Tag

Cognitive Science

All articles tagged with #cognitive science

technology5 days ago•45 min saved

Rethinking AI Intelligence: From Benchmarks to Real Understanding

Quanta’s interview with Melanie Mitchell argues AI cognition isn’t human-like thinking but alien intelligence that requires new testing methods borrowed from developmental and comparative psychology; she outlines six principles to assess machine cognition, warns against overreliance on benchmarks and anthropomorphism, discusses transfer and 'task tyranny', uses Clever Hans as a cautionary tale, and champions mechanistic interpretability to reveal how AIs work and where they fail, shaping safe deployment and the future of science.

via Quanta Magazine|

#artificial-intelligence #benchmarks #cognitive-science

science8 days ago•9 min saved

Precrastination: why finishing a task early can ease the mind at a physical cost

Researchers describe precrastination: people often rush to complete a subtask to reduce the mental load of keeping it in mind, even if it costs extra physical effort. The classic bucket study showed participants grab the nearer bucket and carry more distance to free working memory sooner, a trade-off that fits the cognitive-load-reduction idea and has been seen in follow-up work across humans and even pigeons (though results vary). It’s a common, non-flawed trade-off: finishing early can save mental bandwidth, but waiting can be optimal in some situations.

via Silicon Canals|

#behavioral-science #cognitive-science #memory

cognitive-science10 days ago•26 min saved

Brain uses a universal evidence-accumulation system for decisions, including new abstract rules

New research shows the centro-parietal positivity (CPP) EEG signal tracks evidence accumulation not only for sensory input but also for arbitrary, newly learned categories. In a drift-diffusion framework with 38 participants, moving lines farther from a hidden boundary led to faster drift rates and steeper CPP buildup, indicating a single, adaptable brain mechanism that handles both real and abstract decisions; motor cortex activity remained constant with task difficulty, and the study notes limitations and the need to test more complex, real-world categories.

via PsyPost|

#abstract-rules-learning #centro-parietal-positivity #cognitive-science

cognitive-science15 days ago•25 min saved

Twenty minutes of moderate exercise preserves automatic motor learning, study finds

A within-subject study of 26 healthy young adults found that a 20-minute session of moderate stationary cycling (keeping heart rate at 65–75% of max) prevented the typical rest-related decline in implicit sensorimotor adaptation and sped up overall response time. After cycling, participants’ implicit adaptation (post-rotation bias) remained near baseline (about 2.40–2.45°) compared with a drop after rest (2.20° from 2.93°), and total response time fell ~4% (555 ms to 532 ms), suggesting aerobic exercise primes the nervous system for automatic motor learning and rehabilitation.

via PsyPost|

#cognitive-science #exercise #motor-learning

cognitive-science28 days ago•27 min saved

Sighs act as a reset button for breathing and arousal during monotonous tasks

A Psychophysiology study reported by PsyPost shows spontaneous sighs help reset breathing variability and are linked to pupil-dilation changes that reflect arousal, suggesting sighing supports physiological balance and alertness during long, dull tasks. In two experiments, sighs reduced later breathing variability after deep breaths, and increased pupil dilation aligned with arousal cycles; however, there was no immediate improvement in reaction times or self-reported focus. When participants breathed slowly on purpose, sighing declined, implying deliberate breathing can override the natural urge to sigh. Limitations include potential yawning confounding sigh detection and the tasks being relatively easy; more research is needed to see if sighing can tangibly boost performance in demanding environments.

via PsyPost|

#breathing-variability #cognitive-science #pupil-dynamics

cognitive-science1 month ago•29 min saved

Narrow cognitive strengths can rival IQ in predicting socioeconomic success

A large study using two US national samples and the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery finds that specific cognitive abilities (tech, speed, math-verbal) predict income, education, and job prestige about 30–57% as strongly as general intelligence, with effects persisting among siblings and varying by age and sex. The results suggest educational guidance should consider individual cognitive profiles beyond IQ, though the study cannot establish causation.

via PsyPost|

#cognitive-science #education #general-intelligence

cognitive-science1 month ago•29 min saved

Brain health can grow at any age with online training, new study finds

A three-year online BrainHealth Project study of 3,966 adults aged 19–94 found that adults of all ages can measurably improve brain health using accessible online training and coaching. The BrainHealth Index showed gains across cognitive clarity, social connectedness, and emotional balance, with higher engagement yielding larger improvements. Importantly, those starting with lower brain health scores improved the most, and there was no observed ceiling to growth, challenging the idea that cognitive vitality is limited to seniors. Limitations include lack of a control group and a highly educated sample; researchers plan to add objective health metrics and a more diverse population in future work.

via PsyPost|

#aging #brain-health #brainhealth-index

cognitive-science1 month ago•26 min saved

Different cognitive skills have distinct genetic links to psychiatric disorders

A massive genome-wide analysis finds that intelligence is not a single trait: reaction time, fluid reasoning, and crystallized knowledge each have distinct genetic links to psychiatric conditions, with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder tied to slower processing and lower fluid reasoning but higher crystallized knowledge and noncognitive educational skills; ADHD shows faster reaction time but lower fluid/crystallized/noncognitive skills; autism links to higher crystallized knowledge; Alzheimer's risk is linked to lower fluid reasoning. The study identifies 78 loci for crystallized knowledge, maps gene activity across development, notes overlaps with personality traits, and discusses possible evolutionary trade-offs, while highlighting limitations due to data mainly from individuals of European ancestry and urging researchers to treat cognitive domains as separate traits rather than a single score.

