Mariagrazia Capizzi

• Psychology
• PostDoc Position at University of Padua

In the visual search literature, an attentional template refers to a mental representation of target features stored in visual working memory. The dual-state model (Olivers et al., 2011) argues that visual working memory can only be focused on a single representation at a time, and therefore, we can only search for one target at a time. Consequentl...

The N2pc is widely employed as an electrophysiological marker of an attention allocation. This interpretation was largely driven by the observation of an N2pc elicited by an isolated relevant target object, which was reported as Experiment 2 in Eimer (1996). All subsequent refined interpretations of the N2pc had to take this crucial finding into ac...

The N2pc is widely employed as an electrophysiological marker of an attention allocation. This interpretation was largely driven by the observation of an N2pc elicited by an isolated relevant target object, which was reported as Experiment 2 in Eimer (1996). All subsequent refined interpretations of the N2pc had to take this crucial finding into ac...

The N2pc is widely employed as an electrophysiological marker of an attention allocation. This interpretation was largely driven by the observation of an N2pc elicited by an isolated relevant target object, which was reported as Experiment 2 in Eimer (1996). All subsequent refined interpretations of the N2pc had to take this crucial finding into ac...

The neural mechanisms underlying time perception remain elusive. Although the cerebellum (CE) and basal ganglia (BG) are considered fundamental, evidence primarily stems from studies on neurodegenerative diseases, where progressive and widespread damage complicates linking deficits to specific brain structures. In contrast, brain stroke affects foc...

Public Significance Statement Accurate temporal estimates within the millisecond-to-seconds range are crucial for many activities like sports, music, and dancing. While previous research suggests that older adults may exhibit diminished temporal abilities compared to their younger counterparts, these findings have been primarily observed in tasks r...

Entrainment theories propose that attention inherently oscillates between moments of attentional enhancement and disengagement. Consequently, perceptual and response benefits have been reported in tasks with a rhythmic structure. In the present study, we report two preregistered auditory experiments attempting to replicate previous supporting behav...

Entrainment theories, such as the Dynamic Attending Theory, extend this idea by proposing that attention acts as an oscillatory system that alternates between moments of attentional enhancement and instants of attentional disengagement. Consequently, perceptual and response benefits have been reported in tasks with a rhythmic structure, presumably...

To effectively process the most relevant information, the brain anticipates the optimal timing for allocating attentional resources. Behavior can be optimized by automatically aligning attention with external rhythmic structures, whether visual or auditory. Although the auditory modality is known for its efficacy in representing temporal informatio...

The dynamic nature of our environment enables us to anticipate the onset of relevant events, which in turns speeds up our reactions to them. Temporal preparation can be measured in the laboratory through various tasks, including foreperiod tasks, temporal orienting tasks, and rhythmic tasks. However, the literature currently lacks a unified task to...

The dynamic nature of our environment allows us to anticipate the onset of relevant events, thereby enhancing our reactions to them. Temporal preparation can be assessed in the laboratory using various tasks, including foreperiod tasks, temporal orienting tasks, and rhythmic tasks. However, the existing literature lacks a unified task to measure th...

It has been demonstrated that the stimulus’s features, including size, brightness, numerosity, and loudness, can affect the perception of subjective and explicit time. But, in a daily life situation, actual events presumably involve an implicit processing of time rather than an explicit processing, with some studies suggesting that the presentation...

While there is ample evidence for the ability to selectively attend to where in space and when in time a relevant event might occur, it remains poorly understood whether spatial and temporal attention operate independently or interactively to optimize behavior. To elucidate this important issue, we provide a narrative review of the literature inves...

Many cognitive processes, ranging from perception to action, depend on the ability to predict the timing of forthcoming events. Yet, how the brain uses predictive models in the temporal domain is still an unsolved question. In previous work, we began to explore the neural correlates of temporal predictions by using a computational approach in which...

Rhythmic contexts are ubiquitous in our lives, influencing our behavior significantly. Music, dance, speech, and even natural events such as sea waves have an inherent temporal structure, understood as rhythms. The Dynamic Attending Theory (DAT) states that attention can be entrained to external rhythms, enhancing our behavior in terms of preparati...

Adaptive behavior requires the ability to orient attention to the moment in time at which a relevant event is likely to occur. Temporal orienting of attention has been consistently associated with activation of the left intraparietal sulcus (IPS) in prior fMRI studies. However, a direct test of its causal involvement in temporal orienting is still...

The N2pc is widely employed as an electrophysiological marker of an attention allocation. This interpretation was largely driven by the observation of an N2pc elicited by an isolated relevant target object, which was reported as Experiment 2 in Eimer (1996). All subsequent refined interpretations of the N2pc had to take this crucial finding into ac...

It is becoming increasingly accepted that timing tasks, and underlying temporal processes, can be partitioned on the basis of whether they require an explicit or implicit temporal judgement. Most neuroimaging studies of timing associated explicit timing tasks with activation of the supplementary motor area (SMA). However, transcranial magnetic stim...

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures...

