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We developed a novel Proactive Reactive and Attentional Dynamics (PRAD) computational model designed to dissect the latent mechanisms of inhibitory control in human cognition. Leveraging data from over 7,500 participants in the NIH Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, we demonstrate that PRAD surpasses traditional models by integrating proactive, reactive, and attentional components of inhibitory control. Employing a hierarchical Bayesian framework, PRAD offers a granular view of the dynamics underpinning action execution and inhibition, provides debiased estimates of stop-signal reaction times, and elucidates individual and temporal variability in cognitive control processes. Our findings reveal significant intra-individual variability, challenging conventional assumptions of random variability across trials. By addressing nonergodicity and systematically accounting for the multi-componential nature of cognitive control, PRAD advances our understanding of the cognitive mechanisms driving individual differences in cognitive control and provides a sophisticated computational framework for dissecting dynamic cognitive processes across diverse populations. 

Nonergodicity and Simpson’s paradox present significant, yet underappreciated challenges in neuroscience. Leveraging brain imaging and behavioral data from over 4,000 children and a Bayesian computational model of cognitive dynamics, we investigated brain-behavior relationships underlying cognitive control at both between-subjects and within-subjects levels. Strikingly, we observed a reversal of associations of inhibitory control brain activations with dynamic behavioral measures when comparing between-subjects and within-subjects analyses, revealing the nonergodic nature of these processes. This nonergodicity was pervasive throughout the brain but most pronounced in the salience network. Additionally, within-subjects analysis uncovered dissociated brain representations of reactive and proactive control processes, as well as distinct brain-behavior associations for individuals who adaptively versus maladaptively regulated cognitive control. Our findings offer insights into dynamic neural mechanisms of cognitive control during a critical developmental period. This work highlights the importance of embracing nonergodicity in human neuroscience, with implications for both theoretical understanding and applications to AI and psychopathology.