{"id":"https://openalex.org/W4392595267","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70271","title":"Computation or Weight Adaptation? Rethinking the Role of Plasticity in Learning","display_name":"Computation or Weight Adaptation? Rethinking the Role of Plasticity in Learning","publication_year":2026,"publication_date":"2026-10-31","ids":{"openalex":"https://openalex.org/W4392595267","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70271","pmid":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42965894","pmcid":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/13723303"},"language":"en","primary_location":{"id":"doi:10.1111/cogs.70271","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70271","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70271","pdf_url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/cogs.70271","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S78735424","display_name":"Cognitive Science","issn_l":"0364-0213","issn":["0364-0213","1551-6709"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","dongbi-c","erih-plus","jufo-2","ki-jl-2","medline","norway-2","poland-100","russia-white-list-2","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320595","host_organization_name":"Wiley","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320595"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Wiley"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Cognitive Science","raw_type":"journal-article"},"volume":null,"type":"article","indexed_in":["crossref","pubmed"],"open_access":{"is_oa":true,"oa_status":"hybrid","oa_url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/cogs.70271","any_repository_has_fulltext":true},"authorships":[{"author_position":"first","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5092031150","display_name":"Gili Lior","orcid":null,"observed_orcids":[]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I197251160","display_name":"Hebrew University of Jerusalem","ror":"https://ror.org/03qxff017","country_code":"IL","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"]}],"countries":["IL"],"is_corresponding":true,"raw_author_name":"Gili Lior","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5079397641","display_name":"Yuval Shalev","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2125-9735","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2125-9735"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I197251160","display_name":"Hebrew University of Jerusalem","ror":"https://ror.org/03qxff017","country_code":"IL","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I241749","display_name":"University of Cambridge","ror":"https://ror.org/013meh722","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I241749"]}],"countries":["GB","IL"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Yuval Shalev","raw_affiliation_strings":["Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel","Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, UK","School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Computer Science and Technology, University of Cambridge, UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I241749"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"]}]},{"author_position":"middle","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5082136238","display_name":"Gabriel Stanovsky","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2420-8979","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2420-8979"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I197251160","display_name":"Hebrew University of Jerusalem","ror":"https://ror.org/03qxff017","country_code":"IL","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"]}],"countries":["IL"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Gabriel Stanovsky","raw_affiliation_strings":["School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"School of Computer Science and Engineering, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"]}]},{"author_position":"last","author":{"id":"https://openalex.org/A5074374901","display_name":"Ariel Goldstein","orcid":"https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4017-3363","observed_orcids":["https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4017-3363","https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2393-1196"]},"institutions":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/I197251160","display_name":"Hebrew University of Jerusalem","ror":"https://ror.org/03qxff017","country_code":"IL","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"]},{"id":"https://openalex.org/I241749","display_name":"University of Cambridge","ror":"https://ror.org/013meh722","country_code":"GB","type":"education","lineage":["https://openalex.org/I241749"]}],"countries":["GB","IL"],"is_corresponding":false,"raw_author_name":"Ariel Goldstein","raw_affiliation_strings":["Center for Human Inspired AI, University of Cambridge, UK","Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel","Business