Psychoengineering
Psychoengineering is a research-based engineering practice designed to control and mitigate mental disorders such as depression and anxiety. This site serves as a guide to psychoengineering and how to perform it.
Humans have two primary systems of acquiring knowledge: intuition, a fast and unconscious reflex; and logic, a slow and deliberate process.[1] Each of these dual cognitive methods is designed to interface with a specific type of information,[2] and are thus connected to different parts of the brain. The neural circuitry of intuition (the amygdala, basal ganglia and lateral temporal cortex)[3] is linked to circuitry related to working memory, motor control, attention, perception, and empathy.[4][5][6] Meanwhile, the neural circuitry of reason (anterior cingulate cortex, prefrontal cortex, and the medial temporal lobe including the hippocampus)[7] is linked to circuitry related to long-term memory recall, executive function, and complex decision-making.[8][9]
These systems are implicated in different behaviors, but like everything in the brain they are deeply connected and regularly interface with each other. For example, one could notice a dessert table and be drawn to it by their intuitive, perceptual mind - but ultimately be drawn away from it by their logical mind.[10][a]
Intuitive mind | Logical mind |
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This dialectic was first hypothesized by ancient philosophers, who developed practices to synthesize the two minds. These practices, refined by neuropsychology, form the basis of the techniques used in dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT).[13] The goal is to achieve the synthetic mind:
Synthetic mind | ||||
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Within the synthetic mind, the objective is to debug and eliminate unwanted behaviors. Bugs typically have a fundamental cognitive distortion that fuels them.
Obstacles to achieving synthetic mind[edit]
All of these components of well-being should be improved simultaneously, but it is important to note that elements at the base are typically more capable of overwhelming the synthetic mind.
Neurochemistry: Chemistry of individual neurons, determined genetically, which can significantly alter hedonic baseline. Monoaminergic, GABAergic, and glutamatergic systems are strongly implicated in depression[15] and anxiety.[16] Treatment: psychopharmeceuticals.
Somatic state: Conditions like sleep deprivation[17] and body temperature[18] can negatively affect logical decision making. Masicampo and Baumeister observed that drinking lemonade mixed with sugar as opposed to Splenda after an energy-depleting self-control task increased rule-based decision making.[19][20] Exercise has also been shown to improve problem-solving abilities.[21] Treatment: somatic management.
Emotional state: Distress has a significant effect on logical reasoning - arachnophobes perform significantly worse than non-arachnophobes on logical tests that relate to spiders, for example.[22] Loneliness[23] and anger[24] also negatively correlate to logical ability. Treatment: acceptance therapy.
Perspective: Perspective shifts such as self-distancing and the growth mindset have a neurological basis in provoking self-reflection and heightening intrinsic motivation, respectively.[25][26] Treatment: cognitive defusion.
Notes[edit]
- ^ Psychoengineering uses "intuitive/logical mind" for these systems, but they have many different names in contemporary psychology. Stanovich uses "systems 1/2", so as to not give a preference to either system. Evans has used "old/new mind", in reference to the phylogenetic age of each system.[11] Darlow and Sloman use "intuitive/deliberate system" to emphasize the level of conscious control present in each.[12]
Citations[edit]
- ^ Kahneman 2011, pp. 20–23.
- ^ Darlow & Sloman 2010, pp. 1–3.
- ^ Lieberman 2003, p. 7.
- ^ Ramezanpour & Fallah 2022.
- ^ Roozendaal & et al. 2009.
- ^ Schacter & et al. 2020.
- ^ Lieberman 2003, p. 10.
- ^ Aharoni & et al. 2013.
- ^ Friedman & Robbins 2021.
- ^ Darlow & Sloman 2010, p. 1.
- ^ Evans & Stanovich 2013, p. 1.
- ^ Darlow & Sloman 2010, p. 2.
- ^ Linehan & Dimeff 2001, p. 1.
- ^ Alschuler et al. 2020.
- ^ Kaltenboeck & Harmer 2018, p. 1.
- ^ Martin et al. 2009, pp. 1–3.
- ^ Harrison & Horne 2000
- ^ Doohan et al. 2023.
- ^ Masicampo & Baumeister 2008.
- ^ Gailliot et al. 2007.
- ^ Hillman, Erickson & Kramer 2000.
- ^ Jung et al. 2014.
- ^ Şimşek, Koçak & Younis 2021.
- ^ Zajenkowski & Zajenkowska 2015.
- ^ White, Kross & Duckworth 2015.
- ^ Ng 2018.
References[edit]
- Aharoni, Eyal; Vincent, Gina M.; Harenski, Carla L.; Calhoun, Vince D.; Sinnott-Armstrong, Walter; Gazzaniga, Michael S.; Kiehl, Kent A. (2013). "Neuroprediction of future rearrest". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 110 (15): 6223–6228. doi:10.1073/pnas.1219302110.
- Alschuler, Kevin N.; Krabak, Brian J.; Kratz, Anna L.; Jensen, Mark P.; Pomeranz, Daniel; Burns, Patrick; Bautz, Jacob; Nordeen, Chelsea; Irwin, Connor; Lipman, Grant S. (7 Feb 2020). "Pain Is Inevitable But Suffering Is Optional: Relationship of Pain Coping Strategies to Performance in Multistage Ultramarathon Runners". Wilderness & Environmental Medicine. 31 (1): 23–30. doi:10.1016/j.wem.2019.10.007. PMID 32044211.
