cognitivescience
Have you ever felt stuck while solving a problem? That frustrating feeling of hitting a mental wall is called an impasse. But what if these moments of feeling stuck are more than just obstacles? In recent work published in Cognition, researchers Wendy Ross and Selene Arfini find that these impasses play a crucial role in problem-solving, especially when they lead to sudden moments of insight—those “aha!” breakthroughs. They argue that understanding when and how people feel stuck can shed light on cognitive processes that are essential not only for solving puzzles but for learning and innovatio...
PsyPost
Changes in personality following a heart transplant have been noted pretty much ever since transplants began. In one case, a person who hated classical music developed a passion for the genre after receiving a musician’s heart. The recipient later died holding a violin case. In another case, a 45-year-old man remarked how, since receiving the heart of a 17-year-old boy, he loves to put on headphones and listen to loud music – something he had never done before the transplant. A recent study suggests that heart transplant recipients may not be unique in experiencing personality changes. These c...
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Recent research has found that playing video games regularly is linked to better navigation skills, while relying on GPS systems does not appear to impact one’s ability to find their way. The new study provides insight into how modern technology influences our cognitive functions, specifically in terms of wayfinding ability. The study was published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology. Navigation is a critical cognitive function that involves complex processes such as planning routes, reading maps, identifying landmarks, and maintaining a sense of direction. The ability to navigate effec...
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Voluntary action—our ability to decide what to do and when to do it— is a complex challenge in cognitive science. New research published in Cognition explored this concept. Volition involves more than just reacting to external cues or following ingrained habits; it encompasses our ability to initiate and control actions on our own terms. Traditional studies on this topic often struggle with experimental designs that don’t fully capture the spontaneity and complexity of real-world decision-making. To address these limitations, researchers Keiji Ota and colleagues developed a novel approach usin...
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A recent study published in Nature Human Behaviour has found that certain visual properties of scenes — like their size, clutter, and memorability — can distort our perception of time. Specifically, larger and more memorable scenes appear to stretch time, while cluttered scenes seem to compress it. The primary motivation behind this research was to explore a less-studied aspect of sensory perception: time. While time is integral to all sensory processes, its perception—how we gauge the passage of time and how it influences the processing of other sensory information—has remained somewhat enigm...
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New research published in Cognition reveals that repeated exposure not only makes people more likely to believe information is true but also falsely remember knowing it beforehand. The “truth effect’ demonstrates how repeated exposure to a statement can significantly influence our belief in its truthfulness, regardless of its actual accuracy. The ease with which our brain processes these repeated statements—a concept known as processing fluency—is often mistakenly interpreted as a signal of truth. This effect takes on greater significance with the proliferation of fake news through social medi...
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Scientists have discovered that individuals who are particularly good at learning patterns and sequences tend to struggle with tasks requiring active thinking and decision-making. Their new research, published in npj Science of Learning, found a negative correlation between statistical learning and executive functions, suggesting that as one strengthens, the other may diminish slightly. This finding provides valuable insights into the competitive interactions that underpin our cognitive skills. The motivation behind the study originated from a desire to deepen our understanding of how differen...
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New research published in Nature has revealed a strong link between diet and brain health. The study found that older individuals who maintain a balanced diet exhibit enhanced mental health, superior cognitive functions, and increased grey matter volume in the brain, which is often associated with intelligence. Researchers have long observed the profound impacts of dietary choices not only on physical health but also on mental well-being and cognitive function. However, a detailed understanding of how specific dietary elements influence brain structure and function had remained underexplored. ...
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Recent research has shed light on how different levels of illuminance—the measure of the amount of light—can enhance alertness and cognitive performance in humans. The study found that higher light levels affect specific areas of the brain region known as the hypothalamus, enhancing certain cognitive functions during tasks that involve executive and emotional processing. The findings were published in the journal eLife. The primary motivation behind the study was to understand how varying intensities of light impact the human brain, particularly the hypothalamus, which plays a crucial role in ...
PsyPost
Puzzle fans are hooked on Connections, the latest word game from the New York Times that launched in June 2023, following the success of Wordle. The premise of the Connections game is deceivingly simple: from a grid of 16 words, find four groups of four that each have something in common. So why does this game spark so much delight and frustration among players? To solve Connections puzzles, players need to draw on different aspects of word knowledge like a word’s meaning, grammar (e.g. a noun or verb), and how the word is spelled or pronounced. This information is stored in what cognitive sci...
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