7 ms·

The Physical Sacrifice of Thinking (2015)

88 points by laurex 8y ago

Evan_Hellmuth 8y ago
I wonder how they measured "need for cognition" in individuals.
- ASpring 8y ago
  In the Materials section: "To assess participants’ level of NFC, we used the NFC scale (Cacioppo et al., 1984)." It's a pretty well-accepted standard scale.
  - alexandercrohde 8y ago
    http://www.midss.org/sites/default/files/ncogscale.pdf http://www.midss.org/sites/default/files/ncogscale.pdf
tejtm 8y ago
walled
- dredmorbius 8y ago
  http://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314565827 http://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314565827
vichu 8y ago
The full paper can be found here: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxkcnRvZGRtY2Vscm95fGd4OjFlYjU2ZDQyNjgwMzY3MDg https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsd... Also probably worth mentioning that this paper is from 2015.
hirundo 8y ago
> The overall findings showed that low-need-for-cognition individuals were more physically active "Need for cognition" may translate into the vernacular as "easily bored." So easily bored people find exercise more tedious and do less of it. It has that effect on me. And consistent with their conclusion, cogitating via wildlife tracking, orienteering, audiobooks, podcasts or conversation makes exercise more tolerable for me. Being chased by a bear would also result in decreased boredom, increased cognition and a sudden interest in vigorous exercise, but it would probably not be as long lasting. Being chased by an imaginary bear is likely more sustainable.
- microcolonel 8y ago
  > Being chased by an imaginary bear is likely more sustainable... This is the mindset I'm trying to cultivate, for the good of the startup, and in fintech "bear" is precisely the correct animal to fear.
- ghkbrew 8y ago
  Have you tried being chased by virtual zombies?[1] [1] https://zombiesrungame.com/ https://zombiesrungame.com/
- thechao 8y ago
  Weight lifting, specifically complex lifts with heavy weight fully engages me: if I don’t do the exercise correctly, either; (1) the bar doesn’t move; or, (2) I will hurt myself. I have focused, exclusively, on lifts of type #1. Things like squat, deadlift, bench press, etc., with moderate-heavy weight do the trick.
  - goldenchrome 8y ago
    +1. The OP said "being chased by an imaginary bear is likely more sustainable", and this is the kind of that that lifting heavy weights can simulate. Many top level powerlifters have said that when they're attempting a personal record lift, they pretend that they're lifting a heavy car off their wife or children. Nothing scarier than a heavy squat.
Errorcod3 8y ago
Where physical activity effects cognitive abilities, explain those who have no physical means? Obvious example: Hawking
fourier_mode 8y ago
So, Alan Turing was an outlier?

88 points by laurex 8y ago

Evan_Hellmuth 8y ago

I wonder how they measured "need for cognition" in individuals.

ASpring 8y ago
In the Materials section: "To assess participants’ level of NFC, we used the NFC scale (Cacioppo et al., 1984)." It's a pretty well-accepted standard scale.
- alexandercrohde 8y ago
  http://www.midss.org/sites/default/files/ncogscale.pdf http://www.midss.org/sites/default/files/ncogscale.pdf

tejtm 8y ago

walled

dredmorbius 8y ago
http://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314565827 http://sci-hub.tw/https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105314565827

vichu 8y ago

The full paper can be found here: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxkcnRvZGRtY2Vscm95fGd4OjFlYjU2ZDQyNjgwMzY3MDg https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsd... Also probably worth mentioning that this paper is from 2015.

hirundo 8y ago

> The overall findings showed that low-need-for-cognition individuals were more physically active "Need for cognition" may translate into the vernacular as "easily bored." So easily bored people find exercise more tedious and do less of it. It has that effect on me. And consistent with their conclusion, cogitating via wildlife tracking, orienteering, audiobooks, podcasts or conversation makes exercise more tolerable for me. Being chased by a bear would also result in decreased boredom, increased cognition and a sudden interest in vigorous exercise, but it would probably not be as long lasting. Being chased by an imaginary bear is likely more sustainable.

microcolonel 8y ago
> Being chased by an imaginary bear is likely more sustainable... This is the mindset I'm trying to cultivate, for the good of the startup, and in fintech "bear" is precisely the correct animal to fear.
ghkbrew 8y ago
Have you tried being chased by virtual zombies?[1] [1] https://zombiesrungame.com/ https://zombiesrungame.com/
thechao 8y ago
Weight lifting, specifically complex lifts with heavy weight fully engages me: if I don’t do the exercise correctly, either; (1) the bar doesn’t move; or, (2) I will hurt myself. I have focused, exclusively, on lifts of type #1. Things like squat, deadlift, bench press, etc., with moderate-heavy weight do the trick.
- goldenchrome 8y ago
  +1. The OP said "being chased by an imaginary bear is likely more sustainable", and this is the kind of that that lifting heavy weights can simulate. Many top level powerlifters have said that when they're attempting a personal record lift, they pretend that they're lifting a heavy car off their wife or children. Nothing scarier than a heavy squat.

Errorcod3 8y ago

Where physical activity effects cognitive abilities, explain those who have no physical means? Obvious example: Hawking

fourier_mode 8y ago

So, Alan Turing was an outlier?