- Darlow, Adam L.; Sloman, Steven A. (7 April 2010). "Two systems of reasoning: architecture and relation to emotion". Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science. 1 (3): 382–392. doi:10.1002/wcs.34.
- Doohan, Meg A.; Watzek, Jessica T.; King, Neil; White, Melanie J.; Stewart, Ian B. (1 July 2023). "Does increased core temperature alter cognitive performance during exercise-induced heat strain? A narrative review". Journal of Applied Physiology. 135 (1): 35–52. doi:10.1152/japplphysiol.00070.2023. PMID 37141422.
- Evans, Jonathan St. B. T.; Stanovich, Keith E. (2013). "Dual-Process Theories of Higher Cognition". Perspectives on Psychological Science. 8 (3): 223–241. doi:10.1177/1745691612460685.
- Friedman, Naomi P.; Robbins, Trevor W. (2021). "The role of prefrontal cortex in cognitive control and executive function". Neuropsychopharmacology. 47 (47): 1–18. doi:10.1038/s41386-021-01132-0.
- Gailliot, Matthew T.; Baumeister, Roy F.; DeWall, C. Nathan; Maner, Jon K.; Plant, E. Ashby; Tice, Dianne M.; Brewer, Lauren E.; Schmeichel, Brandon J. (February 2007). "Self-control relies on glucose as a limited energy source: willpower is more than a metaphor". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 92 (2): 325–336. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.92.2.325. PMID 17279852.
- Harrison, Yvonne; Horne, James A. (September 2000). "The impact of sleep deprivation on decision making: a review". Journal of Experimental Psychology: Applied. 6 (3): 236–249. doi:10.1037//1076-898x.6.3.236. PMID 11014055.
- Hillman, Charles; Erickson, Kirk; Kramer, Arthur (2008). "Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition". Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 9: 58–65. doi:10.1038/nrn2298.
- Jung, Nadine; Wranke, Christina; Hamburger, Kai; Knauff, Markus (10 June 2014). "How emotions affect logical reasoning: evidence from experiments with mood-manipulated participants, spider phobics, and people with exam anxiety". Frontiers in Psychology. 5: 570. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00570. PMC 4050437. PMID 24959160.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - Kahneman, Daniel (2011). Thinking, Fast and Slow (1 ed.). New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. ISBN 978-0-3742-7563-1.
- Kaltenboeck, Alexander; Harmer, Catherine (8 October 2018). "The neuroscience of depressive disorders: A brief review of the past and some considerations about the future". Brain and Neuroscience Advances. 2: 2398212818799269. doi:10.1177/2398212818799269. PMC 7058215. PMID 32166149.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) - Lieberman, Matthew. D. (2003). "Reflexive and reflective judgment processes: A social cognitive neuroscience approach". In Forgas, Joeseph. P.; Williams, Kipling. D.; von Hippel, William (eds.). Social judgments: Implicit and explicit processes. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 44–67. ISBN 9780521822480.
- Linehan, Marsha M.; Dimeff, Linda (2001). "Dialectical Behavior Therapy in a nutshell" (PDF). The California Psychologist. 34: 10–13.
- Martin, Elizabeth I.; Ressler, Kerry J.; Binder, Elisabeth; Nemeroff, Charles B. (1 September 2009). "The neurobiology of anxiety disorders: brain imaging, genetics, and psychoneuroendocrinology". Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 32 (3): 549–575. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2009.05.004. PMID 19716990.
- Masicampo, E. J.; Baumeister, Roy F. (2008). "Toward a physiology of dual-process reasoning and judgment: lemonade, willpower, and expensive rule-based analysis". Psychological Science. 19: 255–260. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2008.02077.x.
- Ng, Betsy (2018). "The Neuroscience of Growth Mindset and Intrinsic Motivation". Brain Sciences. 8 (2): 20. doi:10.3390/brainsci8020020.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - Ramezanpour, Hamidreza; Fallah, Mazyar (12 April 2022). "The role of temporal cortex in the control of attention". Current Research in Neurobiology. 3 (100038). doi:10.1016/j.crneur.2022.100038.
- Roozendaal, Benno; McEwen, Bruce S.; Chattarji, Sumantra (13 May 2009). "Stress, memory and the amygdala". Nature Reviews Neuroscience. 10 (June 2009): 423–433. doi:10.1038/nrn2651.
- Schacter, Daniel L.; Gilbert, Daniel Todd; Nock, Matthew K.; Wegner, Daniel M. (2019). Psychology (5th ed.). Worth Publishers, Macmillan Learning. ISBN 9781319190804.
- Şimşek, Orçun Muhammet; Koçak, Orhan; Younis, Mustafa Z. (2021). "The Impact of Interpersonal Cognitive Distortions on Satisfaction with Life and the Mediating Role of Loneliness". Sustainability. 13 (16): 9293. doi:10.3390/su13169293.
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: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - White, Rebekah E.; Kross, Ethan; Duckworth, Angela L. (July 2015). "Spontaneous Self-Distancing and Adaptive Self-Reflection Across Adolescence". Child Development. 86 (4): 1272–1281. doi:10.1111/cdev.12370. PMC 4607548. PMID 25876213.
{{cite journal}}
: CS1 maint: PMC format (link) - Zajenkowski, Marcin; Zajenkowska, Anna (2015). "Intelligence and aggression: The role of cognitive control and test related stress". Personality and Individual Differences. 81: 23–28. doi:10.1016/j.paid.2014.12.062. ISSN 0191-8869.