Johns Hopkins researchers find mental link between visual and auditory complexity
Tal Boger and Chaz Firestone from Johns Hopkins University published new research in Nature Human Behaviour on September 23, 2026.
Study design involved multiple experiments
The team conducted eleven separate experiments to test connections between different types of complexity. Participants played a game where they chose between items that varied in simplicity or intricacy. Some players earned rewards for picking simpler options while others were paid for selecting more complex choices.
Results suggest a broad mental shortcut
The findings indicate humans might use a single rule to understand complexity across senses. This ability could help people navigate an environment filled with heavy information loads. The study expands on earlier work that showed how minds find regularities in spatial patterns.
New rules apply to unrelated things
Researchers identified a shared quality in the complexity of items seen, heard, and touched. This suggests the brain treats diverse examples of complexity through a common underlying mechanism. The published results appear in the journal Nature Human Behaviour.
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