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Multiple theories have used perceptual sensitivity and response criterion indices to explain the decrements in performance across time on task (i.e., vigilance decrement). In a recent study, McCarley and Yamani (2021) offered conceptual and methodological advances to this debate by using a vigilance task that parametrically manipulates noise and signal and analyzes the outcomes with psychometric curves. In the present Commentary, we reanalyze data (N = 553) from a different, already existing vigilance task, the Attentional Networks Test for Interactions and Vigilance—executive and arousal components (ANTI-Vea). Psychometric curves with the ANTI-Vea showed robust changes in response criterion and lapse rate, although not in sensitivity. Our interpretation is that the need to keep the standard in memory in McCarley and Yamani's task could produce a decrease in sensitivity and be related to reduced fidelity of the memory representation rather than to a decrement in perceptual abilities across time on task. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The demands of today’s society for interventions that optimize cognitive abilities and prevent their decline have motivated the translation of scientific findings into applied programs. Ordinary activities such as physical exercise, chess, meditation, playing video games or a musical instrument, as well as specific cognitive programs, have witnessed the growth of evidence emphasizing their cognitive benefits. Here, we outline several issues that need consideration before speculating on the implications of this literature: (a) the magnitude and costs of the effect, (b) the robustness of the effect, (c) testing causality, (d) the identification of moderator variables, and (e) the underlying mechanisms. We consider that this would contribute to a critical appraisal of the extant findings by the interested researchers, to reduce overstatements in the media reports about the applicability and public relevance of the effects reported in scientific articles, and to potentially help designing new interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study proposes a methodology to serve as a guiding mechanism for the allocation and management of university financial resources taking efficiency as its objective. Specifically, an aid model is provided for decision making, so that the planning of staff policy within a university guarantees an equal treatment of all the teaching and research units, greater transparency in the allocation of financial resources, as well as a rational monitoring of the allocations made and their effects on the university efficiency levels. The model we provide is based on the use of two quantitative techniques: data envelopment analysis (DEA) and multiple criteria decision making (MCDM), both techniques being linked in a way which makes it possible to transfer information from one to the other.

The article titled "The music that catches my attention: the emotion that music produces affects how we pay attention" explores how music affects our attention and how the emotions evoked by music influence how we process information from our environment. Research shows that music can influence our attention and improve our attentional abilities. Additionally, it was found that listening to happy music increases alertness, while listening to sad music enhances executive control. These findings suggest that music can be a powerful tool for modulating our emotions and different aspects of our attention. [Extracted from the article]

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