Alberto Di Domenico

Publications (13) View all

• Article: Saying it with a natural child's voice! When affective auditory manipulations increase working memory in aging.

  Nicola Mammarella, Beth Fairfield, Elisa Frisullo, Alberto Di Domenico
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  ABSTRACT: Objectives. Working memory functions and their relations with affective auditory factors, have not been extensively investigated in aging yet. Method. In this study, younger and older participants completed a classical working memory test (a running working memory task) pronounced by three different voices. In particular, in Experiment 1 the natural voices of a 3-year-old child, a 26-year-old young adult and an 86-year-old older adult were used for task presentation. In Experiment 2 stimuli were morphed in order to better control for sound properties across the three voices. Results. Results showed that working memory increased for older adults compared to younger adults when the task was presented with natural voices and especially so when the task was presented in a child's voice. However, the child-voice effect disappeared with morphed voices. Conclusion. Data confirm the importance of studying the relationship between auditory features and emotional variations as a possible practical means of reducing typical age-related working memory deficits.
  Aging and Mental Health 04/2013; · 1.37 Impact Factor
• Article: Are all forms of feature binding disturbed in schizophrenia? Evidence from a central vs. peripheral distinction in working memory.

  Mario Altamura, Flavia A Padalino, Nicola Mammarella, Beth Fairfield, Angela Balzotti, Alberto Di Domenico, Elisa Frisullo, Antonello Bellomo
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  ABSTRACT: In this study we investigated central and peripheral feature binding in a group of 24 high pre-morbid IQ patients with schizophrenia and 24 healthy controls. In particular, participants were asked to remember specific single (e.g., word, colour) or multiple features (e.g., coloured words) of experimental items with central (coloured word) vs. peripheral (a coloured frame) attributes in a working memory binding task. Results showed that patients performed significantly poorer than controls especially when required to remember the peripheral combination of multiple features. Results suggest that patients with schizophrenia may have difficulties in unitizing peripheral features in working memory.
  Psychiatry research. 12/2012;
• Article: "Baby on board": Reducing risk taking in adult drivers in a simulated driving game.

  Nicola Mammarella, Beth Fairfield, Alberto Di Domenico, Teresa Di Fiore
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  ABSTRACT: Two studies examined the effects of different socio-affective factors on risk driving behaviour. In Experiment 1, 87 adult drivers we asked to play a computer-based driving game after being exposed to a series of images that depicted infants, police or neutral information (control condition). In Experiment 2 we tested a further 60 adult drivers. We found a significant effect of our manipulation on driving behaviour, with performance being significantly less risky in the infant condition than in the police and control conditions. In addition, this advantage was not simply due to variations in emotions typically associated with infant pictures. The results of this study highlight the importance of studying the role of socio-affective context when investigating factors that influence driving behaviour.
  Accident; analysis and prevention 10/2012; · 1.65 Impact Factor
• Article: Is there an affective working memory deficit in patients with chronic schizophrenia?

  Nicola Mammarella, Beth Fairfield, Valeria De Leonardis, Barbara Carretti, Erika Borella, Elisa Frisullo, Alberto Di Domenico
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  ABSTRACT: Research interest in affective working memory has rapidly grown in the last decade. In this study we investigated working memory functions for affective and neutral words in a group of 22 patients with chronic schizophrenia and 22 healthy controls. In particular, participants were administered the operation working memory span task in which affective and neutral words had to be remembered. Results showed that patients made significantly more intrusion errors, recalling off-goal information, and showed poorer long-term memory performance than controls. In addition, affective trials showed the largest number of intrusion errors. These results suggest that a general attentional control deficit, especially over affective information, may underly failures to remember in chronic schizophrenia patients.
  Biological Psychiatry 04/2012; 138(1):99-101. · 8.28 Impact Factor
• Article: When touch matters: An affective tactile intervention for older adults.

  Nicola Mammarella, Beth Fairfield, Alberto Di Domenico
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  ABSTRACT: Aim:  Our goal was to test the hypothesis that positive tactile experiences can lead to an improvement in cognitive, emotional skills and perceived quality of life in a group of healthy community-dwelling older adults. Methods:  During a 10-week period, older adults completed a series of activities that required manipulating either a piece of velvet, a piece of canvas or velcro. Results:  Only older adults who worked with velvet showed an increase in cognitive and emotional skills, and the perceived quality of life. Conclusion:  Our study is one of the first to show that positive tactile experiences might have a beneficial effect on the psychological well-being of healthy community-dwelling older adults across different domains. Geriatr Gerontol Int 2012; ••: ••-••.
  Geriatrics & Gerontology International 02/2012; 12(4):722-4.