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Cyclical population dynamics of automatic versus controlled processing : an evolutionary pendulum
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Rand, D. G., Tomlin, D. A., Bear, A., Ludvig, E. and Cohen, J. D. (2017) Cyclical population dynamics of automatic versus controlled processing : an evolutionary pendulum. Psychological Review, 124 (5). pp. 626-642. doi:10.1037/rev0000079 ISSN 0033-295X.
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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rev0000079
Abstract
Psychologists, neuroscientists, and economists often conceptualize decisions as arising from processes that lie along a continuum from automatic (i.e., “hardwired” or over-learned, but relatively inflexible) to controlled (less efficient and effortful, but more flexible). Control is central to human cognition, and plays a key role in our ability to modify the world to suit our needs. Given its advantages, reliance on controlled processing may seem predestined to increase within the population over time. Here, we examine whether this is so by introducing an evolutionary game theoretic model of agents that vary in their use of automatic versus controlled processes, and in which cognitive processing modifies the environment in which the agents interact. We find that, under a wide range of parameters and model assumptions, cycles emerge in which the prevalence of each type of processing in the population oscillates between two extremes. Rather than inexorably increasing, the emergence of control often creates conditions that lead to its own demise by allowing automaticity to also flourish, thereby undermining the progress made by the initial emergence of controlled processing. We speculate that this observation may have relevance for understanding similar cycles across human history, and may lend insight into some of the circumstances and challenges currently faced by our species.
Item Type: | Journal Article | |||||||||||||||
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Subjects: | B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BF Psychology | |||||||||||||||
Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Psychology | |||||||||||||||
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Cognitive science, Game theory, Population | |||||||||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Psychological Review | |||||||||||||||
Publisher: | American Psychological Association | |||||||||||||||
ISSN: | 0033-295X | |||||||||||||||
Official Date: | 31 October 2017 | |||||||||||||||
Dates: |
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Volume: | 124 | |||||||||||||||
Number: | 5 | |||||||||||||||
Page Range: | pp. 626-642 | |||||||||||||||
DOI: | 10.1037/rev0000079 | |||||||||||||||
Status: | Peer Reviewed | |||||||||||||||
Publication Status: | Published | |||||||||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | |||||||||||||||
Date of first compliant deposit: | 22 May 2017 | |||||||||||||||
Date of first compliant Open Access: | 18 January 2018 | |||||||||||||||
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant: |
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