Neighborhood air pollution is associated with attenuated neurocognitive maturation over early adolescence

Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience · 2026-04-02

is associated with lags in normative neurocognitive maturation in early adolescence.

The exposome predicts youth sustained attention and attention-related brain network strength.

2026-05-04

The exposome and attention-related brain networks jointly predict attention problems in early adolescence

medRxiv · 2026-03-28

Background: Attention problems are common transdiagnostic symptoms of psychiatric illness. Although environmental exposures and experiences influence attention during adolescent development, the underlying neural pathways by which they do so is unclear. Methods: We measured attention problems, attention-related brain networks, and multidimensional environmental experiences (the "exposome") using data from the ABCD Study (N = 11,878). We tested whether the exposome is associated with 9-10-year-olds' attention-related brain network strength and current and future attention problems. We further examined cross-sectional indirect pathways linking the exposome, brain network strength, and attention problems. Results: The exposome predicted youths' current and future self-, caregiver-, and teacher-reported attention problems as well as their current attention-related brain network strength. This brain network signature of sustained attention also predicted attention problems from all three reporters. Indirect effects models revealed that the exposome was associated with current reported attention problems both directly and indirectly though this brain signature. Conversely, predictive brain network strength was related to attention problems both directly and indirectly through the exposome. Conclusion: Interactions between environmental exposures, experiences, and brain network organization are associated with attention problems in early adolescence. These findings support a bidirectional framework linking the environment and functional brain networks in the development of attention problems.

Beyond exposure: Toward more precise terminology in nature and health research

2025-12-07

Imprecise language can weaken understanding of human–nature relationships. Widespread use of the term “exposure” to describe nature’s health impacts treats diverse experiences as uniform “doses” like chemical compounds. Through a narrative review of how “exposure” emerged and spread in nature–health research, we show that the term is relatively recent and has proliferated despite key limitations. “Exposure” accurately applies only in contexts where nature provides quantifiable doses (e.g., airborne microbes, biogenic compounds) that are consumed with relatively consistent effects. We identify three major problems with broader use of the term: benefits depending on attention or moderated by perception; benefits arising from behavioral affordances; and human–nature relationships being reciprocal. To improve precision, we offer a framework of ten measurement constructs, each with clear definitions, measurement approaches, and appropriate usage contexts. This shift in language will support both human wellbeing and planetary health by acknowledging our interdependence with nature.

"EBK": Using Crowd-Sourced Social Media Data to Quantify How Hyperlocal Gang Affiliations Shape Networks and Violence in Chicago

Journal of Quantitative Criminology · 2025-06-17

Abstract Purpose Test recent gang theory derived from ethnographic research which suggests that gang dynamics in Chicago's South Side have evolved, with decentralized micro-gang "set" factions and cross-gang interpersonal networks marking the contemporary landscape. Importantly, this is theorized to have produced "EBK" dynamics, where between-faction conflict is irrelevant to driving the emergence of violence. Methods A parts-of-speech based natural language processing strategy is used to analyze text from Reddit pages about Chicago to create a social network dataset of 271 individuals across 11 gang sets. Using datasets collected and shared by Reddit users, we identify the geographic boundaries associated with each set, which are validated against official police data. Louvain community detection is utilized to identify sub-communities within the network, and hierarchical linear models are used to evaluate whether gang affiliations or network positionality are more salient in explaining mortality risk. Results Overall, results provide quantitative evidence for EBK hypotheses. Community detection analyses suggest that gang-affiliated individuals in the South Side often connect with gang-affiliated peers from several gang sets, particularly those operating in spaces nearby their own gang. Hierarchical logistic regression revealed that individuals with ties to homicide victims and central positions in the overall gang network were at increased risk of victimization, regardless of gang affiliation. Conclusions This research demonstrates that utilizing crowd-sourced online information can enable the study of otherwise inaccessible topics and populations, including gangs. Future research should continue to investigate the strengths and limitations of using crowd-sourced information about gangs and crime to conduct scientific research.

