About this journal

Advances in Cognitive Psychology (ACP) is an open access, quarterly peer-reviewed scientific journal dedicated to research on cognitive models of various aspects of psychology. All articles published in ACP are free to access and download.

Since the 1970s, researchers have tried to understand the way mental and cognitive systems influence various behaviors and attitudes, how such systems develop, what are their functional, evolutionary origins, and what are their physical and psychological processes. Our journal attempts to disseminate original empirical (2.5k word brief reports; 5k single study; 10K word multistudy) and theoretical/review/meta-analyses articles (10K word), as well as replications (2.5k word brief reports), reports of null findings (2.5k word brief reports), and literature reviews (10K word) about research that places the mind and mental processes as central features of psychological systems and research as opposed to purely environmentally deterministic or behaviorist models.

To do so, our journal is broken up into three parts, run by Section Editors and reviewed by specialized academics from around the world: Attitudes, Beliefs, and Behavior (Andrew G. Thomas); Cognition, Intelligence, and Thinking (Ludmiła Zając-Lamparska); and Personality and Individual Differences (Radosław Rogoza). Please see the Author Guidelines section for details and submission instructions.

ACP also promotes and encourages open science, pre-registration of study and is a peer community in registered reports (PCI RR) - friendly journal. We are also indexed in a range of major databases, including PubMed, Scopus, JCR, and PsycINFO (eISSN: 1895-1171).

In 2022-2024, Advances in Cognitive Psychology received financing from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland within the program Rozwój Czasopism Naukowych (application/contract no. RCN/SN/0494/2021/1; total value of the project: 91,908.00 PLN; funds granted directly by the Ministry: 45,954.00 PLN; date of signing the contract: 23.12.2022). The aim of the project is to improve the scientific and editorial standards of scientific journals as well as to increase their international impact and reach. The funds received as part of the program are used by Advances in Cognitive Psychology to (a) finance access to an editorial system software suite, including an anti-plagiarism tool, and to register DOI numbers for the published articles, (b) implement current best practices into the editorial workflow on the level of the editorial system suite, including the addition of ORCID numbers, (c) finance access to typesetting software, and (d) promote the journal among potential authors and readers online.

W latach 2022-2024 czasopismo naukowe Advances in Cognitive Psychology otrzymuje dofinansowanie w ramach programu Rozwój Czasopism Naukowych Ministerstwa Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego (nr rejestracyjny wniosku/umowy: RCN/SN/0494/2021/1; wartość dofinansowania przyznanego przez Ministerstwo: 45,954.00 PLN; całkowita wartość zadania: 91,908.00 PLN; data podpisania umowy o dofinansowanie zadania: 23.12.2022). Projekt ma na celu podniesienie standardów naukowych i wydawniczych czasopism naukowych oraz zwiększenie ich międzynarodowego wpływu i zasięgu. Dofinansowanie przyznane Advances in Cognitive Psychology przez Ministerstwo są przeznaczone na: (a) opłatę licencji/dostępu do pakietu oprogramowania redakcyjnego, w tym systemu antyplagiatowego, oraz rejestracji numerów DOI dla publikowanych artykułów; (b) wdrożenie współczesnych najlepszych praktyk wydawniczych na poziomie system oprogramowania redakcyjnego, w tym integracji numerów DOI, (c) opłatę licencji/dostępu do programu do składu artykułów oraz (d) promocję czasopisma online wśród potencjalnych autorów i czytelników.

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Current Issue

Issue 3 On line: 4 July 2026

Associative Memory Activation Boosts Short-Term Memory Under High Load: Evidence From Visual Change Detection Paradigm
pp. 164-171
First published on 4 July 2026 | DOI:10.5709/acp-0496-x
Xing Zhou, Jiawen Xu, Jiahong Zheng
Corresponding author:

Xing Zhou, School of Psychology, South China Normal University, 55 West Zhongshan Ave, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510631, China.

Email: 2023010294@m.scnu.edu.cn

APA
Zhou, X., Xu, J., & Zheng, J. (2026). Associative memory activation boosts short-term memory under high load: Evidence from visual change detection paradigm. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 22(3), 174-181. https://doi.org/10.5709/acp-0496-x
Abstract

Previous studies on associative memory's effect on short-term memory (STM) have yielded inconsistent findings (facilitation vs. interference). This inconsistency is particularly pronounced under high memory load conditions that exceed STM capacity. To address this gap, we investigated whether systematically manipulated associative activation (via repetition) and retention interval jointly affect STM under high load. Using a 3 × 3 (activation level [none, low, high] × retention interval [1000, 1500, 3000 ms]) mixed design, participants learned Emoji pairs with 0/8/18 repetitions (training phase) and completed a visual STM recognition task via change detection (8 simultaneous items, test phase). Results showed that high associative activation significantly improved STM performance, reflected by higher capacity (K), discriminability (d'), and accuracy. Critically, this facilitative effect did not interact with retention interval, indicating a robust benefit under high load. These findings advance LTM-STM interplay understanding: highly activated associative LTM representations supplement STM capacity and guide attentional allocation. Future research could explore diverse materials, neurophysiological measures (e.g., EEG), and longer retention intervals to clarify temporal dynamics.

