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Evidence accumulation models are a series of computational models that provide an account for speeded decision-making. These models have been used extensively within the cognitive psychology literature to great success, allowing inferences to be drawn about the psychological processes that underlie cognition that are sometimes not available in a traditional analysis of accuracy or reaction time (RT). Despite this, there have been only a few applications of these models within the domain of social cognition. In this article, we explore several ways in which the study of human social information processing would benefit from application of evidence accumulation modelling. We begin first with a brief overview of the evidence accumulation modelling framework and their past success within the domain of cognitive psychology. We then highlight five ways in which social cognitive research would benefit from an evidence accumulation approach. This includes (1) greater specification of assumptions, (2) unambiguous comparisons across blocked task conditions, (3) quantifying and comparing the magnitude of effects in standardised measures, (4) a novel approach for studying individual differences, and (5) improved reproducibility and accessibility. These points are illustrated using examples from the domain of social attention. Finally, we outline several methodological and practical considerations, which should help researchers use evidence accumulation models productively. Ultimately, it will be seen that evidence accumulation modelling offers a well-developed, accessible, and commonly understood framework that can reveal inferences about cognition that may otherwise be out of reach in a traditional analysis of accuracy and RT. This approach, therefore, has the potential to substantially revise our understanding of social cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social cognition differs from general cognition in its focus on understanding, perceiving, and interpreting social information. However, we argue that the significance of domain‐general processes for controlling cognition has been historically undervalued in social cognition and social neuroscience research. We suggest much of social cognition can be characterized as specialized feature representations supported by domain‐general cognitive control systems. To test this proposal, we develop a comprehensive working model, based on an interactive activation and competition architecture and applied to the control of action. As such, we label the model "ICON" (interactive activation and competition model for the control of action). We used the ICON model to simulate human performance across various laboratory tasks. Our simulations emphasize that many laboratory‐based social tasks do not require socially specific control systems, such as those that are argued to rely on neural networks associated with theory‐of‐mind. Moreover, our model clarifies that perceived disruptions in social cognition, even in what appears to be disruption to the control of social cognition, can stem from deficits in social representation instead. We advocate for a "default stance" in social cognition, where control is usually general, but representation is specific. This study underscores the importance of integrating social cognition within the broader realm of domain‐general control processing, offering a unified perspective on task processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aesthetic judgements dominate much of daily life by guiding how we evaluate objects, people, and experiences in our environment. One key question that remains unanswered is the extent to which more specialised or largely general cognitive resources support aesthetic judgements. To investigate this question in the context of working memory, we examined the extent to which a working memory load produces similar or different response time interference on aesthetic compared with non-aesthetic judgements. Across three pre-registered experiments that used Bayesian multi-level modelling approaches (N > 100 per experiment), we found clear evidence that a working memory load produces similar response time interference on aesthetic judgements relative to non-aesthetic (motion) judgements. We also showed that this similarity in processing across aesthetic versus non-aesthetic judgements holds across variations in the form of art (people vs. landscape; Experiments 1–3), medium type (artwork vs. photographs; Experiment 2), and load content (art images vs. letters; Experiments 1–3). These findings suggest that across a range of experimental contexts, as well as different processing streams in working memory (e.g., visual vs. verbal), aesthetic and motion judgements commonly rely on a domain-general cognitive system, rather than a system that is more specifically tied to aesthetic judgements. In doing so, these findings shine new light on the working memory resources that support aesthetic judgements, as well as on how domain-general cognitive systems operate more generally in cognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in social cognition has predominantly investigated perceptual and inferential processes separately; however, real-world social interactions usually involve integration between person inferences (e.g., generous, selfish) and the perception of physical appearance (e.g., thin, tall). Therefore, in the current work, we investigated the integration of different person-relevant signals, by estimating the extent to which bias in one social information processing system influences another. Following an initial stimulus-validation experiment (Experiment 1, N = 55), two further pre-registered experiments (Experiments 2, N = 55 and 3; N = 123) employed a priming paradigm to measure the effects of extraversion-diagnostic information on subsequent health and body-size judgements of a target body. The results were consistent across both priming experiments and supported our predictions: compared to trait-neutral control statements, extraversion-diagnostic