difference characteristics of 187 individuals with and without autism spectrum disorder (ASD) who were misclassified or accurately classified by the SCQ in a clinic-referred sample.ResultsThe SCQ showed suboptimal sensitivity and specificity, regardless of age and sex. Compared to true positives, individuals classified as false positives displayed greater externalizing and internalizing problems, whereas individuals classified as false negatives displayed better social communication and adaptive skills.ConclusionsThe findings suggest that non-autistic developmental and behavioral individual difference characteristics may explain high rates of misclassification using the SCQ. Clinicians and researchers could consider using the SCQ in combination with other tools for young children with internalizing and externalizing symptoms and other more complex clinical presentations.

The development of the relationship between auditory and visual neural sensitivity and autonomic arousal from 6 m to 12 m

The differential sensitivity hypothesis argues that environmental sensitivity has the bivalent effect of predisposing individuals to both the risk-inducing and development-enhancing influences of early social environments. However, the hypothesis requires that this variation in environmental sensitivity be general across domains. In this study, we focused on neural sensitivity and autonomic arousal to test domain generality. Neural sensitivity can be assessed by correlating measures of perceptual sensitivity, as indexed by event-related potentials (ERP) in electrophysiology. The sensitivity of autonomic arousal can be tested via heart rate changes. Domain generality was tested by comparing associations in perceptual sensitivity across auditory and visual domains, and associations between sensitivity in sensory domains and heart rate. We contrasted ERP components in auditory (P3) and visual (P1, N290 and P4) detection-of-difference tasks for N = 68 infants longitudinally at 6 and 12 months of age. Domain generality should produce correlated individual differences in sensitivity across the two modalities, with higher levels of autonomic arousal associating with increased perceptual sensitivity. Having controlled for multiple comparisons, at 6 months of age, the difference in amplitude of the P3 component evoked in response to standard and deviant tones correlated with the difference in amplitude of the P1 N290 and P4 face-sensitive components evoked in response to fearful and neutral faces. However, this correlation was not found at 12 months of age. Similarly, autonomic arousal correlated with neural sensitivity at 6 months but not at 12 months. The results suggest bottom-up neural perceptual sensitivity is domain-general across auditory and visual domains and is related to autonomic arousal at 6 months but not at 12 months of age. We interpret the development of the association of these markers of ES within a neuroconstructivist framework and with respect to the concept of interactive specialisation. By 12 months of age, more experience of visual processing may have led to top-down endogenous attention mechanisms that process visual information in a way that no longer associates with automatic auditory perceptual sensitivity.

Assessing Chronodisruption Distress in Goldfish: The Importance of Multimodal Approaches.

Chronodisruption caused by factors such as light at night and mistimed meals has been linked to numerous physiological alterations in vertebrates and may be an anxiogenic factor affecting welfare. This study aims to investigate whether chronodisruption causes measurable changes in the anxiety responses of goldfish under two conditions: randomly scheduled feeding (RF) and continuous light (LL). Anxiety-like behavior was assessed in the open field with object approach and black/white preference tests, which had been validated using diazepam. An increased thigmotaxis response and decreased object exploration under both chronodisruption protocols indicated anxiety states. Furthermore, locomotor activity was increased in LL fish. The black/white preference test discriminated anxiolysis induced by diazepam but was unable to detect anxiety caused by chronodisruption. Plasma cortisol increased in both RF and LL fish throughout the experiment, confirming that both conditions caused stress. The LL fish also showed an apparently desensitized hypothalamus-pituitary-interrenal HPI axis, with a decrease in pomc and crf expression. Individual analysis found no correlation between anxiety-like behavior and stress axis activation nor between scototaxis and thigmotaxis responses. However, individual differences in sensitivity to each test were detected. Altogether, these results highlight circadian disruption as a stressor for fish and endorse a multiple variable approach for reliably assessing animal discomfort.

Sleep reactivity mediates the relationship between sensory-processing sensitivity and insomnia symptoms severity: A cross-sectional correlational study.

Sensory-processing sensitivity (SPS) is a temperamental trait that describes individual differences in sensitivity to environmental stimuli. Previous studies have shown that highly sensitive individuals are more vulnerable to stress and to sleep-related difficulties. In light of this evidence, we hypothesized that SPS is associated with an increase in insomnia symptoms and that this correlation would be mediated by increased perceived stress and sleep reactivity. To test this hypothesis, we conducted a cross-sectional study on 358 adults who completed a survey that included self-report measures of sensitivity, perceived stress, sleep reactivity, and insomnia symptoms. Correlation analysis revealed that SPS was positively related to both stress-related and sleep-related variables. We then conducted a mediation analysis, which revealed that SPS was positively related to insomnia symptoms and that this relationship was fully mediated by sleep reactivity but not mediated at all by perceived stress. The current findings suggest that sleep reactivity may contribute to the development of insomnia symptoms in highly sensitive individuals. Therefore, these results suggests that sleep reactivity should be assessed in highly sensitive individuals and that it could be important to evaluate and further study this relationship.

