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Heyes, C. (2003). Four routes of cognitive evolution. Psychological Review, 110 , 713-727. Presentation by: Marian Alonso and Paulina Murrietta. Human Nativist Evolutionary Psychology.
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Heyes, C. (2003). Four routes of cognitive evolution. Psychological Review, 110, 713-727. Presentation by: Marian Alonso and Paulina Murrietta
Human Nativist Evolutionary Psychology • HNEP claims that the mind is made of various innate cognitive modules and is the most prominent approach to understanding the evolution of cognition. • HNEP asserts that cognitive evolution occurs through phylogenetic construction—or adaptive changes in cognitive mechanisms through natural selection—alone. Heyes, C. (2003). Four routes of cognitive evolution. Psychological Review, 110, 713-727.
Problems with HNEP • Examples of adaptive specialization could be interpreted as modular whether or not data actually support such a claim and all of evolutionary psychology could thus be seen as flawed • Doesn’t distinguish between cognitive and non-cognitive mechanisms • Assumes that natural selection is the only source of adaptive change Heyes, C. (2003). Four routes of cognitive evolution. Psychological Review, 110, 713-727.
The Four Routes Framework • Acknowledges the existence of cognitive modules while simultaneously allowing the identification of other types of adaptive specialization • Describes four ways in which cognitive processes can change such that adaptive behavior results from the change Heyes, C. (2003). Four routes of cognitive evolution. Psychological Review, 110, 713-727.
The Framework Figure • Adapted from Heyes ,2003, p.714 LOCUS SOURCE Heyes, C. (2003). Four routes of cognitive evolution. Psychological Review, 110, 713-727.
Phylogenetic Construction andPhylogenetic Inflection • Phylogenetic Construction: the dominant interpretation of adaptive change; evolution by natural selection as it is currently understood • Example: Language • Phylogenetic Inflection: when natural selection alters the input to a cognitive mechanism by changing a non-cognitive process • Example: Filial Imprinting and Spatial Memory in Food Storing Birds Heyes, C. (2003). Four routes of cognitive evolution. Psychological Review, 110, 713-727.
Ontogenetic Construction and Ontogenetic Inflection • Ontogenetic Construction: when developmental selection produces adaptive change to the rules and mechanisms of a cognitive process • Example: Facial Recognition • Ontogenetic Inflection: when the interaction between a cognitive system and its environment during development adaptively alters input to a cognitive mechanism without changing the mechanism itself • Example: Imitation Heyes, C. (2003). Four routes of cognitive evolution. Psychological Review, 110, 713-727.
Concluding Comments • Instead of simply asking whether or not adaptive change has occurred, the framework attempts to identify the source and locus of adaptive change • This framework is compatible with various theoretical approaches to evolutionary psychology (nativist, constructionist, etc.) and thus allows for communication between those approaches Heyes, C. (2003). Four routes of cognitive evolution. Psychological Review, 110, 713-727.
Critical Review Comments • Interesting Points • Phylogenetic construction is more rare than generally thought • “The task of evolutionary psychology is not to show that natural selection can influence cognitive processes but to establish exactly what kind of effects natural selection, and developmental selection, do and do not tend to have.” • Points of Weakness • Unnecessarily revisits the Nature vs. Nurture debate • Convenient examples to support point Heyes, C. (2003). Four routes of cognitive evolution. Psychological Review, 110, 713-727.