Many cognitive processes, ranging from perception to action, depend on the ability to predict the timing of forthcoming events. Yet, how the brain uses predictive models in the temporal domain is still an unsolved question. In previous work, we began to explore the neural correlates of temporal predictions by using a computational approach in which...

The COVID-19 pandemic (and its aftermath) highlights a critical need to communicate health information effectively to the global public. Given that subtle differences in information framing can have meaningful effects on behavior, behavioral science research highlights a pressing question: Is it more effective to frame COVID-19 health messages in t...

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about...

Significance Communicating in ways that motivate engagement in social distancing remains a critical global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study tested motivational qualities of messages about social distancing (those that promoted choice and agency vs. those that were forceful and shaming) in 25,718 people in 89 countries...

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Psychological Science Accelerator coordinated three large-scale psychological studies to examine the effects of loss-gain framing, cognitive reappraisals, and autonomy framing manipulations on behavioral intentions and affective measures. The data collected (April to October 2020) included specific measures...

This study aimed to test two common explanations for the general finding of age-related changes in the performance of timing tasks within the millisecond-to-second range intervals. The first explanation is that older adults have a real difficulty in temporal processing as compared to younger adults. The second explanation is that older adults perfo...

Homotopic functional connectivity reflects the degree of synchrony in spontaneous activity between homologous voxels in the two hemispheres. Previous studies have associated increased brain homotopy and decreased white matter integrity with performance decrements on different cognitive tasks across the life-span. Here, we correlated functional homo...

Objective The present study investigated the impact of hearing impairment on the implementation of proactive and reactive cognitive control strategies across the ageing process. Methods 31 hearing-impaired (HI) individuals with one cochlear implant and 41 normal-hearing (NH) listeners of different ages performed the AX–CPT, a well-validated task t...

Though the assessment of cognitive functions is proven to be a reliable prognostic indicator in patients with brain tumors, some of these functions, such as cognitive control, are still rarely investigated. The objective of this study was to examine proactive and reactive control functions in patients with focal brain tumors and to identify lesione...

This study aimed to test two common explanations for the general finding of age-related changes in temporal processing. The first one is that older adults have a real difficulty in processing temporal information as compared to younger adults. The second one is that older adults perform poorly on timing tasks because of their reduced cognitive func...

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about...

The COVID-19 pandemic has increased negative emotions and decreased positive emotions globally. Left unchecked, these emotional changes might have a wide array of adverse impacts. To reduce negative emotions and increase positive emotions, we tested the effectiveness of reappraisal, an emotion-regulation strategy that modifies how one thinks about...

Finding communication strategies that effectively motivate social distancing continues to be a global public health priority during the COVID-19 pandemic. This cross-country, preregistered experiment (n = 25,718 from 89 countries) tested hypotheses concerning generalizable positive and negative outcomes of social distancing messages that promoted p...

Performance on timing tasks changes with age. Whether these changes reflect a real “clock” problem due to aging or a secondary effect of the reduced cognitive resources of older adults still remains an unsettled question. Research on processing of time in aged populations marked by severe mnemonic and/or attentional deficits, such as patients with...

Different cortical regions respond with distinct rhythmic patterns of neural oscillations to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS). We investigated natural frequencies induced by TMS in left and right homologous dorsolateral prefrontal cortices (DLPFC) and related hemispheric differences. In 12 healthy young adults, single-pulse TMS was delivered...

The brain predicts the timing of forthcoming events to optimize responses to them. Temporal predictions have been formalized in terms of the hazard function, which integrates prior beliefs on the likely timing of stimulus occurrence with information conveyed by the passage of time. However, how the human brain updates prior temporal beliefs is stil...

Background: Spino-bulbar muscular atrophy is a rare genetic X-linked disease caused by testosterone insensitivity. An inverse correlation has been described between testosterone levels and empathic responses. The present study explored the profile of neural empathic responding in spino-bulbar muscular atrophy patients. Methods: Eighteen patients wi...

Task‐switching paradigms, which involve task repetitions and between‐task switches, have long been used as a benchmark of cognitive control processes. When mixed and single‐task blocks are presented, two types of costs usually occur: the switch cost, measured by contrasting performance on switch and repeat trials during the mixed‐task blocks, and t...

The brain predicts the timing of forthcoming events to optimize responses to them. Temporal predictions have been formalized in terms of the hazard function, which integrates prior beliefs on the likely timing of stimulus occurrence with information conveyed by the passage of time. However, how the human brain updates prior temporal beliefs is stil...

Intrinsic brain dynamics may play an important role in explaining inter-individual variability in executive functions. In the present electroencephalography (EEG) study, we focused on the brain lateralization patterns predicting performance on three different monitoring tasks of temporal, verbal and spatial nature. These tasks were administered to...

The brain predicts the timing of forthcoming events to optimize processes in response to them. Temporal predictions are driven by both our prior expectations on the likely timing of stimulus occurrence and the information conveyed by the passage of time. Specifically, such predictions can be described in terms of the hazard function, that is, the c...

Several studies have reported age-related differences in time estimation, which have been attributed either to a slowing of the pacemaker rate with aging or to impaired attention and/or working resources in older adults. Here, we compared performance of young and older participants on time production/reproduction tasks and on working memory, divide...

