A central goal of psychology is to help understand why and how we differ from one person to another. At CIMCYC, we investigate how individual differences in cognition, personality, and brain function predict performance across language, attention, learning, decision-making, music, and sports, and how bilingualism, music, and sports modulate cognitive functioning more broadly.
For example, we investigate how individual differences in cognitive control relate to memory problems in older adults, as well as how individual differences in decision-making contribute to the etiology of gambling behavior. We have also studied how personality traits influence attention and executive control, showing, for example, an interesting dissociation between ADHD symptoms in adulthood and childhood.
In addition, CIMCYC researchers investigate individual differences in cognition and brain activity associated with regular physical exercise. For example, they have shown that the type of sport practiced is a better predictor of cognitive performance than cardiovascular fitness.
Musical training may also enhance other cognitive abilities, as suggested by comprehensive meta-analyses conducted by researchers at the center in collaboration with other world-renowned research centers.
Another productive line of research explores the influence of bilingualism on a variety of cognitive processes. For example, numerous studies conducted within international collaborations have shown that bilingual individuals activate both languages simultaneously.