Bridging Exercise Science, Cognitive Psychology, and Medical Practice: Is “Cognitive Fatigue” a Remake of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”?
Fatigue is such a multifaceted construct it has sprouted specific research fields and experts in domains as different as exercise physiology, cognitive psychology, human factors and engineering, and medical practice. It lacks a consensus definition: it is an experimental concept, a symptom, a risk,...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2018-09-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01246/full |
| _version_ | 1818128255516934144 |
|---|---|
| author | Nathalie Pattyn Nathalie Pattyn Nathalie Pattyn Jeroen Van Cutsem Jeroen Van Cutsem Emilie Dessy Emilie Dessy Olivier Mairesse Olivier Mairesse Olivier Mairesse |
| author_facet | Nathalie Pattyn Nathalie Pattyn Nathalie Pattyn Jeroen Van Cutsem Jeroen Van Cutsem Emilie Dessy Emilie Dessy Olivier Mairesse Olivier Mairesse Olivier Mairesse |
| author_sort | Nathalie Pattyn |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Fatigue is such a multifaceted construct it has sprouted specific research fields and experts in domains as different as exercise physiology, cognitive psychology, human factors and engineering, and medical practice. It lacks a consensus definition: it is an experimental concept, a symptom, a risk, a cause (e.g., of performance decrement) and a consequence (e.g., of sleep deprivation). This fragmentation of knowledge leads to slower dissemination of novel insights, and thus to a poorer research. Indeed, what may seem as a novel result in one field, may very well be old news in another, hence leading to this “innovation” being a scientific equivalent to the emperor’s new clothes. The current paper aims to describe the common denominator in the different areas of expertise where fatigue is investigated. Indeed, rather than focusing on the differences in semantics and conceptualization, we hope that identifying common concepts may be inductive of easier multidisciplinary research. Considering the vastness of fatigue research in all areas identified as relevant-cognitive science, exercise physiology, and medical practice, this analysis has not the ambition to be an exhaustive review in all domains. We have reviewed the fatigue concepts and research in these areas and report the ones that are used to describe the proposed common model to be further investigated. The most promising common feature to cognitive science, exercise physiology and clinical practice is the notion of “perceived effort.” This allows to account for interindividual differences, as well as for the situational variations in fatigue. It is applicable to both mental and physical constructs. It integrates motivational and emotional dimensions. It overcomes current polemics in various research fields, and it does not draw on any semantic ambiguity. We thus suggest a new model of fatigue and performance, whether this performance is mental or physical; and whether it is in a clinical range or relates to optimal functioning. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-11T07:30:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a436abad4a2348b6a5bbbd5a319f235c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-11T07:30:21Z |
| publishDate | 2018-09-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-a436abad4a2348b6a5bbbd5a319f235c2022-12-22T01:15:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782018-09-01910.3389/fpsyg.2018.01246371410Bridging Exercise Science, Cognitive Psychology, and Medical Practice: Is “Cognitive Fatigue” a Remake of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”?Nathalie Pattyn0Nathalie Pattyn1Nathalie Pattyn2Jeroen Van Cutsem3Jeroen Van Cutsem4Emilie Dessy5Emilie Dessy6Olivier Mairesse7Olivier Mairesse8Olivier Mairesse9VIPER Research Unit, Royal Military Academy, Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, BelgiumHuman Physiology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, BelgiumHuman Physiology Research Group, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, BelgiumEndurance Research Group, University of Kent, Chatham, United KingdomVIPER Research Unit, Royal Military Academy, Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, BelgiumVIPER Research Unit, Royal Military Academy, Brussels, BelgiumDepartment of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, BelgiumSleep Unit, CHU Brugmann, Brussels, BelgiumFatigue is such a multifaceted construct it has sprouted specific research fields and experts in domains as different as exercise physiology, cognitive psychology, human factors and engineering, and medical practice. It lacks a consensus definition: it is an experimental concept, a symptom, a risk, a cause (e.g., of