Title : The effects of different dopamine inductions on adolescent working memory and EEG bands
Abstract:
In this research, dopamine’s involvement in working memory and cognitive functioning was investigated. The current youth has been experiencing a decline in cognitive functioning, and many have attributed this to a dopamine rewiring stemming from micro reward chasing habits such as social media. However, other types of dopamine induction have been called for as a cognitive enhancer, such as cardiovascular exercise. This project was conducted to identify the exact neurological role different types of dopamine induction play on working memory, which in turn would lead to more complete understandings in focus, attention, and cognitive function regarding dopamine. Therefore, the N-back tests were administered under 3 different conditions. Once in a control state, once after a 15 minute jog, and once after 15 minutes of social media scrolling. During each test the participants wore a Muse 2 headset that recorded their brainwaves, and after all the tests they filled out a lifestyle survey. Before the experiment, the researchers hypothesized that only the cardio-induced dopamine would show improvement in working memory. The results revealed that both types of dopamine induction resulted in improved performance compared to the control state. However, those who filled out the survey with long-term habits of social media actually showed a decrease in working memory score.
Furthermore, the delta and theta EEG bands showed a significant increase in only the cardio condition. Therefore, although the hypothesis was rejected, more in depth results showcased that social media addiction can lead to overall lower cognitive functioning. The results of the EEG bands suggest that cardio specifically induces a calm and focused series of neuron firing, which would be debilitated within the distraction that social media brings about. Future research regarding EEG band patterns could reveal relationships between states of cognitive function and specific brainwave patterns.
