Evolutionary Cognition Research Focused Lecture Flashcards
What is cognitive diversity?
The idea that animals perceive and understand the world in different ways.
What is evolutionary cognition?
Our cognition is not unique and has been inherited and we share same cognitive processes with other animals or organisms.
-Such as snakes perceive and construct representations using infrared waves.
How does evidence suggest our cognition and brain is evolutionary?
Our brain structures are similar to other organisms, with each structure performing the same functions.
If cognitive systems are inherited what questions can we ask ourselves?
How much of our behaviour is innate as opposed to learnt
How flexible is adaption based on learning
How similar are our biological mechanisms underpinning learning similar in human and animals?
At the cell level: Neural plasticity
At the network level: Same structures (hippocampus)
What is shared with animals with regards to cognition?
Basic emotions are inherited from and thus shared with animals E.G fear
Basic cognition is shared with other animals E.G decision making
Many behaviours are underpinned by the same neural circuits in different species.
How do we know that cognition is evolutionary?
Cognitive processes are evolutionary biased as we react differently to stimuli in the environment for adaptive reasons.
Continuity displayed across organisms.
What type of knowledge is there?
Innate and Acquired.
Since face recognition is so complex but can be performed fast is it acquired or innate?
There’s a structure in the brain called the fusiform face area responsible for face recognition, suggesting it was innate.
Is reading and language functions innate or acquired knowledge?
-some areas in the brain are specialised in language processing.
- These areas are either ‘new’ or have been a target of cultural recycling
- A skill has been lost or reduced in order to allow reading and language functions to improve.
What is evolution of brain size over about 3 million years?
- Aferensis : 3 million years, 500mm3
- Homo Habilisis: 2 million years, 640 mm3
- Homo erectus: 1 million years, 900mm3
- Homo Sapiens: 1450mm3
Grey matter has increased.
What is cultural recycling?
-Pre wired areas in the brain loosing skills and adapting to the new environment by being responsible for different skills.
What abilities has apparition of language changed?
-communicate, but also to represent the world around us.
Why has our brain developed through evolution?
- more complex cognitive processing is required in order to survive the environment, theory of mind abilities, to mate with other mates and to socialise with other humans to increase survival.
- Grey matter increases.
Why does the visual words form area exist?
The Brain is pre wired to process words.
The region is not specific to words but will develop to process words dues to its connectivity pattern in the brain.
