There is observable hierarchy in visual and auditory cortical topology.

Is hierarchical clustering appropriate for cognitive processes?

Control for clusterable Personality factors, Attachment styles, Educational instruction styles, Parenting styles,

Cognitive psychology > Cognitive psychology vs. cognitive science: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_psychology#Cognitive...

Cognitive psychology > Cognitive processes: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cognitive_psychology#Cognitive...

Defence mechanism > Relation with coping; Mature defense mechanisms or not, a Boolean: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Defence_mechanism

Social cognition >
Social cognitive neuroscience:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_cognition#Social_cognit...

Systems neuroscience: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Systems_neuroscience

Hypotheses: Theory of mind is advantageous in assessments emotional cognitive abilities, and even an NT or non-NT Boolean factor also predicts variance in the given assessments

Theory of mind > Brain mechanisms:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theory_of_mind#Brain_mechanism...

Three-Stratum Theory:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-stratum_theory :

> The three-stratum theory is a theory of cognitive ability proposed by the American psychologist John Carroll in 1993.[1][2] It is based on a factor-analytic study of the correlation of individual-difference variables from data such as psychological tests, school marks and competence ratings from more than 460 datasets. These analyses suggested a three-layered model where each layer accounts for the variations in the correlations within the previous layer.

> The three layers (strata) are defined as representing narrow, broad, and general cognitive ability. The factors describe stable and observable differences among individuals in the performance of tasks. Carroll argues further that they are not mere artifacts of a mathematical process, but likely reflect physiological factors explaining differences in ability (e.g., nerve firing rates). This does not alter the effectiveness of factor scores in accounting for behavioral differences.

There are multiple methods of studying neural topology and emergent cognitive processes, and their possibly hierarchically clusterable topology in feature space. What are some of the current developments in neural topology and feature clustering?

Three-Stratum Theory > See also lists: CHC, g-factor, Fluid and crystallized intelligence, and g-VST (2005).

CHC: Cattell–Horn–Carroll theory: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattell%E2%80%93Horn%E2%80%93C...

g-VPR (2005): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G-VPR_model

/? hierarchy of cognitive processes: https://www.google.com/search?q=hierarchy+of+cognitive+proce... https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C43&q=hie...

Neurodevelopmental framework for learning > Other learning frameworks references e.g. CHC and further developments in education:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neurodevelopmental_framework_f...

OTOH other factors to control for: postal code and school funding and teaching practices in those years,

Compensatory education: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compensatory_education

Remedial education > Research on outcomes:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remedial_education

Learning styles: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_styles :

> [...] specific study strategies, unrelated to learning style, were positively correlated with final course grade.[46]

Differentiated instruction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Differentiated_instruction :

> Teachers can differentiate in four ways: 1) through content, 2) process, 3) product, and 4) learning environment based on the individual learner. [7]*

But FWIU none of these models of cognitive hierarchy or instruction are informed by newer developments in topological study of neural connectivity;
from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=18218504 :

> According to "Cliques of Neurons Bound into Cavities Provide a Missing Link between Structure and Function" (2017) https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncom.2017.0004... , the human brain appears to be [at most] 11-dimensional (11D); in terms of algebraic topology https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Algebraic_topology