Roshan Cools on The MindTrace Podcast

Roshan Colls on The MindTrace Podcast. Listen to the full podcast episode here.

#9: The SCIENCE of cognitive control and motivation - Roshan Cools

How does willpower work and how do underlying factors such as cognitive control and motivation influence it? We talk to Dr. Roshan Cools about her research.

We cover many topics ranging from reward and the role of dopamine as well as cognitive enhancers such as ritalin or adderall and if they are actually effective or not. 

We also touched upon how UX design could impact cognitive control and how you should think about it.

HOW MUCH MONEY WOULD YOU LET GO TO AVOID READING THIS BLOG POST?

Say you are at a new place, trying to find your way back to your hotel. One option is to get a map of the city and try to coordinate your position in relation to your hotel and start drawing your route. The other option is to start your GPS and retrieve step-by-step instructions on your phone. You don’t need to run a scientific study to say that most people will prefer the latter when given the option!

What makes cognitive effort aversive?

Functions of dopamine and serotonin in human decision-making and cognition

At the FENS-SfN Summer School 2017 on Chemical Neuromodulation: Neurobiological, Neurocomputational, Behavioural and Clinical Aspects, 18-24 June 2017 in Bertinoro, Italy, Prof. Roshan Cools gave a talk on the “Functions of dopamine and serotonin in human decision-making and cognition”, watch part 1 and part 2.

Why can patients with ADHD control their behavior in some but not all circumstances?

Patients with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) can be quite impulsive, restless and easily distracted. In short, they often have difficulty controlling their behavior. Diminished behavioural control can result in problems at work or in someone’s social life. Although patients with ADHD often find it hard to focus at work, some can spend hours playing computer games without facing distraction. In other words, patients with ADHD appear able to control their behavior much better when they are doing something enjoyable or rewarding rather than boring.