Evidence map›Paper›PMID 32770065›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2020

Programming experience associated with neural efficiency during figural reasoning.

Birgit Helmlinger, Markus Sommer, Martina Feldhammer-Kahr, Guilherme Wood, Martin E Arendasy, Silvia E Kober

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 20% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 19 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Birgit HelmlingerInstitute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
Markus SommerInstitute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
Martina Feldhammer-KahrInstitute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
Guilherme WoodInstitute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
Martin E ArendasyInstitute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria.
Silvia E KoberInstitute of Psychology, University of Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010, Graz, Austria. silvia.kober@uni-graz.at.
University of Graz · ATBioTechMed-Graz · AT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated neural processes underlying programming experience. Individuals with high programming experience might develop a form of computational thinking, which they can apply on complex problem-solving tasks such as reasoning tests. Therefore, N = 20 healthy young participants with previous programming experience and N = 21 participants without any programming experience performed three reasoning tests: Figural Inductive Reasoning (FIR), Numerical Inductive Reasoning (NIR), Verbal Deductive Reasoning (VDR). Using multi-channel EEG measurements, task-related changes in alpha and theta power as well as brain connectivity were investigated. Group differences were only observed in the FIR task. Programmers showed an improved performance in the FIR task as compared to non-programmers. Additionally, programmers exhibited a more efficient neural processing when solving FIR tasks, as indicated by lower brain activation and brain connectivity especially in easy tasks. Hence, behavioral and neural measures differed between groups only in tasks that are similar to mental processes required during programming, such as pattern recognition and algorithmic thinking by applying complex rules (FIR), rather than in tasks that require more the application of mathematical operations (NIR) or verbal tasks (VDR). Our results provide new evidence for neural efficiency in individuals with higher programming experience in problem-solving tasks.

Indexed as

AdultBrainCognitionFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleNeuropsychological TestsProblem SolvingSoftwareThinkingYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID32770065
PMCPMC7415147
OpenAlexW3047747406

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.