Foraging in Mind. (June 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Todd, Peter M.; Hills, Thomas T.
• Is Part Of: Current directions in psychological science. Volume 29:Number 3(2020)
• Page Start: 309
• Page End: 315
• Publication Date: 2020-06
• Subjects: search -- foraging -- memory -- executive function -- verbal fluency task -- cognitive map -- episodic future thinking -- self-projection; Psychology -- Periodicals; 150
• DOI: 10.1177/0963721420915861
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0963-7214

Abstract

People and other animals can search for information inside their heads. Where does this ability come from, and what does it enable cognitive systems to do? In this article, we address the behavioral and cognitive similarities between search in external environments and internal environments (e.g., memory). These require both maplike representations and the means to navigate them, and the latter involves modulation between exploitation and exploration analogous to a foraging process called area-restricted search . These findings have implications for understanding a number of cognitive abilities commonly considered to be hallmarks of the human species, such as well-developed executive control and goal-directed cognition, autonoetic consciousness (i.e., self-awareness), deliberation, and free will. Moreover, this research extends our conception of what organisms may share these abilities and how they evolved.