A neurocomputational theory of how rule-guided behaviors become automatic.

This article introduces a biologically detailed computational model of how rule-guided behaviors become automatic. The model assumes that initially, rule-guided behaviors are controlled by a distributed neural network centered in the prefrontal cortex, and that in addition to initiating behavior, this network also trains a faster and more direct network that includes projections from sensory association cortex directly to rule-sensitive neurons in the premotor cortex. After much practice, the direct network is sufficient to control the behavior, without prefrontal involvement. The model is implemented as a biologically detailed neural network constructed from spiking neurons and displaying a biologically plausible form of Hebbian learning. The model successfully accounts for single-unit recordings and human behavioral data that are problematic for other models of automaticity. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).