Oliver Brady, Paul Nulty, Lili Zhang, Tomás E. Ward, David P. McGovern
{"title":"Dual-process theory and decision-making in large language models","authors":"Oliver Brady, Paul Nulty, Lili Zhang, Tomás E. Ward, David P. McGovern","doi":"10.1038/s44159-025-00506-1","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44159-025-00506-1","url":null,"abstract":"Large language models (LLMs) are increasingly embedded in everyday decision-making scenarios, altering how people make choices. Despite the seemingly ‘superhuman’ capabilities of LLMs in some domains, there are pitfalls in the decision-making performance of LLMs and they should therefore be used with caution. In this Review, we examine LLM outputs through the lens of dual-process theory and against the backdrop of human decision-making. We detail how in decision-making scenarios, LLMs mimic both System-1-like responses — exhibiting cognitive biases and employing heuristics — and System-2-like responses — slow and carefully reasoned — through specific prompting methods. However, LLM reasoning is not fully analogous to human dual-process cognition. For instance, the ‘cognitive’ biases observed in LLMs often reflect patterns in their training data and LLMs exhibit specific non-human biases, such as hallucinations, that constrain their use in real-world decision-making. Despite these limitations, LLMs have the potential to augment human decision-making when deployed responsibly. Thus, we conclude with recommendations for mitigating biases and improving reliability to enable the deployment of LLMs as effective decision-support systems. The performance of large language models (LLMs) is often compared to human performance on decision-making tasks. In this Review, Brady and colleagues examine LLM outputs through the lens of dual-process theory, considering the hallmarks of System 1 and System 2 human decision-making.","PeriodicalId":74249,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews psychology","volume":"4 12","pages":"777-792"},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145675708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tricia X. F. Seow, Lena Jelinek, Steffen Moritz, Tobias U. Hauser
{"title":"Integrating cognitive neuroscience and clinical perspectives on metacognitive mechanisms in psychopathology","authors":"Tricia X. F. Seow, Lena Jelinek, Steffen Moritz, Tobias U. Hauser","doi":"10.1038/s44159-025-00503-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44159-025-00503-4","url":null,"abstract":"Metacognition (the fundamental ability to reflect on and evaluate one’s own thoughts and actions) can shape human decisions and behaviours. Alterations in metacognition, such as distortions in confidence, self-reflection and beliefs about mental processes, are frequent in patients with mental disorders and are the target of effective clinical interventions. However, inconsistent frameworks and conceptual barriers between cognitive neuroscience and clinical disciplines have hindered advances in understanding and treating metacognition in psychopathology. In this Review, we review the metacognition literature to highlight cross-disciplinary inconsistencies and overlaps in terminology, experimental approaches and study populations between cognitive neuroscience and clinical perspectives. We build on a hierarchical framework of metacognition to start the process of integrating these literatures, and discuss the challenges associated with categorical and dimensional approaches to mental disorders. Our recommendations for future directions highlight the need for collaborative work between cognitive and clinical experts and methodological approaches that capture the causal links between metacognition and psychopathology. Cognitive neuroscience and clinical psychology have made substantial advances in knowledge about metacognitive processes, but these fields have progressed in parallel. In this Review, Seow et al. integrate the literature to start a cross-field dialogue that will improve the understanding and treatment of psychopathology.","PeriodicalId":74249,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews psychology","volume":"5 1","pages":"9-28"},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145950811","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daisy R. Singla, Andrea S. Lawson, Cindy-Lee Dennis, Parisa R. Kaliush, Kate Walsh, Vikram Patel, Crystal E. Schiller
{"title":"Evidence-based psychotherapies for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders and their underlying mechanisms","authors":"Daisy R. Singla, Andrea S. Lawson, Cindy-Lee Dennis, Parisa R. Kaliush, Kate Walsh, Vikram Patel, Crystal E. Schiller","doi":"10.1038/s44159-025-00505-2","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44159-025-00505-2","url":null,"abstract":"Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders (which include depression, anxiety and trauma-related conditions) affect one in five women during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum. Experiencing these conditions is one of the strongest predictors of perinatal suicidality, accounting for up to 25% of perinatal deaths globally. Evidence-based psychotherapies are highly effective at treating these common conditions, recommended by international guidelines and widely preferred over medications in perinatal populations. Improving access to psychotherapies might therefore be an effective preventive strategy to mitigate risk for perinatal suicidality. In this Review, we highlight mechanisms of change underpinning evidence-based psychotherapies for perinatal mood and anxiety disorders that might optimize delivery and increase access to quality care. We summarize the existing literature on the prevalence, manifestation and risk factors of perinatal depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidality, as well as evidence-based psychotherapies and their underlying mechanisms of change. Given the high comorbidity across diagnostic