Current reporting, research and professional developments across Cognitive Psychology, curated for psychologists and behavioral-health professionals.
A team analyzed a range of YouTube videos that focused on learning music by ear and identified four simple ways music learning technology can better aid prospective musicians -- helping people improve recall while…
The smallest grooves on the brain's surface, unique to humans, have largely been ignored by anatomists, but recent studies show that they're related to cognitive performance, including face recognition and reasoning…
Listen to the first notes of an old, beloved song. Can you name that tune? If you can, congratulations -- it's a triumph of your associative memory, in which one piece of information (the first few notes) triggers the…
A new game-based experiment sheds light on the tradeoffs people are willing to make about data privacy.
A new study outlines how artificial intelligence-powered handwriting analysis may serve as an early detection tool for dyslexia and dysgraphia among young children.
What makes people think an AI system is creative? New research shows that it depends on how much they see of the creative act. The findings have implications for how we research and design creative AI systems, and they…
Our brain is a complex organ. Billions of nerve cells are wired in an intricate network, constantly processing signals, enabling us to recall memories or to move our bodies. Making sense of this complicated network…
Brain researchers have identified a bridge between the thalamus and the cortex as the key area that is modified during motor learning functions. They found that such learning does much more than adjust activity levels…
Your brain and body literally “sync” with music, according to new research. Instead of just understanding rhythm, our neural circuits physically resonate with it—shaping how we feel and move to music. This could lead to…
The fact that left-handedness resp. mixed-handedness are strikingly common in patients with certain neurological disorders such as autism spectrum disorders is a frequently reported observation in medical practice. The…
There are people who thrive on being watched, praised, or having others keep tabs on their every move. And now, psychology has ...
Social singing and dance are often assumed to be hard-wired into the human condition; studies have supported the conclusion that these are common across cultures. But new research from an anthropologist challenges the…
What if your consciousness could actually shape reality? Scientists are diving into theories that suggest our awareness might be ...
A new study by developmental scientists offers the first evidence that infants as young as 15 months can identify an object they have learned about from listening to language -- even if the object remains hidden.
New multidisciplinary research shows that the brain forms memories of cold experiences and uses them to control our metabolism. The study shows that cold memories form in the brain -- and map out how they subsequently…
A new study offers insight into what is happening in our brains when our working memory must use its limited resources to remember multiple things. Researchers found that two parts of the brain work together to ensure…
Complex protein interactions at synapses are essential for memory formation in our brains, but the mechanisms behind these processes remain poorly understood. Now, researchers have developed a computational model…
A new imaging study showed that listening to favorite music affects the function of the brain's opioid system.
The simple act of looking at a piece of visual art can boost your wellbeing, a new research study has found, and this benefit can be gained in a hospital setting as well as an art gallery.
Ambisonic rendering is a way to simulate the precise locations of sounds in 3D, and an ambisonics algorithm has allowed researchers to create rich virtual 'soundscapes.'Researchers decided to test the limits of ambisonic…
From a tiny sample of tissue no larger than a grain of sand, scientists have come within reach of a goal once thought unattainable: building a complete functional wiring diagram of a portion of the brain.
Have you ever gone to a store or a restaurant where the music was so annoying that you walked right out? Now imagine what it must be like for the employees. In a new study, researchers found that when background music at…
Scientists find the protein IL-17 that fights infection also acts on the brain, inducing anxiety or sociability. This adds to evidence that immune molecules can influence behavior during illness.
A research group has discovered that using a device that stimulates the inner ear with a specific wavelength of sound reduces motion sickness. Even a single minute of stimulation with a unique sound, called 'sound spice…
Regulatory focus theory distinguishes two principal motivational orientations that guide how individuals pursue goals and make ...
Cognitive reflection refers to an individual’s propensity to override intuitive, rapid judgments in favour of effortful ...
Does our ability to enjoy music have a biological basis? A genetic twin study shows that music enjoyment is partly heritable. Scientists uncovered genetic factors that influence the degree of music enjoyment, which were…
Most haptic devices only deliver feedback as simple vibrations. New device applies dynamic forces in any direction to simulate a more realistic sense of touch. Small, lightweight device can enhance virtual reality, help…
In a recent series of posts, I've explored a rather provocative landscape—moving from traditional thinking about cognition to a ...
A research team has uncovered a fundamental principle of how the brain prioritizes vision and hearing differently depending on whether we are still or in motion. The study provides new insights into how movement alters…
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