School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel"],"raw_orcid":null,"affiliations":[{"raw_affiliation_string":"Center for Human Inspired AI, University of Cambridge, UK","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I241749"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Department of Cognitive and Brain Sciences, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"]},{"raw_affiliation_string":"Business School, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel","institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"]}]}],"institutions":[],"countries_distinct_count":2,"institutions_distinct_count":2,"corresponding_author_ids":["https://openalex.org/A5092031150"],"corresponding_institution_ids":["https://openalex.org/I197251160"],"apc_list":{"value":4000,"currency":"USD","value_usd":4000},"apc_paid":{"value":4000,"currency":"USD","value_usd":4000},"fwci":0.0,"has_fulltext":true,"cited_by_count":1,"citation_normalized_percentile":{"value":0.00216667,"is_in_top_1_percent":false,"is_in_top_10_percent":false},"cited_by_percentile_year":{"min":90,"max":94},"biblio":{"volume":"50","issue":"11","first_page":null,"last_page":null},"is_retracted":false,"is_paratext":false,"is_xpac":false,"primary_topic":{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10320","display_name":"Neural Networks and Applications","score":0.5342000126838684,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},"topics":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10320","display_name":"Neural Networks and Applications","score":0.5342000126838684,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T11307","display_name":"Domain Adaptation and Few-Shot Learning","score":0.26460000872612,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}},{"id":"https://openalex.org/T10028","display_name":"Topic Modeling","score":0.061000000685453415,"subfield":{"id":"https://openalex.org/subfields/1702","display_name":"Artificial Intelligence"},"field":{"id":"https://openalex.org/fields/17","display_name":"Computer Science"},"domain":{"id":"https://openalex.org/domains/3","display_name":"Physical Sciences"}}],"keywords":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/neuroplasticity","display_name":"neuroplasticity","score":0.949999988079071},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/statistical-learning","display_name":"statistical learning","score":0.7839999794960022},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/large-language-models","display_name":"large language models","score":0.8690000176429749},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/neural-network","display_name":"artificial neural networks","score":0.7200000286102295},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/computational-learning","display_name":"computational learning","score":0.39399999380111694},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/weight-adaptation","display_name":"weight adaptation","score":0.703000009059906},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/generalization","display_name":"generalization","score":0.6209999918937683},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/task-flexibility","display_name":"task flexibility","score":0.39399999380111694},{"id":"https://openalex.org/keywords/brain-inspired-models","display_name":"brain-inspired models","score":0.4860000014305115}],"concepts":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/C139807058","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q352374","display_name":"Adaptation (eye)","level":2,"score":0.758436381816864},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C45374587","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12525525","display_name":"Computation","level":2,"score":0.6451113820075989},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C41008148","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21198","display_name":"Computer science","level":0,"score":0.559400737285614},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C15744967","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q9418","display_name":"Psychology","level":0,"score":0.32553499937057495},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C11413529","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q8366","display_name":"Algorithm","level":1,"score":0.093533456325531},{"id":"https://openalex.org/C169760540","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q207011","display_name":"Neuroscience","level":1,"score":0.09177377820014954}],"mesh":[{"descriptor_ui":"D000098342","descriptor_name":"Large Language Models","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D000222","descriptor_name":"Adaptation, Physiological","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D001921","descriptor_name":"Brain","qualifier_ui":"Q000502","qualifier_name":"physiology","is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D006801","descriptor_name":"Humans","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":false},{"descriptor_ui":"D007858","descriptor_name":"Learning","qualifier_ui":"Q000502","qualifier_name":"physiology","is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D009473","descriptor_name":"Neuronal