The Evolution of Cognition: a 4E Perspective

1992

This paper on "The mind of organisms" by Prato Previde, Colombetti, PoH and Spada provides an excellent account of the aims and assumptions underlying contemporary research in animal cognition. It puts forward a point of view that most researchers in the area today would probably share, but rarely make explicit. Among a behaviorist minority, who do not subscribe to such views and are unsympathetic to the whole idea of "animal cognition," there is still a strong suspicion that "cogni-tive" denotes both a loose anthropomorphism and a highly regrettable relapse into dualism. Consequently, what the present paper identifies as the two fundamental assumptions of the cognitive approach they endorse need to be emphasized again and again: first, that cognitive processes "are fully realized in the nervous system of the organism"; and, second, that they can be described at an abstract level that makes no claims about subjective experience nor the underly...

International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 1992

The four commentaries are interesting in two respects: first, in that they raise a number of further issues about animal cognition; and second, because they show how many different positions can be entertained on this matter. While Christopher Robinson clearly rejects the cognitive approach as an alternative to behaviorism, Robert Boakes has no basic objection to animal cognition, but focuses on its actual contribution and reminds us that the positive legacy of behaviorism should not be thrown away with the bath water. Within a comparative approach to cognition, Gordon Gallup suggests that the best framework for generating testable hypotheses is the study of complex mental processes like self-recognition and reflective thought. On the other hand, Jean Pierre Rossi raises the problem of identifying the lowest evolutionary level at which the existence of representations can be assumed. In the following, we shall try to briefly discuss the main points that have been raised. Christopher Robinson takes up William Mace's suggestion to "Ask not

Journal of Intelligence

Using the comparative approach, researchers draw inferences about the evolution of cognition. Psychologists have postulated several hypotheses to explain why certain species are cognitively more flexible than others, and these hypotheses assume that certain cognitive skills are linked together to create a generally “smart” species. However, empirical findings suggest that several animal species are highly specialized, showing exceptional skills in single cognitive domains while performing poorly in others. Although some cognitive skills may indeed overlap, we cannot a priori assume that they do across species. We argue that the term “cognition” has often been used by applying an anthropocentric viewpoint rather than a biocentric one. As a result, researchers tend to overrate cognitive skills that are human-like and assume that certain skills cluster together in other animals as they do in our own species. In this paper, we emphasize that specific physical and social environments cre...

Now more than ever animal studies have the potential to test hypotheses regarding how cognition evolves. Comparative psychologists have developed new techniques to probe the cognitive mechanisms underlying animal behavior, and they have become increasingly skillful at adapting methodologies to test multiple species. Meanwhile, evolutionary biologists have generated quantitative approaches to investigate the phylogenetic distribution and function of phenotypic traits, including cognition. In particular, phylogenetic methods can quantitatively (1) test whether specific cognitive abilities are correlated with life history (e.g., lifespan), morphology (e.g., brain size), or socio-ecological variables (e.g., social system), (2) measure how strongly phylogenetic relatedness predicts the distribution of cognitive skills across species, and (3) estimate the ancestral state of a given cognitive trait using measures of cognitive performance from extant species. Phylogenetic methods can also be used to guide the selection of species comparisons that offer the strongest tests of a priori predictions of cognitive evolutionary hypotheses (i.e., phylogenetic targeting). Here, we explain how an integration of comparative psychology and evolutionary biology will answer a host of questions regarding the phylogenetic distribution and history of cognitive traits, as well as the evolutionary processes that drove their evolution.

1992

The four commentaries are interesting in two respects: first, in that they raise a number of further issues about animal cognition; and second, because they show how many different positions can be entertained on this matter. While Christopher Robinson clearly rejects the cognitive approach as an alternative to behaviorism, Robert Boakes has no basic objection to animal cognition, but focuses on its actual contribution and reminds us that the positive legacy of behaviorism should not be thrown away with the bath water. Within a comparative approach to cognition, Gordon Gallup suggests that the best framework for generating testable hypotheses is the study of complex mental processes like self-recognition and reflective thought. On the other hand, Jean Pierre Rossi raises the problem of identifying the lowest evolutionary level at which the existence of representations can be assumed. In the following, we shall try to briefly discuss the main points that have been raised. Christopher...

1992

The paper by Prato Previde et al. discusses the problem ofthe cognitive approach to animal research. Are these studies condemned to remain within a strictly behaviorist framework? Can we escape from the S-R system without being accused of anthropomorphic interpretation? The reply to these questions requires that the criteria used to classify research as cognitive science be specified. It should also point out the difficulties likely to be encountered by anyone who raises the question of whether all animals are suitable for a cognitive approach. Cognitive sciences include a system of information processing made up of data bases and processing procedures that may be activated by external stimuli, proprioceptive stimuli or by internal pathways. This system is capable of learning. The data bases can be enlarged and restructured, old procedures can be modified and new processes acquired. The researcher's approach is thus to postulate the existence of mental structure and processing p...

2002

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International Journal of Comparative Psychology, 1992

Sense sure you have, Else could you not have motion.

Aim and Scope: "Evolution and Cognition" is an interdisciplinary forum devoted to all aspects of research on cognition in animals and humans. The major emphasis of the journal is on evolutionary approaches to cognition, reflecting the fact that the cognitive capacities of organisms result from biological evolution. Empirical and theoretical work from both fields, evolutionary and cognitive science, is accepted, but particular attention is paid to interdisciplinary perspectives on the mutual relationship between evolutionary and cognitive processes. Submissions dealing with the significance of cognitive research for the theories of biological and sociocultural evolution are also welcome. "Evolution and Cognition" publishes both original papers and review articles. Period of Publication: Semi-annual Price: Annuals subscription rate (2 issues): ATS 500; DEM 70, US$ 50; SFr 60; GBP 25. Annual subscriptions are assumed to be continued automatically unless subscription orders are cancelled by written information.