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Lifelong learning can be indispensable for the adaptation to continuously evolving labor markets and societal demands. In the current study, we examined psychological factors, notably aspects of personality (personality traits in the five-factor model and trait curiosity), self-reflection and motivation in relation to attitudes to lifelong learning. A specific aim was to examine the relative importance of these factors in their contribution to attitudes to lifelong learning. The study was carried out by use of a digital survey and included 717 adults (M_age = 47.93) within working life. The results showed that self-reflection and trait curiosity were the strongest predictors of attitudes to lifelong learning but work intrinsic motivation and openness to experience (a personality trait in the five-factor model) also contributed with unique explanatory power, although to a lesser degree. The results can inform individualized accessibility strategies for lifelong learning.

Aim: This study investigates the effects of degree of multilingualism on cognitive functions in adulthood, with focus on episodic memory recall and including measures of verbal fluency as well as global cognition.

Design: We studied a large population-based cohort cross-sectionally, and we also assessed changes over time through longitudinal measurements on four time-points over a 15 year period. Participants were drawn from the Betula prospective cohort study in Umeå, Sweden. The participants included in this study at baseline (n = 894, mean age = 51.44, 59.4% females) were divided according to number of languages into bilinguals (n = 395), trilinguals (n = 284), quadrilinguals (n = 169), and pentalinguals (n = 46). 

Data and analysis: We analysed performance on tasks of episodic memory recall, verbal fluency (letter and category) and global cognition (Minimental State Examination, MMSE) both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The control background variables were baseline age, gender, years of education, general fluid ability Gf (Wechsler Block Design Test), and socioeconomic status. We employed a linear mixed modelling approach with entropy balancing weights to assess effects of degree of multilingualism on cognitive functions.

Findings and conclusions: Using bilinguals as the reference group, our results indicated that all the other multilingual groups exhibited superior performance on episodic memory recall than bilinguals at baseline. The rate of change over time did not differ for trilinguals and pentalinguals compared to bilinguals. While quadrilinguals declined more over time than bilinguals, they still scored significantly higher than bilinguals at the last test wave. For letter fluency, similarly, all language groups scored higher than bilinguals at baseline, and none of the groups differed from bilinguals in rate of change over time. With regard to category fluency, quadrilinguals scored higher than bilinguals at baseline, but trilinguals and pentalinguals did not differ from bilinguals and none of the groups differed in change over time compared to bilinguals. Finally, for global cognition (MMSE), trilinguals and quadrilinguals scored significantly higher than bilinguals at baseline with no differences in change over time for any of the groups relative to bilinguals. Our study contributes to the understanding of multilingual cognition and sheds light into an under-researched cognitive domain known to decline in normal ageing, namely episodic memory recall.

Significance: Our study emphasizes the importance of researching less explored aspects of multilingualism on cognition, in particular on episodic memory recall, to aid our understanding of factors that could potentially aid cognitive decline in later adulthood.

Background: Postural control is dependent on the central nervous system’s accurate interpretation of sensory information to formulate and execute adequate motor actions. Research has shown that cognitive functions are associated with both postural control and fall risk, but specific associations are not established. The aim of this study was to explore how specific components of everyday postural control tasks are associated with both general and specific cognitive functions.

Methods: Forty-six community-dwelling older adults reported their age, sex, physical activity level, falls and fall-related concerns. The following cognitive aspects were assessed: global cognition, executive functions, processing speed and intraindividual variability. Postural control was quantified by measuring postural sway in quiet stance, walking at a self-selected pace, and walking while performing a concurrent arithmetical task. Separate orthogonal projections of latent structures models were generated for each postural control outcome using descriptive and cognitive variables as explanatory variables.

Results: Longer step length and faster gait speed were related to faster processing speed and less intraindividual variability in the choice reaction test. Moreover, longer step length was also related to less fall-related concerns and less severe fall-related injuries, while faster gait speed was also related to female sex and poorer global cognition. Lower dual-task cost for gait speed was explained by the executive function inhibition and faster processing speed. Postural sway in quiet stance was not explained by cognitive functions.

