Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

High-Level and Low-Level Awareness01:19

High-Level and Low-Level Awareness

863
Controlled processes in human consciousness represent high-alert mental states where individuals deliberately focus their attention on achieving specific goals. Controlled processes can be seen in situations like mastering new technology, where a person might become so absorbed that they ignore surrounding distractions. Such processes involve selective attention, requiring one to concentrate on particular elements of experience while disregarding others. These are governed by executive...
863
Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior01:28

Automatic Processing and Automatic Social Behavior

292
Automatic processing refers to the cognitive operations that occur without conscious intent or awareness, playing a fundamental role in shaping social cognition and behavior. These processes enable individuals to navigate complex social environments efficiently by relying on mental shortcuts and pre-existing knowledge structures known as schemas. One of the most influential mechanisms underlying automatic processing is priming, which subtly activates mental representations through exposure to...
292
Decision Making01:20

Decision Making

1.2K
Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
1.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Electrospun CHIR99021-loaded cellulose acetate scaffolds stimulate osteogenic differentiation and mineralization in vitro.

Journal of materials science. Materials in medicine·2026
Same author

Multifunctional Zwitterionic-WS<sub>2</sub> Membranes for Enhanced Dye Removal and Biofouling Resistance in Forward Osmosis.

ACS omega·2026
Same author

Assessing a Multilayered Hydrophilic-Electrocatalytic Forward Osmosis Membrane for Ammonia Electro-Oxidation.

Membranes·2025
Same author

Clinical translation of expert-endorsed cognitive rehabilitation interventions for substance use disorders.

World psychiatry : official journal of the World Psychiatric Association (WPA)·2024
Same author

Selection, characterization, and biosensing applications of DNA aptamers targeting cyanotoxin BMAA.

RSC advances·2024
Same author

Bioactive Scaffolds as a Promising Alternative for Enhancing Critical-Size Bone Defect Regeneration in the Craniomaxillofacial Region.

ACS applied bio materials·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Assessing Pupil-linked Changes in Locus Coeruleus-mediated Arousal Elicited by Trigeminal Stimulation
07:26

Assessing Pupil-linked Changes in Locus Coeruleus-mediated Arousal Elicited by Trigeminal Stimulation

Published on: November 26, 2019

8.7K

Cognitive effort and pupil dilation in controlled and automatic processes.

Emanuel Querino1, Lafaiete Dos Santos2, Giuliano Ginani3

  • 1Laboratório de Investigações em Neurociência e Clínica da UFMG, Santa Efigênia, 30130-100, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Centro de Imagem e Medicina Molecular da UFMG, Santa Efigênia, 30130-100, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Translational Neuroscience
|January 27, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Pupil dilation can indicate cognitive effort during the Five Digits Test (FDT), a measure of executive functions. Increased pupil size in the FDT suggests higher cognitive demand compared to a control task, distinguishing automatic from controlled processing.

Keywords:
Cognitive effortExecutive functionsFive digits testNeuropsychologyPsychological evaluationPupillary diameter

More Related Videos

Pupillometry to Assess Auditory Sensation in Guinea Pigs
09:25

Pupillometry to Assess Auditory Sensation in Guinea Pigs

Published on: January 6, 2023

2.4K
Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing
07:48

Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing

Published on: April 4, 2025

1.4K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Mar 8, 2026

Assessing Pupil-linked Changes in Locus Coeruleus-mediated Arousal Elicited by Trigeminal Stimulation
07:26

Assessing Pupil-linked Changes in Locus Coeruleus-mediated Arousal Elicited by Trigeminal Stimulation

Published on: November 26, 2019

8.7K
Pupillometry to Assess Auditory Sensation in Guinea Pigs
09:25

Pupillometry to Assess Auditory Sensation in Guinea Pigs

Published on: January 6, 2023

2.4K
Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing
07:48

Eye Tracking During A Complex Aviation Task For Insights Into Information Processing

Published on: April 4, 2025

1.4K

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Neuroscience
  • Human Factors

Background:

  • Executive functions are crucial for cognitive control.
  • The Five Digits Test (FDT) assesses executive functions through automatic and controlled processes.
  • Pupillary diameter is a known indicator of cognitive effort and task demand.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if pupillary diameter can differentiate cognitive effort between automatic and controlled processing during the FDT.
  • To assess changes in cognitive effort as the FDT progresses.
  • To compare cognitive effort during the FDT with a control reading task.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Five Digits Test (FDT), a Stroop paradigm, to evaluate executive functions.
  • Measured pupillary diameter changes in response to cognitive demand.
  • Employed a simple reading paradigm as a control task.
  • Divided each FDT part into two blocks to analyze task progression.

Main Results:

  • The FDT consistently demanded higher cognitive effort than the control task across all parts.
  • Pupil dilation was greater in the first half of each FDT part compared to the second.
  • Statistically significant differences in pupil dilation were observed between FDT parts 2 and 4, and parts 3 and 4 during the initial task phase.

Conclusions:

  • Pupillary diameter serves as a reliable physiological marker to distinguish between automatic and controlled cognitive processes.
  • Cognitive effort increases progressively throughout the Five Digits Test.
  • The findings support the use of pupillometry in understanding cognitive load and executive function.