Naturalistic Stimuli in Neuroscience: Critically Acclaimed

Publication date: Available online 27 June 2019Source: Trends in Cognitive SciencesAuthor(s): Saurabh Sonkusare, Michael Breakspear, Christine GuoCognitive neuroscience has traditionally focused on simple tasks, presented sparsely and using abstract stimuli. While this approach has yielded fundamental insights into functional specialisation in the brain, its ecological validity remains uncertain. Do these tasks capture how brains function ‘in the wild’, where stimuli are dynamic, multimodal, and crowded? Ecologically valid paradigms that approximate real life scenarios, using stimuli such as films, spoken narratives, music, and multiperson games emerged in response to these concerns over a decade ago. We critically appraise whether this approach has delivered on its promise to deliver new insights into brain function. We highlight the challenges, technological innovations, and clinical opportunities that are required should this field meet its full potential.

Source: Trends in Cognitive Sciences - June 28, 2019 Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Source Type: research