Desempenho de adolescentes com desenvolvimento típico em tarefas computadorizadas de delay discounting e sua possível associação com diferentes domínios da impulsividade
Data
2023-05-29
Autores
Utsumi, Daniel Augusto 
Orientadores
Pompéia, Sabine
Tipo
Tese de doutorado
Título da Revista
ISSN da Revista
Título de Volume
Resumo
Objetivo: Investigar o desempenho de adolescentes com desenvolvimento típico de 9-18 anos em tarefas computadorizadas de delay discounting (DD: preferência por uma recompensa menor imediata em detrimento de outra maior após algum atraso), e sua relação com outras medidas cognitivas, como a percepção temporal e de tipos distintos de impulsividade. Métodos: Participaram 69 adolescentes de 9 a 18 anos. Desenvolveu-se um software semelhante a um videogame, gratuito e editável, composto de três Jogos idênticos em aparência, atrasos curtos e recompensas pequenas: 1) Imaginário – atrasos e recompensa são hipotéticos (pontos); 2) Real – atrasos e recompensa são reais (pontos são convertidos em dinheiro); 3) Paciência – atrasos são reais, mas a recompensa é hipotética (pontos). A usabilidade do programa e a inteligibilidade de um Manual do Usuário foram avaliados por 5 especialistas. O desempenho foi medido pela área sob a curva (ASC: quanto maior, menor a impulsividade). O protocolo também envolveu uma tarefa computadorizada de produção de intervalos temporais (PIT) com os mesmos tempos das tarefas de DD, e outras medidas de impulsividade: testes Stroop versão Victoria e Feliz-Triste; e escalas de impulsividade autorreferida [5 tipos de Adiamento de Gratificação do Delaying Gratification Inventory (DGI) e de 5 tipos de impulsividade da escala UPPS-P versão breve]. Análises: 1) Associações entre o DD e o PIT; 2) Comparações entre tarefas de DD; 3) Associações entre DD e as demais medidas de impulsividade, e análise de regressão linear e quadrática do desempenho em todas as medidas. Resultados: De acordo com a avaliação dos especialistas, tanto o programa de DD quanto o Manual do Usuário mostraram-se adequados a utilização imediata. Quanto aos objetivos verificou-se que 1) Não houve associação ou efeito de PIT sobre o DD; 2) As tarefas de DD se diferenciaram entre si. O Jogo Imaginário foi o único que não melhorou com a idade, mas exibiu ASCs maiores que as do Jogo Real, indicando uma superestimação da capacidade de espera quando atrasos e recompensas foram hipotéticos. O Jogo da Paciência apresentou as menores ASCs, como esperado, pois não havia recompensa material após a espera; 3) Encontrou-se forte interassociação entre as tarefas de DD, mas não o suficiente para que fossem tidas como equivalentes, e nenhuma relação destas com as demais medidas. O Jogo Imaginário não foi bem explicado por nenhuma função testada, mas os Jogos Real e Paciência exibiram um pico de desempenho entre 15-17 anos, possivelmente devido, respectivamente, ao aumento da sensibilidade a recompensas na ausência de risco, e à combinação de uma maior tolerância ao esforço e/ou atratividade a incentivos parecidos com o de videogames (pontos) e o aumento de comportamentos pró-sociais. Quanto às demais medidas de impulsividade, todas melhoraram com a idade, mas nenhuma se assemelhou às encontradas no DD. Conclusões: Tarefas de DD com os mesmos parâmetros temporais e de pontuação se diferenciaram em adolescentes típicos, independentemente da percepção temporal, tampouco se relacionaram com outras medidas de impulsividade. O desempenho no Jogo Real atingiu seu ápice entre 15-17 anos, assim como no Jogo da Paciência, embora este tenha apresentado as menores ASCs.
