心理科学 ›› 2024, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (6): 1305-1316.DOI: 10.16719/j.cnki.1671-6981.20240603

• 基础、实验与工效 • 上一篇    下一篇

认知增强训练对个体空间导航的提升作用:以空间焦虑为中介*

刘赛芳1,2, 张昕祎1,2, 陆莹1,2, 刘煜1,2, 秦奎元**3,4, 高杨**5   

  1. 1陕西师范大学心理学院,西安,710062;
    2陕西省行为与认知神经科学重点实验室,西安,710062;
    3西北大学公共管理学院,西安,710100;
    4西北大学应急管理学院,西安,710100;
    5陕西师范大学地理科学与旅游学院,西安,710119
  • 出版日期:2024-11-20 发布日期:2024-12-24
  • 通讯作者: **秦奎元,E-mail:qinkuiyuan@163.com;高杨,E-mail:gaoy@snnu.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    *本研究得到国家自然科学基金(42201245)、中国博士后科学基金(2022M711998,2023T160403)、陕西省科技计划(2023-YBSF-029)、陕西教师发展研究院‘教师发展研究计划项目’(SJS2022ZQ010)和中央高校基本科研业务费专项(GK202207006)的资助

The Enhancing Effect of Cognitive Training on Spatial Navigation: Spatial Anxiety as A Mediator

Liu Saifang1,2, Zhang Xinyi1,2, Lu Ying1,2, Liu Yu1,2, Qin Kuiyuan3,4, Gao Yang5   

  1. 1School of Psychology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062;
    2Shaanxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Behavior and Cognitive Neuroscience, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710062;
    3School of Public Management, Northwest University, Xi' an, 710100;
    4School of Emergency Management, Northwest University, Xi' an, 710100;
    5School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi' an, 710119
  • Online:2024-11-20 Published:2024-12-24

摘要: 使用以工作记忆为基础的认知增强训练方法来探究能否通过改善个体的空间焦虑进而提升其空间导航能力。将被试分为行为训练组、tDCS训练组、联合训练组和控制组,行为训练组接受空间工作记忆刷新训练,tDCS组进行tDCS刺激训练,联合训练组接受tDCS和空间工作记忆刷新训练,每个实验组都训练5次。结果发现,相较于控制组,实验组的被试在后测任务中空间焦虑指标显著降低,空间导航绩效显著提高。中介分析发现实验组能够通过降低被试的空间焦虑水平来提高空间导航的任务绩效。这表明个体可以通过认知增强训练的方式来改善其空间焦虑水平,进而提高其空间导航能力。

关键词: 空间导航能力, 认知增强训练, 工作记忆, 空间焦虑

Abstract: With the rapid development of science and technology, our country has made extraordinary achievements in a wide range of fields, including but not limited to aerospace, aviation, and maritime industries. The relentless march of technological innovation has led to an expansion of the domains in which humanity operates. In particular, the transformation of the equipment manufacturing industry has resulted in increasingly intricate work environments and task demands, placing a premium on the cognitive efficiency of those in operational roles. Consequently, there has been a surge in scholarly interest in employing psychological techniques to bolster the fundamental cognitive faculties of individuals. In this context, spatial ability emerges as a pivotal element of human intelligence with a profound impact on personal growth and survival. The current study is dedicated to exploring the potential of cognitive enhancement training, with an emphasis on spatial working memory, to elevate spatial ability in individuals.
A cohort of 166 participants was recruited, with an equal division between those classified as high performers and low performers based on their proficiency in spatial navigation tasks. For the purpose of training, 83 participants from the low-performance group were selected, a decision informed by the desire to avoid the ceiling effect. The participants were randomly assigned to one of four groups: a behavioral training group, a transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) group, a combined behavioral and tDCS training group, and a control group. The experimental protocol followed a structured sequence of pre-test, training, and post-test. During the pre-test phase, all participants performed spatial navigation and spatial working memory updating tasks while wearing physiological monitoring devices to collect heart rate variability (HRV) data. Over the span of seven days, participants in the experimental groups underwent five training sessions, while the control group did not receive any training. Post-training, all participants were subjected to post-test evaluations. The study adopted a two-factor design, with group allocation as the between-subjects factor and the temporal progression of testing as the within-subjects factor. One participant in the combined behavioral and tDCS training group was not included in the analysis.
The results of the study revealed significant improvements in the spatial working memory abilities of participants in the combined behavioral and tDCS training group when compared to their counterparts in the tDCS and control groups. Additionally, the behavioral training group evidenced a marked enhancement in working memory capacity, surpassing the improvements observed in the tDCS and control groups. These results suggest that both the combined training and the behavioral training are effective in significantly augmenting an individual's spatial working memory, a finding that distinguishes these interventions from the more modest effects observed in the tDCS and control groups. Furthermore, the study identified a notable increase in the accuracy of spatial navigation tasks and a concomitant decrease in reaction times for participants in the combined training, behavioral training, and tDCS groups. This evidence highlights the efficacy of cognitive enhancement training, which utilized spatial working memory updating exercises, in significantly enhancing participants' spatial navigation abilities. Physiological data collected during the study also indicated a significant uptick in participants' LogHF values across the combined training, behavioral training, and tDCS groups. This physiological change signifies a substantial reduction in spatial anxiety levels in the trained participants. Moreover, the mediation analysis revealed that spatial working memory updating training can effectively lower spatial anxiety, which in turn, improves performance in spatial navigation tasks. These findings support the study's hypothesis that cognitive enhancement training, by mitigating spatial anxiety, can lead to enhanced spatial navigational skills.
In summary, the findings of this study provide compelling evidence for the efficacy of cognitive enhancement training in improving an individual's spatial navigation capabilities. The study further shows that such training can indirectly refine spatial navigation skills by effectively reducing spatial anxiety. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the interplay between cognitive training and spatial abilities, with valuable implications for the development of training programs aimed at enhancing operational performance in complex environments.

Key words: spatial navigation ability, cognitive enhance training, working-memory, spatial anxiety