Keywords: associative memory, activation level, short-term memory, retention interval, high memory load

Coping Strategies and Motivations to Play as Predictors of Behavioral Patterns Within Pay-to-Win Games
pp. 172-186
First published on 13 August 2026 | DOI:10.5709/acp-0499-9
Bernadeta Lelonek-Kuleta, Andrzej Cudo, Jonathan David, Rafał P. Bartczuk
Corresponding author:

Bernadeta Lelonek-Kuleta, The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Institute of Psychology, Lublin, Poland.

Email: bernadetalelonek@kul.pl

APA
Lelonek-Kuleta, B., Cudo, A., David, J., & Bartczuk, R. P. (2026). Coping strategies and motivations to play as predictors of behavioral patterns within pay-to-win games. Advances in Cognitive Psychology, 22(3), 172-186. https://doi.org/10.5709/acp-0499-9
Abstract

Background: The aim of the study was to identify psychological predictors of specific patterns of play in pay-to-win games: coping strategies and motivation to play. Methods: The article presents the results of an online cross-sectional study conducted among pay-to-win (P2W) gamers (n = 868), defined as those who have made in-game payments to gain an advantage over gamers who refuse to pay. Results: The patterns of P2W gaming differed in their predictors; the pattern of larger contributions was associated with self-enhancement motivation, and the pattern of small, frequent contributions was associated with social motivation and coping directed to escape from problems. Conclusions: Behavioral patterns of gaming are associated with different gaming motivations and strategies. The social factor seemed to differentiate between the most distinct types of players. Recognition of these specific patterns can be an essential factor in adequately understanding P2W gaming behavior. Significance statement: This study advances our understanding of P2W gaming by revealing that distinct psychological mechanisms drive players' spending and engagement patterns. Rather than treating P2W gamers as a uniform group, we demonstrated that self-enhancement motives primarily drive high-spending players. Conversely, players who make frequent but smaller financial contributions use the game to escape real-world problems and satisfy social needs. Crucially, our findings show that social coping, typically a positive trait, can inadvertently lead to excessive gaming when embedded in virtual communities. By identifying these diverse underlying motivations, this research provides essential insights to help clinicians and educators develop targeted, behavior-specific interventions for problematic gaming.

Keywords: pay-to-win games, gaming behavior, problem gaming, coping, motivation to play
All current issue articles

Zadania finansowane w ramach umowy 801/P-DUN/2018 ze środków Ministra Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego przeznaczonych na działalność upowszechniającą naukę: Finansowanie zagranicznych redaktorów naczelnych; Przygotowanie i edycja anglojęzycznych publikacji; Upowszechnianie publikacji i ułatwianie dostępu do nich szerokiemu gronu odbiorców; Utworzenie nowej platformy do udostępniania artykułów. W latach 2022-2024 czasopismo naukowe Advances in Cognitive Psychology otrzymuje dofinansowanie w ramach programu Rozwój Czasopism Naukowych Ministerstwa Nauki i Szkolnictwa Wyższego (nr rejestracyjny wniosku/umowy: RCN/SN/0494/2021/1; wartość dofinansowania przyznanego przez Ministerstwo: 45,954.00 PLN; całkowita wartość zadania: 91,908.00 PLN; data podpisania umowy o dofinansowanie zadania: 23.12.2022). Projekt ma na celu podniesienie standardów naukowych i wydawniczych czasopism naukowych oraz zwiększenie ich międzynarodowego wpływu i zasięgu. Dofinansowanie przyznane Advances in Cognitive Psychology przez Ministerstwo są przeznaczone na: (a) opłatę licencji/dostępu do pakietu oprogramowania redakcyjnego, w tym systemu antyplagiatowego, oraz rejestracji numerów DOI dla publikowanych artykułów; (b) wdrożenie współczesnych najlepszych praktyk wydawniczych na poziomie system oprogramowania redakcyjnego, w tym integracji numerów DOI, (c) opłatę licencji/dostępu do programu do składu artykułów oraz (d) promocję czasopisma online wśród potencjalnych autorów i czytelników.

Tasks financed by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education on the basis of the contract no. 801/P-DUN/2018 out of the funds designed for activities promoting science: Preparation and editing of English versions of articles. Financing foreign Editors-in-Chief, Dissemination of publications and increasing their accessibility to a broad range of readers, Creation of the XML conversion platform to improve the access to the articles (2018-2019). In 2022-2024, Advances in Cognitive Psychology receives financing from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, Poland within the program Rozwój Czasopism Naukowych (application/contract no. RCN/SN/0494/2021/1; total value of the project: 91,908.00 PLN; funds granted directly by the Ministry: 45,954.00 PLN; date of signing the contract: 23.12.2022). The aim of the project is to improve the scientific and editorial standards of scientific journals as well as to increase their international impact and reach. The funds received as part of the program are used by Advances in Cognitive Psychology to (a) finance access to an editorial system software suite, including an anti-plagiarism tool, and to register DOI numbers for the published articles, (b) implement current best practices into the editorial workflow on the level of the editorial system suite, including the addition of ORCID numbers, (c) finance access to typesetting software, and (d) promote the journal among potential authors and readers online.