categories and the shared mechanisms of change among psychotherapies, we suggest a transdiagnostic approach to treating perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. Future research should rigorously test treatment-delivery innovations and measure potential mediators of treatment response to personalize care, optimize outcomes and prevent maternal death. Perinatal mood and anxiety disorders affect one in five women during pregnancy and up to one year postpartum and are a strong predictor of perinatal suicidality. In this Review, Singla et al. provide an overview of evidence-based psychotherapies for perinatal depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and suicidality and describe their underlying mechanisms.","PeriodicalId":74249,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews psychology","volume":"4 12","pages":"761-776"},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145675707","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The theory that woke scientists up to sleep","authors":"Rebecca Crowley","doi":"10.1038/s44159-025-00511-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44159-025-00511-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74249,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews psychology","volume":"4 12","pages":"760-760"},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145675703","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Taking faculty diversity seriously means asking why it matters","authors":"Azim Shariff","doi":"10.1038/s44159-025-00510-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44159-025-00510-5","url":null,"abstract":"Increasing faculty diversity is a key priority in faculty hiring across many countries, but the rationales behind it are often left undiscussed. Explicitly clarifying diversity rationales — and ensuring that they are supported by scientific evidence — can improve decision making by hiring committees. Increasing faculty diversity is a key priority in faculty hiring across many countries, but the rationales behind it are often left undiscussed. Explicitly clarifying diversity rationales — and ensuring they are supported by scientific evidence — can improve hiring committee decision making.","PeriodicalId":74249,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews psychology","volume":"4 12","pages":"755-757"},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145675709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The relevance of classic language models in the age of AI","authors":"Cheng-Yu Hsieh","doi":"10.1038/s44159-025-00508-z","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44159-025-00508-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74249,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews psychology","volume":"4 12","pages":"759-759"},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145675701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"A cognitive approach to human–AI complementarity in dynamic decision-making","authors":"Cleotilde Gonzalez, Hoda Heidari","doi":"10.1038/s44159-025-00499-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44159-025-00499-x","url":null,"abstract":"As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly integrated into complex decision-making environments, there is a growing need to develop AI systems that complement human capabilities. AI and humans offer distinct strengths: AI excels at processing large datasets, identifying statistical patterns and optimizing predefined objectives, whereas humans are skilled at navigating uncertainty, novelty and interpersonal challenges. The synergy between humans and AI is particularly vital in dynamic decision-making domains — such as disaster response situations — in which rapid analysis of AI results must be balanced with human judgement and ethical considerations. In this Perspective, we provide a conceptual framework to integrate human decision-making with AI, focusing on cognitive AI: a computational approach that models human cognitive processes to create AI systems that learn and make decisions in ways similar to those of humans. We discuss the elements and necessary capabilities of cognitive AI and how to realize human–AI complementarity in decision-making while considering ethical risks. By advancing these areas, researchers can lay the groundwork for adaptive and cognitively grounded human–AI teamwork that is aligned with human values and goals. Complex decision-making tasks can be addressed with artificial intelligence (AI) systems that complement human capabilities. In this Perspective, Gonzalez and Heidari provide a conceptual framework to integrate human and AI decision-making, highlighting technical challenges and ethical risks.","PeriodicalId":74249,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews psychology","volume":"4 12","pages":"808-822"},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145675704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Common method bias can lead to spurious correlations in relationship studies","authors":"Jenn Richler","doi":"10.1038/s44159-025-00507-0","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44159-025-00507-0","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74249,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews psychology","volume":"4 11","pages":"681-681"},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145450123","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Psychological risk and resilience in families of children with cancer","authors":"Brittany C. McGill","doi":"10.1038/s44159-025-00504-3","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s44159-025-00504-3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":74249,"journal":{"name":"Nature reviews psychology","volume":"4 12","pages":"758-758"},"PeriodicalIF":21.8,"publicationDate":"2025-10-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145675706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}