Analytic and Holistic Thinkers: Differences in the Dynamics of Heart Rate Complexity When Solving a Cognitive Task in Field-Dependent and Field-Independent Conditions

Figures

• 

  FIGURE 1. Experimental design and procedure. Prior to the experiment, participants (N = 52) filled an Analysis-Holism Scale (AHS) questionnaire and were divided into two groups: those with scores higher than median for the sample comprised the holistic group and the rest comprised the analytic group. ECG was recorded at rest (5 min, while sitting down with closed eyes without moving), during a simple motor task (2 min), and in the process of solving four blocks of cognitive tasks (5 min per each block). Cognitive tasks included presentation of two square frames (fields) containing lines (objects), sizes of which varied; participants were asked to compare objects either in relation to their fields (H-tasks) or irrespective of the fields (A-tasks). Response times, success rates and the dynamics of HRV indexes (av-RR, SDNN and SampEn) were compared between the two groups of participants.

• 

  FIGURE 2. Task performance in analytic and holistic groups. Distribution shapes, median values (dashed lines) and quartiles (dotted lines) are shown for response time (ms) (A) and success rate (B) in analytic and holistic tasks. Analytic participants solved the cognitive tasks slower than holistic participants. No difference in success rate was observed. T-tests for independent samples, *p < 0.05; # - paired samples t-tests, #p < 0.05.

• 

  FIGURE 3. HRV dynamics in analytic and holistic groups. Distribution shapes, median values (dashed lines) and quartiles (dotted lines) are shown for av-RR, SDNN and SampEn estimates. No significant difference between the groups was found in av-RR or SDNN values for baseline, motor task or either type of the cognitive tasks. Higher values of SampEn were observed in the analytic group, as compared with the holistic group, in both analytic and holistic types of tasks. No difference in SampEn was observed between analytic and holistic groups in the baseline or during the motor task. SampEn was increasing from the rest (baseline) condition to the experimental tasks in both groups. SDNN was decreasing from the rest (baseline) condition to the experimental tasks in the analytic group of participants, and their SampEn was higher during solving holistic tasks, as compared to analytic tasks. Mann-Whitney U test, *p < 0.05; Wilcoxon test, #p < 0.05; Friedman test, &p < 0.05 (color of & reflects the group of analysis).