A consistent body of literature reported that Parkinson’s disease (PD) is marked by severe deficits in temporal processing. However, the exact nature of timing problems in PD patients is still elusive. In particular, what remains unclear is whether the temporal dysfunction observed in PD patients regards explicit and/or implicit timing. Explicit ti...

A longstanding debate in psychology concerns the relation between handedness and cognitive functioning. The present study aimed to contribute to this debate by comparing performance of right- and non-right-handers on verbal and spatial Stroop tasks. Previous studies have shown that non-right-handers have better inter-hemispheric interaction and gre...

Simultaneous interpretation (SI) is a cognitively demanding process that has been associated with enhanced memory and executive functions. It is unclear, however, if the previously evidenced interpreter advantages are developed through training and/or experience with SI or rather represent inherent characteristics that allow success in the field. T...

Performance on tasks involving cognitive control such as the Stroop task is often associated with left lateralized brain activations. Based on this neuro-functional evidence, we tested whether leftward structural grey matter asymmetries would also predict inter-individual differences in combatting Stroop interference. To check for the specificity o...

Neural correlates of enhanced empathy in X-linked Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy: a neuropsychological and EEG study

Supplementary material

Although human flexible behavior relies on cognitive control, it would be implausible to assume that there is only one, general mode of cognitive control strategy adopted by all individuals. For instance, different reliance on proactive versus reactive control strategies could explain inter-individual variability. In particular, specific life exper...

Verbal and spatial Stroop RTs (ms). Average RTs (SD) for the two groups in pre- and post-training sessions on congruent and incongruent trials. (DOCX)

Task switching RTs (ms). Average RTs (SD) on single-task, repeat and switch trials for the two groups in pre- and post-training sessions, on long and short CTIs. (DOCX)

Verbal and spatial Stroop accuracy (%). Average accuracy scores (SD) for the two groups in pre- and post-training sessions on congruent and incongruent trials. (DOCX)

Task switching accuracy (%). Average accuracy scores (SD) on single-task, repeat and switch trials for the two groups in pre- and post-training sessions, on long and short CTIs. (DOCX)

While it is well-established that monitoring the environment for the occurrence of relevant events represents a key executive function, it is still unclear whether such a function is mediated by domain-general or domain-specific mechanisms. We investigated this issue by combining event-related potentials (ERPs) with a behavioral paradigm in which m...

The ability to flexibly switch between tasks is a hallmark of cognitive control. Despite previous studies that have investigated whether different task-switching types would be mediated by distinct or overlapping neural mechanisms, no definitive consensus has been reached on this question yet. Here, we aimed at directly addressing this issue by rec...

Previous event-related potential (ERP) studies have identified the specific electrophysiological markers of advance preparation in cued task-switching paradigms. However, it is not completely clear yet whether there is a single task-independent preparatory mechanism for task-switching or whether preparation for a switch can be selectively influence...

The ability to shift between different tasks according to internal or external demands, which is at the core of our behavioral flexibility, has been generally linked to the functionality of left fronto-parietal regions. Traditionally, the left and right hemispheres have also been associated with verbal and spatial processing, respectively. We there...

All behaviors unfold over time, therefore, our ability to perceive and adapt our behavior according to the temporal constraints of our environment is likely a fundamental requirement for successful behavior (Nobre et al., 2007). Temporal preparation has been defined as our ability to anticipate and prepare an optimal response to forthcoming events...

Emotions displayed by others are pivotal ingredients of the decisions we make in social contexts. However, most of the research to date has focused on the subjective emotion of the decider rather than on the emotional expressions of the partners in the interaction. The present investigation was designed to explore how happy and angry facial express...

A previous dual-task study (Capizzi, Sanabria, & Correa, 2012) showed that temporal orienting of attention was disrupted by performing a concurrent working memory task, while sequential effects were preserved. Here, we recorded event-related potentials (ERPs) during single- and dual-task performance to investigate how this behavioural dissociation...

It has been recently shown that temporal orienting demands controlled attention (Capizzi et al., 2012). However, there is current debate on whether temporal preparation guided by regular rhythms also requires the generation of endogenous temporal expectancies or rather involves a mechanism independent of executive control processes. We investigated...

The aim of the present study was to investigate the controlled versus the automatic nature of temporal preparation. If temporal preparation involves controlled rather than automatic processing, it should be reduced by the addition of a concurrent demanding task. This hypothesis was tested by comparing participants' performance in a temporal prepara...

This study investigates whether a rhythm can orient attention to specific moments enhancing people's reaction times (RT). We used a modified version of the temporal orienting paradigm in which an auditory isochronous rhythm was presented prior to an auditory single target. The rhythm could have a fast pace (450 ms Inter-Onset-Interval or IOI) or a...

We investigated the acquisition and integration of temporal and ordinal sequence information in an incidental learning model of motor skill acquisition (the serial reaction time task). Human participants were exposed to a stimulus-response sequence that had temporal structure, ordinal structure, or both. By changing the temporal or ordinal structur...