**This study investigated the neurocognitive and behavioral processes in handling symmetry and asymmetry within working memory. It uses functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine brain activity and behavioral data to analyze memory performance related to symmetrical and asymmetrical stimuli.** ### Project published in: Sztuka, I.M., Kühn, S. Neurocognitive dynamics and behavioral differences of symmetry and asymmetry processing in working memory: insights from fNIRS. Sci Rep 15, 4740 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-84988-8 ![Project design and assumptions][1] ### Abstract: Symmetry is a ubiquitous property of the visual world. It facilitates cognitive processing and fosters aesthetic appeal. Despite its importance to aesthetic experience and perceptual prominence, the integration of symmetry in working memory remains underexplored. In our study, participants engaged in working memory delayed matching to sample task involving both symmetrical and asymmetrical stimuli, while their brain activity was monitored using functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). The study revealed that symmetry significantly enhances memory performance. Symmetry significantly improves task performance, with symmetrical stimuli leading to higher accuracy and faster recall than asymmetrical ones, especially under high cognitive load. This effect varies with the type of symmetry, with diagonal symmetry being the most effective. Neuroimaging data showed distinct brain activation patterns when participants processed symmetrical stimuli, particularly in the memory-straining condition. Significant differences in brain activity were observed in various brain regions, with lateral occipital, posterior parietal, medial and dorsolateral prefrontal cortices reacting to symmetry with decreased oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO), while in left orbitofrontal (HbO) and right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (HbO and HbR) hemoglobin concentration increased. Overall, our findings highlight the complex, region-specific brain activation patterns in response to visual symmetry, emphasizing the nuanced role of symmetry in cognitive processing during memory tasks and their potential implication for creative thinking. ### Affiliation: The project was conducted at Max Planck Institute for Human Development and at the Max Planck Dahlem Campus of Cognition. [1]: https://files.osf.io/v1/resources/z7kw3/providers/osfstorage/65f1cd1e719c061027d49a3a?mode=render