Factors explaining individual differences in the oral perception of capsaicin, l-menthol, and aluminum ammonium sulfate.

This research focused on the oral perception of naturally occurring chemical food compounds that are used in the pharma and food industries due to their pharmacological properties. They stimulate chemically sensitive receptors of the somatosensory system and are also chemesthetic compounds. Capsaicin is a naturally occurring alkaloid activating pungency perception. l-Menthol is a cyclic monoterpene working also as a medical cooling agent. Aluminum ammonium sulfate is used as a dehydrating agent and additive known to activate astringency in oral cavity. The objective of the study was to identify factors explaining individual differences in the perception of oral chemesthesis measured as sensitivity to chemesthetic compounds and their recognition. The subjects (N = 205) evaluated quality-specific prototypic compounds at five different concentration levels. Differences between gender were discovered in capsaicin sensitivity with men being less sensitive than women. Age was associated with the perception of capsaicin, l-menthol, aluminum ammonium sulfate, and the combined oral chemesthetic sensitivity. Quality-specific recognition ratings were also contributing to the sensitivity to chemesthetic compounds. A combined oral chemesthetic recognition score was created based on quality-specific recognition ratings. Increasing age generally indicated weaker recognition skills. Better recognizers had a higher combined oral chemesthetic sensitivity score than poorer recognizers. These results provide new information about chemesthesis. The results suggest that age and gender are important factors in explaining individual differences in sensitivity to capsaicin, l-menthol, and aluminum ammonium sulfate. In addition, recognition skills are associated with the sensitivity based on the quality-specific recognition scores.

Vagal Flexibility Moderates the Links between Observed Sensitive Caregiving in Infancy and Externalizing Behavior Problems in Middle Childhood.

This study explored how patterns of physiological stress reactivity underpin individual differences in sensitivity to early rearing experiences and childhood risk for psychopathology. To examine individual differences in parasympathetic functioning, past research has largely relied on static measures of stress reactivity (i.e., residual and change scores) in infancy which may not adequately capture the dynamic nature of regulation across contexts. Using data from a prospective longitudinal study of 206 children (56% African Americans) and their families, this study addressed these gaps by employing the latent basis growth curve model to characterize the dynamic, non-linear patterns of change in infants' respiratory sinus arrhythmia (i.e., vagal flexibility) across the Face-to-Face Still-Face Paradigm. Furthermore, it investigated whether and how infants' vagal flexibility moderates the links between sensitive parenting, observed during a free play task when children were 6 months of age, and parent-report of children's externalizing problems at 7 years of age. Results of the structural equation models revealed that infants' vagal flexibility moderates the predictive relations between sensitive parenting in infancy and children's later externalizing problems. Simple slope analyses revealed that low vagal flexibility, characterized by less suppression and flatter recovery patterns, exacerbated risk for externalizing psychopathology in the context of insensitive parenting. Children with low vagal flexibility also benefited most from sensitive parenting, as indicated by the lower number of externalizing problems. Findings are interpreted in the light of the biological sensitivity to context model and provide evidence for vagal flexibility as a biomarker of individual's sensitivity to early rearing contexts.

Intolerance of Uncertainty and Cognition in Breast Cancer Survivors: The Mediating Role of Anxiety.

Cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) is one of the most prevalent symptoms that breast cancer survivors experience. While cancer treatments are established contributors to CRCI, inter-individual differences in CRCI are not well understood. Individual differences in sensitivity to uncertainty are potential contributors to CRCI; however, no prior studies have attempted to examine this link in the context of breast cancer. To address the gap, we used preliminary findings from an ongoing cross-sectional study. A total of 38 women with stage I-III breast cancer (1-4 years post-treatment) were included in this study. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) was assessed using the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. Self-reported cognitive function was assessed with the Neuro-QoL questionnaire. Anxiety was assessed using the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement System Bank. From this study, we found that anxiety mediates the association between IU and cognitive function of survivors. In other words, among post-menopausal breast cancer survivors, those with higher IU showed higher anxiety and consequently had lower cognitive function. This finding suggests that assessing IU may help predict the risk of CRCI. This study expands the current knowledge that addresses the importance of IU as a factor associated with cognitive health.

Individuals with low arithmetic abilities are sensitive to interference during knowledge retrieval from long-term memory across different domains

ABSTRACT Individuals show large individual differences in arithmetic abilities, especially in arithmetic facts. However, it is still unclear if individual differences in these abilities can be explained through individual differences in sensitivity to interference during retrieval from the associative network, and whether this sensitivity to interference is domain-general. To this end, we compared 18 adults with low arithmetic abilities with 18 intelligence matched individuals with high arithmetic abilities in two arithmetic and one lexico-semantic task. While individuals with low arithmetic abilities performed worse (longer response time and lower accuracy) on related lures, where interference occurs, individuals with high arithmetic abilities performed equally well on related and unrelated lures. This pattern of results emerged in the arithmetic tasks as well as in the lexico-semantic task. This finding indicates that sensitivity to interference is a domain-general construct hindering the selective retrieval of information from long-term memory in individuals with low arithmetic abilities.