Research Interests

John G. Holden

Picture of a fractal design


  Selected Publications:



Annand, C. T., & Holden, J. G. (in press). Embodied Nonlinear Dynamics of Cognitive Performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, doi: 10.1037/xge0001319. [Download PDF] [Data and Matlab Code]

Amon, M. J., Annand, C. T, & Holden, J. G. (2022). Cognitive Dynamics: Additive or Multiplicative? Research Directs in Psychology and Behavior, 2 (1) 1-7, [Download PDF]

Annand, C. T, Fleming, S. M., & Holden, J. G. (2021). Farey trees explain sequential effects in choice response time. Frontiers in Physiology, 12:611145, doi: 10.3389/fphys.2021.611145. [Download PDF]


McNorgan, C., Judson, C., Handzlik, D., & Holden, J.G. (2020). Linking ADHD and behavioral assessment through the identification of shared diagnostic task-based functional connections. Front. Physiol. 11:583005. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2020.583005. [Download PDF]


Annand, C. T., Grover, F. M., Silva, P. L., Holden, J. G., & Riley, M. A. (2020). Early and intermediate learning differences between intra- and interpersonal limb coordination. Human Movement Science, 73, 102682. [Download PDF]



Liu, Z., Moghaddam, M. D., Holden, J. G., Serota, R. A. (2020). Modeling response time with power law distributions. Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life sciences, 23, 433-464. [Download PDF]


Amon, M. J., & Holden, J. G. (2019). The mismatch of intrinsic fluctuations and the static assumptions of linear statistics. Review of Philosophy and Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13164-018-0428-x. [Download PDF]

Holden, J. G., Cosnard, A., Laurens, B., Asselineau, J., Biotti, D., Cubizolle, S., Dupouy, S., Formaglio, M. Koric, L., Seaussau, S., Tilikete, C., Vighetto, A., & Tison, F. (2018). Prodromal Alzheimer’s demonstrates increased errors at a simple and automated anti-saccade task. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 65, 1209-1223. [Download PDF]

Amon, M. J., Pavlov, O., & Holden, J. G. (2018). Synchronization and fractal scaling as foundations for cognitive control. Cognitive systems research, 50, 155-179. doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsys.2018.04.010. [Download PDF]

Holden, J. G., Greijn, L. T., van Rooij, M. M. J. W., Wijnants, M. L., & Bosman, A. M. T. (2014). Dyslexic and Skilled Reading Dynamics are Self-Similar. Annals of Dyslexia, 64, 202-221. [Download PDF]

Holden, J. G. (2013). Cognitive effects as distribution rescaling. Ecological Psychology, 25, 256-266. [Download PDF]

van Rooij, M. J. W., Nash, B., Rajaraman, S., & Holden, J. G. (2013). A fractal approach to distribution analysis and dynamic inference. doi: 10.3389/fphys.2013.00001. In Holden, J. G., Riley, M. A., Gao, J., & Torre, K. (Eds.). (2013). Fractal analyses: Statistical and methodological innovations and best Practices. [Download PDF]

Riley, M. A., & Holden, J. G. (2012). Dynamics of cognition. Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Cognitive Science. doi: 10.1002/wcs.1200. [Download PDF]

Holden, J. G., & Rajaraman, S. (2012). The self-organization of a spoken word. Frontiers in Psychology, 3, 209. doi: 10.3398/fpsyg.2012.00209. [Download PDF] [Cocktail Model Matlab Code]

Dixon, J. A., Holden, J. G., Mirman, D., & Stephen, D. G. (2012). Multifractal dynamics in the emergence of cognitive performance. topiCS: Topics in Cognitive Science, 4, 51-62. [Download PDF]

Holden, J. G., Choi, I., Amazeen, P. G., & Van Orden, G. (2011). Fractal 1/ƒ Dynamics Suggest Entanglement of Measurement and Human Performance. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 37, 935-948. [Download PDF]

Kello, C. T., Brown, G .D. A., Ferrer-i-Cancho, R., Holden, J. G., Linkenkaer-Hansen, K., Rhodes, T., & Van Orden, G. C. (2010). Scaling laws in cognitive sciences. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 14, 223-232. [Download PDF]

Van Orden, G. C., Kello, C. T., & Holden, J. G. (2010). Situated behavior and the place of measurement in psychological theory.  Ecological Psychology, 22, 24-43. [Download PDF]

Holden, J. G., Van Orden, G. C., & Turvey, M. T. (2009). Dispersion of response times reveals cognitive dynamics.  Psychological Review, 116, 318-342. [Download PDF] [Supplemental Figure Files]

Kello, C. T., Anderson, G. G., Holden, J. G., & Van Orden, G. C. (2008). The Pervasiveness of 1/ƒ Scaling in Speech Reflects the Metastable Basis of Cognition. Cognitive Science, 32, 1217-1231. [Download PDF]

Kello, C. T., Beltz, B. C., Holden, J. G., & Van Orden, G. C. (2007). The emergent coordination of cognitive function.  Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 136, 551-568. [Download PDF]

Holden, J. G. (2005). Gauging the fractal dimension of response times from cognitive tasks.  In M. A. Riley & G. C. Van Orden (Eds.), Contemporary Nonlinear Methods for Behavioral Scientists: A webbook tutorial (pp. 267-318).  Retrieved April 8, 2005, from http://www.nsf.gov/sbe/bcs/pac/nmbs/nmbs.jsp [Download PDF]

Van Orden, G. C., Holden, J. G., & Turvey, M. T. (2005). Human cognition and 1/ƒ scaling. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 134, 117-123. [Download PDF]

Colangelo, A., Holden, J. G., Buchanan, L., & Van Orden, G. C. (2004). Speculation about Behavior, Brain Damage, and Self-Organization: The Other Way to Herd a Cat.  Brain and Language, 90, 151-159.[Download PDF]

Van Orden, G. C., Holden, J. G., & Turvey, M. T. (2003). Self-organization of cognitive performance.  Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 132, 331-350. [Download PDF]

Van Orden, G. C, Moreno, M. A., & Holden, J. G.  (2003).  A proper metaphysics for cognitive performance.  Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology and Life Sciences, 1, 47-58. [Download PDF]

Holden, J. G., & Van Orden, G. C. (2002). Reading.  In M. A. Arbib (Ed.), The Handbook of Brain Theory and Neural Networks, (2nd ed.), pp. 951-955.  Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press. [Download PDF]

Holden, J. G. (2002). Fractal characteristics of response time variability. Ecological Psychology, 14, 53-86. [Download PDF]

Van Orden, G. C. & Holden, J. G. (2002). Intentional contents and self-control.  Ecological Psychology, 14, 87-109. [Download PDF]

Holden, J. G., Flach, J. M., & Donchin, Y. (1999). Perceptual-motor coordination in an endoscopic surgery simulation.  Surgical Endoscopy-Ultrasound and Intervention Techniques, 13, 127-132. [Download PDF]

Van Orden, G. C., Holden, J. G., Podgornik, M. N., & Aitchison, C. S. (1999). What swimming says about reading:  Coordination, context, and homophone errors. Ecological Psychology, 11, 45-79. [Download PDF]

Flach, J. M., & Holden, J. G. (1998). The reality of experience: Gibson’s way. Presence: Teleoperators and virtual environments 7, 90-95. [Download PDF]