Jonathan Wallis
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- September 2007
- ISBN:
- 9780195314274
- eISBN:
- 9780199786695
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195314274.003.0003
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience
A key part of goal‐directed behavior is the use of behavior‐guiding concepts and rules—an ability that is believed to have coevolved with the frontal lobe. The first part of the chapter examines the ...
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A key part of goal‐directed behavior is the use of behavior‐guiding concepts and rules—an ability that is believed to have coevolved with the frontal lobe. The first part of the chapter examines the neuronal processing of high‐level, abstract rules using a matching‐to‐sample task, and examines whether this ability is unique to the frontal lobe or extends to other brain structures, including the striatum, and posterior sensory areas, such as inferior temporal cortex. The second part contrasts this neuronal representation of abstract rules with the neuronal processing that occurs when macaque monkeys are making choices using more low‐level, open‐ended rules, such as maximizing reward or minimizing work.Less
A key part of goal‐directed behavior is the use of behavior‐guiding concepts and rules—an ability that is believed to have coevolved with the frontal lobe. The first part of the chapter examines the neuronal processing of high‐level, abstract rules using a matching‐to‐sample task, and examines whether this ability is unique to the frontal lobe or extends to other brain structures, including the striatum, and posterior sensory areas, such as inferior temporal cortex. The second part contrasts this neuronal representation of abstract rules with the neuronal processing that occurs when macaque monkeys are making choices using more low‐level, open‐ended rules, such as maximizing reward or minimizing work.
Richard E. Passingham
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- August 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198844570
- eISBN:
- 9780191880094
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198844570.003.0008
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology
The key to the granular prefrontal (PF) cortex is that it sits at the top of the sensory processing hierarchy, the motor hierarchy, and the outcome hierarchy. This means that it is a position to ...
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The key to the granular prefrontal (PF) cortex is that it sits at the top of the sensory processing hierarchy, the motor hierarchy, and the outcome hierarchy. This means that it is a position to learn abstract task rules. These relate to conditional tasks that involve sequences, associations, and attentional performance. Because they can learn abstract rules, primates can show specific behavioural transfer from one problem to another when the problems share the same logic. And, since the different PF areas are closely interconnected, the PF cortex provides a general-purpose mechanism for the rapid solution of novel tasks.Less
The key to the granular prefrontal (PF) cortex is that it sits at the top of the sensory processing hierarchy, the motor hierarchy, and the outcome hierarchy. This means that it is a position to learn abstract task rules. These relate to conditional tasks that involve sequences, associations, and attentional performance. Because they can learn abstract rules, primates can show specific behavioural transfer from one problem to another when the problems share the same logic. And, since the different PF areas are closely interconnected, the PF cortex provides a general-purpose mechanism for the rapid solution of novel tasks.
Richard E. Passingham
- Published in print:
- 2021
- Published Online:
- August 2021
- ISBN:
- 9780198844570
- eISBN:
- 9780191880094
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198844570.001.0001
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Neuroscience, Cognitive Psychology
The primate prefrontal cortex sits at the top of the sensory, motor, and outcome processing hierarchies of the neocortex. It transforms sensory inputs into motor outputs, determining the response ...
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The primate prefrontal cortex sits at the top of the sensory, motor, and outcome processing hierarchies of the neocortex. It transforms sensory inputs into motor outputs, determining the response that is appropriate given the current context and desired outcome. This transformation involves conditional rules. The dorsal prefrontal cortex supports the learning of behavioural sequences, where the next action is conditional on the previous one. The ventral prefrontal cortex supports associations between objects, where the choice of one object is conditional on the presence of another object. However, because hierarchical processing supports the extraction of abstract representations, the primate prefrontal cortex is able to represent conditional rules that are abstract, meaning that they apply irrespective of the specific inputs. The selective advantage is that by learning these rules, primates can solve new problems rapidly when they have the same conditional logic as prior problems. The human prefrontal cortex has the same fundamental organization as in other primates. The dorsal prefrontal cortex supports the understanding of sequences and the ventral prefrontal cortex supports the ability to learn semantic associations. Thus the human prefrontal cortex has co-opted and elaborated mechanisms that were present in ancestral primates. These mechanisms can be used for new ends. For example, words have been associated with objects so as to communicate with others. This means that to understand human intelligence it is necessary to take into account the fact that the abstract rules are transmitted verbally from one generation to another.Less
The primate prefrontal cortex sits at the top of the sensory, motor, and outcome processing hierarchies of the neocortex. It transforms sensory inputs into motor outputs, determining the response that is appropriate given the current context and desired outcome. This transformation involves conditional rules. The dorsal prefrontal cortex supports the learning of behavioural sequences, where the next action is conditional on the previous one. The ventral prefrontal cortex supports associations between objects, where the choice of one object is conditional on the presence of another object. However, because hierarchical processing supports the extraction of abstract representations, the primate prefrontal cortex is able to represent conditional rules that are abstract, meaning that they apply irrespective of the specific inputs. The selective advantage is that by learning these rules, primates can solve new problems rapidly when they have the same conditional logic as prior problems. The human prefrontal cortex has the same fundamental organization as in other primates. The dorsal prefrontal cortex supports the understanding of sequences and the ventral prefrontal cortex supports the ability to learn semantic associations. Thus the human prefrontal cortex has co-opted and elaborated mechanisms that were present in ancestral primates. These mechanisms can be used for new ends. For example, words have been associated with objects so as to communicate with others. This means that to understand human intelligence it is necessary to take into account the fact that the abstract rules are transmitted verbally from one generation to another.
