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The Evolutionary Origins of Cognitive Control
Author(s) -
Hills Thomas T.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
topics in cognitive science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.191
H-Index - 56
eISSN - 1756-8765
pISSN - 1756-8757
DOI - 10.1111/j.1756-8765.2011.01135.x
Subject(s) - cognition , cognitive science , control (management) , domain (mathematical analysis) , action (physics) , divergence (linguistics) , social cognition , cognitive psychology , psychology , computer science , process (computing) , artificial intelligence , neuroscience , mathematical analysis , linguistics , philosophy , physics , mathematics , quantum mechanics , operating system
The question of domain‐specific versus domain‐general processing is an ongoing source of inquiry surrounding cognitive control. Using a comparative evolutionary approach, Stout (2010) proposed two components of cognitive control: coordinating hierarchical action plans and social cognition. This article reports additional molecular and experimental evidence supporting a domain‐general attentional process coordinating hierarchical action plans, with the earliest such control processing originating in the capacity of dynamic foraging behaviors—predating the vertebrate‐invertebrate divergence (c. 700 million years ago). Further discussion addresses evidence required for additional, domain‐specific, cognitive control processes, noting that proposed social processes may simply provide emotionally valenced representational information to the above hierarchical process.