Cognitive Science

When you view a photograph of someone holding another photograph, you subconsciously judge the person in the nested image as possessing less of a mind. A recent study reveals just how remarkably stubborn this visual bias really is.

Want to generate better ideas? A new study tracking daily movement and imagination found that taking a brief, brisk walk can visibly boost your verbal creativity roughly an hour later.

Far from a blank slate, the infant brain begins with an overabundance of random neural connections. Neuroscientists discovered how trimming this excess wiring transforms the hippocampus into a powerful, structured memory machine.

Does dropping an f-bomb make you stronger? A new study suggests that swearing improves physical performance. Researchers discovered that cursing tricks the brain into dropping its inhibitions, allowing people to tap into extra strength.

A new brain imaging study suggests that highly proficient adults rely less on the brain's motor regions to process numbers. As math skills improve, the brain shifts away from physical representations to highly automatic, efficient processing networks.

A recent study suggests that negative emotions tied to everyday memories fade much faster than those linked to sexual experiences. Researchers found that while the brain naturally softens bad memories, intimate encounters resist this emotional fading process.

A new psychological study reveals that cognitive difficulties are linked to behavioral addiction, not the mere act of playing video games. While individuals at risk of gaming disorder struggle with working memory, recreational gamers actually display enhanced attention.

Smart people tend to trust others more easily. But if you grew up facing economic or family hardships, your intelligence is far less likely to translate into this highly beneficial social trait.

Daydreaming is often viewed as a failure of attention, but new research suggests it serves a hidden purpose. Scientists have discovered that the temporary drop in self-control during mind wandering actually boosts the brain’s ability to unconsciously learn complex environmental...

Does learning to play an instrument actually make you more focused? A new study shows that musically trained individuals are faster, more alert, and less prone to "zoning out" than non-musicians with identical backgrounds.

Standard multiple-choice tests might be fundamentally mismeasuring human cognition. When researchers updated traditional intelligence tests to allow test-takers to express uncertainty and manage risk, women scored higher than men.

New research shows that genetic predispositions for cognitive performance can shift our economic views in opposite directions depending on our childhood class background, pushing poor individuals leftward and wealthy individuals rightward.

By tracking the brain activity of volunteers estimating the duration of flashing lights, scientists have uncovered the sequential neural pathway that allows us to experience the passage of time.

A new eye-tracking study reveals that our preexisting beliefs dictate how we learn new information. Researchers found that people struggle to adapt when facts challenge their views, shedding light on why fake news is so hard to combat.

A recent experiment shows that a quick jog on a treadmill can lower academic distress and sharpen mental focus. Researchers found that a short bout of aerobic activity physically rebalances the brain's ability to ignore distracting information.