statements increased judgements of health and decreased those of body size. As such, we show that trait-based knowledge does not only influence mappings towards similar types of person judgements, such as health judgements. Rather, even a brief re-configuration of trait-space alters mappings towards non-trait judgements, which are based on body size and shape. The results complement prior neuroimaging findings that showed functional interactions between the body-selective brain regions in the ventral visual stream and the theory of mind network when forming impressions of others. Therefore, we provide a functional signature of how distinct information processing units exchange signals and integrate information to form impressions. Overall, the current study underscores the value of behavioural work in complementing neuroscience research when investigating the role and properties of functional integration during impression formation. In addition, it stresses the potential limitations of an over-reliance on studying separate systems in isolation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Despite clinical observation that stroke survivors frequently experience loneliness, there is no large-scale empirical evidence to support this observation. Therefore, the primary objective of this research was to provide the first large-scale and comprehensive estimate of loneliness in the stroke survivor population. Method To address this issue, we completed two preregistered analyses of a nationally representative annual survey (N  > 21,000). A two-phase approach was adopted combining both exploratory (Study 1) and confirmatory (Study 2) phases. The benefit of such an approach is that replication is built into the design, which considerably strengthens the inferences that can be made. Results Across two separate cohorts, the results consistently showed that human stroke survivors report higher levels of loneliness compared with healthy individuals, and this relationship could not be accounted for by demographic factors (e.g. age, sex) or objective measures of social isolation (e.g. marital status, number of household members). Conclusions These findings demonstrate that elevated levels of loneliness poststroke are robust in that they replicate in large nationally representative samples and cannot be reduced to objective measures of social isolation. The work has clinical and societal relevance by suggesting that loneliness poststroke is unlikely to be adequately "treated" if only the quantity and not the quality of social experiences are considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oral Health‐Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) is a determinant of an individual's wellbeing and can be affected by dental disease. For military recruits, adverse OHRQoL may result in poor performance, and has safety implications. The aim of this study was to determine the incidence of dental extractions and dental health of a sample of new Infantry recruits. Method: Electronic healthcare recordings of tooth extraction incidence were compared to recruits from the general military population. Clinical dental examinations and patient questionnaires were used to determine the prevalence and impact of caries using the PUFA (Pulp exposure, Ulceration, Fistula, Caries) criteria. The association between caries and PUFA lesions with self‐reported oral health behaviours and beliefs was explored. Results: The incidence of tooth extraction was 2.4 times higher in new Army Infantry recruits than recruits in the general UK military population. 211 recruits were assessed, with a 100% response rate. 135/211 (64%) had caries, and 37/21117.5% had a PUFA lesion at the time of inspection. Sleep loss was significantly more likely in those with PUFA lesions than those without (OR 5.62, p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Those military Infantry recruits with caries and PUFA lesions had worse OHRQoL than those that did not. This was evidenced by poorer sleeping patterns and an inability to perform tasks at work. Treatment of dental disease through extractions was higher in Army Infantry recruits and will likely reduce the number of days taken off sick, but its effect on overall OHRQoL cannot yet be substantiated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Loneliness, when prolonged, is associated with many deleterious effects and has been shown to be highly prevalent in those with a history of stroke, yet the cognitive mechanisms underpinning this phenomenon remain unclear. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the extent to which cognitive factors, with specific focus on processing speed, are associated with loneliness in those with a history of stroke., Method: Utilizing data from the British Cohort Study, a nationally representative dataset, we conducted secondary data analysis. A total of 7,752 participants completed relevant questions related to health, social interactions, demographics, loneliness, and cognitive assessments. Among them, 47 had experienced a stroke ("stroke," n = 47), 5,545 reported other health conditions ("ill," n = 5,545), and 2,857 were deemed healthy ("healthy," n = 2,857)., Results: Consistent with previous research, our findings confirmed a positive correlation between stroke history and heightened loneliness. However, inferential analysis revealed that processing speed, alongside other cognitive factors, had a minimal impact on loneliness, with correlations too small to draw definitive conclusions., Conclusion: This study suggests that cognitive processing speed alone is not a robust predictor of loneliness in stroke survivors. Consequently, when developing interventions to combat loneliness in this population, it is crucial to consider a broader spectrum of factors, such as social engagement, emotional wellbeing, and interpersonal relationships. This underscores the imperative need for comprehensive assessments to better comprehend the multifaceted nature of loneliness and inform more effective intervention strategies., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)