Reliable and Valid Rating Data in Less Time with the Fast Image Rating Experiment

2025-08-12

Researchers often assess processes underlying human perception by measuring participants’ judgements of image stimuli. However, traditional methods for quantifying subjective judgements, such as Likert scales, sliding scales, and pairwise comparisons, are vulnerable to biases or demand extensive time and resources from researchers and participants. The present study compared the efficiency, reliability, and validity of these established methods against the Fast Image Rating Experiment (FIRE), our force-choice-based paradigm for assessing perceptions of visual stimuli. When used to rate image preference and naturalness, the FIRE was five times faster than established methods, highly reliable, and valid. FIRE achieved high reliability in less than half the time required to reach equivalent reliability with the Likert or sliding scale, which could save researchers thousands of dollars. The scalability and cost-effectiveness of the FIRE make it a valuable resource for supporting large-scale behavioral science.

Identifying qualities and amenities associated with subjective cognitive restoration and improved affect in urban parks

2025-07-08

Although visiting a park is usually considered to be a ‘nature experience’, not all city parks are natural environments. Additionally, parks differ in the affordances they offer in terms of amenities and other characteristics. In this pre-registered, cross-sectional study we asked participants (N = 303, Chicago, USA residents) to visit several city parks over the course of two weeks (N_obs = 1234). While visiting, they rated naturalness, safety, maintenance, and noisiness, and completed the Perceived Restoration Scale. They also reported on their momentary affect, subjective cognitive restoration, and preference for the park. Using both theory-driven and data-driven approaches, we found that all these qualities were related to affective and cognitive outcomes. Additionally, we found that when participants visited a park they had been to before, compatibility between activities they reported wanting to do in the park and the amenities offered by the park predicted preference, but this relationship did not hold when participants visited a park they hadn’t been to before. Overall, this study highlights the need to integrate approaches from both environmental psychology and leisure studies to generate more holistic and comprehensive recommendations for urban greening planning and policy.

Listening through a landline: Using degraded sounds to examine the relationship between cognitive restoration and preference

Journal of Environmental Psychology · 2025-04-25 · 1 citations

Sensitive to what? Environmental sensitivity primarily amplifies affective responses to features of the social rather than physical environment

2025-08-23

Environmental sensitivity, measured by the Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) Scale, influences how individuals react psychologically to life events and various environments. Previous research indicates that environmental features impact emotional responses, yet few studies have focused on how these effects vary among those with higher HSP traits. This study explored the moderating role of HSP and its subscales—Ease of Excitation (EoE), Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES), and Low Sensory Threshold (LST)—in relation to outdoor environmental exposures and emotional states. Findings revealed that HSP, EoE, and LST significantly moderated responses to social cues related to safety. Individuals with higher HSP scores experienced more positive emotions in safe, orderly environments with positive social interactions. However, AES did not show significant moderation, though those with higher aesthetic sensitivity reported better emotional responses in urban parks. Overall, the results suggest HSP traits reflect sensitivity to social rather than physical environmental factors.

Gesture-based instruction enhances neural synchrony and predicts children’s mathematical learning

2025-07-12

Teachers’ hand movements shape how children learn mathematics, but not all movements are equally effective. Gesture-based instruction on problems like 4+2+5=__+5—where a teacher forms a V-shaped hand under the 4 and 2 and points to the blank (“grouping strategy”)—promotes learning more than action-based instruction, where the teacher manipulates magnetic numbers to mimic the gestures. How do gestures facilitate learning? We tested 8- to 10-year-old children (N = 76) using fNIRS to measure neural activity as they watched gesture-based or action-based videotaped lessons. Gesture-based instruction elicited greater intersubject neural synchrony in the motor cortex and angular gyrus, a region implicated in arithmetic processing. Critically, synchrony in the right angular gyrus during gesture instruction predicted learning gains, whereas synchrony during action-based instruction did not. Our findings indicate that gestures foster shared representations in brain regions supporting arithmetic reasoning, and highlight fNIRS as a powerful tool for capturing how learning unfolds in children.