Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Mnemonic Devices01:23

Mnemonic Devices

214
Mnemonic devices are cognitive tools that facilitate memory retention by linking new information to familiar patterns or organizational strategies. These techniques are beneficial for remembering complex or lengthy sets of information by simplifying and structuring them in easily retrievable ways.
Acronyms
Acronyms are created by using the initial letters of a series of words to form a new word or phrase. This approach condenses complex information into a single, memorable entity. For example,...
214
The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic01:25

The Anchoring-and-Adjustment Heuristic

7.5K
In order to make good decisions, we use our knowledge and our reasoning. Often, this knowledge and reasoning is sound and solid. However, sometimes, we are swayed by biases or by others manipulating a situation. For example, let’s say you and three friends wanted to rent a house and had a combined target budget of $1,600. The realtor shows you only very run-down houses for $1,600 and then shows you a very nice house for $2,000. Might you ask each person to pay more in rent to get the...
7.5K
Chunking01:12

Chunking

230
Chunking is a powerful cognitive technique that improves short-term memory retention by organizing information into smaller, more manageable units. The brain, limited by working memory capacity, can more easily process and store information when it is divided into "chunks" rather than presented as discrete, unrelated elements. Chunking is especially useful when dealing with large amounts of information, such as numerical sequences, words, or complex ideas.
The principle behind chunking...
230
Adjusting a Traverse01:12

Adjusting a Traverse

187
In the site survey of a four-sided traverse, internal angles are essential to ensure geometric accuracy. The survey revealed that the sum of the measured internal angles was 359 degrees and 48 minutes, which is 12 minutes less than the expected 360 degrees. This discrepancy signals an error likely arising from measurement inaccuracies during the fieldwork.To rectify this error, the adjustment process involved distributing the 12-minute shortfall equally across the four internal angles. By...
187
Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon01:10

Tip-of-the-Tongue Phenomenon

284
The tip-of-the-tongue (TOT) phenomenon is a cognitive experience characterized by a temporary inability to retrieve specific information from memory despite having a strong feeling of knowing the information. Although individuals cannot access the target word or detail, they frequently recall related elements, such as its initial letter, syllable count, or context. This partial retrieval often causes frustration, as one might recognize a familiar face or know that a name starts with a specific...
284
Numerical Calculations01:24

Numerical Calculations

895
In engineering applications, the representation of the numerical value is critical. Presenting or reporting the answer is one of the essential parts of engineering practices. Numerical calculations are performed using handheld calculators or computers since numerically accurate answers are always preferred.
The solution to a problem is obtained using different methods. While manually solving algebraic symbols is one of the most common methods, the graphical method is often preferred. Computers...
895

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Body position classification using wearable sensors in infants with cerebral palsy.

Infant behavior & development·2026
Same author

Natural statistics of infants' everyday motor experiences relate to sitting and walking development.

Developmental psychology·2026
Same author

Hands can play equal roles in bimanual single-object rotations.

Acta psychologica·2026
Same author

Infants' Daily Routines Shape Opportunities for Perceptual-Motor Exploration.

Developmental science·2026
Same author

Within-Day Variations in Infant Body Position Predict Caregiver Speech Input.

Developmental science·2026
Same author

Infant Sitting Status, Sitting Age, and Everyday Positioning Experience Across the Transition to Independent Sitting.

Infancy : the official journal of the International Society on Infant Studies·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 26, 2025

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents
09:01

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents

Published on: July 8, 2015

12.8K

Towards a common code for difficulty: Navigating a narrow gap is like memorizing an extra digit.

Iman Feghhi1, John M Franchak2, David A Rosenbaum2

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA. IEMANIFK@gmail.com.

Attention, Perception & Psychophysics
|July 31, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Task difficulty may be a single, unified measure. Narrower physical challenges were found to be psychologically equivalent to memorizing more digits, supporting a unified theory of task difficulty.

Keywords:
Decision makingMental effortMetacognitionPhysical effortTask difficulty

More Related Videos

Practical Methodology of Cognitive Tasks Within a Navigational Assessment
05:19

Practical Methodology of Cognitive Tasks Within a Navigational Assessment

Published on: June 1, 2015

13.8K
An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze
14:24

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

952

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 26, 2025

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents
09:01

The Double-H Maze: A Robust Behavioral Test for Learning and Memory in Rodents

Published on: July 8, 2015

12.8K
Practical Methodology of Cognitive Tasks Within a Navigational Assessment
05:19

Practical Methodology of Cognitive Tasks Within a Navigational Assessment

Published on: June 1, 2015

13.8K
An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze
14:24

An Appetitive Spatial Working Memory Task for Mice in a Semi-Automated 8-Arm Radial Maze, Reducing Fearful Memory Association in the Maze

Published on: July 29, 2025

952

Area of Science:

  • Cognitive Psychology
  • Perception and Action
  • Human Performance

Background:

  • Task difficulty is typically understood in relative terms, with easier tasks being preferred and performable by more individuals.
  • Previous research suggested task difficulty might be a single amodal quantity, where physical and mental challenges could be psychologically equivalent.
  • The common code hypothesis posits a unified representation for perception and action.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether task difficulty can be represented as a single amodal quantity.
  • To extend previous findings by testing narrower physical constraints.
  • To provide further evidence for a unified psychological scale of task difficulty.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized a multi-modal two-alternative forced-choice procedure.
  • Subjects made choices between tasks with graded physical and mental challenges.
  • Tested performance with narrower physical gaps than in prior studies.

Main Results:

  • The difficulty of navigating narrower physical gaps was psychologically equivalent to memorizing an additional 0.95 digits.
  • This finding supports the hypothesis that task difficulty is a single, amodal quantity.
  • The results align with predictions based on physics, economics, and the common code hypothesis.

Conclusions:

  • Task difficulty appears to be quantifiable as a single amodal metric.
  • The multi-modal forced-choice procedure is a valuable tool for studying task difficulty.
  • This research advances the understanding of how the brain processes and compares diverse task challenges.