via PsyPost|

#cognitive-science #crystallized-knowledge #fluid-reasoning

cognitive-science1 month ago•25 min saved

Mind’s prime appears in late midlife, study suggests

A new analysis combining nine cognitive and personality domains finds that overall psychological functioning peaks in late midlife (around ages 55–60 in the comprehensive model, with a similar peak near 60 in the conventional model). While raw processing speed and certain cognitive functions decline with age, crystallized knowledge, conscientiousness, emotional stability, emotional intelligence, moral reasoning, and financial literacy can continue to improve, enabling older adults to maintain high functional capacity even as some abilities wane. The study cautions that cross‑sectional Western data limit universal conclusions and notes implications for leadership and policy roles, where midlife readiness may trump youth or old age, though more longitudinal and non‑Western research is needed.

via PsyPost|

#aging #cognitive-science #decision-making

science1 month ago•8 min saved

A Global Two-Dimensional Blueprint for Mind Development

Adults across six countries revealed a universal two-dimensional framework for how mental abilities develop: a Perceptual–Experiential dimension (early, innate traits like fear and hunger) and a Reflective–Evaluative dimension (later, learned traits like reasoning and self-control). This nature–nurture map—stable across cultures—shapes parenting, education, and policy, and the perceived structure can shift depending on whether observers compare humans to robots or focus on developmental context.

via Neuroscience News|

#cognitive-science #cross-cultural #development

cognitive-science2 months ago•28 min saved

Specific cognitive skills show strong, independent genetic influence beyond general intelligence

A large meta-analysis of 747,567 twin comparisons across 11 cognitive domains finds the average heritability of specific cognitive abilities is about 56%, slightly higher than general intelligence, with some domains above 60% (e.g., quantitative knowledge, reading/writing, processing speed) and others around 40% (e.g., fluid reasoning, short-term memory). After accounting for general intelligence, these specific abilities remain highly heritable, averaging about 53%, indicating distinct genetic influences beyond IQ. Development shows general intelligence heritability rises with age, while specific abilities follow a flatter trajectory; the study notes data gaps and measurement noise but envisions DNA-based profiling to tailor education and interventions.

via PsyPost|

#cognition #cognitive-science #education

cognitive-science2 months ago•28 min saved

Paper Reading Eases Brain Load Even in Manga, Neuroimaging Shows

A PLOS ONE study with 25 native Japanese speakers found reading manga on paper led to lower cognitive effort and different brain activation than reading on a tablet: paper readers showed reduced activity in left-hemisphere language areas during integration of the story’s second half, while tablet readers exhibited higher activity in those regions and in right frontal areas. Behaviorally, both groups answered complex questions with similar accuracy, but tablet readers were slower, suggesting that physical paper provides stable sensory anchors that ease narrative processing and memory. Limitations include focusing on manga and device differences like backlighting and page-turn dynamics; researchers plan to explore broader media formats and the effects of writing with pen vs. keyboard.

via PsyPost|

#brain-activation #cognition #cognitive-science

science2 months ago•16 min saved

Global Flynn Effect Reversal: IQ Declines Across Developed Nations

Cross-country data from Norway, Denmark, Finland, France, Britain, Australia and others show average IQ scores have declined since the mid-1990s by about five to seven points per generation, reversing the Flynn Effect. The reversal appears environmental rather than genetic, with potential contributors including schooling changes, screen time, nutrition, and social factors; U.S. results show declines in verbal and matrix reasoning but a rise in three-dimensional spatial rotation, suggesting a redistribution of cognitive skills rather than a simple drop in intelligence. The exact causes remain debated.

via Space Daily|

#cognitive-science #cross-country-study #environmental-factors

neuroscience2 months ago•9 min saved

Decision-Making Emerges from Sensorimotor Loops, Not a Central Brain Center

A new study argues there is no discrete neural 'decision center' in the brain; instead, intentional-looking behavior arises from the simultaneous interaction of sensory, sensorimotor, and motor processes, challenging the linear 'sandwich' model and the Cartesian Theater. The paper uses analogies to nonphysical decisions and a simple wall-following robot to illustrate how decisions can appear purposeful without a central controller, and calls for embodied, ecological approaches to studying decision-making.

via Neuroscience News|

#cognitive-science #decision-making #embodied-cognition

cognitive-science2 months ago•29 min saved

Literacy Rewires How the Brain Processes Speech

New evidence shows learning to read reshapes how the brain processes spoken language: literate adults recruit the right inferior frontal gyrus to perform phonological analysis in unfamiliar speech, a pattern not seen in functionally illiterate peers, indicating literacy training alters auditory processing and relies on neural reorganization.

via PsyPost|

#brain-plasticity #cognitive-science #literacy