Next-Generation Cognitive Testing: A Theory-Driven Approach to Multi-Scale Dynamics in Cognition

Objective

Few aspects of human performance are as salient and consequential as its variability. Fluctuations are evident in essentially all areas of cognition. For example, attention fluctuates with alertness modulated by circadian timing, while cognitive abilities change over longer time scales due to skill acquisition and forgetting. Given the critical role of cognition in nearly all aspects of human functioning, including safety-critical situations, these fluctuations have profound implications. Yet, the causes and temporal scales of cognitive fluctuations remain poorly understood due to fragmented research efforts focusing on isolated psychological and biological factors. Here I will develop a unified theoretical framework, for the first time synthetizing the dynamics of the diverse factors underlying fluctuations in cognitive abilities across multiple temporal scales. This interdisciplinary approach will create new opportunities for the emerging field of ecological momentary assessment (EMA) in cognitive testing, enhancing reliability and predictive power, and advancing understanding of cognitive dynamics in real-world contexts. The project includes two synergistic strands: (1) Theoretical work to create a dynamic quantitative modeling framework, linking accounts of short-term variability to longer-term adaptations in performance; (2) Empirical work using EMA to investigate how and why performance on a wide range of cognitive tasks fluctuates across time scales from sub-seconds to several weeks. The innovations are fuelled by recent advances in formal cognitive modeling and the development of powerful Bayesian hierarchical techniques. My objective is to drive a paradigm shift from traditional lab-based assessments to real-world evaluations of cognitive abilities and pave the way for innovative tools for understanding and enhancing cognitive performance in various settings, including education, the workplace, clinical care, and human-machine interaction.