performance decrement) and a consequence (e.g., of sleep deprivation). This fragmentation of knowledge leads to slower dissemination of novel insights, and thus to a poorer research. Indeed, what may seem as a novel result in one field, may very well be old news in another, hence leading to this “innovation” being a scientific equivalent to the emperor’s new clothes. The current paper aims to describe the common denominator in the different areas of expertise where fatigue is investigated. Indeed, rather than focusing on the differences in semantics and conceptualization, we hope that identifying common concepts may be inductive of easier multidisciplinary research. Considering the vastness of fatigue research in all areas identified as relevant-cognitive science, exercise physiology, and medical practice, this analysis has not the ambition to be an exhaustive review in all domains. We have reviewed the fatigue concepts and research in these areas and report the ones that are used to describe the proposed common model to be further investigated. The most promising common feature to cognitive science, exercise physiology and clinical practice is the notion of “perceived effort.” This allows to account for interindividual differences, as well as for the situational variations in fatigue. It is applicable to both mental and physical constructs. It integrates motivational and emotional dimensions. It overcomes current polemics in various research fields, and it does not draw on any semantic ambiguity. We thus suggest a new model of fatigue and performance, whether this performance is mental or physical; and whether it is in a clinical range or relates to optimal functioning.https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01246/fullcognitive fatigueexercise tolerancefatiguesleep disorderschronic fatigueeffortful control |
| spellingShingle | Nathalie Pattyn Nathalie Pattyn Nathalie Pattyn Jeroen Van Cutsem Jeroen Van Cutsem Emilie Dessy Emilie Dessy Olivier Mairesse Olivier Mairesse Olivier Mairesse Bridging Exercise Science, Cognitive Psychology, and Medical Practice: Is “Cognitive Fatigue” a Remake of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”? Frontiers in Psychology cognitive fatigue exercise tolerance fatigue sleep disorders chronic fatigue effortful control |
| title | Bridging Exercise Science, Cognitive Psychology, and Medical Practice: Is “Cognitive Fatigue” a Remake of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”? |
| title_full | Bridging Exercise Science, Cognitive Psychology, and Medical Practice: Is “Cognitive Fatigue” a Remake of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”? |
| title_fullStr | Bridging Exercise Science, Cognitive Psychology, and Medical Practice: Is “Cognitive Fatigue” a Remake of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Bridging Exercise Science, Cognitive Psychology, and Medical Practice: Is “Cognitive Fatigue” a Remake of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”? |
| title_short | Bridging Exercise Science, Cognitive Psychology, and Medical Practice: Is “Cognitive Fatigue” a Remake of “The Emperor’s New Clothes”? |
| title_sort | bridging exercise science cognitive psychology and medical practice is cognitive fatigue a remake of the emperor s new clothes |
| topic | cognitive fatigue exercise tolerance fatigue sleep disorders chronic fatigue effortful control |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01246/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT nathaliepattyn bridgingexercisesciencecognitivepsychologyandmedicalpracticeiscognitivefatiguearemakeoftheemperorsnewclothes AT nathaliepattyn bridgingexercisesciencecognitivepsychologyandmedicalpracticeiscognitivefatiguearemakeoftheemperorsnewclothes AT nathaliepattyn bridgingexercisesciencecognitivepsychologyandmedicalpracticeiscognitivefatiguearemakeoftheemperorsnewclothes AT jeroenvancutsem bridgingexercisesciencecognitivepsychologyandmedicalpracticeiscognitivefatiguearemakeoftheemperorsnewclothes AT jeroenvancutsem bridgingexercisesciencecognitivepsychologyandmedicalpracticeiscognitivefatiguearemakeoftheemperorsnewclothes AT emiliedessy bridgingexercisesciencecognitivepsychologyandmedicalpracticeiscognitivefatiguearemakeoftheemperorsnewclothes AT emiliedessy bridgingexercisesciencecognitivepsychologyandmedicalpracticeiscognitivefatiguearemakeoftheemperorsnewclothes AT oliviermairesse bridgingexercisesciencecognitivepsychologyandmedicalpracticeiscognitivefatiguearemakeoftheemperorsnewclothes AT oliviermairesse bridgingexercisesciencecognitivepsychologyandmedicalpracticeiscognitivefatiguearemakeoftheemperorsnewclothes AT oliviermairesse bridgingexercisesciencecognitivepsychologyandmedicalpracticeiscognitivefatiguearemakeoftheemperorsnewclothes |