Cognitive Science

The latest breakthroughs, innovations, and cool happenings at the cutting edge of the world of cognitive science. Updated daily.

Age‐Related Diversification and Specialization in the Mental Lexicon: Comparing Aggregate and Individual‐Level Network Approaches

Abstract The mental lexicon changes across the lifespan. Prior work, aggregating data among individuals of similar ages, found that the aging lexicon, represented as a network of free associations, becomes more sparse with age: degree and clustering coefficient decrease and average shortest path length increases. However, because this work is based on aggregated data, it […]

Published on November 5, 2024

Leveraging cognitive neuroscience for making and breaking real-world habits

Habits are the behavioral output of two brain systems. A stimulus–response (S–R) system that encourages us to efficiently repeat well-practiced actions in familiar settings, and a goal-directed system concerned with flexibility, prospection, and planning. Getting the balance between these systems right is crucial: an imbalance may leave people vulnerable to action slips, impulsive behaviors, and […]

Published on November 5, 2024

Understanding cognitive processes across spatial scales of the brain

Cognition arises from neural operations at multiple spatial scales, from individual neurons to large-scale networks. Despite extensive research on coding principles and emergent cognitive processes across brain areas, investigation across scales has been limited. Here, we propose ways to test the idea that different cognitive processes emerge from distinct information coding principles at various scales, […]

Published on November 5, 2024