New publication on the nature/nurture of mind.

Psychol Bull 2002 Sep;128(5):667-98

 

Brain and cognitive evolution: forms of modularity and functions of mind.

Geary DC, Huffman KJ.

Department of Psychological Sciences, University of Missouri-Columbia

65211-2500, USA. gearyd@missouri.edu

 

Genetic and neurobiological research is reviewed as related to controversy

over the extent to which neocortical organization and associated cognitive

functions are genetically constrained or emerge through patterns of developmental

experience. An evolutionary framework that accommodates genetic constraint and

experiential modification of brain organization and cognitive function is then

proposed. The authors argue that 4 forms of modularity and 3 forms of neural

and cognitive plasticity define the relation between genetic constraint and

the influence of developmental experience. For humans, the result is the

ontogenetic emergence of functional modules in the domains of folk psychology,

folk biology, and folk physics. The authors present a taxonomy of these

modules and review associated research relating to brain and cognitive plasticity in

these domains.