{"title":"What does decoding from the PFC reveal about consciousness?","authors":"Ned Block","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.05.004","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.05.004","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Disputes between rival theories of consciousness have often centered on whether perceptual contents can be decoded from the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Failures to decode from the PFC are taken to challenge 'cognitive' theories of consciousness such as the global workspace theory and higher-order monitoring theories, and decoding successes have been taken to confirm these theories. However, PFC decoding shows both too much and too little. Too much because cognitive theories of consciousness do not need PFC rerepresentation of perceptual contents since pointers to perceptual representations suffice. Too little because there is evidence that PFC decoding of perceptual content reflects postperceptual cognitive representation, such as thoughts that have those perceptual contents rather than conscious percepts.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141307161","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}
Nandakumar S Narayanan, Zahra Jourahmad, Rachel C Cole, James F Cavanagh
{"title":"Cognition falters at ~4 Hz in Parkinson's disease.","authors":"Nandakumar S Narayanan, Zahra Jourahmad, Rachel C Cole, James F Cavanagh","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.06.002","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.06.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cognitive impairments are common in Parkinson's disease (PD). We have linked this deficit to attenuated midfrontal 1-8-Hz activity that fails to engage cortical cognitive networks. We discuss the consequences of these impairments and how they might be leveraged for PD-specific neurophysiological markers and for novel brain stimulation paradigms.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141604396","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":"Why metacognition matters in politically contested domains.","authors":"Helen Fischer, Stephen Fleming","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.06.005","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.06.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Emerging evidence highlights the importance of metacognition - the capacity for insight into the reliability and fallibility of our own knowledge and thought - in politically contested domains. The present synthesis elucidates why metacognition matters in politically charged contexts and its potential impact on how individuals form beliefs, process evidence, and make decisions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141555804","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":"Developing language in a digital world.","authors":"Sarah C Kucker","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.08.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.08.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Young children's screen time is increasing, raising concerns about its negative impact on language development, particularly vocabulary. However, digital media is used in a variety of ways, which likely differentially impact language development. Instead of asking 'how much' screen time, the focus should be on how digital media is used.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142057073","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}
Jin Li, Dan Cao, Wenlu Li, Johannes Sarnthein, Tianzi Jiang
{"title":"Re-evaluating human MTL in working memory: insights from intracranial recordings.","authors":"Jin Li, Dan Cao, Wenlu Li, Johannes Sarnthein, Tianzi Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The study of human working memory (WM) holds significant importance in neuroscience; yet, exploring the role of the medial temporal lobe (MTL) in WM has been limited by the technological constraints of noninvasive methods. Recent advancements in human intracranial neural recordings have indicated the involvement of the MTL in WM processes. These recordings show that different regions of the MTL are involved in distinct aspects of WM processing and also dynamically interact with each other and the broader brain network. These findings support incorporating the MTL into models of the neural basis of WM. This integration can better reflect the complex neural mechanisms underlying WM and enhance our understanding of WM's flexibility, adaptability, and precision.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142037473","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":"Forgetting unwanted memories in sleep.","authors":"Scott A Cairney, Aidan J Horner","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Memories are sometimes best forgotten, but how do our brains weaken unwanted details of the past? We propose a theoretical framework in which memory reactivation during sleep supports adaptive forgetting. This mnemonic rebalancing underpins the affective benefits of sleep by ensuring that our memories remain aligned with our emotional goals.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142019306","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":"Learning by thinking in natural and artificial minds.","authors":"Tania Lombrozo","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Canonical cases of learning involve novel observations external to the mind, but learning can also occur through mental processes such as explaining to oneself, mental simulation, analogical comparison, and reasoning. Recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) reveal that such learning is not restricted to human minds: artificial minds can also self-correct and arrive at new conclusions by engaging in processes of 'learning by thinking' (LbT). How can elements already in the mind generate new knowledge? This article aims to resolve this paradox, and in so doing highlights an important feature of natural and artificial minds - to navigate uncertain environments with variable goals, minds with limited resources must construct knowledge representations 'on demand'. LbT supports this construction.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142299474","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":"Bilingualism modifies cognition through adaptation, not transfer.","authors":"Ellen Bialystok","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The standard explanation for bilingual effects on cognition is that an aspect of language processing transfers to nonverbal cognitive performance, leading to improvements in executive functioning. However, much evidence is incompatible with that view, and transfer across those domains seems unlikely. The present argument is that bilingual experience modifies cognition through an adaptation to the underlying attention system, making attention more efficient. 'Transfer' focuses on the overlap of specific processes, so task similarity predicts outcomes. By contrast, 'adaptation' focuses on recruitment of the modified resource, so the degree of attention required predicts outcome. In this view, bilinguals require less attentional effort than monolinguals for similar levels of performance, and outperform monolinguals on tasks with high attention demands regardless of task similarity.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142009780","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 Dimensions of dimensionality.","authors":"Brett D Roads, Bradley C Love","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.005","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.005","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cognitive scientists often infer multidimensional representations from data. Whether the data involve text, neuroimaging, neural networks, or human judgments, researchers frequently infer and analyze latent representational spaces (i.e., embeddings). However, the properties of a latent representation (e.g., prediction performance, interpretability, compactness) depend on the inference procedure, which can vary widely across endeavors. For example, dimensions are not always globally interpretable and the dimensionality of different embeddings may not be readily comparable. Moreover, the dichotomy between multidimensional spaces and purportedly richer representational formats, such as graph representations, is misleading. We review what the different notions of dimension in cognitive science imply for how these latent representations should be used and interpreted.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141996767","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}
Nathan T T Lau, Daniel Ansari, H Moriah Sokolowski
{"title":"Unraveling the interplay between math anxiety and math achievement.","authors":"Nathan T T Lau, Daniel Ansari, H Moriah Sokolowski","doi":"10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tics.2024.07.006","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A robust association exists between math anxiety and math achievement, with higher levels of anxiety correlating with lower achievement. Understanding this relationship is crucial due to the importance of math proficiency at individual and societal levels. In this review, we explore two prominent theories: Reduced Competency Theory, which suggests that initial low math achievement leads to math anxiety, and Processing Efficiency Theory, which suggests that math anxiety impairs performance by diverting cognitive resources. While these theories are supported by empirical evidence, they do not fully explain the mediators linking math anxiety and achievement. We propose 'math avoidance' as a critical mediator, suggesting that avoidance behaviors, formed through conditioning, create a feedback loop that exacerbates math anxiety and reduces proficiency.</p>","PeriodicalId":49417,"journal":{"name":"Trends in Cognitive Sciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":16.7,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141989337","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}