#Cognitiveflexibility

A new wave of research is redefining what it means to be an effective learner in the classroom, highlighting that cognitive flexibility — the ability to adapt thinking and behavior in response to changing rules and environments — is what most clearly distinguishes child innovators from diligent rule-followers. As discussed in a recent Psychology Today feature (“How to Teach Kids to Break the Rules Intelligently,” psychologytoday.com), scientists and educators are coming to realize that while adherence to instructions has often been prized in traditional academic contexts, it is students’ adaptive thinking skills that pave the way for true innovation.

A recent study has found that young men who struggle to adapt their thoughts and behaviors related to body image and exercise are significantly more likely to develop unhealthy exercise habits—especially if they have a strong desire to build muscle. The findings, published in Eating Behaviors and reported by PsyPost, highlight a psychological factor that might help explain why some men in Thailand and around the world develop dangerous exercise routines or compulsions.

A recent breakthrough study is transforming our understanding of depression, revealing that the ways we manage our emotions—not just how we think—hold the key to mood disorders. Researchers using advanced network modeling have mapped out tangled links between cognitive abilities, emotion regulation strategies, and depressive symptoms, suggesting new hope for treatments targeting the heart of the problem: how we handle negative feelings, especially rumination. Their findings, published in the Journal of Affective Disorders, have important implications for Thai mental health professionals and individuals seeking ways to build emotional resilience.

A groundbreaking study published in Nature Communications reveals that the key to success in complex environments is not rigid adherence to instinct or imitation, but flexibility in learning—blending social and individual strategies as circumstances require. The research, leveraging the video game Minecraft as a sophisticated simulation platform, provides fresh insights into how humans dynamically adapt their approach to challenges, offering profound implications for education, cognitive science, and social development.

For Thai readers, the findings are especially significant as Thailand modernizes its education system and workplace culture, aiming to cultivate 21st-century skills. Rapid changes driven by digital transformation and social connectivity make adaptability more essential than ever. This new evidence underscores the value of teaching students and workers to toggle between learning from personal experience and absorbing cues from peers—a balance that could power both academic and workplace achievement in Thai society.

A groundbreaking new study has revealed that what you see isn’t just a reflection of the world—your brain actively decides “what it wants you to see”, and that decision can change depending on your immediate goals. This discovery, recently published in Nature Communications and spotlighted by Earth.com, challenges a long-held belief about vision, highlighting the brain’s astonishing ability to reshape perception in real time to suit our intentions and tasks (cited from Earth.com: https://www.earth.com/news/rethinking-vision-the-brain-sees-what-it-wants-to-see/).

Groundbreaking research published this month in Nature Communications has upended a long-standing assumption in neuroscience: contrary to the traditional view, our visual cortex doesn’t act as a passive camera that merely records the world for later analysis. Instead, it actively tunes how we see, adjusting perception in real time to align with what we’re trying to do at any given moment. This insight, highlighted in a recent article by MedicalXpress, provides a vivid new understanding of how our brains flexibly interpret the world depending on our current objectives—whether that means preparing a winter stew or hosting a Super Bowl party, as the study’s lead author, Dr. Nuttida Rungratsameetaweemana, describes in a relatable example (source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-04-purpose-visual-cortex-tunes-perception.html).

A wave of research is reshaping the way we understand ideology—not just as a social or political phenomenon, but as a deeply rooted function of the human brain. A recent book by political neuroscientist Dr. Leor Zmigrod, “The Ideological Brain: The Radical Science of Flexible Thinking,” has captured global attention by revealing how our biological wiring underpins not only our convictions but also our openness—or resistance—to evidence and change (Nautilus, NY Times). Why does ideology “taste” so good to the mind, and what makes some of us more likely to become deeply entrenched, even to the point of dogma? The answers emerging from neuroscience offer insight for Thais grappling with political polarization and social change.

Political rigidity across the spectrum, from far-right Christian nationalists to far-left Marxist-Leninists, can momentarily disrupt the socio-political landscape. Landmark insights into this phenomenon have been presented by neuroscientist Leor Zmigrod, who details new dimensions of what she terms the “ideological brain” in her recent book “The Ideological Brain: The Radical Science of Flexible Thinking.” Zmigrod’s work shines a light on how strongly-held beliefs shape—and are shaped by—neurological processes, echoing themes that are as relevant in Thailand as they are globally.