Cognitive Science

A new study analyzing over 100,000 test sessions suggests the popular Implicit Association Test is driven more by a person's conscious effort to avoid mistakes than by their automatic, unconscious prejudices.

Virtual reality is replacing simple computer screens in brain-training therapies. While immersive 3D worlds can make treatment more engaging, new research highlights the hidden challenges of bringing virtual environments into the clinic.

A sleepless night severely impairs your ability to form new memories. But a recent study shows that a 20-minute workout or a 90-minute nap can both protect memory after sleep loss, using completely different brain mechanisms.

A longitudinal study reveals that playing fast-paced action games and turn-based strategy games can enhance memory and attention. Brain scans indicate that action games lead to stronger and longer-lasting structural changes in the brain’s neural networks.

Even without hitting the gym, older adults taking daily creatine saw increases in muscle mass and memory performance, highlighting the supplement's potential anti-aging benefits.

While childhood intelligence and grades do not predict how people view their memory in old age, a new study finds that early adolescent school anxiety does.

New research reveals that taking a screenshot on your smartphone makes you less likely to remember the image later. Unlike other memory aids, this "digital amnesia" doesn't free up your brainpower for other tasks—it just hurts your memory.

By tricking the brain into seeing a left hand operating on the right side of the body in virtual reality, researchers discovered they could trigger a physical drop in skin temperature in a person's actual left hand.

Researchers found that altering a small group of dopamine-producing neurons in fruit flies fragments their sleep. This sleep deprivation prevents the insects from forming long-term memories, highlighting a crucial neural link between rest and learning.

A new study of 1,050 German students reveals that higher intelligence accelerates the development of metacognitive knowledge in math. While girls also outpaced boys, initial math skills and motivation did not affect how quickly this knowledge grew.

Researchers have found a link between chemical modifications on a dopamine-related gene and creative thinking abilities in adolescent males. The findings offer early clues into how the environment might biologically shape cognitive development.

Damage to the ventromedial prefrontal cortex hinders a person's ability to let their mind wander. A new small study suggests this brain region is necessary for generating the internal thoughts and memories that distract us from the present.

A recent evaluation of a nationwide anti-poverty campaign shows that escaping absolute poverty can boost adult cognitive abilities, improving both factual knowledge and abstract reasoning by elevating physical health, educational investment, and job opportunities.

Scientists have uncovered a surprising twist in how our minds age. A new brain scanning study shows that a mechanism designed to protect our memories eventually begins to blend them together, leading to everyday confusion.

New research reveals that relying too heavily on generative artificial intelligence can erode critical thinking, memory, and social skills. However, using the technology thoughtfully as a collaborative tool might actually boost human creativity and confidence.