Plasticity","qualifier_ui":"Q000502","qualifier_name":"physiology","is_major_topic":true},{"descriptor_ui":"D016571","descriptor_name":"Neural Networks, Computer","qualifier_ui":null,"qualifier_name":null,"is_major_topic":true}],"locations_count":4,"locations":[{"id":"doi:10.1111/cogs.70271","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70271","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70271","pdf_url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/cogs.70271","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S78735424","display_name":"Cognitive Science","issn_l":"0364-0213","issn":["0364-0213","1551-6709"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","dongbi-c","erih-plus","jufo-2","ki-jl-2","medline","norway-2","poland-100","russia-white-list-2","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320595","host_organization_name":"Wiley","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320595"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Wiley"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Cognitive Science","raw_type":"journal-article"},{"id":"doi:10.1101/2024.03.07.583890","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.07.583890","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.03.07.583890","pdf_url":"https://www.biorxiv.org/content/biorxiv/early/2024/03/07/2024.03.07.583890.full.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306402567","display_name":"bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory)","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I2750212522","host_organization_name":"Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I2750212522"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"acceptedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":false,"raw_source_name":"bioRxiv","raw_type":"posted-content"},{"id":"pmh:oai:pubmedcentral.nih.gov:13723303","doi":null,"is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13723303/","pdf_url":"https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC13723303/pdf/COGS-50-e70271.pdf","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S2764455111","display_name":"PubMed Central","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":true,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Cogn Sci","raw_type":"Text"},{"id":"pmid:42965894","doi":null,"is_oa":false,"landing_page_url":"https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42965894","pdf_url":null,"source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S4306525036","display_name":"PubMed","issn_l":null,"issn":null,"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":false,"listed_in":[],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/I1299303238","host_organization_name":"National Institutes of Health","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/I1299303238"],"host_organization_lineage_names":[],"type":"repository"},"license":null,"license_id":null,"version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Cognitive science","raw_type":"Journal Article"}],"best_oa_location":{"id":"doi:10.1111/cogs.70271","doi":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70271","is_oa":true,"landing_page_url":"https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.70271","pdf_url":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/cogs.70271","source":{"id":"https://openalex.org/S78735424","display_name":"Cognitive Science","issn_l":"0364-0213","issn":["0364-0213","1551-6709"],"is_oa":false,"is_in_doaj":false,"is_core":true,"listed_in":["anvur-class-a","anvur-scientific","cwts-core","dongbi-c","erih-plus","jufo-2","ki-jl-2","medline","norway-2","poland-100","russia-white-list-2","vabb-shw"],"host_organization":"https://openalex.org/P4310320595","host_organization_name":"Wiley","host_organization_lineage":["https://openalex.org/P4310320595"],"host_organization_lineage_names":["Wiley"],"type":"journal"},"license":"cc-by-nc","license_id":"https://openalex.org/licenses/cc-by-nc","version":"publishedVersion","is_accepted":true,"is_published":true,"raw_source_name":"Cognitive Science","raw_type":"journal-article"},"sustainable_development_goals":[],"study_designs":[],"awards":[],"funders":[{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320320300","display_name":"European