Dynamic Cognition Lab

About our Lab

The Dynamic Cognition Lab is led by Dr. Sage Boettcher and explores how we adapt and behave in natural, ever-changing environments. Our research focuses on the complex interactions between cognitive processes—such as attention, memory, prediction, and decision making—and how they shape our ability to behave efficiently in dynamic settings. We collaborate closely with Dejan Draschkow's Adaptive Behaviour & Cognition Lab.

Research Topics

Our main research questions concern the dynamic interactions between various cognitive subsystems which enable efficient and adaptive behaviour. This work relies on several important insights which shape our research questions.

• Multidimensional Memories Guide Behaviour - Our past experiences inform our future actions. Importantly, the memories that guide our behaviour are made up not only of a particular item’s identity, but also of its previous location, aspects of its timing, and previously associated actions. Our lab has worked towards understanding how various memory dimensions are used to guide ongoing behaviour and we continue to probe the complex interactions between these dimensions.
• Behaviour is Dynamic and Extended - Outside of the laboratory, behaviour unfolds continuously with both sensory and top-down goals changing dynamically across time. Traditional laboratory tasks make understanding these dynamics difficult. We have integrated complex extended tasks with continuous behaviour and neural measures in order to push forward both our theoretical understanding of and methodological abilities to test dynamic cognition.
• Cognition is Output Oriented - Cognitive processes will depend on our expected behaviour goals. Understanding how memory, attention, and predictions are affected by the anticipated task is an important aspect of understanding naturally unfolding behaviour. By considering how cognition varies with output goals we hope to gain a more nuanced understanding of the underlying systems. 

Methods

We use a range of methods, including M/EEG, behavioural experiments, and immersive technologies like VR, to study cognition in motion. The brain itself is dynamic, constantly processing and updating information in response to an evolving world. Understanding these dynamics is fundamental to uncovering how we think, learn, and act in real time. By bridging neural and behavioural research, our lab aims to provide deeper insights into the mechanisms that support flexible and adaptive cognition. Further, we hope to move away from traditional trial based experiments which capture aggregates behaviour in order to understand of natural behaviour in a more temporally ecological fashion.