Conclusions: Cognitive functions explained gait speed and step length during normal walking, as well as the decrease of gait speed while performing a concurrent cognitive task. The results suggest that different cognitive processes are important for different postural control aspects. Postural sway in quiet stance, step time and gait variability seem to depend more on physical and automatic processes rather than higher cognitive functions among physically active older people. The relationships between cognitive functions and postural control likely vary depending on the specific tasks and the characteristics of different populations.

Introduction: The inclusion of Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in the fifth revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) by the American Psychiatric Association and Gaming Disorder in the 11th revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) by the World Health Organization requires consistent psychological measures for reliable estimates. The current study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Gaming Disorder Test (GDT), the Ten-Item Internet Gaming Disorder Test (IGDT-10), and the Five-Item Gaming Disorder Test (GDT-5) and to compare the WHO and the APA frameworks of gaming disorder symptoms in terms of psychopathological symptoms, life satisfaction, and personality traits.

Methods: A sample of 723 Swedish gamers was recruited (29.8% women, 68.3% men, 1.9% other, Mage = 29.50 years, SD = 8.91).

Results: The results indicated notable differences regarding the estimated possible risk groups between the two frameworks. However, the association between gaming disorder symptoms and personality traits, life satisfaction, and psychopathological symptoms appeared consistent across the two frameworks. The results showed excellent psychometric properties in support of the one-factor model of the GDT, IGDT-10, and GDT-5, including good reliability estimates (McDonald's omega) and evidence of construct validity. Additionally, the results demonstrated full gender and age measurement invariance of the GDT, IGDT-10, and GDT-5, indicating that gaming disorder symptoms are measured equally across the subgroups.

Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that the IGDT-10, GDT-5, and GDT are appropriate measures for assessing gaming disorder symptoms and facilitating future research in Sweden.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) impact distraction by unexpected deviant sounds and vibrations. The hypothesis was a difference between individuals with low and high ADHD symptom severity in deviance distraction. In a cross-modal oddball task, we measured the impact of to-be-ignored deviating auditory and vibrotactile stimuli in 45 adults. No difference was observed between groups with low and high symptoms of ADHD in their propensity for distraction between modalities using both frequentist and Bayesian methods. The impact of the deviating sounds and vibrations on performance was similar between groups. However, the amount of missed trials, which possibly reflects mind wandering or attention away from the focal task, was higher in the high-symptom group. The findings indicate some differences in habituation across the duration of the task. The complexity of adult ADHD symptomatology, especially differences in attentional control is discussed.

This study explored the relationship between the big five personality traits and gaming disorder symptoms (GDS) in a sample of Dota 2 players. Recent research has indicated that the relationship between personality traits and GDS may depend on the video game genre investigated. However, the association between GDS and personality has yet to be investigated within a specific game, which may be even more relevant to explore as each game offers unique gameplay mechanics that can influence player behavior differently. Thus, the present study investigated the relationship between the big five personality traits and GDS in a sample of video game players from a specific game, DOTA 2 (n = 321, M = 23.25 years, SD = 4.51). Multiple linear regression was used to analyze GDS formatted as a composite score, and multinomial logistic regressions were further conducted for analyses in which gamers were classified into normal gamers (i.e., less than three criteria endorsed), moderate-risk gamers (i.e., four criteria endorsed), and high-risk gamers (i.e., all criteria endorsed). The analysis of the composite score showed a significant relationship between neuroticism, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and GDS. Analyses of the gaming classifications revealed that neuroticism was the most crucial factor concerning differentiating moderate-risk and high-risk from normal gamers. The findings and their practical implications are further discussed.

Today, adult individuals must be able to continuously learn and adapt to the rapid changes occurring in society. However, little is known about the individual characteristics, particularly personality traits, that make adults more likely to engage in learning activities. Moreover, few studies have longitudinally and objectively investigated the influence of personality on engagement in lifelong learning throughout working age. This study therefore used longitudinal data (15 years) to examine which personality traits predicted level and long-term changes in learning activities among 1329 Swedish adults aged 30–60. The results from growth curve modelling showed that over the follow-up period, novelty seeking and self-transcendence were both positively related to overall level of engagement in learning activities, although not to rate of change. Regarding specific activities, novelty seeking was related to higher levels of engagement in attending courses, taking on new education, and making occupational changes, while harm avoidance was negatively related to the likelihood of changing occupation. The results of this study underscore the importance of considering personality in relation to engagement in lifelong learning activities. Insights from this study can potentially increase the likelihood of finding methods to promote lifelong learning, which can be beneficial for educators, policymakers, and companies.