Objective: To investigate the performance of typically developing adolescents aged 9-18 years on computerized delay discounting tasks (DD: preference for an immediate smaller reward over a larger one after some delay), and its relationship with other cognitive measures, such as time perception and different types of impulsivity. Methods: Sixty-nine adolescents aged 9 to 18 years were enrolled in this study. A video game-like software, free and editable, was developed, composed of three Games identical in appearance, short delays and small rewards: 1) Imaginary – delays and reward are hypothetical (points); 2) Real – delays and reward are real (points are converted into cash); and 3) Patience – delays are real, but rewards are hypothetical (points). The usability of the software and the intelligibility of a User’s Guide were assessed by 5 experts. Performance was measured by the area under the curve (AUC: the higher the AUC, the lower the impulsivity). The protocol also involved a computerized time production task (TPT) with the same intervals used in the DD tasks, and other measures of impulsivity: Stroop Victoria and Happy-Sad tests; self-reported impulsiveness scales [5 types of Delay of Gratification from the Delaying Gratification Inventory (DGI) and 5 types of impulsivity from the short UPPS-P scale]. Analyses: 1) Associations between DD and TPT; 2) Comparisons between DD tasks; 3) Associations between DD and other impulsivity measures, and linear and quadratic regression analyses of the performance on all measures. Results: According to the experts' evaluation, both the DD software and the User's Guide proved to be suitable for immediate use. Regarding each objective it was found that: 1) There was no association or effect of TPT on DD; 2) The DD tasks differed from each other. The Imaginary Game was the only one that did not improve with age, but exhibited higher AUCs than the Real Game, indicating an overestimation of the waiting capacity when delays and rewards were hypothetical. The Patience Game had the lowest AUCs, as expected, as no material rewards were obtained for waiting; 3) A strong interassociation was found between the DD tasks, but not enough for them to be considered equivalent, and there was no relationship between these tasks and the other measures. The Imaginary Game was not well explained by any of the regression functions, but the Real and Patience Games showed a performance peak among 15–17-year-olds, possibly due, respectively, to increased sensitivity to rewards in absence of risk, and to the combination of a greater tolerance to exert effort and/or attractiveness to video game-like incentives (points) and/or increase in prosocial behaviors. As for the other impulsivity measures, they all followed expected improvement with age, but none were similar to those found in the DD. Conclusions: Performance in DD tasks with the same delays and point system differed in typical adolescents, regardless of temporal perception and were not related to other measures of impulsivity. Performance in the Real Game peaked among 15–17-year-olds, as in the Patience Game, although it had the lowest AUCs.
Objective: To investigate the performance of typically developing adolescents aged 9-18 years on computerized delay discounting tasks (DD: preference for an immediate smaller reward over a larger one after some delay), and its relationship with other cognitive measures, such as time perception and different types of impulsivity. Methods: Sixty-nine adolescents aged 9 to 18 years were enrolled in this study. A video game-like software, free and editable, was developed, composed of three Games identical in appearance, short delays and small rewards: 1) Imaginary – delays and reward are hypothetical (points); 2) Real – delays and reward are real (points are converted into cash); and 3) Patience – delays are real, but rewards are hypothetical (points). The usability of the software and the intelligibility of a User’s Guide were assessed by 5 experts. Performance was measured by the area under the curve (AUC: the higher the AUC, the lower the impulsivity). The protocol also involved a computerized time production task (TPT) with the same intervals used in the DD tasks, and other measures of impulsivity: Stroop Victoria and Happy-Sad tests; self-reported impulsiveness scales [5 types of Delay of Gratification from the Delaying Gratification Inventory (DGI) and 5 types of impulsivity from the short UPPS-P scale]. Analyses: 1) Associations between DD and TPT; 2) Comparisons between DD tasks; 3) Associations between DD and other impulsivity measures, and linear and quadratic regression analyses of the performance on all measures. Results: According to the experts' evaluation, both the DD software and the User's Guide proved to be suitable for immediate use. Regarding each objective it was found that: 1) There was no association or effect of TPT on DD; 2) The DD tasks differed from each other. The Imaginary Game was the only one that did not improve with age, but exhibited higher AUCs than the Real Game, indicating an overestimation of the waiting capacity when delays and rewards were hypothetical. The Patience Game had the lowest AUCs, as expected, as no material rewards were obtained for waiting; 3) A strong interassociation was found between the DD tasks, but not enough for them to be considered equivalent, and there was no relationship between these tasks and the other measures. The Imaginary Game was not well explained by any of the regression functions, but the Real and Patience Games showed a performance peak among 15–17-year-olds, possibly due, respectively, to increased sensitivity to rewards in absence of risk, and to the combination of a greater tolerance to exert effort and/or attractiveness to video game-like incentives (points) and/or increase in prosocial behaviors. As for the other impulsivity measures, they all followed expected improvement with age, but none were similar to those found in the DD. Conclusions: Performance in DD tasks with the same delays and point system differed in typical adolescents, regardless of temporal perception and were not related to other measures of impulsivity. Performance in the Real Game peaked among 15–17-year-olds, as in the Patience Game, although it had the lowest AUCs.