{"title":"A framework for studying the conceptual structure of human relationships.","authors":"Ava Q Ma de Sousa, Hongbo Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2025.03.003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2025.03.003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>How does the mind represent the structure of human relationships? In a recent article, Cheng et al. address this with an interdisciplinary approach combining principal component analysis (PCA), large-scale data collection of human ratings from diverse cultures, and Large Language Model (LLM)-based analyses of historical texts. They reveal a robust 5D framework and three core categories of relationships.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143796899","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Finding order in chaos: influences of environmental complexity and predictability on development.","authors":"Katie L Lancaster, Sam V Wass","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.11.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.11.012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Environments are dynamic and complex. Some children experience more predictable early life environments than others. Here, we consider how moment-by-moment complexity and predictability in our early environments influence development. New studies using wearable sensors are quantifying this environmental variability at a fine temporal resolution across hierarchically structured physical and social features. We identify three types of predictability: periodicities ('at X time intervals, Y happens'), stability ('given state<sub>x</sub>, state<sub>x+1</sub> is known'), and contingency ('when I do X, Y happens'). We discuss how the temporal dynamics of environments may differ between individuals and the diverse developmental neural pathways through which this may influence outcomes, such as central nervous system (CNS) arousal and executive control. Finally, we discuss practical consequences and directions for future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"344-355"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142873114","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Ignoring the cerebellum is hindering progress in neuroscience.","authors":"Bangjie Wang, Amanda LeBel, Anila M D'Mello","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2025.01.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2025.01.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Traditionally considered a motor structure, the cerebellum has been shown to play a key role in several cognitive functions. However, for decades, the cerebellum has been largely overlooked and even deliberately excluded from 'whole-brain' neuroimaging studies. Here, we propose that the continued exclusion of the cerebellum has limited our understanding of whole-brain function. We describe reasons - both warranted and unwarranted - behind its historical exclusion from the neuroimaging literature, review literature describing the importance of the cerebellum and its unique role in brain function, and outline the potential unintended negative consequences of exclusion of the cerebellum for our comprehensive understanding of brain function and clinical disorders.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"318-330"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143400375","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The role of alpha oscillations in resisting distraction.","authors":"Mathilde Bonnefond, Ole Jensen","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.11.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.11.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The role of alpha oscillations (8-13 Hz) in suppressing distractors is extensively debated. One debate concerns whether alpha oscillations suppress anticipated visual distractors through increased power. Whereas some studies suggest that alpha oscillations support distractor suppression, others do not. We identify methodological differences that may explain these discrepancies. A second debate concerns the mechanistic role of alpha oscillations. We and others previously proposed that alpha oscillations implement gain reduction in early visual regions when target load or distractor interference is high. Here, we suggest that parietal alpha oscillations support gating or stabilization of attentional focus and that alpha oscillations in ventral attention network (VAN) support resistance to attention capture. We outline future studies needed to uncover the precise mechanistic role of alpha oscillations.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"368-379"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142819597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Sensorimnemonic decisions: choosing memories versus sensory information.","authors":"Levi Kumle, Anna C Nobre, Dejan Draschkow","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.12.010","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.12.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We highlight a fundamental psychological function that is central to many of our interactions in the environment - when to rely on memories versus sampling sensory information anew to guide behavior. By operationalizing sensorimnemonic decisions we aim to encourage and advance research into this pivotal process for understanding how memories serve adaptive cognition.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"311-313"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143043043","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Defending the episodic memory account of aphantasia.","authors":"Andrea Blomkvist","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2025.01.011","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2025.01.011","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"309-310"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143410999","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Memory updating and the structure of event representations.","authors":"Christopher N Wahlheim, Jeffrey M Zacks","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.11.008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.11.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>People form memories of specific events and use those memories to make predictions about similar new experiences. Living in a dynamic environment presents a challenge: How does one represent valid prior events in memory while encoding new experiences when things change? There is evidence for two seemingly contradictory classes of mechanism: One differentiates outdated event features by making them less similar or less accessible than updated event features. The other integrates updated features of new events with outdated memories, and the relationship between them, into a structured representation. Integrative encoding may occur when changed events trigger inaccurate predictions based on remembered prior events. We propose that this promotes subsequent recollection of events and their order, enabling adaptation to environmental changes.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"380-392"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142818859","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Computational rationality and developmental neurodivergence.","authors":"Samuel David Jones, Paul Rauwolf, Gert Westermann","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2025.01.006","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2025.01.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The role of behaviour - choices, actions, and habits - in shaping neurodivergent development remains unclear. In this forum article we introduce computational rationality as a framework for understanding dynamic feedback between brain and behavioural development, and neurodevelopmental variation.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"314-317"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143383903","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Farshad A Mansouri, Rogier A Kievit, Mark J Buckley
{"title":"Executive control fluctuations underlie behavioral variability in anthropoids.","authors":"Farshad A Mansouri, Rogier A Kievit, Mark J Buckley","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.10.012","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.10.012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In complex tasks requiring cognitive control, humans show trial-by-trial alterations in response time (RT), which are evident even when sensory-motor or other contextual aspects of the task remain stable. Exaggerated intra-individual RT variability is associated with brain injuries and frequently seen in aging and neuropsychological disorders. In this opinion, we discuss recent electrophysiology and imaging studies in humans and neurobiological studies in monkeys that indicate RT variability is linked with executive control fluctuation and that prefrontal cortical regions play essential, but dissociable, roles in such fluctuation of control and the resulting behavioral variability. We conclude by discussing emerging models proposing that both extremes of behavioral variability (significantly higher or lower) might reflect aberrant alterations in various aspects of decision-making processes.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"331-343"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142677565","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Spatial communication systems and action.","authors":"Kenny R Coventry, Holger Diessel","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.10.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.10.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Spatial cognition is fundamental to our species. One might therefore expect that spatial communication systems would have evolved to make common distinctions. However, many have argued that spatial communication systems exhibit considerable cross-linguistic diversity, challenging the view that space structures language. We review recent work on spatial communication that merits revisiting the relationship between language and space. We provide a framework that places action as the driver of spatial communication systems across languages, in which spatial demonstratives - the earliest spatial terms - play a fundamental role in honing attention and theory of mind capacities that are crucial for language and cognition more broadly. We discuss how demonstratives emerged early in language evolution to serve a combination of spatial, social, and functional needs.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":" ","pages":"356-367"},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142511619","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}