Commission","ror":"https://ror.org/00k4n6c32"},{"id":"https://openalex.org/F4320334322","display_name":"HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme","ror":null}],"has_content":{"pdf":true,"grobid_xml":true},"content_urls":{"pdf":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W4392595267.pdf","grobid_xml":"https://content.openalex.org/works/W4392595267.grobid-xml"},"referenced_works_count":67,"referenced_works":["https://openalex.org/W1483035785","https://openalex.org/W1966770467","https://openalex.org/W1975462382","https://openalex.org/W1978328644","https://openalex.org/W1980862600","https://openalex.org/W1985454926","https://openalex.org/W2002734542","https://openalex.org/W2014058204","https://openalex.org/W2014636973","https://openalex.org/W2019922577","https://openalex.org/W2027132854","https://openalex.org/W2077179254","https://openalex.org/W2078195513","https://openalex.org/W2081965739","https://openalex.org/W2089217417","https://openalex.org/W2096452974","https://openalex.org/W2101959828","https://openalex.org/W2124358373","https://openalex.org/W2130156168","https://openalex.org/W2132339004","https://openalex.org/W2133688510","https://openalex.org/W2136401406","https://openalex.org/W2142646240","https://openalex.org/W2143712912","https://openalex.org/W2319891956","https://openalex.org/W2467458705","https://openalex.org/W2549355627","https://openalex.org/W2762685433","https://openalex.org/W2765104065","https://openalex.org/W2950604305","https://openalex.org/W2958729102","https://openalex.org/W3003698424","https://openalex.org/W3030163527","https://openalex.org/W3117576675","https://openalex.org/W3126329649","https://openalex.org/W3127203216","https://openalex.org/W3166702123","https://openalex.org/W3177500196","https://openalex.org/W3208828709","https://openalex.org/W3210923133","https://openalex.org/W4212828284","https://openalex.org/W4220949944","https://openalex.org/W4254727950","https://openalex.org/W4288066876","https://openalex.org/W4291792419","https://openalex.org/W4304206908","https://openalex.org/W4306643150","https://openalex.org/W4311726128","https://openalex.org/W4313244913","https://openalex.org/W4318919287","https://openalex.org/W4385570025","https://openalex.org/W4385571886","https://openalex.org/W4386081899","https://openalex.org/W4387561528","https://openalex.org/W4387820722","https://openalex.org/W4388424764","https://openalex.org/W4389521044","https://openalex.org/W4389668679","https://openalex.org/W4391876619","https://openalex.org/W4393343917","https://openalex.org/W4399198168","https://openalex.org/W4404462985","https://openalex.org/W4406061218","https://openalex.org/W4411483912","https://openalex.org/W4416722378","https://openalex.org/W4417054893","https://openalex.org/W7137907728"],"related_works":["https://openalex.org/W2770863828","https://openalex.org/W4322627332","https://openalex.org/W7219993755","https://openalex.org/W7171526086","https://openalex.org/W2994024709","https://openalex.org/W7172225964","https://openalex.org/W4416110919","https://openalex.org/W7162410241","https://openalex.org/W2550294220","https://openalex.org/W4406166586"],"abstract_inverted_index":{"The":[0,17],"human":[1],"brain":[2],"is":[3,20,72],"an":[4],"adaptive":[5,23,59],"learning":[6,31,70,79,146,177],"system":[7,32,71],"that":[8,21,57,143],"can":[9,61,100],"generalize":[10],"to":[11,50,95,152,174,179],"new":[12,153],"tasks":[13,154],"and":[14,55,91,116,155],"unfamiliar":[15],"environments.":[16],"traditional":[18,53],"view":[19,54],"such":[22,58],"behavior":[24,60],"requires":[25],"a":[26],"structural":[27],"change":[28],"of":[29,138],"the":[30,69,120,126,136,169,183],"(e.g.,":[33],"via":[34],"neural":[35,43,97],"plasticity).":[36],"In":[37],"this":[38,52],"work,":[39],"we":[40],"use":[41,175],"artificial":[42],"networks,":[44],"specifically":[45],"large":[46],"language":[47,122],"models":[48,127,178],"(LLMs),":[49],"challenge":[51],"suggest":[56],"be":[62],"also":[63],"achieved":[64],"solely":[65,157],"through":[66,158],"computation":[67],"if":[68],"sufficiently":[73,144],"trained.":[74,129],"We":[75],"focus":[76],"on":[77,124],"statistical":[78],"paradigms.":[80],"These":[81],"require":[82,96],"identifying":[83],"underlying":[84],"regularities":[85],"in":[86,140],"seemingly":[87],"arbitrary":[88,102],"word":[89],"sequences":[90],"are":[92,148],"primarily":[93],"considered":[94],"plasticity.":[98],"LLMs":[99],"capture":[101],"structures":[103,111],"without":[104],"requiring":[105],"weight":[106],"adaptation,":[107],"even":[108],"though":[109],"these":[110],"carry":[112],"no":[113],"semantic":[114],"content":[115],"lie":[117],"far":[118],"from":[119],"natural":[121],"distribution":[123],"which":[125],"were":[128],"Our":[130],"work":[131,167],"provides":[132],"novel":[133],"insights":[134],"into":[135],"role":[137],"plasticity":[139],"learning,":[141],"demonstrating":[142],"trained":[145],"systems":[147],"highly":[149],"flexible,":[150],"adapting":[151],"environments":[156],"computation,":[159],"much":[160],"more":[161],"than":[162],"previously":[163],"acknowledged.":[164],"Furthermore,":[165],"our":[166],"opens":[168],"door":[170],"for":[171],"future":[172],"research":[173],"deep":[176],"conjure":[180],"hypotheses":[181],"about":[182],"brain.":[184]},"counts_by_year":[{"year":2025,"cited_by_count":1}],"updated_date":"2026-11-05T12:25:35.769452","created_date":"2024-03-09T00:00:00"}