The increasing interest in digital games and the reasons behind their popularity worldwide warrants further psychometric investigation of motivation factors for engagement in digital games. The present study aimed to validate the Motives for Online Gaming Questionnaire (MOGQ) in a Swedish sample and compare the associations between the seven motivational factors and gaming disorder symptoms across the American Psychiatric Association and World Health Organization diagnostic frameworks. Furthermore, considering the utility of more concise psychological measures, a 14-item version of the MOGQ was developed (MOGQ-14). A sample of 678 Swedish video game players (68.4% men, 29.7% women, and 1.9% other, Mage = 29.5 years, range 15 to 66) were included in the analyses after participating in an online survey. The analyses revealed that the Swedish version of the MOGQ had good psychometric properties. All MOGQ factors showed good reliability (McDonald’s omega), and all intercorrelations among the MOGQ dimensions were consistent with previous findings. The results showed that, on average, men reported higher gaming motivations concerning competition than women. The relationships between six gaming motivation factors (social, escape, competition, coping, skill development, fantasy) and gaming disorder symptoms were consistent with previous research. Findings indicated that the relationship between motivations (escape and recreation) and gaming disorder symptoms varied across APA and WHO diagnostic frameworks, depending on the motivation scale used (MOGQ or MOGQ-14). Recreation significantly differed in its relationship with symptoms when using MOGQ, and the MOGQ-14 showed larger effect sizes in the WHO framework for escape and recreation motivations.

Objective: Treatments for adults with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are understudied, compared to children and adolescents with the same condition. In this systematic review and random-effects meta-analysis, we aim to evaluate the outcomes of computerized cognitive training (CCT) interventions in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) including adults with ADHD.

Method: Cognitive outcomes and ADHD symptom severity were analyzed separately. In addition, the Cattell–Horn–Carroll (CHC) theory of cognitive abilities was used to categorize outcome variables into subdomains, which were analyzed separately in a subsequent analysis.

Results: The results revealed a small positive change in overall cognitive functioning, a measure of all cognitive outcomes in each study, for individuals who took part in CCT compared to controls (k = 9, Hedge’s g = 0.235, 95% CI [0.002, 0.467], p = 0.048, τ2 = 0.000, I2 = 0.000). However, neither symptom severity nor specific cognitive outcomes (executive functioning, cognitive speed, or working memory) showed a significant improvement.

Conclusions: We analyzed the risk of bias in the chosen studies and discuss the findings in terms of effect size. It is concluded that CCT has a small positive effect in adults with ADHD. Due to the lack of heterogeneity in intervention designs across the included studies, increased heterogeneity in future studies could help inform clinicians about the aspects of CCT, such as training type and length, that are most beneficial for this group.

The present study investigated the role of quality coach–athlete relationships and coaching efficacy on coaches’ well-being and performance. We examined whether coaches’ direct and meta-perspectives of the coach–athlete relationship quality predicted dimensions of coaches’ efficacy, hedemonic and eudaimonic well-being, and coach-related performance. A total of 233 male and female Swedish coaches from various team and individual sports completed the Coach–Athlete Relationship Questionnaire, the Coaching Efficacy Scale, Positive and Negative Affect Scale, Subjective Vitality Scale, and a one-single item developed to measure perceived coach performance. Structural equation modelling analyses revealed that quality coach–athlete relationships as defined by closeness, commitment, and complementarity associated with all four dimensions of coach efficacy. While coach–athlete relationship quality was linked with coaches’ positive affect, vitality, and satisfaction with coaching performance, only the motivational dimension of coach efficacy was associated with indicators of coach well-being and coach-related performance. Further analyses showed that the motivational dimension of coach efficacy explained the link between coach–athlete relationship quality, well-being, and coach-related performance. Overall, the findings extended the coach efficacy model by investigating the coach–athlete relationship as a predictor and coach well-being as an outcome. Our findings emphasize the importance of relationships for coaches’ efficacy and well-being.