Intelligence in Multiple Dimensions: Evolutionary Framework for the Study of Human Cognition

Exceptional insights into the organization of human cognitive abilities and some of the underlying brain mechanisms have emerged over the past 120 years. More recent studies have resulted in the identification of potential genetic and very basic brain mechanisms (e.g., synaptic plasticity) that undergird human cognition. These knowledge gains have been largely atheoretical, that is, they followed the emergence of new technologies, such as brain imaging methods and genome-wide association studies. The current proposal provides a theory-driven, evolutionary framework for studying human cognition using the frontoparietal and default mode networks as examples. The approach organizes the study of complex cognition around four dimensions: the pressures that drove the evolution of these networks, network functional competencies, the underlying biological mechanisms, and their development. The approach integrates the study of complex cognitive abilities across multiple dimensions and provides directions for future studies.