Latent Task Architecture: Modeling Cognitive Readiness Under Unresolved Intentions

Latent Task Architecture: Modeling Cognitive Readiness Under Unresolved Intentions | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Latent Task Architecture: Modeling Cognitive Readiness Under Unresolved Intentions Nikesh Lagun This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6896824/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract The Latent Task Architecture (LTA) proposes a control-theoretic framework for modeling how deferred, unresolved cognitive structures modulate ignition dynamics and effort regulation. Extending the Cognitive Drive Architecture (CDA) and Cognitive Thermostat Theory (CTT), LTA introduces the construct of Latent Load (LL), a bounded, continuous signal that estimates the influence of non-executed task representations on readiness parameters: Grain, Anchory, and CAP. Through mathematical formalization, simulation scenarios, and predictive modeling, LTA demonstrates that latent structures may act as dynamic modulators of cognitive engagement, although causality remains to be empirically isolated. Critical considerations highlight that LL formalization, while computationally tractable, may not fully capture the stochastic, fragmented nature of real latent cognition; further, boundary conditions between active and latent states require sharper definition. Ethical risks of latent-state sensing, especially regarding cognitive privacy and autonomy, are recognized as first-order design constraints, not secondary concerns. Moreover, the necessity of multi-timescale modeling is emphasized, given cognition's sensitivity to both rapid cue dynamics and slow latent accumulation. Rather than presenting a finalized model of mind, LTA opens a structured dialogue, framing cognitive stability as an emergent negotiation between present action and latent potential, an architecture still to be fully formalized, empirically validated, and ethically governed. Computational Neuroscience Psychology Latent Task Architecture Cognitive Control Theory Cognitive Drive Architecture Effort Regulation Ignition Dynamics Deferred Intentions Full Text Additional Declarations The authors declare no competing interests. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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